A
LOVE REBORNA
LOVE REBORN
Jimmy thought about the conversation he'd had with Devon as he rode into town. Maybe she wasn't crazy? Maybe what she was saying was true? As he rode to the Marshal's office he noticed a large group of men standing outside of Thompkin's store yelling at Barnett who was trying to keep the peace. Jimmy tethered his horse and walked up to the group to see what they were about.
"That's my third cow in the past three weeks." One man said.
"I've lost four in the last two." Another man was saying.
Jimmy walked over to a farmer he and the boys had helped out on occasion, "What's goin' on?"
"Our cattle is dying and no one knows why." The man replied.
The voices of the men grew and they began yelling about their losses to Barnett. Jimmy was about to stand beside the deputy when the voices were silenced by a child's question.
"Why don't you ask the witch to help?"
The mother of the child smiled weakly and tried to pull the child away. Telling the small girl to hush.
"But mama," The girl protested. "Her cows are all nice and fat, and she did help you with the pain in your stomach with the magic potion she made."
The mother smiled at the group of men and turned to leave, but she was stopped by a burly farmer.
"What is she talkin' about?" The man asked.
The woman was flushed with embarrassment. "I went to welcome the new young woman into town, and as I was talking to her my stomach began to ache me as it has for the past several months. The doc hasn't been able to fix me, but Devon made me a tea and it hasn't hurt since."
As the men digested this new information, all Jimmy thought of was what kind of trouble would be headed Devon's way. He turned around, walked back to his Palomino, climbed up and was back off in the direction of Devon's farm all in less than a minute.
Devon walked out of her house and over to her garden. She was just about to pick some fresh herbs for tea when she heard the sound of a horse approaching. She wasn't expecting any visitors, but she was even more surprised when she saw who it was.
"Jimmy!" Devon called out. "Jimmy, what are you doing back here?"
Jimmy slowed his horse down, climbed off and walked it over to the corral. "Devon, we need to talk."
"I don't understand, what's wrong? Did something happen to Buck?"
He grabbed her elbow and walked her in the direction of her house. "No. It's more serious than that."
"So what you are saying is that the townspeople think that I am to blame for their cattle?" Devon questioned.
Jimmy nodded. "I didn't stick around long enough to hear the rest of the conversation, but by the tones of their voices they are very suspicious of you. Now that they know, or at least suspect, you of being a witch, you can bet that there is going to be trouble."
The two of them were sitting at Devon's table. After hearing Jimmy's news, Devon rested her elbows on the table and buried her head in her hands. After a minute or so, Jimmy saw the slight rising and falling of her shoulders, and heard the soft sobs.
"Oh Devon, no, please no, don't cry," Jimmy said as he reached awkwardly across the table to touch her shoulders. At his touch she began to cry even harder. Jimmy, feeling helpless, stood up and walked across to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. There he held her, whispering comforting words until she was calm.
"I'm sorry Jimmy, I shouldn't have done that." Devon sniffled.
Jimmy turned her around and kneeled down so that he was eye level with her. "Do what? Let out your emotions? There's nothing to be ashamed of. Trust me, keepin' them bottled up inside only makes you feel worse." He finished, his gaze dropping to the floor.
"Like you?"
Jimmy's head snapped up. "What do you mean 'like me'?"
"You're carrying a lot of pain around inside your heart. I can tell."
Jimmy sighed. "If you only knew…"
"Tell me."
"What?"
"Tell me Jimmy. Tell me about the pain, and why you're in so much of it." Devon took his hand gently and smiled reassuringly at him.
Jimmy stood up and walked back over to his chair and sat down. He looked up at Devon with a defeated look in his eyes. "Remember when you told me that I don't know what it's like to love someone with every part of my heart and soul, and not have that person love you back, only give all the love they have to another person?"
Devon nodded.
"Well, trust me when I say that I know what that feels like more than anyone else, except maybe for you." Jimmy stopped hesitantly for a second, tiny tears appearing in the corners of his eyes and swallowed. "I've never talked about this with anyone before…"
"Please go on. You have my word that I won't repeat any of this to anyone." Devon encouraged.
Jimmy nodded. "Oh Devon, I don't even know where to begin."
"Is it Lou?"
Jimmy's eyes widened. "How did you know?"
Devon smiled. "I could see the way that you looked at her. It was more than a friendly or sisterly look."
"I love her." His statement was so simple, but yet held so much emotion at the same time. "God, I love her more than life itself. Devon, there isn't a thing that I wouldn't do for her. I would lay my life on the line for her."
"Does she know?"
Jimmy shook his head. "She knows that I have feelings for her, but she doesn't know how strong they are."
"Why haven't you told her how you feel?"
"Because she loves Kid, not me, and that's the way it's gonna be for the rest of her life." Jimmy bit his lip to try and keep from crying, but one lone tear found it's way down his cheek. "She will never love me the way she loves Kid. That's just a fact I'll have to learn to accept."
Devon stood up, walked around the table and put her arms around Jimmy. It was her turn to be the comforter, not the comforted. As she embraced Jimmy, she felt his shoulders shake with the release of so much hurt and pain that had been building up inside of him for so long. His eyes overflowed with burning hot tears, and he felt like the weight of a hundred pounds was being lifted from his chest. He cried until he felt like he didn't have a drop of water left in his body.
"It's okay Jimmy, I understand." Devon said as she held him, thoughts of Buck and Lily in her mind. "I know exactly what you are going through."
Jimmy looked up at Devon and cleared his throat. "You must think that I'm a real sissy."
Devon shook her head. "You don't have to be strong all the time Jimmy."
Prologue ~ Chapter
1 ~ Chapter 2 ~ Chapter 3
~ Chapter 4 ~ Chapter 5 ~ Chapter
6 ~ Chapter 7 ~ Chapter 8
~ Chapter 9
~ Chapter 10 ~ Chapter 11 ~
Chapter 12
