“Do you realize that this will be the last ride that we take together?” Lou was looking into the near by pond. Jimmy had been looking at Lou, he had been thinking the same something, but he felt that if he said something then it would make it true.

“Yeah, but don’t you worry none, you will still get to see plenty of me.” Jimmy was going to miss these rides so much more then he would ever be able to tell her, so much more then he would ever be able to tell himself. “You’re doing the right thing, marring The Kid. You two belong together; everyone can see just how much you two love each other. Besides, with you home all the time Kid will be a lot easier to handle.” Jimmy hoped that what he was saying was helping Lou shake the feelings of doubt that she was having.

Lou had only heard about half of what Jimmy was saying, her mind had started to wonder about the day that Kid first found out that she was in fact a she. What would have happened if someone else would have gotten to her before Kid, would they still be getting married or would she have fallen in love with the other guy? The only other person she could every see herself with would have been Jimmy. She still wanted to know what it would be like to be with him. She loved Kid, and she knew that she could never be this happy with anyone other then him. But she still wished for just one night with Jimmy…

Jimmy noticed that Lou had not said anything in a while, so he decided to get her attention. SPLASH! As soon as the water hit Lou’s face it brought her right back to reality. She splashed Jimmy back and before too long both riders were soaked. They decided that because it was getting late and Teaspoon did say that could take their time getting home, they would go ahead and make camp for the night and then they would be back in Rock Creek by tomorrow afternoon.

They had built a small fire, but because oh their wet clothes they were both very cold. “Jimmy, this is stupid. We’re freezing! I have seen you without your clothes on before…and I’m sure that you have seen me. So lets just take these wet things off and we can put a blanket around us, after all we would be warmer that way.”

Jimmy looked at her in complete disbelief. Did she mean what she said and more important did she know that sometimes when she thought that he was asleep and she was undressing, he was really awake? He would watch her undress and wish that he could hold her if only for that one time.

Lou couldn’t believe what she had had just said, but she knew that if they didn’t undress very soon then they would both get sick. She saw the doubt in Jimmy’s eyes, so she decided that would have to go first. After taking a deep breath, she slowly started to unbutton her shirt. She looked up to see Jimmy intensely watching her; she started softly biting her bottom lip, as her mind began to race.

Once she got the shirt undone, she started to think of kid and how much knowing about this would really hurt him. She turned her back on Jimmy and slid the wet shirt down her arms. She had started to pull a blanket up over her shoulders, when she felt Jimmy’s hands on hers.

Jimmy had decided that this would be his last chance to find out how Lou felt about him, and he had to know before he could give her away. He lends forward and placed a soft kiss on the back of her shoulder. Noticing that Lou didn’t pull away from him, he decided to press his luck. He worked his way up her neck and when he finally got to her jawbone, he felt her relax and he knew that there was no going back now.

He paused for a movement and she turned around and started to undo his shirt. Jimmy kissed her firmly on the lips. Both of them knew that this should not be happing, but neither wanted to stop. Jimmy pushed Lou onto her back, then removed his shirt before lying onto of her. The feeling of their skin touching invoked so many desires that neither had wanted to admit.

Jimmy rolled off Lou, just long enough for them both to fully undress. Jimmy was quicker then Lou, so he sat back and watched to reveal her almost prefect body. This is the moment that he had always dreamed of.

Lou had many of the same thoughts going though her own mind. She had wanted to be with Jimmy for over a year now, and tonight she finally would know what it is like to be with him. She laid down next to Jimmy and he wrapped his arms around her. “Lou, if you don’t want this I need to know. I don’t want to do anything that will end up hurting you… I love you.” Wishing that he hadn’t just told her that, he laid his head in the hollow spot between her neck and shoulder.

“I know. Jimmy, I love you too. “Jimmy brought his head up so that he could look into her eyes so that he could see if she was telling the truth or just saying this to make her feel better. Looking into her eyes he saw the truth and with that he kissed her and moved closer to her. They made love by the fire and once they were done neither said a word they were both perfectly content just to be in the other’s arms.

Jimmy had work up before Lou. He kissed the top of her head and pushed some hair away from her face. “I wish I could offer you a good life, but I can’t and Kid can and that is how it should be. I do love you, I love you enough to give you away.” He kissed her once more then got out of the makeshift bed, please that he had done so without waking her.

Jimmy was checking on the horses when Lou woke-up. She wasn’t sure what she should say or do when she saw him. Should she act like nothing had happened? She got up enough courage to walk toward him and she stepped on a twig, making just enough noise for Jimmy to hear her.

“Mornin’ Lou. Did you sleep well?” Before Lou could respond, “We need to talk about last night,” Jimmy stepped in closer to Lou and took her hand in his. They moved over to a log and sat down. “All I need to know is do we tell Kid or not? I’ll do whichever you want to, I just need to know if he’s going’ to kill me when we got back.”

“Jimmy! I think we have a lot more to talk about then just weather or not we tell The Kid.”

“Lou, there ain’t nothing else to talk about, and before you say anything hear me out. You and Kid are getting married in a couple of weeks; I was just a final fling. Don’t get me wrong last night was great and I will remember it for the rest of my life, but you belong with Kid and I, well, I understand that.”

“What makes you so sure that I should be with Kid and not you? I'm not sure myself.”

“Well, I know. Lou, you would not be happy with anyone but Kid. I know this because you called out his name when you were sleeping last night, I could tell that you were having a good dream about him.”

“Jimmy, I’m so sorry, I don’t know what to say…” Jimmy placed two fingers over her lips to get her to stop talking. He kissed her for what would be the very last time in their lives.

“Lou, it is alright, I’m just so glad that I got share that one night with you.” Jimmy knew that he was doing the right thing by backing off, after all she and Kid would have a good life together. “Lou, I think we had better head back, or Kid will have the whole station in an uproar.”

With that Jimmy and Lou started their way back to their ‘normal’ lives. That one night would never be talked of again, but it would also never be forgotten.