The Substitute Suitor

Lou returned to the bunkhouse from the barn only to be met with many questions from the other riders as to her whereabouts earlier that evening. Lou defensively avoided them all and went to her bunk, turning her back on everyone else in the room.

She didn't sleep a wink that night. All she could think about was Caroline and how upset she had been when Lou left her at the restaurant. Lou cursed herself for having let Cody persuade her into getting involved in this whole muddle to begin with. She knew it wasn't all Cody's fault. After all, no one could have predicted that events would turn out like this, but Lou couldn't help thinking that somehow she should have known better.

The next morning, Lou had wanted to go and talk to Caroline and confess the whole thing to her, but she suddenly remembered that she had a ride scheduled. Lou had forgotten when she had asked to take over Buck's run, the one she just returned from the previous day, that she would be returning only to head back out on the trail again the next day. This delivery would only take a day, so Lou thought she might still be able to talk to Caroline later that night.

Lou left the Sweetwater Express station on her run without so much as saying a word to the other riders, Teaspoon, or Emma. They all knew that something was wrong, but only Jimmy and Cody knew what it was. They wouldn't dare speak of what happened between Lou and Caroline and the mess that Cody had gotten her into.

By noontime, Buck had departed on his run, Teaspoon and Emma had gone into town, and the rest of the riders were busy doing their many daily chores. Cody had been doing his best all morning to keep his mind off of Caroline; he had already chopped an entire cord of kindling. But all of Cody's efforts were soon completely negated when he saw Caroline driving up the path to the bunkhouse.

Caroline stopped the buckboard in front of Cody and asked to speak with him. Cody noticed how despondent Caroline was. The gleam and glimmer in her eyes that he had fallen in love with the first time he saw her was not present. Her face was solemn and stoic. Cody offered to take her into the bunkhouse where they could talk and be more comfortable, but Caroline shook her head and did move from her position on the wagon seat.

"Billy, I know you and Lou are good friends," Caroline began trying to repress any emotion that was stirring inside her, "and I know I'm probably asking you to break a trust. But I was wondering if you could tell me why Lou ran away from me last night."

Cody could see the tears forming in the corner of her eyes. He looked up to her from where he was standing and began repeating the lie Lou had told her earlier. "I thought Lou told you that he was just gettin' over a bad relationship. Yeah, that girl broke his heart, she did."

"I don't believe that for a minute, William Cody," Caroline retorted sharply. "I could see it in Lou's eyes. He wasn't telling me the truth, and I don't understand why."

Cody knew that he should tell Caroline everything, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He still liked her; he couldn't deny it. Maybe there was a way he could make Caroline like him yet.

"I don't know why, Caroline," Cody replied, his voice soft and gentle as he tried to console the teary-eyed young woman. "But what Lou told you before he ran out was true…I really like you, Caroline. I have since the moment I set eyes on you."

Caroline could see that Cody was genuine and earnest in his confession of his feelings for her, and she felt flattered.

"Thank you for caring, Billy," she said.

"Lou never meant to hurt you. Lou wants nothin' more than to be your friend, Caroline, and that's the truth. I asked him to go to dinner with you as a favor for me," Cody admitted, feeling the shame and guilt well up within. "I told him to spend the whole time talkin' about me and how great I am…so you'd like me instead."

"Oh," Caroline sighed, "I am flattered that you would go to such great lengths to make me like you, Billy. I just wish you'd told me about your feelings earlier…before I let myself fall for Lou and make such a fool out of myself."

"No, you didn't make a fool outta yourself," Cody assured. "I'm the fool, Caroline. I used Lou to get to you, and now I've allowed you to be hurt in the process. I never meant for that to happen."

Cody was full of regret for all he had done, and Caroline could see it in his face. Maybe for the first time Caroline actually realized just how much Cody did care for her, though he did have a strange way of showing it.

"Tell Lou I'm sorry," Caroline added.

"You have nothin' to be sorry about, Caroline. It's me who's sorry," Cody remarked.

The conversation was put on hold when Cody heard the distinct sound of riders coming up the drive to the way station…and they were approaching extremely fast.

"Jimmy! Kid! Ike! Cody!" the voice screamed out.

As the figures became clearer, Cody could make out the shape of two horses, but one did not have a rider on it. He ran over to meet up with the horses, and Jimmy, Kid, and Ike followed suit.

"It's Buck!" Jimmy cried out. "And that's Lightning!" Kid was nearly in a state of panic when he saw the horse and that Lou was not riding him.

"Look!" Jimmy pointed out, "Lou's ridin' with Buck!"

All four of them began to run over to where Buck had now pulled his horse, and the horse he led, to a halt. Buck dismounted his steed and lifted an unconscious and blood-covered Lou out of the saddle.

"Oh my God! What happened?!" Kid cried out as he saw Lou's limp body now being carried into the bunkhouse by Buck.

"I found her about ten miles outside of town. She'd been shot and knocked out…left for dead," Buck explained to the others who were following him into the bunkhouse.

"I'll go get the doctor!" Kid exclaimed as he ran out of the bunkhouse and jumped onto Lou's already-saddled horse and rode off toward town.

"Lou! Lou!" Jimmy called out, but Lou did not stir. They all stood around the bunk where she lay, filled with worry and concern for the female rider.

"Is she gonna be alright?" Ike signed, the fear evident by the lines and creases in his face.

"She has to be, Ike!" Jimmy yelled, not wanting to imagine the alternative.

Jimmy and Buck bandaged up Lou's wound. She had been shot in the left shoulder, and it was still bleeding pretty badly. But they did what they could for the time being and hoped the doctor would arrive as soon as possible.

By this time Caroline was now aware of what was going on. Nobody had bothered to notice that she was still around, not even Cody. Caroline had heard the boys referring to Lou as 'she' and 'her'. Lou's charade had been revealed to her, but Caroline had been speechless until now.

"She?!" Caroline cried out. "She?!"

Everybody turned around and saw the puzzled and irate young woman standing inside the bunkhouse.

Cody quickly rose to his feet. He had a lot of explaining to do, and he just hoped that Caroline would stay around long enough to let him do it.

"Caroline, I can explain," Cody asserted, but Caroline cut him off before he could continue.

"How can you explain that what I thought was a man…someone I thought I had feelings for…" Caroline found that she couldn't continue as she raised her hand and covered her mouth, the sobs completely overcoming her and the tears now freely streaming down her cheeks.

Cody began to approach Caroline ever so gently. "Caroline, this ain't like you think!" he tried to tell her.

"The hell it isn't!" Caroline cursed so that she even surprised herself when she heard the words reverberate in her ears.

"Caroline?" a weak, barely audible voice from behind called out.

Cody and Caroline turned and saw that it was Lou. Jimmy, Buck, and Ike looked just as shocked as Cody and Caroline when they heard Lou speak.

"Caroline, please know that we never meant for you to get hurt." Lou's voice was soft and low.

Caroline simply shook her head. "I can't believe I trusted you! The way we talked the other night at dinner…I told you things I'd never told anyone else before, things I'd never dream I'd ever tell a man. I guess now I know why. I can't believe I really thought that you…"

Again, Caroline covered her mouth with her hands as she tried to hide the pain she was feeling and push back the sobs that were threatening to take control over her. She shook her head one last time and turned to run out of the bunkhouse.

"Caroline!" Lou's shouted as loud as she could given her condition. She began to cough as calling out after Caroline had taken so much strength from her frail body.

But it was no use. Caroline was out the door, having slammed it loudly behind her, and was already headed away from the express station, her horse pulling her and the buckboard as fast as it could.

To Be Continued...Chapter 12 and Epilogue!