The blow caught Jimmy by surprise and sent him sprawling backward into Lightning. The startled stallion reared up and away from Jimmy, propelling Hickok onto his backside on the road. A heady rush of satisfaction swept over Lou as she stood over Jimmy, not in the least bit intimidated by the darkening expression on his face.
“What the hell did you do that for?” Jimmy demanded angrily as he climbed to his feet He wiped blood away from the corner of his mouth.
“Because I felt like it and you so deserved it! I don’t know who the hell you think you are Hickok to tell me what to do! You can’t even manage your own life and yet you dare to interfere in mine? What right do you have to tell me what to do or where to go? You’re not my boss, my daddy or my husband! Hell I ain’t so sure my friend!” Lou yelled.
“What are you talking about Lou? Of course I’m your friend! If I wasn’t do you think I’d come looking for you? Or spent all night and all day in a saddle looking for you?” Jimmy told her.
“You didn’t come looking for me because you care about me! You came looking for me because you were afraid that Kid might find me first and convince me to go back to Rock Creek and give our relationship another try. You couldn’t stomach that could you? You couldn’t take the chance on getting one more lick over on Kid by finding me and being the one to convince me to go back! That’s why you really came, isn’t it Jimmy? Isn’t it?” Lou continued.
“So what if it is?” Jimmy said. “ Dan it Lou! I’m not going to apologize for caring enough about you to come looking for you! And I’m not going to apologize to you for defending you to Kid! I wouldn’t hold myself much of a man or a friend to you, if I just stood by and let him hurt you time and again and done nothing about it!”
“if you were really interested in helping me Jimmy, you would have kept your big mouth shut! You would have just listened to me when I was upset and needing to talk and left me to handle things myself! But no, you just had to put your two cents in! You just had to keep needling and berating Kid until you succeeded in driving a bigger wedge between me and him and the two of you as well!”
“I really don’t care what Kid thinks or how mad he is at me! He’s the one who should of left Rock Creek instead of you! You’re the best thing that ever happened to him and he’s a fool for not realizing it! None of those other girls he ran around with can hold a candle to you! Lou you deserve to have a man who’ll treat you like you deserve, a man like-“ Jimmy broke off suddenly as he realized how close he had come to openly expressing his feelings for her. He had already made a fool out of himself by kissing her and he wasn’t about to do it again, less he knew for certain that the outcome would be in his favor.
“Like who Jimmy? Like you? Are you the ‘man’ who’s going to treat me right? That’s a laugh! You can’t even bring yourself to get close to a woman long enough to develop any feelings for her, let alone settle down with one! You hold everyone at arm’s length for fear of anyone finding out that underneath that tough exterior of yours hides a scared little boy! I might have had my heart stomped on a time or two but at least I’m not afraid to love or be loved! Until you can say or do the same Jimmy, don’t you dare stand there and offer me advice!” Lou spat at him.
Jimmy struggled to hold his temper in check at Lou’s personal attack on him, knowing that if he blew up it would further alienate her from him. Lou was the only member of the Pony Express family he trusted his ‘innermost’ feelings with and to stand here and have her belittle them was almost more than he could take! At the same time he longed to say or do something to break through the walls she had built between them. He reached out quickly and tugged her toward him, wrapping her firmly in his arms and pressing his lips against hers.
The kiss took Lou totally by surprise and she found her resolve weakening as she leaned into the kiss. It had been far too long since she had felt a man’s arms around her or had someone’s lips on hers. Lou had barely thought of how nice it was to be so close to Jimmy, when her sense returned and she shoved him angrily away.
“If you think kissing me is all you’ve got to do to get me to go back to Rock Creek with you, you’ve got another thing coming Hickok! It just proves that I was right about your true intentions! You came looking for me because you accepted a challenge from Kid you don’t intend to lose, not because you are really worried about me!” She shouted.
“I kissed you because I wanted to Lou! I have been wanting to kiss you again ever since the other day! You want me to express my feelings then I will! I love you! Have for a long time now, but couldn’t tell you because you were with Kid! “ Jimmy confessed.
“You don’t really expect me to believe that do you? The great Jimmy Hickok professing his love on a whim? What kind of fool do you take me for? You”ll say or do anything just to get me to go back to Rock Creek!” Lou questioned.
Jimmy let out a groan of frustration and ran his hands through his hair. Lou was the most exasperating woman he had ever known. How she could go from relaxing almost completely into his kiss one moment, then push him away in anger the next, confused the hell out of him.
“Believe whatever you want Lou. It’s not going to change my feelings for you or the fact that you still owe me an explanation. If you want to argue this out all night we’ll do it, because I’m not leaving here until you tell me why you left Rock Creek!” he stated finally.
“Neither are we.” A familiar voice called out from behind them.
Jimmy and Lou turned around in surprise to see Kid rapidly approaching them with buck and Ike on his heels. Jimmy felt relief tinged with nager flood through him at the appearance of his fellow riders. Kid was much better at reasoning with people than he was and if anyone needed reasoning with it was Lou. At this point it didn’t matter to him who it was that broke through the angry wall Lou had placed around her heart, just as long it was done. He was willing to put his own feelings for Lou aside for now, if it would mean that Lou would return to Rock Creek with them.
Send Wendy FEEDBACK
Return to The Wild West Book Store