Part IV
By Kathryn
"It has been a week Rachel, that run should only have taken three or four days at the most."
Rachel watched Louise pace around the sitting room, it was early evening and Rachel had just returned from supper in the bunkhouse. Louise's "morning" sickness still had a firm hold on her and she had not eaten an evening meal with the boys all week.
"I'm sure he's fine Lou." She said as Lou stopped by the window, for the fourth time, staring out into the darkness.
"Oh I'm sure he is too."
"Then what is wrong?"
"What if he's changed his mind Rachel? What if he's not coming back?" Lou asked, a desperate tone creeping into her voice.
"He has not changed his mind, he probably just got delayed, like all of you have at one time or another." Rachel pointed out sensibly. "Try not to worry." Rachel tried to take her own advice but found that she couldn't, it wasn't Jimmy she was concerned for however, it was Louise. Kid had returned with his new bride a few days earlier and she had barely commented on the fact, she had taken to going for long walks on her own, sometimes disappearing for hours on end and she had cried herself to sleep every night. Lou turned away from the window with a sigh and resumed pacing the floor.
"Lou please, all this worrying is not good for you, and it can't be good for the baby either. Sit down and tell me what's bothering you. It can't only be that you think Jimmy has changed his mind." Rachel said patting a spot on the sofa next to her encouragingly.
"What if, in a few years, he meets someone, the person he was supposed to be with, and he falls in love with her?" Louise said finally, sinking down next to Rachel.
"Jimmy is not going to fall in love with someone else." Rachel said soothingly.
"I didn't think Kid would either, did you?"
"Well, no..."
"Then how can you say that Jimmy won't too? Maybe it's my fault," she said dropping her head into her hands. "Maybe I..."
"Louise you are talking like a crazy person, you're blaming yourself for something that hasn't happened yet and is not going to. Jimmy will not leave you, he will not fall in love with someone else, he's in love with you." Lou's head snapped up. "
What?!"
"I didn't mean to say that, but surely you know, you must have realised."
"I guess I did." Lou said, rising to begin pacing again. "I just didn't acknowledge it, cause I don't feel that way about him."
"Don't you? You and Jimmy have been getting closer these last few weeks and you've always been good friends."
"Well yes and I suppose I do love him, but as a friend or a brother. Not like a man and not the way a wife should love her husband." She placed her hand over her heart. "It's always been Kid, and I'm scared that it always will be. I don't want to be in love with a man that I can't have, I want to love my the man I marry, but as long as Kid's in here how can I?"
"All I can say is, things have a way of working themselves out." Rachel suppressed the urge to sigh as she watched Lou pace across the room again. Nothing she could say seemed to make any difference to Lou, no matter how many times Rachel reassured her she managed to come up with another worry.
"So what do you thinks happened to Jimmy? I'm getting sick of doing his chores." Cody complained
"But Cody, you aren't doin' Jimmy's chores, we are." Buck pointed out. "Lou's too, I hope she's okay." He added, looking out the window at Rachel's house.
"Yeah, we hardly see her anymore, you think she's gonna come back? I didn't think she'd quit over Kid." Before Buck could answer they both heard the sound of a rider approaching. "Well maybe that's Jimmy now." Cody said hopefully.
They went out onto the porch just as a stranger rode up.
"Whew! I wasn't sure I'd find my way in the dark, and I'm pretty sure Hickok'd kill me if I left you folks waiting any longer."
"Jimmy? Where is he?" Buck asked as the young man slid down from his mount. Buck took the reins and led the way to the barn, unconsciously obeying the ingrained rule of taking care of the horses first.
"He's back in Willow Springs, should be here by the end of the week, if he can convince the Doc to let him go." The young man, Marcus Hopkins as he introduced himself, talked on about his journey to Rock Creek quite oblivious to the shocked reactions of Cody and Buck
"... so it starts to get dark and I'm thinkin' I should make camp for the night, but then I figure from what Hickok told me I should be almost there, uh here."
The three men went back to the bunkhouse, where Rachel was waiting for them.
"Rachel, this is Marcus, he was just about to tell us what happened to Jimmy." Buck said by way of introduction.
"Well other riders always say that the Rock Creek station has the prettiest women, I am pleased to see I was not mislead. It's a pleasure to make your acquiantence ma'am."
"It's nice to meet you too Marcus." Rachel said, unfased by his flattery. "I've fixed you a plate, why don't you sit down and eat, while you tell us what happened to Jimmy."
"Well I wasn't there at the time, but this is what I was told happened. It's the most excitement Willow Springs has seen in a while." Robert began, "It seems that this fella Pete Cooper, folks in town just calls him Coop, this fella heard that Jimmy was in town. And he decided to make a name for himself by takin a shot at "Wild Bill", now he must have forgot that most people who try to take a shot at Wild Bill Hickok end up six feet under! So anyway he goes over to the way station and calls Jimmy out, and from what I heard you should have seen his face when Jimmy refused." He said, around a mouthful of food.
"Well Coop starts swearin and cussin, callin Jimmy a gutless coward - that's the only thing he said that I can repeat in front of a lady - so finally Jimmy gives in and then they're out on the street, and by then the whole town had gathered to watch. So maybe five minutes goes by and neither of them move." He paused for effect, realising his audience was hooked.
"So like I was sayin', they was just standing there and suddenly Coop makes a move for his gun but Hickok wouldn't draw on him - didn't even flinch! So Coop draws his gun, real cocky like aims and fires. You know, that Hickok must be one lucky sonofa - oh excuse me ma'am. Hickok must be real lucky, cause it turns out that Pete Cooper couldn't hit the side of a barn if he was standing three feet away from it. So, then Hickok reaches for his gun, real slow, you wouldn't guess he was known for his quick draw, and he fires one shot straight in the air. I tell ya, old Coop must have thought it was the luckiest day of his life, until the sheriff came and locked him up for attempted murder." He laughed heartily at the end of his story.
"But what about Jimmy? Why isn't he here?" Rachel asked what they were all thinking.
"Oh right, well it turns out that it just may have been the luckiest day of Coop's life, cause taking into account his poor aim and all, he hit Hickok in the leg - says he was aimin' for his head though." then seeing their worried faces he added, " It ain't nothin' serious, the Doc just wanted him to stay off his feet for a couple of days, like I said, he's probably only a day or two behind me."
Lou stood at the door, moving from one foot to the other, desperately trying to resist the urge to run. She had rehearsed what she was going to say over and over in her mind, but it all flew from her head the second the door opened.
"Lou, what are you doing here?"
"Morning Kid. I hope I'm not interrupting your breakfast."
"No, we've just finished." Kid said, confused by her cool tone of voice. "What are you doing here?" He asked again, stepping out onto the porch, closing the door firmly behind himself. When he and Eliza had returned from St. Joe Kid had moved all of his belongings into the house the town provided for the school teacher. He was still riding for the express, despite their preference for men without families, although he was looking for other work.
"It wasn't my idea to come here, Rachel thought that I should be the one to tell you, before you heard it from anyone else."
"Heard what?" Kid asked, checking for the third time that the door was still securely closed behind him.
"I'm marrying Jimmy next Saturday." Lou said, her voice completely emotionless.
"You're doin' what!? You can't marry Jimmy!" Kid exclaimed.
"I can marry anyone I choose Kid. Just like you did!" She spat back at him, her anger beginning to surface.
"Lou if you're doing this to get back at me."
"What I do and why I do it is no longer any of your concern Kid. The wedding is four o'clock next Saturday, if you and your wife wish to attend." With that Lou turned on her heel and walked out onto the street.
Saturday, a little over a week away. It's too soon, a voice in the back of her head said, it's moving too fast. She walked slowly back to Rachel's, knowing that she wanted to fit Lou for her wedding dress, and the voice in her head kept saying that it was all going too quickly, she needed more time, Lou almost laughed out loud at that. More time, that was exactly what she didn't have, her figure had already begun to change, not much but she had noticed the last few days as she dressed, that the bodice's of her dresses were getting a little snug. It was only a matter of time before someone else noticed.
Without realising it, she had walked all the way back to the station and was standing in Rachel's front yard, she turned and looked over at the bunkhouse, her home for more than a year, the first real home she had known since her mother died. A wave of sadness washed over her as she thought of her mother and her hands came to rest on her still flat stomach.
"I promise you" she whispered to the tiny life growing inside her,
"Your life will be better, I will love you and protect you no matter what. I will keep you from sadness and loneliness and pain, no one will ever hurt you while I'm there to stop them. I promise you." With those words a small smile formed on her lips, the first in days, it was as if acknowledging the baby and making it that promise had somehow lifted a weight from her heart. She turned back to the house and the smile widened at the thought of the preparations Rachel was making for the wedding, her wedding. True it wasn't exactly how she dreamed it would be, but Rachel was right, these things did have a way of working themselves out and she would do her best to make sure this did.
"Louise McCloud, if you don't stay still this whole thing is going to come down." Rachel scolded, clamping her hands on Lou's shoulders to hold her still before she put the last of the hairpins in place. The days leading up to the wedding had flown by and now Louise sat, fidgeting, in front of the mirror as Rachel did her hair. She had vowed to herself and her baby that she would make the best of the situation but now, with the ceremony only an hour away, all of her doubts began to surface once more. She absently fingered the cameo earrings Rachel had given her the previous evening, hoping they would bring her good luck.
Jimmy peered at his reflection in the tiny mirror as he straightened his tie. "I still don't believe you're really doing this." Cody said, brushing a speck of lint of his jacket. "I mean you and Lou? Really? I just don't believe it." He said for about the hundredth time since Jimmy had announced his intention to marry Lou.
"Well believe it, cause I am." Jimmy growled over his shoulder, more annoyed with himself than Cody. He was unaccustomed to feeling nervous and right now he felt as though he had enough butterflies in his stomach to fly him to the moon. And however funny Cody thought he was being, his reaction had been a common one. When Buck had cornered Jimmy in the barn and accused him outright of taking advantage of Lou, there was little Jimmy could say without giving away her secret.
"I ain't holding a gun to her head Buck." he had said trying to hold his temper.
"You're not wasting any time either." Buck retorted, trying to provoke him.
In the end Jimmy had had to walk away, he knew Buck was just being protective of Lou - hell he would have been exactly the same if the situation was reversed. None of them wanted Lou to get hurt again, they all loved her and wanted what was best for her, and Jimmy could understand how Buck might think that he was not the best thing for Lou. But when it came down to it, he loved her he couldn't help it, he hadn't planned to fall in love with her, at first he didn't even want to - she was his best friend's girl, how could he be in love with her? - but then he had realised it was inevitable, whether she married him or not, even if he were never to see her again, he would love her until the day he died.
Cody watched Jimmy frown into the mirror and suppressed a sigh, he knew he annoyed Jimmy when he made his jokes about him and Lou but he couldn't help it. Everyone was so tense, they had barely seen Lou since the day Kid announced his engagement, Buck was mad at Kid for breaking Lou's heart and now he was mad at Jimmy for rushing her to the alter. The only thing Cody could think to do was try and diffuse the tension with a joke now and then. As he opened his mouth to speak Jimmy turned to face him.
"Not now Billy," he growled. "Don't start with me again."
"I was just going to remind you that as best man I'm supposed to have the ring." he said innocently. Jimmy nodded and took a small velvet bag out of his pocket.
"If anything happens to it ..." he said warningly.
"Don't worry Jimmy, I value my life to much to let anything happen to it." Cody opened the bag an dropped the ring into his hand, giving a small whistle of appreciation. The slim gold band glittered brightly in his palm. "It's real pretty, must have cost a bit," Jimmy shrugged. "I know I've been making a lot of jokes about you and Lou, but I do want you both to be happy. You're like brother and sister ... to me I mean, not to each other, cause that's..."
"I know what you meant Cody, and thanks I'm glad someone around here's pleased about this whole thing."
"Don't worry about Buck, he'll come around, of course of you hurt Lou, he'll probably kill you while you sleep." Cody said in a half whisper, even though Buck was outside preparing the wagon before he drove Rachel and Lou to the church. "But if I find out first, Buck would have to stand in line." He finished seriously. Jimmy nodded, more to himself than to what Cody had said. If anyone else had found out about the pregnancy Lou would have had a line of men wanting to marry her, not just because of the baby, but because they all loved her in their own way. And there would also be a line of men waiting to hurt him if he ever hurt Lou, Jimmy knew that for a fact.
The wedding was a small affair, with only Kid and Eliza understandably absent. Rachel cried throughout the ceremony, from the second Lou started down the aisle on Teaspoon's arm, to the couple's polite kiss at the end. She sobbed into her handkerchief, unable to help herself, Teaspoon patted her arm a few times, but soon realised that it was to no avail, some women just had to cry at weddings.
Lou stood in front of the minister, Jimmy at her side, her hands clasped together tightly in an effort to keep them from shaking. She listened to the minister speak about the sacred vows of marriage, and knew she was doing the right thing, the right thing for herself and the right thing for her child. But still a small voice in her traitorous heart whispered that it wasn't too late, she could go to Kid and tell him about the baby, convince him to come away with her. But hurting two people would taint whatever happiness they could find and she would never have faith in a man who would leave his wife, even for her. And she had enough pride not to go begging to a man who didn't want her, she lifted her chin and clasped her hands so tightly around the small bouquet of flowers she felt the stems snap.
It was time for the rings, Lou handed the broken bouquet to Rachel, Jimmy took her hand, repeated the vows the minister spoke and slid the ring into her finger. 'His hands are shaking almost as much as mine, he looks surprised maybe he thought I wouldn't go through with this. Oh, it's my turn now, listen to the minister, say what he says, that's right you can do this.' Lou continued to talk to herself, much the same way she would try to calm a spooked horse.
"... you may now kiss the bride." Lou looked up at Jimmy, her heart almost pounding out of her chest. Jimmy leaned down and softly kissed the side of her mouth, it could have been his sister he was kissing, hell it could have been Cody! But no-one else seemed to notice, a loud cheer went up from the assembled riders, Teaspoon looked at the couple with fatherly affection and Rachel finally managed to stifle her sobs. Once she had control over herself again, Rachel reminded everyone that she had prepared a meal back at her house.
The meal turned out to be a feast, with enough food to feed three times as many people as were there. Jimmy and Lou sat side by side at the head of the table while their friends toasted there future happiness. Teaspoon began the toasts with a speech about what he had learnt about marriage - which, considering the number of trips he had taken down the aisle, could have lasted all night. He had gotten to the lessons he had learnt from his forth wife when Rachel interrupted by suggesting she serve the next course. This idea was met with great approval and when she returned to her seat she was called upon to make a speech herself. Her brief words were warmly received, especially since she spoke for less than a minute. Cody was next, saying that as best man it was his duty to speak, he looked all set to top Teaspoons lengthy oration, but he was dragged back to his seat by Noah and Buck when he started in on Lou's cooking skills.
The group remained in the dining room long after the meal was over talking and laughing, reminiscing and telling stories, the one subject skipped over was Kid. Everyone, by unspoken agreement, leaving him out of conversation. Jimmy and Lou remained mostly silent throughout the evening, however everyone was enjoying themselves to much to think much of it. They sat side by side each lost in their own thoughts, barely hearing the celebration going on around them, they were dragged out of their introspection when the music started and Teaspoon insisted that they dance the first dance. Jimmy got to his feet and held out his hand for Lou to follow him on to the hastily cleared dance floor. The song was slow and romantic and they danced self-consciencly to the chorus of "Awww"'s from Cody and Noah.
Lou tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle a yawn, after the first dance the music had changed to a quick tempo and she and Rachel both had been whirled around the floor by each of the riders at least twice. She looked up and saw Cody approaching her and yawned again, quite deliberately.
"C'mon Lou, you can't be tired yet," he said sitting down next to her. "the party's just getting going."
"Well I didn't get much sleep last night, and besides it's almost midnight."
"The night is still young!" Cody exclaimed.
"Leave her be Cody." Teaspoon said, raising his hat from his face - he'd been dozing in the corner for almost an hour. "Getting hitched takes a lot out of a person."
"Well you oughta know Teaspoon." Cody laughed, getting to his feet in search of Rachel.
"Why don't you head upstairs and get some sleep, everyone will understand, you have had a big day." Teaspoon said gently, he didn't want to come right out and say it, but the girl looked like hell. He knew from talking with Rachel that Louise hadn't been sleeping well, added to her worry that Jimmy wouldn't come back from Willow Creek, she must have been having a rough few days.
"Well, maybe you're right." Lou yawned again as she got to her feet. "I'll go find Rachel and say good night." She leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Good night Teaspoon."
"Good night sweetheart."
Lou was soundly asleep when she was awoken by a burst of raucous laughter from below. The party was obviously still in full swing. She lay in bed listening to the rise and fall of the familiar voices, all celebrating her wedding. The voices lulled her back into a doze and she awoke a few hours later when the bedroom door opened, spilling light from the hallway over her. It was then that it suddenly hit her - this was her wedding night!
Jimmy wouldn't think that... He wouldn't expect... No of course not Jimmy was her friend, she watched him through her eyelashes, feigning sleep, he swayed slightly in the door way, it was then that she smelt it, whiskey. Teaspoon must have bent the Company rule about no drinking, but why did it have to be whiskey?! She remembered the smell of it from when she had worked for Wicks doing laundry, and then that night when he attacked her, the stink of it had been on his breath and his clothes... NO! She told herself firmly, don't think about that, Jimmy won't hurt you. But he's been drinking, and when men drink they're not themselves, another voice said. He crossed the room to the bed, Lou watched him through her almost closed eyes, he loomed over her, he looked ten feet tall, he leaned down, the smell of the alcohol almost suffocating her, his lips brushed her forehead and he murmured,
"G'night Lou." Then half lay, half fell onto the floor. Lou listened to his heavy breathing for a while and sighed, this was not how she had imagined her wedding night would be. On the floor Jimmy gave an echoing sigh, this wasn't the way he'd thought his wedding night would be.
To be continued...
Copyright 1998-This work is not to be reproduced without the permission of the author
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Campfire Tales
