Copyright 1998-This work is not to be reproduced without the permission of the author
Chapter Three
By Lea Downie
Kid coughed out some of the dust he'd been choking on for the past seventy-five miles. He'd passed the mochilla to Noah at the hand-off and was now in the business of ridding himself of some of the trail dust he'd collected. Part of him was relieved to be back so that he could get out of the saddle and taste some of Rachel's cooking. There was another part of him however that wished he could just keep on riding.
His absence from Sweetwater hadn't helped to resolve any of his feeling for either Lou or Samantha. Every time he went to see Samantha he felt as if he were betraying Lou in some way, which wasn't really the least bit fair to Samantha, a fact that only made him feel guiltier still. Every time he looked at Lou he could feel the now familiar ache in his chest. He couldn't exactly avoid the situation either, not with Lou living, and sleeping, right there. Kid groaned a little. He probably would have kept on going if a thought for a moment that he ever would have been able to outrun his own feelings.
Kid dismounted from Katy and started to take her into the barn when he noticed Cody, Buck, and Ike all starting at him. The three of them were working so hard to fight their grins that Kid instantly started to feel nervous.
"What do y'all think is so funny?" Kid asked.
"Not a thing, Kid." Cody shrugged pulling his face into the picture of cherubic innocence. "How 'bout you Buck? You think anything's funny?"
"No, not me." Buck answered trying very hard to look as angelic as Cody but not quite managing. "You Ike?" Ike just shook his head and didn't even bother to hide his grin as he pointed back to Cody.
"Nope. See Kid? Nothing funny here." Cody shrugged. Now Kid was really nervous. Anytime Cody looked so saintly something was definitely going on. Though still suspicious he started to head to the barn with Katy when he noticed, or thought he did, what Cody and the others found so amusing. There was Samantha, broad as daylight, walking out of the bunkhouse.
Kid could feel his mouth drop open. He never in a million years would have expected Samantha to just drop by the station. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he wondered if Lou were anywhere around and offered up a silent prayer that she was anywhere else. He closed his mouth and then opened it again to speak to her but she beat him to it.
"Why Kid!" Samantha exclaimed offering him her best smile as she opened up her parasol to protect her delicate face from the harsh sun. "I'm so glad to see you. I was just wondering when you'd be back."
"Umm, Samantha. I, uh, I, well that is--I didn't expect to see you here."
"She didn't come to see you Kid. She came to see me." Kid suddenly felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach at the sound of Lou's words. He could only stare helplessly in her direction on the bunkhouse steps. The look on his face must have been too much for Cody because Cody picked that moment to burst into helpless laughter and was soon joined by the snickers and grins of Buck and Ike.
"To see you?" Kid repeated rather unnecessarily as he tried desperately to ignore Cody's growing laughter.
"Why yes. You see Louise has been kind enough to agree to go to town with me and help me pick out some new books for the school. I can't tell you how much I appreciate her help."
"Louise?" he all but whispered.
"See ya Kid." Was Lou's only response as she and Samantha turned their backs on him to head into town. Kid stood there and watched them until Lou whispered something to Samantha that caused the both of them to giggle uncontrollably. Kid then rather suddenly felt that he really needed to get Katy to the barn, especially as Cody's laughter seemed to be getting louder and louder by the minute.
Samantha couldn't remember the last time she'd found anything so funny as she did the Kid right then. It had been hours since she and Lou had parted ways in town and Kid had come over not long after. So far they had talked about the weather, travel, horses, and books. They had talked about absolutely everything but the one subject she was sure was most on his mind. She simply listened to it all however and refused to make it easy on him by bringing the subject up.
She almost wished that Louise could be here to see it. She had a feeling that the young woman would appreciate the look of discomfort on his face as few others could. She knew that Louise had accepted her invitation this morning mostly to annoy Kid, and if Samantha were going to be honest with herself she knew that was mostly the reason she had offered the invitation, but she found herself rather liking Louise in spite of the odd circumstances. She had the most unexpected sense of humor. Samantha felt her lips give an involuntary quirk and forced her attention back onto whatever it was that Kid was saying.
"...actually he kind of reminds me of Curly. Did I ever tell you about Curly? He...who is that?"
"Who is who? What are you talking about?"
"Who is that riding towards your place?" Kid asked again this time pointing in the direction of the approaching rider.
"I still don't see...Oh, wait now I see him. I can't quite tell who..." She broke off with sudden recognition of who the rider was. Smiling radiantly she stepped down from her porch and waited to greet him.
"Why Conrad Linton!" Sam exclaimed equal parts surprise and joy evident on her face. "What in the world could you be doing in Sweetwater? Don't tell me you came all the way out here just to break my helpless heart?"
"Rather the other way around I would think my dear." Conrad replied alighting from his horse. "I have some business dealings in Denver that must be attended to soon but found that I could not resist the opportunity to call on the favorite belle of the Carolina's."
"I swear you could charm birds from their trees if you took a mind to. But I'm forgetting my manners. Let me introduce you to a friend of mine." Samantha replied grabbing Conrads arm and pulling him over to the porch where Kid had rather uncomfortably eyed the entire exchange. "Conrad Linton may I introduce you to..."
"Most folks just call me Kid. Nice to meet you." Kid interrupted though his tone left it obvious that he didn't really find meeting this Conrad Linton who had captured Samantha's attention to be particularly nice.
"Mr...Kid, the pleasure is mine." Conrad answered conveying the level of condescension that was only possible from someone of his class. With a dismissive nod he turned his attention back to Samantha.
"I'd best be goin' anyway. I'll see you later Samantha." Kid said and received a warm smile from Samantha before mounting Katy and leaving.
"Come inside Conrad. I want to show you my new home. Martha isn't here right now but I'm sure she'll be glad to see you once she gets back. As you know I'm not the cook she is but I can make fairly decent coffee, would you care for some?"
"No thank-you my dear. It's rather too warm for such libation, though I must confess I am surprised that you've managed to master any culinary skill."
"And just what is that supposed to mean?"
"For someone of your native intelligence I would have thought it obvious. You're a terrible cook. I thought I was going to have to commit my soul to the care of the angels the last time I consumed a meal you prepared."
"I've been practicing my aim too Conrad."
To this dire threat Conrad merely propped his feet up on Samantha's low table and yawned. "Don't fret darlin'. You're hands are much to pretty to spoil with domestic endeavors anyway."
"You're incorrigible."
"True, but just think how much fun it would be to corrige me."
"That's not even a word!"
"Incidental as long as you don't doubt my meaning."
"How did you ever found me out here?" Samantha asked choosing to change the subject.
"I asked the right questions in the right places is all. Not always the easiest of task mind you but since you chose to leave the people who love you it was one I thought well worth my time."
"Ah, yes. The people who love as long as they don't know about me you mean."
"We know. My family, our family knows and it has never mattered. And if you think that the people out here wouldn't care you are very much mistaken my dear. Or haven't you noticed the lovely treatment they've given the Indians. Hatred cannot be limited to any one place I'm afraid."
"They may hate me but at least they wouldn't attempt to own me."
"Do you not miss us at all? Mother loves you like one of her own. She's been worried sick."
"You don't fight fair." Samantha whispered in a choked voice. "You know how much I love your mother, how much I love all of you."
"Then come back home to us! No one has ever known that you're half-black, no one need ever know. We could know that you're safe at least instead of God only knows what out here."
"I'm tired of people making my decisions for me Conrad. My home is here now." Samantha replied in a somewhat firmer voice. "I don't care to discuss this any further Conrad."
"All right darlin'. You can win for now, but I'm not giving up."
"Hardly surprising. I don't think you even know how Conrad." Samantha said smiling again at last. "Tell me all about everyone. I want to catch up on the gossip." Always unable to deny her anything he complied and they talked long into the night.
Cody finally found her in the barn. He'd been looking for Lou forever it seemed to him. He'd found something in town that he wanted to show her. She'd been so depressed lately that he wanted to do something to cheer her up. Actually between her and Jimmy and the Kid life at the stationhouse had been kind of tense lately. Well, things were always tense but this was even worse than usual. Cody just hoped that the three of them did something to straighten things out soon otherwise who knew what the end result might be. Normally the riders were like family, complete with fights and sibling rivalry, and he didn't much like it when something interfered with his family--even from within.
"Hey, Lou. Watcha doin' in here?" Cody asked approaching her gently. She was standing in front of Lightning's stall absently rubbing his neck but her mind didn't seem to be much on her horse.
"Just doing some thinking Cody. Why?"
"No reason." He shrugged. "Just thought I'd come out and talk to you is all."
"Uh-huh. About what exactly?"
"Just wanted to show you something I learned today." He replied taking a coin out of his pocket. "I bet you I can name which side of this coin is going to come up the next five times in a row."
"Bet what?" Lou asked suspiciously.
"Well, for one thing, if I win you have to promise to smile at least once today. Don't get mad at me Lou! But watching the three of you walk around here is getting downright depressing. The rest of us are even taking bets on who is going to talk to who first."
"Bets?" Lou hissed.
"Oh, um, forget I said that. How about we just toss the coin now?"
"Bets?"
"Okay, I call heads! And there she goes!" He shouted tossing the coin up in the air. It glittered in midair for a moment and then fell to the ground landing, miraculously, on its edge. "What do you think the odds of that are, Lou?" Cody whispered.
"I don't know but you just lost your bet Cody. That ain't heads." Cody was about to protest when another voice interrupted.
"Hey Lou! You in here?" Jimmy shouted out knocking over the coin as he approached them. He and Lou both shifted a bit uncomfortably as Cody rolled his eyes at them both.
"Jimmy," Lou said giving him a questioning look.
"Lou..."
"Jimmy?"
"Uh, yeah, Lou..." He started and then broke off again giving Cody a hard look.
"Glad everybody knows everybody's names. James Butler Hickok this is Louise McCloud, Louise this is James. Just in case y'all had anymore trouble." Cody said. They both glared at him and for once in his life Cody actually took the hint. "Well at least I won one bet today." He muttered and snatching up his new found two headed coin left the barn.
"What do you think he meant by that?" Jimmy asked after watching him leave.
"You know Cody--could be anything." Lou shrugged not wanting to tell Jimmy that the others were currently taking bets on them. Turning her back to him she walked over to Lightning again.
"How long you going to avoid me Lou?"
"What makes you think that I'm avoiding you?"
"I don't know, the fact that you quit talking to me maybe."
"Jimmy, I...I'm so confused right now."
"No more than I am, Lou." He whispered. Walking over to her he gently traced her jawline with the back of his hand. "I won't lie to you Lou. I don't know what I'm feeling right now. I just know that nothing is worth not having you in my life at all."
She didn't answer. Jimmy just nodded his head and started to turn away when he felt Lou suddenly grab his arm to stop him. "Same here." She choked out in a barely audible voice. Jimmy just pulled her close to him and sighed with relief. He honestly didn't see how things could get anymore complicated than they already were.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!
Copyright 1998-This work is not to be reproduced without the permission of the author
