Disclaimer: This story is in no may meant to infringe on the rights of the creator of the series The Young Riders, Ed Spielman and Ogiens/Kane. All other characters belong to the author.
Chapter 8
"What?" Lou asked as if she had not heard him. "I asked who you were married to Lou, Not a hard question to answer." Jimmy said. Lou laughed like it was rediculous. "I'm not married to anybody, Jimmy." Sandy looked at Lou like she was being betreyed. And Jake looked like he was laughing as she denied their marriage. Jimmy was about to say something else when Jake said to him. "Jimmy, this is a friend of mine, Sandy Taylor." Jimmy smiled and gave out his hand to shake hers as she walked over. " Howdy Miss Taylor. Jimmy Hickok." he said. "The famous, 'Wild Bill' if I'm not mistaken. Most folks now days know me as Sandy Terri, not Taylor." Said Sandy. "Would you like to come have a drink with me?" asked Sandy. Jimmy looked a little shocked at her request, but quickly accepted, and they left leaving Jake and Louise Terri, husband and wife who hadn't seen each other in 3 years. He slowly walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. "Its been a long time Louise. 3 Years is a long time for a man not to see his wife." Jake said sadly. "Where did you go Louise?" She sighed. "I don't know Jake. I went away from you. I guess I wondered for a year. And then I joined the Pony Express. I dressed like a boy and pretended for so long. But Jake durin that year I wanted to come back to you so bad." Lou said as she wiped a tear from her eye. "Damn it Louise why didn't you?" he asked. Now Lou really began to cry. "I was afraid you would hate me." She rested her elbows on her knees and put her face in her hands and cried. "Why?" asked Jake. "I was...Oh my God. Jake I... I was Pregnant." Jake's jaw about hit the floor at this. He stood up and paced in front of her. "Why didn't you tell me? Where is it Louise? You know how bad I wanted kids! How could you not say anything?" Jake talked so fast he could barley understand himself and doubted if she could understand a word. But he wanted to know where his baby was. If it was his.
He dropped to his knees in front of Lou and took her hands. He looked deep into her eyes and asked. "Who's baby was it?" "Oh Jake.'' She put her forehead against his like they always used to do. "It was Luke's." Lou sadly admitted. "WHAT!!" He jumped back from her as if she had just caught on fire. "It was Sandy's brothers baby." Lou said. "You and Luke?" Jake asked with discgust. Everyone hated Luke because he beat up on Sandy and slept with or raped anything female. Jake just let him be part of the gang because he was such a good shot and could force a stuborn bank clerk to open a safe better than anyone in the gang. "You never found out who killed him did ya Jake?" Lou asked. "No" Jake said. "Thats because I killed him." Lou said. "I killed him because 2 weeks earlier he rapped me and I had just found out I was pregnant. I was sickened by myself so bad I couldn't stand it. I felt dirty and I thought you could never love anyone who was as dirty as I felt. I knew and still know you deserve better. "
"Do you still love me even though you know that I gave away my baby girl because it looked like him. I drove myself crazy because I thought he had come back in the form of my baby. I left it on the door step of a church in the middle of winter.
The preacher came out and got it but by then it at least had pnuemonia or worse. Do you know why I left it out there in the cold?" Louise asked. Jake was shocked. His sweet Louise left a baby to die on a church porch. "No" He simply said.
"I was punishin Luke for what he did to me. Later I regretted it, because the last time I looked into her green eyes they looked like Sandy's. Now I see those eyes in my dreams then I see Luke's and then Sandy's. I think I killed my best friend."
She pushed up her sleeves to reveal scars from knife cuts. Long cuts. From the end of her palm to her elbow. "Louise what is that?" Jake asked, but he already knew. "This one," she held forward her left arm. "Is for lettin myself be rapped. And this," she held forward her other arm. "Is for killin my best friend."
"Louise I'm sorry. I would have loved you. I still do." He hugged her and she cried some more. They laid back on the bed an she cried herself to sleep in arms that hadn't held her in so long.