March 29, 1900

Black Diamond. 

I walked over to Aly’s this morning and climbed up in the tree, wanting to get some writing done. Aly came outside and climbed up into the tree beside me. “Hey there. Thought I’d relax up here till you woke up. How’d the meeting with Tye go?”

“Oh it went very well Trin,” she grinned. “He’s decided to make me a temporary Deputy. So basically that means I’ll help him with arrests when he’s around... and help YOu when he’s not,” she laughed. 

“That’s fantastic hon! I knew it would go well! Maybe we can start solving some danged cases now.”

“I think so,” she laughed. “But I’m going to seriously need your help here. I don’t have much experience, but, I’m determined to help keep the citizens here safe. Oh and Bree got engaged last night.” 

“I can help you with that. I’ll be your right hand woman.... We’ll be such a good team.” I blinked at her and asked, “Who to?” 

“Some guy named Ripley I ain’t never seen before.” 

I laughed hard at that and said, “I’m sorry but that’s funny. I’ve never seen them together.”

“Uh huh. She seems to know him though, so whatever, I’m glad if it makes her happy.” 

I looked up then and saw Dave climb up the tree quietly. “Well hey there.” 

“Oh, this is way too high,” Dave said then and slid down to the ground. 

“Scared of heights?” I watched him. 

“Want mine, David? I’l go up,” Aly said then. 

“Yeah after the damn Apache bitch put me in that cage hanging over the canyon,” Dave said. 

“Yeah that would make anyone hate heights,” I nodded. 

“Ugh I forgot about that. Do you need a hug?” Aly asked him. 

“Maybe, could help,” he smiled. 

“So Dave...” I started. 

“Yes?” he looked at me. 

“Am I gonna have to shoot you to get that report done of what happened with that Apache?” I winked. 

“Trin you don’t want me writing a report.” 

I climbed down the tree and walked over to him. “Sure I do, hon. Would you rather just tell me what 

happened and I’ll transcribe it?”

“I ain’t got nothing nice to say about him or it.” 

“David...just stick with the facts about what happened. Use your heated and aggressive feelings and emotions on something else. Focus them in other actions, and THEN write that report. We need, it, dang it,” Aly said. 

“Okay hon, let’s do it this way...” I looked at him. “What happened first? You were walking through 

town and then what?”

“I’d rather not talk about it Trin, he just didn’t belong here.” 

“Dave. If you don’t tell us what happened from your point of view, how are we going to arrest him? You’re the one he was mad at.”

“Exactly why was he mad at me just some paleface?”

“Yes,” Aly nodded. 

“Same reason you were mad at him. Just some Apache,” I looked at him. 

“Like I told ya yesterday, he was acting out of emotion. ‘Palefaces’ killed his tribe,” Aly said. 

“No he is like all Apache dumb, and savage and filthy.” 

“David, I really need you.... to do this. For me. Ok?” Aly looked at him. 

“Why, Aly?” Dave asked and I shook my head, feeling ignored. 

“So if he ever shows up again, I can lock him up without question.” 

I climbed back on the tree branch, frustrated, and Aly glanced over at me. “Trin?” she asked and I shook my head. “Not trying to step on your toes here, trying to help. I promise.” 

“You don’t need my help. He won’t listen to me anyway.”

“I’m going to my office, you want a statement ladies.... FINE,” Dave said and stormed off. I raised an eyebrow at him and shook my head, throwing my pillow on the ground in frustration. 

“Of course I need your help. I can’t do this by myself, I hardly know what I’m doing,” Aly frowned. 

“Not mad at you, Aly. Mad at him.”

“Ok and he’s mad at the Apache. Now, we need his statement. You wanna go, want me to go, or want to go together? Gotta get it either way.” 

“Well he should be but he doesn’t have to attack the whole tribe like that. That’s what Tye said... Maybe this guy’s trying to get the whole tribe in trouble by saying he’s Apache when he doesn’t talk or look like it.”

“We can talk about that later. I have something to tell you about the Apache. It’s really important... but right now we need David.” 

“I’ll go talk to him. You can stay here,” I sighed and slid down the tree, throwing the pillow back up at her. 

“Alright, but holler if you need me,” Aly said and I walked over to Dave’s office. 

I sat down quietly at his desk and Dave angrily continued writing. “Come to make sure I write it?” he looked up at me. 

“I don’t like it when we fight.”

“I’m not angry at you Trin. Just got a lot going on.” 

“You’ve been avoiding me since our talk here.”

“Yeah well, what’s anything gonna change if we talk?”

“I have to fight tooth and nail for you to fill out a report you know we need. This is twice now.”

“What do you mean?”

He looked down at his wedding band and shook his head. “Just forget it.” 

I followed his gaze and said, “We have to move past this somehow, Dave..”

“What’s another word for vulgar savage Apache?”

I sighed and thought about my father’s medal sitting in its locked cabinet back home and told myself to focus. I found myself staring at Dave but knew that our situation would never change. I wondered if anything would ever get better between us. 

“Dave...” I started and then said, “Dave I...” I knew I couldn’t talk to him since it seemed like he was still upset with me. 

“Where are you going?” Dave asked as I walked outside. 

Aly was standing outside the office and I looked at her as I ran a hand through my hair. “He’s working on it....” 

“Working is good,” she said and looked me over. “You okay?” 

I leaned back against the window, knowing he was right on the other side of it. Aly looked over at me and I said, “I’m fine,” though it wasn’t true. 

We noticed the payroll group ride into town and I walked over to talk with Wedge as the others conducted business. I updated him on the case with Dutch Solo and he was happy to hear I’d gotten closure. 

Dave walked over and practically threw the report at me. “Here.” 

I blinked at him, taking the report as Aly asked, “Ya need another hug?” 

“I might,” Dave looked at her and she hugged him. 

I wondered what I did to upset him and just read the report over while they hugged. I muttered a thanks and walked over to the sheriff’s office to put the report in Tye’s mailbox. Walking back out, I looked at Dave and hesitated. 

“What I do now, MOM?” he looked back at me. 

“We need to talk.” 

“About what, Trin?” he asked. 

“Whatever the hell’s pissed you off about me,” I said as the calvary rode out of town. 

“You? This ain’t about you....I ain’t not mad at you.” 

“Sure feels like you are.”

“I ain’t mad at you I mean.” 

“You avoid me for weeks and then I have to fight you to get reports from you that you know will help our case. It’s happened twice now, Dave.” 

Dave greeted Bree as she walked over and turned his back on me. I sighed and looked to Aly and he continued to talk to Bree. When she walked off to check the bank, Aly said, “Okay, y’all making me feel awkward.” 

“You need a hug?” Dave asked. 

“I’m good at the moment. Trin might though.” 

“Trin I ain’t mad at you, I just have a lot going on in this head of mine,” he turned and looked at me. 

“So have I. At least I still try to make an effort to....” I shook my head at myself, feeling stupid. I knew that my frustration was because of my attraction for him still but I knew I couldn’t tell him the truth. 

“I make efforts,” Dave said. 

“Ok this conversation doesn’t involve me. I’m gong back to the tree, if you need me Trin. Heck, I think I’ll eat a slice of cherry pie up in it,” Aly said and walked off. 

“Just forget it, Dave.... let’s just move on and try to stop bantering so much,” I looked at Dave when we were alone again. 

“So where do we go from here?”

“I don’t know. I feel like there’s something that... shifted in the vortex between us but I have no idea what.”

“What the hell is a vor-tex? That something from Texas?” he scratched his head, confused. 

“Never mind,” I shook my head and stepped closer to him. “Dave...” 

He gulped and asked, “Yes?” 

I stepped back, seeing his nervousness and said, “I’m sorry.” 

He stepped closer and placed a hand on my shoulder. “What is it?”

I looked in his eyes and whispered, “You want to know the truth?”

“I don’t know how to act around you,” I sighed. “We only... We hardly did anything and yet I can’t get it out of my mind when I see you. But you’re married and you’ve moved on and I feel like I was just kinda thrown in the dust with it all, and my feelings didn’t matter anymore.”

“Is that what this is all about Trin?” he looked at me and I stepped back, embarrassed. “What we had was wonderful, but I thought it was just ‘in the moment’ like we talked about it afterwards, I am sorry if I lead you to think it was more.” He looked sincere, and maybe even a little sad. 

“I knew it wasn’t more... I knew it was just that one....” I sighed. “It was just a kiss, Dave. Why has it encompassed my thoughts so much? It’s in the past. I just can’t seem to leave it there, though I know I have to.”

He stepped closer and kissed me softly on the cheek. “I am sorry Trin... You’re a special lady to me, and one of my best most trusted friends.” 

I sighed and just hugged him, telling myself to relax. “I just... it hasn’t felt like it lately...”

“Life has been complex lately.” 

“I know... Just..... you know I’m here if you need me, right? Even just to talk over a drink sometime.” I looked at him as he was quiet. “I should get some work done.”

“That would be nice. Just lately seems I get so angry when it comes to natives... Ever since I was taken captive by that bitch Apache. I ain’t never been afraid of heights before either.” 

“I know...” I sighed. 

“I bet you didn’t know I ain’t been sleeping well either?”

“I don’t know much about anything going on with you.”

“I don’t know sometimes it feels like I am leading this second life... so many things going on.... and now this thing I have against Apaches... my wife being half native herself,” he sighed. 

I sighed, knowing I probably wouldn’t tell him my truth either. “It’s a lot to take in, I know. You should get back to your wife, Dave... We’ll have drinks soon, alright?” I looked at him and he nodded. I hugged him tightly and whispered, “It’s nice to have you back.” 

“Glad we kinda cleared the air Trin. I’m sorry if I made things worse between us... when we got romantic so long ago.” 

“It took two,” I leaned back and looked at him. “Just didn’t expect you to move on so fast. Really did feel kinda left in the dust.”

“Really? It’s me?” Dave gave a lopsided grin. 

“Yeah but marriage wasn’t you.”

“I know surprised me too really, just something different about her.” 

I nodded, not wanting to talk about it. “Alright, I’ll see you soon, okay hon?”

He leaned forward and whispered softly, “I do love you.” 

I blinked at that and leaned back, “But you’re...” 

“I’ll see you later,” he smiled and walked down the street. 

***

This afternoon I walked around town and saw Aly and Stormy talking with Dave in front of her house. I didn’t want to get in the middle of a discussion but I couldn’t help walking over. They were arguing about whether or not it was fair that a Native could walk into town without worrying. Dave was angry that Natives could come into town and not be held in cages but that when a white man goes into their village, they see us as threats. We tried to explain that we don’t like it when anyone comes into our homes unannounced, so it’s the same kind of situation because the Natives are less protected with buildings like we are. Dave continued to get frustrated and I couldn’t handle it anymore so I headed home for the rest of the evening.