Catching sight of the puzzled expression on Ike’s face, Buck explained. “Kitchen’s going to be closing soon so we asked them to keep two plates of food warm for you and Jimmy.”
Ike nodded in understanding and dug into the plate of meatloaf, corn on the cob, turnip greens and buttermilk biscuits. The threesome ate in silence for a few moments before Kid took notice that Jimmy hadn’t joined them as well. He swallowed down the last of his milk and wiped his mouth with the corner of his napkin.
“Where’s Jimmy?” He asked
“Had a hunch he wanted to check out.” Ike signed.
“A hunch about what?” Kid asked suspiciously.
“That Lou was going to try and leave town tonight.” Ike answered.
“Why’d he think that? You guys see Lou somewhere?” Kid quizzed.
“No!” Ike signed quickly. “ I don’t know why he thinks that! Told me to come looking for him in thirty minutes if he didn’t show up.”
“Well I’m not waiting that long to find out.” Kid exclaimed.
He stood quickly, withdrew a few coins from his pocket and tossed them onto the table before stalking away. Buck and Ike exchanged quick glances before Buck rose and followed after Kid. Ike reluctantly stood as well, downed the last of his milk, grab his last biscuit and left the dining room as well.
As Kid neared where Lou and Jimmy stood outside what he assumed was the livery, he fought to keep control of his temper. The last thing he wanted to do was alienate Lou any further than she already was. By the angry, defiant glare Lou shot his way and the agitated one Jimmy gave him, it didn’t look like things were going as well as Jimmy might have liked. He couldn’t help gloating a little that Jimmy hadn’t been able to get through to Lou. It meant that he had a good chance of convincing Lou to go back to Rock Creek, though he knew it wasn’t foolish enough to think it was going to be easy. Lou was way too stubborn and set in her ways to make things easy on any of them.
He ignored Lou’s glare as he stepped closer to her and gave her petite frame a quick perusal. Though dusty, her clothes showed no signs of any tears or holes that would indicate an unnoticeable injury. Her face, though partially shrouded in shadows, revealed more to him than her clothing had. Dark rings underlined her eyes rims, an unhealthy pallor to her skin and perspiration dotted her forehead.
Kid fought to keep his alarm from showing on his face or in his voice as he said, “ Hello Lou.”
“Kid.” Lou’s voice was flat, cold.
“How are you?” he asked.
“Like you care.” Lou answered.
“I know I haven’t shown it much lately Lou, but I do care. We all do.” Kid told her.
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine to me Lou. Fact is you look like you ate something that didn’t agree with your stomach and it’s trying to crawl it’s way back up.” Kid exclaimed.
Kid heard a groan beside him and turned to see both Buck and Ike shaking their heads sorrowfully at him. Jimmy was looking at him with a ‘great going’ expression on his face. Kid turned back to Lou and saw that there was a darkening expression on her face and a dangerous glint in her eyes. Kid steeled himself for the explosion he saw brewing there, but none came. Instead Lou let out a wry laugh. Kid exchanged puzzled glances with the other boys.
“Gee Kid, you sure know how to sweet talk a gal. Been practicing much?” Lou said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Anger flooded through Kid at Lou’s words. He fought back the retort that leaped onto his tongue, knowing that Lou was purposely baiting him. He could take anything as long as meant Lou going back to Rock Creek with them. “ Look Lou I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I just meant that you don’t look so good. Are you sick? Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“Why should I tell you anything? What business is it of yours why I left? These past couple of months you’ve acted as if you didn’t want nothing to do with me, so what’s changed? Huh? Huh?” Lou exclaimed quickly closing the short distance between them. She emphasized her last two questions by jabbing her index finger hard, twice, into Kid’s chest.
“Because I’m worried about you. I wanted to make sure you were alright.” Kid said.
“Well you needn’t have bothered! I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself despite what you might think! I was doing it along before I met you all and I can do it now! So all of you can just go back and report to Teaspoon and leave me the hell alone!” Lou told him angrily.
Kid opened his mouth to respond, but Buck beat him to it. “Teaspoon didn’t send us looking for you Lou, we volunteered. Did you really think that we would just accept that you had left and forget all about you? Lou you should know better than that! We’re family and families look out for one another.”
“Well I don’t need no looking after Buck! In fact I don’t need you, period! I don’t need any of you! All any of you have done since I’ve known you is cause me a lot of heartache and nothing else!” Lou shouted.
“That’s a load of bull and you know it Lou! You might want to believe that you don’t need us, but it’s not the truth! You’re a part of us and we’re a part of you and nothing is going to change that! Especially not sneaking out of Rock Creek and running away like a coward! I thought you had more guts than to let either Kid or Jimmy chase you away!” Buck shouted back at her.
Angry tears sprang into Lou’s eyes art Buck’s calling her a coward. She had expected to get involved in heated arguments with both Kid and Jimmy if they caught up to her, but not with Buck Out of all of the boys it seemed that Buck understood how difficult her life was. How difficult it was to pretend to be one person because that was what people expected, instead of the person she really was. Buck faced a similar situation except in his case people expected him to act white and ignore his Kiowa heritage.
“Well I’d much rather be a coward Buck than a smelly Indian.” Lou spat out.
Surprise and hurt flooded Buck’s handsome features for a brief moment before they faded away. Lou bit down hard on her lip to keep from apologizing to him for what she had said. Maybe if she made them angry enough they would give up and leave sooner. It didn’t matter much to her either way just as long as they left her alone. Buck turned and stalked away from the group, Ike following close behind him after shooting a dirty look at Lou.
“What the hell’s gotten into you Lou? How could you say something like that to him?” Jimmy demanded.
“What’s this? Jimmy Hickok sticking up for someone else? Concerned about someone else’s feelings? What’s wrong with you Hickok? Did you fall off your horse on the ride to Ft. Kearney and bump your head?”
Jimmy’s face flushed with anger as he stepped toward Lou. Lou stood her ground knowing that even in his anger that Jimmy wouldn’t physically hurt her. Kid must have thought otherwise cause he deftly stepped in front of her bringing him nearly chin to chin with Jimmy. The two riders eyed each other warily for several seconds before Jimmy backed off. He told himself he wasn’t backing down, but letting Kid take a turn at trying to knock some sense into Lou.
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