By Keri
Chapter III
The night seemed darker than usual, almost matching the darkness of Cody's mood as he sat on the corral fence staring off into space. His mind was so muddled with emotions he couldn't seem to think straight let alone sleep. The others had turned in more than an hour ago now, but he just wasn't ready. He had to make some sense of all this before he went crazy.
She's having a baby.
The thought was incomprehensible. He was so sure this was the woman he would spend the rest of his life with. Never had he felt anything close to what Callie made him feel with a simple glance, and after knowing her a matter of hours.
"It's not fair." he muttered under his breath "Its just not fair." Tears of desperation coursed down his cheeks. The hand that was placed on His shoulder was ignored. He didn't care who it was, he wouldn't let anyone see him cry.
"Cody."
Emma's voice caused Cody's back to stiffen.
"Cody. It's getting late. You have a ride tomorrow and need your sleep."
Cody nodded without turning. Emma needed more than that and started to protest but stopped. She knew how hurt her rider was. She also knew that she could do nothing to ease his pain, that would have to come with time.
"Alright then" Emma had conceded defeat. "Goodnight."
Cody didn't move, it was almost as if he didn't hear her and in fact he hadn't.
She's gonna have a baby. She's gonna have a baby and I'm in love with her.
Eight hours later the setting was much the same. Cody had left on his run and Buck was coming out of the bunkhouse to start his chores when he had to rub his eyes.
Was that Cody sitting on the corral fence where he had been last night? No, it couldn't be. Buck had distinctly heard the rider leave. As he neared the figure he noticed a few strands of long dark hair peaking out from under the persons hat. It was Callie.
Buck stopped in his tracks unsure of whether to approach the girl or start his chores. He was saved from making a decision however, when Callie turned to look at him. It was obvious that the girl had been crying, and Buck's determination to assist her won him over.
"Ya all right ma'am?"
Callie forced a smile to her lips.
"I thought you were Billy. He always seems to be two steps behind me."
Buck smiled, "Well you don't have to worry about him today, he's off on a run."
"Oh." Callie wasn't sure if she was happy about the rider's absence or not. She had almost been looking forward to talking to him.
"So what are you doing?"
"Just chores."
Callie seemed to perk up, "Oh, do you mind if I help you? I am going crazy just sitting around here."
Buck hesitated "I don't know. Shouldn't you be in bed? You hit your head pretty hard. Plus in your condition...." Buck let his sentence trail off.
Callie looked crestfallen. Now sure that her uncle had revealed her pregnancy Callie felt a little sad. She knew that she would be treated like a porcelain doll, something she despised.
"C'mon....." Callie let her sentence trail off not knowing the name of the man in front of her.
"Buck."
"C'mon Buck." she repeated "A little work would do me good."
"No, it would definitely not." Sam's voice boomed across the yard. Buck took a step back.
"Sam, I..." Buck started to explain.
"No need, Buck." Sam held up his hand. "If I know my niece, I know this was her idea."
Callie rolled her eyes and Buck excused himself. Sam firmly grasped Callie's hand and led her back to Emma's porch.
"If you are not gonna stay in doors at least stay on the porch." It was an order and Callie knew it. With an exaggerated sign she plopped down on the porch swing. Sam sat down next to her.
Sam explained what he had told the riders and continued the conversation with a significantly lowered voice.
"I've been checkin' around, and I haven't heard about any of those men you told me about being anywhere around here."
Callie nodded. "So what do I do?"
"Well for right now, you wait. After a while if they don't show up I think it's a pretty safe bet that they ain't looking for you. Until then you'll stay here. Once we've figured that they ain't coming we'll figure out somethin'."
Sam wasn't sure what that something was yet. The thought of having his niece and her baby stay with him made him cringe. Not because he didn't love her and want her in his life, it was just that his place was so small. There was no room for guests let alone two more residents. And a jail house was hardly the place to raise a baby. He had racked his brains for any relatives that would be willing to take Callie in. Most of them he had been out of contact with for years now, and tracking them down would not be easy. He was determined however not to let his niece see his concern. Things would work out, he just wasn't sure how yet.
"Well, What do you think?" It was two days later and Callie twirled before the boys in her new dress. The stomach was stretched a little tightly but other than that the blue gingham dress looked lovely. Simple in design and style it seemed to bring more attention to Callie's best feature; her eyes. Emma had insisted on taking her into town for some clothes. "Britches are fine around here" she said "but in town you should be dressed like a lady." Callie had seen Lou cringe at that remark but thought little of the reaction. Lou was something different. She had not spoken to the rider directly but mentally made a note to do so soon. Jimmy, Lou, Kid and Ike had gathered round to see Callie's new look. The consensus was approving.
"Cody's sure lucky he saw her first." Jimmy whispered under his breath. Ike and Kid nodded in approval.
Lou glanced at Kid and jabbed him in the side, "What's wrong with you! She's having a baby!" Her whisper was harsh.
Callie paused at the look of anger of the small rider's face. Having missed Lou's remark she glanced down at herself with concern. "What's wrong? Is something wrong with the dress?" Her question was directed at Lou, but her answer came from the back of the room.
"It's beautiful, the dress I mean."
Cody, having just returned from his ride stepped into the bunkhouse to find the one person he was trying to avoid.
Callie glanced up and a smile spread across her lips.
"Billy!"
The excitement in her voice was surprising, even to Callie. She was genuinely happy to see him, why she couldn't say, but he seemed happy with her response to his appearance. Gaining some confidence, Cody stepped up between Kid and Lou.
"Can't waste a pretty dress like that sitting around here. Would you like to go for a ride Callie?"
The others stared in silence. They had never seem Cody act so boldly in front of a lady before.
Callie's grin lit up her face. "Oh, I'd love to, I've been going stir crazy sitting around here. No one will let me do anything."
Her hands rested on her stomach and Cody's grin slipped for a second. Being reminded that she was having another man's baby wasn't something he was ready to deal with yet. However, he had done a lot of thinking on his ride, and come to the decision that he needed to work through his feelings for Callie. He had never felt this way before, and to simply dismiss those feelings wasn't something he was prepared to do. As Cody tucked Callie's arm protectively in his he smiled.
This feels right.
As if reading his thoughts, Callie wordlessly nodded.
"It's so quiet here. I like it."
Callie surveyed the picnic area. Situated about three miles out of town, this had become Callie and Cody's "spot". In the last two weeks they had been there more than a dozen times. Cody, having just returned from a run to Fort Laramie, was in a hurry to share Callie with no one and had whisked her away only minutes after his return. Callie lay stretched out on her back and stared at the passing clouds. Cody sat next to her, pulling at pieces of grass. His feelings for Callie had grown stronger then he ever imagined they could, but something was bothering him. The two talked about almost every conceivable topic, except her past. Cody figured that eventually his questions would wear her down and she'd either tell him everything or shoot him. Hoping for the former he cleared his throat.
"Tell me about your husband."
Callie closed her eyes and let the wind play in her hair.
"Billy...you know I really..."
Cody's gentle caress on her jaw stopped her in mid sentence. She opened her eyes abruptly and stared up at a man she had grown to trust. Trust, and more. She had been trying for days to ignore the feelings she was having for Billy Cody.
After all, she reasoned, I'm having Tommy's baby, and I doubt I will be settling in Sweetwater. It's better to remain emotionless.
But Callie was finding that more and more difficult to do staring into those turquoise eyes. She had grown fond of all the riders at the station, but there was something about Cody, something that drew her explicitly to him.
"I just want to know about him to learn more about you."
Cody's statement was sweet, but nonetheless Callie was unwilling to divulge any information. Especially if it could potentially make her new friends accomplices to her crimes.
"Billy."
She almost breathed his name. He still hadn't broken eye contact, and suddenly she had the feeling that he was going to kiss her. Temporarily she was panicked, but that lasted only until she felt his lips on hers. They were so gentle. More gentle than she'd ever felt before. The kiss lasted only a few seconds but Cody and Callie both knew that things had changed between them forever.
"We have to get back."
Inches from Cody's lips, Callie had to remind herself that her uncle was joining them for dinner tonight and that they should have left thirty minutes ago.
"Ah no, you don't get off the hook that easy."
Cody smiled and leaned in to kiss the bridge of Callie's nose. Callie started to laugh, somewhat nervously. She had a feeling keeping secrets from Billy was going to be harder than she'd imagined.
"Sam, why don't you sit down and eat somethin'? I'm sure they'll be back any minute."
Emma's request went unheeded. The boys had just started eating, and while it was unlike Cody to be late for a meal, Emma knew that the boy had more than food on his mind now-a-days. Sam continued to pace by the door.
"You don't understand Emma!" Desperation was starting to creep into Sam's voice. "There are men after Callie, men that want to kill her."
Jimmy decided to try to help.
"Sam, it's not like she's out there alone. Cody's with her. He'd never let anything happen to her."
>>That is unless he's the one doing it<< Ike signed.
The boys couldn't help but laugh. Sam twirled around with rage in his eyes.
"You think this is funny?!"
The boys had never seen Sam like this before. Cody would usually have been the only one stupid enough to reply to Sam's outburst, but since he was so conspicuously missing, the table remained silent.
"Now Sam..."
Emma approached the man she loved and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. But before she could finish her sentence Sam ran out the door having heard the approaching horses.
Before Cody could stop the buckboard Sam had grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him to the ground.
"Sam!" Callie's outrage at her uncle's behavior was genuine. She had never seen him act like this. Cody, having no idea what was going on, held his hands out to shield himself. The sound of Callie's yell seemed to have brought him back to his senses, and instead of hitting the rider he simply let go of his shirt.
"What the hell, Sam?"
Sam clenched his teeth. "Sorry, Cody. I got a little carried away."
"A little?!"
Cody was still in shock about what happened when Sam turned to help Callie off the buckboard. He quickly grabbed her by her forearm and led her away.
"What the hell is going on!" Cody stood and dusted himself off. When his question was ignored Cody called after the two.
"Sam! Callie?"
Sam turned his head but kept walking towards Emma's house.
"Cody, this ain't got nothin to do with you. Go eat!"
Callie turned to him with a look that incorporated disbelief and concern. For a second Cody thought Callie almost looked like she knew what was coming.
As Sam closed the door behind her Callie grew serious.
"What happened?"
His response needed no prompting as Sam was just about to tell her.
"There was a man in Sand Creek last week looking for a girl named Callie Roberts."
Callie turned white. The second she had let her guard down. The second she thought she might actually have a chance.
"Did he match the description of the men I gave you."
Sam looked distressed, "Kind of. Hell Callie, half the men in the country matched the description of the men you gave me."
Callie knew he was right. "What the hell am I gonna do?"
Sam looked determined. "I'm gonna tell the boys about this, but I wanted you to know first. I'm gonna be stoppin' by every day again. With the fair in town I can't spend the night though."
Callie sensed the fear in her uncle's face. She approached him and put her hands on his shoulders.
"Don't worry, Sam. Everything will be fine."
If it wasn't fine now she'd sure as hell make it right.
Chapter V
The wind whipped through Cody's hair as he spurred Soda on. Desperation had taken over his mind. Pulling the exhausted horse to a halt, he turned in a circle and cried out her name.
"Callie!"
How could she have just left like that, without a note, without any word of where she was heading?
Maybe she didn't leave, maybe someone took her - like those men who were after her. Maybe they had her right now, maybe she was already dead.
Cody's mind raced and he once again yelled for the girl he loved.
Suddenly a shot rang through the air and Cody took off for the sound of it without a thought of his own safety. As Callie came into view Cody stopped abruptly. Something was wrong, something was off. There she stood, in the middle of the open plains holding the hand of a man Cody had never seen before. The two walked leisurely and smiled at each other. Cody slowly dismounted his horse, gun drawn, searching the horizon for the origin of the gunshot.
When he was sure that the situation was safe he turned to the couple who were oblivious to his presence.
"Callie?" His voice wavered with uncertainty.
The girl turned to look at the rider and Cody was surprised to see a look of indifference, almost contempt, on Callie's face.
She turned to the man she was with, whispered words of comfort to him and started towards Cody.
"Billy."
The sound of his name had never sounded so cold and her eyes seemed a million years from where they had been just yesterday.
"Callie, what's going on? Are you all right? Who is this?"
Cody's questions tumbled out and he reached for her hand.
"Billy, don't."
Callie pulled her hand back as if she had been burned.
Cody felt a sharp pain in his chest, and his eyes began to well up; confusion took over his entire being.
"Callie." The pain her name caused him was unbearable. "Tell me what's going on. Tell me."
The girl's eyes seemed to harden and she steeled herself against the man in front of her.
"This is the man I love. The man I want to be with. You should go."
Although he felt as if he had just been kicked, Cody still managed to grab out for Callie as she turned away from him. His grip was weak but the whole transaction didn't please the stranger, and before Cody knew what was going on he had a pistol aimed at his head.
"Listen boy," the voice rumbled, "you best let go of my wife and head on back to where ever it is you came from."
"Your wife!"
Callie pulled her arm free of Cody's now non-existent grip and nodded.
"But he's dead! Callie you said..."
Callie's laughter sliced through his words. "Do you always believe everything everyone tells you, Billy? Really, I thought you were smarter than that."
"But why would you lie? What did you want?"
Cody's head was pounding and waves of nausea rocked his body. None of this made any sense.
"Now what does that really matter, Billy? You won't ever get a chance to tell anyone about this anyway."
"What? Callie..."
This time it was a gun shot that stopped Cody's question, and the pain he felt in his chest was no longer that of his heart breaking. His last sight before he slid to the ground was the gun that shot him, and the hand holding that gun was Callie's.
Cody woke with a start, his body drenched in sweat, his breathing laboured. Quickly drawing his hand up to his chest to check on his wound the rider let out a long sigh.
It was just a dream.
He was fine, no wound, Callie was upstairs in Emma's guest room and her husband was still dead. Despite the realization that he was still in one piece, Cody felt slightly uneasy.
What a strange dream. Callie's never given me any reason to doubt her. Why would I dream that she would shoot me. She doesn't even have a gun!
Cody's mind reeled and he stepped off Emma's porch, where he had fallen asleep while on watch to look up towards Callie's room. He was quite surprised to see her pacing in front of the window. He had assumed she would be sleeping by now. From her figure, Cody could see she was most distraught, and momentarily he thought of going to her. That thought was displaced however, when he realized what Emma would do to him if she found him with Callie at this late hour. Cody ran his hands through his matted blond hair and took a deep breath. There was nothing he could do for her right now, no matter how much he wanted to hold her and make her feel safe, she would have to make it through this night on her own.
Lou threw her arms out as she turned over yet again. Finally Kid grumbled from the bunk below.
"Hey Lou, you gonna toss and turn all night? Some of us want to sleep you know."
"Hey Kid, cut her some slack. None of us are havin' too easy of a time fallin' asleep tonight."
Jimmy's comment caught Kid off guard. He had thought that the boys had fallen asleep hours ago.
"Should have known, none of us was gonna get any sleep with killers comin' after Callie." Kids statement was interrupted by a yawn, a testament to his need for sleep.
"Everyone's awake?"
Lou's question was answered with murmurs from around the room. Eager to get some concerns out in the air, the small rider turned onto her stomach and propped her hands under her chin.
"I think something's wrong with this whole thing."
"What do you mean, Lou?"
Buck's voice seemed a bit on the defensive side, and Lou knew at once that she would have a hard time convincing the boys that Sam's niece was less than perfect.
"Think about it, Sam said these men that are looking for Callie are the type to shoot first and ask questions later. That either means that they are justified in their shooting, or that they are criminals."
"What do you mean, justified?" Jimmy's voice reflected his growing interest.
"Never mind that, Jimmy. They're criminals - of course they're criminals! What are you trying to say Lou?"
"Fine Buck, assume they are criminals. Criminals don't hunt down completely innocent people ya know. Didn't none of you think of that? Callie had to have had some contact with these men, whoever they are. If you assume they have a reason to shoot her, then it all comes back to the same thing - she must have done something illegal."
"Okay Lou. We all see how your reasonin' this out, but you're forgettin' that Callie has been here over two weeks with us. She has never done anything suspicious or underhanded. She's been nothin' but honest with us."
"Honest. Yeah, if you don't ask she won't tell. That's about as honest as you'll get from her."
Lou's reply came out harsher than she meant it to. There was just something off about Callie, something she couldn't put her finger on. And now Kid was defending her? How could things get worse?
"Cody doesn't seem to care about all this stuff Lou. In my opinion, he's the only one who has a right to ask."
"Cody's in love with her, can't you see that Jimmy? Look, all I'm saying is that we shouldn't be so blind to what's goin' on right under our noses is all."
"Fine Lou, Lets just get some shuteye awright?"
The bunkhouse grew quiet and the boys grew still but no one slept a wink that night. Whether they were willing to admit it aloud or not, Lou's theories made a lot of sense, and that was more disturbing than any of them wanted to contemplate.
Dawn came slowly to the homestead and the boys were already starting their chores when Sam rode up. He nodded to Teaspoon before he turned to Emma.
"Mornin' Emma. How'd things go last night?"
"Quiet. None of us got too much sleep, but that ain't the first time that's happened 'round here and I'm sure it won't be the last."
Sam looked around at the boys, he could see the toll the situation was taking on them. Hell, they looked almost as tired as him. The sound of Emma's door opening stopped the response that was forming on Sam's lips and his eyes were drawn to the carpet bag his niece was holding.
As she approached Sam and Emma the boys stopped to watch the transaction.
"I gotta go, Sam."
The Marshal's face hardened. "Now Callie, you can't go off by yourself. It ain't safe, and besides you ain't got nowhere to go."
"Yes, I do."
Emma turned to the girl in front of her. She could see that she was trying to put up a brave front, but that she was truly terrified of what her future held.
"Callie, you don't have to go. The boys and I, well, we'd gladly give up a few hours sleep if it meant keeping you safe."
"But why should you Emma? Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to sound ungrateful for what you've all done for me, but this is your family we're talking about. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to any of you all because of me."
"Callie..."
"No. Uncle Sam, I have a place. A good friend of mine moved to New York last year. She told me if I ever need a place to stay to look her up. I doubt that these men will chase me all the way to New York. I didn't want to go all that way unless I had no choice, and I guess I don't anymore. It's the only way I will be able to raise my baby in peace, without fear."
Tears dampened Callie's cheeks and she brushed at them as if they burned her face.
"But how will you get there, honey? The stages aren't safe and you can't think of going alone."
"Emma, I wasn't thinkin' that at all, actually. Cody and I talked this morning, he said he'd take me there if Mr. Spoon would give him the time off."
Emma looked at Sam with concern. Somehow this plan didn't seem right.
"Callie, just wait one week, until this fair is moved on. I'll take you myself."
"No, Sam. I can't risk staying here for a week and placing everyone in danger. I have to go now. Cody will keep me safe, I trust him."
There was no arguing with that last statement. Sam was sure that Cody would die before he let any harm come to his niece. So it was settled, Cody and Callie would ride to New York together. Although it would have been quicker to ride on individual horses, Callie had been having bouts of morning sickness for the past few days, and it was agreed that it would be better for the baby to hitch up a buckboard.
Callie hugged everyone of the riders with tears in her eyes. "It has been an honor to know all of you. You are some fine men, and women. I owe everything I have today to you all."
The "women" part of her testament had been directed at Lou. She couldn't believe it had taken her so long to figure out that the small rider was a woman who disguised herself as a man in order to work for the Pony Express.
Lou nodded to Callie as she turned away. Despite the fact that she was leaving, Lou still felt uneasy about the girl. Something bad was about to happen. She could feel it.
"Cody, you ride safe now. It's a long way to New York. Take your time, and get back here in one piece." Teaspoon's words of wisdom seldom went unheeded.
"Yeah Cody, we'll be saving up all the chores you miss for you to do when you get back."
Jimmy smiled but Cody turned to him, looking more serious than the boys had ever seen him.
"You do that Jimmy, cuz I have every intention of making it back here to do 'em."
The friends shook hands and Cody turned to mount the buckboard.
As they headed out toward the eastern horizon the homestead echoed with the phrase,
"Ride safe, Cody. Ride safe, Callie."
Lou stood alone and watched the disappearing wagon until it was a speck in the distance.
"Yeah" she whispered, "You ride extra safe Cody."
To be continued...Chapter 6
Copyright 1998-This work is not to be reproduced without the permission of the author
The Way Station
Campfire Tales
