The Substitute Suitor

Later that day, Cody was on his way back to Sweetwater once more only after having returned home from town that same morning. This time he rode into town using Emma's buckboard so that he could bring Caroline back to the way station for dinner. Before leaving, though, he made sure that all the other riders knew to clean up and dress in their Sunday finest so that their good manners would reflect well on Cody. He also asked Emma to use her best tablecloth and maybe have some flowers picked fresh from her garden as a nice centerpiece. It wasn't often that the way station had special guests, except maybe for Sam Cain, so Emma was only too happy to oblige.

As Jimmy began to hear the rustling of an approaching wagon, he signaled the rest of the riders who soon joined him in peering out through the bunkhouse windows.

"Here they come," Lou called out.

Emma came to the window as well, only she was obviously not interested in gaping at Cody and Caroline driving up in the buckboard. She quickly pulled the curtains shut and admonished the riders for making such a scene.

"Now you boys be on your best behavior, ya hear?" she warned.

"I'm sure they'll do their best, Emma," Teaspoon replied.

"And that goes for you too, Mr. Spoon," Emma waved her finger scoldingly at the older man as she passed by him and placed a vase of daisies in the center of the table.

"Me?" Teaspoon asked in an innocent voice, as if offended at such an insinuation that he might instigate something with Cody.

"Yeah, you," Emma nodded. "Sometimes I think yer just as bad as these boys."

"Aw, Emma, I don't see why we had to get all dressed up just to eat dinner," Jimmy complained as he began to pull away at the buttoned-up collar on his clean white shirt that was uncomfortably snug around his neck. "This shirt and necktie hardly let a body breathe!"

"Jimmy," Emma voiced calmly, "you should understand how Cody feels. He likes this young girl a lot, and he wants to do his best to make a good impression on her. Now, how do you think it would look if he brought that girl in here to a bunch of horse-smelling, dust-covered ruffians?"

"Emma's right, Jimmy," Lou added. "We got to put up with this for Cody's sake. He's our friend, and we owe it to him."

Jimmy sighed heavily and nodded in agreement. He supposed that he could deal with near suffocation for one night. "Yeah, I guess so. I just hope he appreciates all the trouble we're goin' through for him."

"Well, if he don't, Jimmy, I'm certain you'll make sure to remind him," Kid teased.

Immediately following Kid's comment, there was a loud thud on the bunkhouse door. It was only Cody acknowledging his return with Caroline and signaling that everyone inside was to take 'their places'. Cody had been so concerned with making sure that everything went perfectly and according to his grand scheme for the evening that he even planned for how and where Emma, Teaspoon, and the riders were to stand when he brought Caroline into the bunkhouse. Although the riders all agreed that Cody was definitely taking this way too far, they complied with his wishes with the help of Emma's strong urging.

A few moments after the knock, Cody opened the bunkhouse door and led Caroline Harding inside. She entered the room and looked around and saw the widely smiling faces of the five young men--an Indian, a bald-headed man, and three relatively normal looking fellows. Some of the riders seemed to have plastic smiles permanently plastered on their faces. Then her eyes shifted to a teddy bear of an older man who grinned with one eye squinting, and a fiery redhead who was probably in her thirties. The image they presented was quite a montage. To an outsider, they definitely seemed to be a motley crew. Caroline couldn't help but to be slightly stunned by the sight.

Cody broke the silence when he introduced Caroline. This time, he appeared to be much more comfortable and at ease when speaking, "Everyone, I am pleased to introduce you to Miss Caroline Harding." Then Cody began to point out the others to the young lady. "Caroline, this is Buck, Lou, Jimmy, Kid, and Ike. You might remember them from town yesterday. And that is our station master, Mr. Teaspoon Hunter, and there's our wonderful cook and caretaker, Ms. Emma Shannon."

The riders all nodded when Cody stated their names, and Teaspoon tipped his hat to the girl.

Caroline smiled in return and curtseyed. "I'm so happy to meet you all. Thank you, Ms. Shannon, for having me to supper."

"Well, you're very welcome, Caroline," Emma responded warmly. "And please, call me Emma."

Caroline nodded, and Cody led her to the table after she hung her shawl on a hook on the wall.

Everybody gathered around the table while Emma went over to the preparation area to get the food. Teaspoon sat at the head of the table as usual, with Lou, Jimmy, Kid, and Buck sharing the bench to his left side, and Caroline, Cody, and Ike on his right. Once Emma had placed the food on the table, she took her spot on the far side of the table opposite Teaspoon.

The meal consisted of roast beef and gravy, mashed potatoes, string beans, and homemade buttermilk biscuits. Everybody was definitely enjoying the special supper as well as the company and conversation. Every once and a while, though, Lou caught herself eyeing the young girl with curious envy. Lou agreed that she was very attractive, and she could see why Cody had fallen head over heels for her. Everything about her was just perfect…from her perfectly upswept hair and her perfectly white teeth, down to her the way her beautiful white silk blouse and navy blue skirt fell on her perfect figure so perfectly. It was almost irritating.

But what was even worse was the way Lou felt Caroline's eyes burn into her own almost every time she looked up from her dinner plate. It's not as if Caroline was glaring at her with malicious intent. In fact Lou could swear that she was almost smiling bashfully at her. For a while Lou thought that maybe Caroline could see through her and that she knew her secret. But then Lou realized that it was something else, something she couldn't quite lay her finger on…not just yet, anyway.

Lou's thoughts were interrupted when the conversation started up again.

"So what brings you to Sweetwater, Miss Harding?" Teaspoon asked, trying his best to be the gentleman.

"I am originally from Boston, but I came here to open a little dress shop with some money that my aunt left me," Caroline replied.

"Well, that sounds lovely," Emma stated sincerely. "You'll be able to introduce Sweetwater to the styles and fashions back East."

"I hope so," Caroline smiled.

"Where do you plan to set up shop," Kid questioned.

"Oh, I was planning on renting out that little place across the street from the mercantile. The owner says there's a small room upstairs where I can stay," she answered, her face now glowing at the thought of her new shop.

"But that place has been vacant for months!" Cody exclaimed. "It'll take a lot of work to fix it up so it's suitable for a ladies' dress shop."

"I know, but I thought I'd be able to hire a hand to do the repairs for me," Caroline said.

"You'll do no such thing! I'd be only too glad to help you fix the place up myself," Cody suggested.

Teaspoon cleared his throat as if to protest Cody's plan to help Caroline. "That sounds like a full time job, Cody. And seein' as how you already got one, I don't think…"

"But I'm sure we can all pitch in and help, Teaspoon," Lou interrupted. She did so with the hopes of helping Cody to be able to spend more time with Caroline so they could get better acquainted. Even though she felt that there was something odd about the way Caroline looked at her, Lou thought it would be a good gesture nonetheless.

"But you got a job to do just like Cody," Teaspoon stated matter-of-factly.

"Well, all I'm sayin' is that maybe me and the boys would be willin' to take turns helpin', when we're not out on runs, that is," Lou proposed.

Cody looked at Lou, somewhat surprised at her offer to help Caroline out. Then he glanced around the table at the rest of the riders who had been sitting silently while Lou had all but volunteered their services in fixing up the dress shop.

"What do ya say, fellas? Help a pretty lady out?" Cody nearly pled.

Caroline began to blush slightly at Cody's remark as well as the motion for he and his friends to assist in getting the building ready for her to set up her business.

The riders looked around at each other, and then Jimmy spoke up for all them, "Sure, why not. With all of us, it shouldn't take that much time. And it sure beats puttin' up fences," he joked.

"Alright then," Teaspoon acquiesced. "So long as it don't interfere with yer jobs. There's still mail to run and messages to send out. Just don't forget that's yer primary concern."

"We won't, Teaspoon," Cody responded ecstatically.

Caroline was also extremely happy, a thankful smile now gracing her lovely face. "I don't know how to thank you all." Then, she set her shining eyes upon Lou who was sitting directly across the table. "And a special thanks to you, Lou, for the suggestion."

Lou was sort of shocked by Caroline thanking her instead of Cody who had the idea to help in the first place. But she was not nearly as shocked as Cody, who now stared at Lou, his eyes wide with wonder.

"Uh, your welcome, Caroline," Lou replied tentatively, uncertain as to why she was the recipient of such gratitude. However, both she and Cody simply decided to shrug it off for the time being and continue eating their meals. Caroline probably meant nothing by it anyway, and Cody was just glad that everyone was getting along so well.

As supper began to draw to a close and dessert was now being served, Cody found himself completely enchanted by Caroline. He hung on every word she said and followed her with his dazzling turquoise eyes with every move she made. Yes, Cody was making quite a spectacle of himself, although it was not nearly as bad as the impression he had made when he literally ran into her in town, or when he had awoken her in her hotel room during his unexpectedly early visit.

Soon, though, it was time to call an end to the evening. It was getting late, and Cody still had to drive Caroline back to her hotel room in Sweetwater. Everybody said their good-byes, and Caroline graciously thanked them for having invited her to dinner. She seemed genuinely pleased to have been given the opportunity to get to know some of the people where she would be living and hoped that she might be able to get a similar chance to see the members of the Express family in the very near future.

Cody, too, was extremely happy that the dinner had gone fairly smoothly. He breathed a sigh of relief as he internally praised himself for not making any glaring mistakes in Caroline's presence. So then, Cody helped Caroline onto the buckboard like a perfect gentleman. After walking around the back to the other side of the wagon, he took his seat, slapped the reins, and they were on their way. Emma, Teaspoon, and the other riders stood on the porch of the bunkhouse waving good-bye as they watched the wagon disappear over the horizon.

The next morning brought with it many chores to be done at the Pony Express station and multiple deliveries to be made. With Buck and Kid having just departed on their runs, Ike preparing for his later that afternoon, and Emma and Teaspoon gone into town to get some more supplies, the daily tasks of keeping the station up and running were left to Cody, Jimmy, and Lou.

"Ouch!" Jimmy yelped in pain, as he shook his finger that had been the mistaken target of Cody's faulty hammering.

"Sorry, Jimmy," Cody half-heartedly apologized, "but if we don't fix this porch railing, Emma's gonna have our hides."

"And since when are you so anxious to do work, Cody?" Jimmy asked in a playful manner.

"Since he wants to get on Emma's good side so she'll let him invite Caroline back over to supper tonight," Lou replied, grinning.

"That ain't so, Lou," Cody protested. "Emma said Caroline's welcome to come over any time she likes." Cody's face brightened instantly at the thought of seeing the young lady again.

Lou then heard the familiar sound of a wagon approaching, and she turned her head to see who was coming up the way. It was too early for Teaspoon and Emma to be back, she thought. She raised her hand to her face, shielding the blinding rays from her eyes so that she could make out the form that was being obscured by the sunlight. It was Caroline.

Lou nudged Cody, who had not even noticed that they very person he wanted to see the most was driving up to the house that very moment.

"Looks like she's taken Emma up on her offer already," Lou commented.

Cody quickly spun around, his eyes widening with surprise at seeing Caroline again, and so soon, too! In fact, he was so pleasantly shocked, that he let his fingers grow limp, causing the hammer he had been holding to fall right on Jimmy's foot.

"Ouch!" Jimmy fumed, now limping on one foot, his eyes closed and his face grimacing in agony. "Dammit, Cody! Why don't ya pay attention to what your doin'!"

"I guess it's hard to pay attention when Miss Caroline Harding is in view," Lou responded, noticing that Cody was completely oblivious to the fact that he had again incurred the wrath of Jimmy Hickok.

Cody's eyes stayed fixed on the figure in the approaching buckboard as he distanced himself from his friends and the task that they were supposed to be doing.

"Whoa!" Caroline called out, pulling the reins until the horse and buggy came to a halt.

By this time, Cody was at her side, offering his hand to the young lady to help her in the descent from the buckboard.

"Thank you, Billy," she sent Cody one of her gleaming smiles as she set foot on the secure ground.

"It's nice to see you again so soon, Caroline," Cody beamed. "What brings you all the way out here?"

"Actually, I just came back to get my shawl. I must have left it here last night," Caroline replied.

"Oh," Cody suddenly seemed somewhat downcast. He thought that maybe she had wanted to see him again, but she had only come back to retrieve her forgotten shawl.

"But now that I'm here," she began, "it would be nice to visit for a while with you and the other boys, especially since I went to all the trouble of renting this buckboard from the livery this morning."

Cody spirits were raised almost instantly at Caroline's remark. "Yes, another visit would be just great!" Cody realized that he was sounding overly eager at the prospect of an extended visit with Caroline, so he toned it down a notch. "I mean, it would be a shame to waste the buckboard and all."

Cody and Caroline began walking toward Jimmy and Lou who had been observing them with curiosity.

"Good morning, Jimmy, Lou." Caroline smiled and greeted them warmly.

"Mornin'," Jimmy offered a similar welcome. Lou just nodded, her arms now folded tightly across her chest.

"Caroline's gonna visit with us for a while," Cody informed his friends.

"Oh, that is unless you all are too busy. I don't want to take you away from your work," Caroline spoke.

Lou was about to answer, saying that they did have a lot of work to do, but Cody anticipated Lou's objection and blurted out, "Of course not. We were just finishin' up here, weren't we, fellas?"

Cody eyed Jimmy and Lou forcefully, urging them to let him go on this one. After all, Teaspoon and Emma would probably be in town most of the day, between getting supplies and chatting with Marshal Cain.

Jimmy and Lou looked at each other quickly wondering what they should do. Lou simply shrugged. They both wanted to help out Cody, but they also knew that if Emma realized that they were slacking off on their duties, she'd have their hides for sure.

"Yeah," Jimmy nodded, "we just finished up here. Why don't we go inside?"

"Why, that's an excellent idea, Jimmy," Cody sighed thankfully. "It'll be much more comfortable inside. Come on."

Cody and Caroline headed toward the bunkhouse with Jimmy and Lou following behind them.

Jimmy leaned in to whisper to Lou, "All I know is he's gonna be on the other side of that hammer next time. This is the last time I'm helpin' him out."

"Come on, Jimmy," Lou assured, "he really likes this girl. We're his friends and we should help him out."

"Yeah, I guess your right," Jimmy reluctantly agreed. Then, a devilish smile began to cross his lips. "She sure is pretty, though. I guess Cody's taste is improvin'."

Lou responded to Jimmy's comment with a mildly dirty look. Sure Lou agreed that Caroline Harding was pretty, but she didn't need to be reminded of that fact twenty-four hours a day. It was bad enough that Cody was constantly drooling over her like a puppy; she certainly didn't need the other boys to start doing the same.

On their way into the bunkhouse Caroline, Jimmy, Cody, and Lou briefly met up with Ike who was on his way out to the barn to saddle up his horse for his run.

"Make yourself at home, Caroline," Cody stated.

Caroline took a seat at the bunkhouse table and nodded kindly. The others followed her example. Several moments went by before anybody said anything, and frankly, it was beginning to get terribly uncomfortable in the silence. Jimmy and Lou were glancing at each other thinking, Great! Here we are twiddling our thumbs when there's work to be done.

Finally, Jimmy broke the ice.

"So, Caroline," he said, "do you have any hobbies…things you like to do in your spare time?"

"I just adore reading." Caroline's face lit up. "My mother always told me that reading was the mark of an educated man."

Cody took his chance and jumped right into the conversation, trying his best to get Caroline's attention and gain her affection. "I consider myself to be a very well-read man, Caroline," he boasted.

Caroline's interests appeared to have been sparked, and at last, Cody had her complete and undivided attention. "Oh! Well, tell me some of your favorite books."

"Well, there are just so many good ones out there," Cody stated, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. "But I always liked the classics best. Let's see, there's The Adventures of the One-Eyed Bandit, The Masked Avenger Rides Again, Showdown at Sunset Ridge. But I'd have to say that my all-time favorite would be The Man in Black."

Caroline's face fell as she realized that what Cody was referring to as 'classical literature' were merely dime-store novels--trash in her opinion. Cody glanced at Caroline, his forehead now knit in confusion at her disappointed expression.

Then, Caroline turned her back to Cody and fixed her gaze upon Lou. "I'm sure you must have read lots of book, Lou, judging by your need to wear spectacles."

Lou almost cringed when she heard Caroline direct the question at her. Lou hesitated to answer the question and looked to Cody for a moment as if to apologize for the way Caroline seemed to be more interested in her than to him.

"Lou…" Cody called out after a few moments of silence had passed. "Didn't you hear that Caroline asked you a question?"

The pressure became unbearable, and Lou knew that she would have to give some sort of reply, but she wasn't sure exactly what she should say. She sensed two pairs of eyes blazing into her, waiting for her response as if their lives depended on it. And Cody…well, he just leered at Lou because he thought she was being rude to his guest. Lou could feel a tiny bead of nervous perspiration cascade down her back as she felt as if she were on trial for murder.

What should she say? Why was Caroline looking at her that way? Didn't she know that 'he' was really a woman? Lou had felt that there was something suspicious about the way Caroline had been making eyes at her last night at dinner, and now she knew what it was. Being a female herself, Lou recognized the glint in her eyes, and that horrible realization sent a cold chill down Lou's spine.

At last, Lou blurted out, "Uh, I don't read much."

Of course it was a bold-faced lie. Everybody knew it, and by the way Caroline was looking at her, Lou knew that she didn't believe it either. Caroline sent a playful grin in Lou's direction as she rose from her seat at the table and crossed the floor to where the bunks were. She strolled around, examining them, her fingers laced behind her back. Nobody knew what the woman was up to, and nobody said a word to stop her, not even Cody, who just followed Caroline with his curious eyes. Then, she stopped when she came to Lou's bunk.

Caroline picked up an object that had been sitting out on the bed, turned around, hiding the object behind her back, and asked in a way that indicated that she already knew the answer, "Is this your bed, Lou?"

Lou was utterly confused. "Yes, why?" she muttered.

Next, Caroline revealed the object. It was a book, a very worn and faded one at that. She smiled a very devilish smile. "I suppose this book isn't yours then, is it?" Her voice was full of sarcasm.

She approached Lou again and gave 'him' the book. Lou's cheeks now felt a fire in them as her lie had been exposed. She cursed herself for having left the book out in the open.

This time when Caroline spoke her words were earnest and radiated with excitement, "The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas. One of my very favorites! I knew you were the scholar of the bunch…and so modest too!"

Lou could hardly believe what she was seeing or hearing. This was just too much! If only Caroline Hardy knew that 'Lou' was really 'Louise'…then she'd think twice about dismissing Cody's advances. But for now, she left Lou in a state of absolute shock and disbelief and Jimmy completely confused.

Through all this, Cody was totally oblivious to the fact that Caroline seemed to be acting fairly indifferent toward him. Lou could see that she did not seem to be directing her attentions toward Cody. Rather, it was Lou who seemed to have caught Caroline's eye.

For the rest of her visit, it seemed that whenever she found the chance, Caroline would turn the conversation to Lou, always asking 'his' opinion or what 'he' would do if this or that happened, asking about 'his' adventures as a Pony Express rider. Lou would reluctantly answer Caroline's questions, and even tried redirecting them toward Cody. Lou grew more and more uncomfortable and nervous as her suspicions were confirmed.

Eventually, it all became disturbingly clear to Jimmy, as it appeared obvious that Cody, who sat lovesick and unaware, was soon having trouble just getting a word in edgewise. While Cody was busy trying to entertain Caroline and make her notice him, she was busy flirting with Lou! And to make matters worse, Cody was too love-struck and goo-goo eyed over Caroline to even notice! He thought she was just being friendly.

Also, Cody couldn't quite understand why his two friends were acting so strangely all of the sudden, which is why he wrinkled his brow in confusion when Lou unexpectedly excused herself and exited the bunkhouse, Jimmy hot on her heels.

To Be Continued…Chapter VI