It was raining heavily when the young couple arrived on the outskirts of Rock Creek. They stopped just at the edge of town, holding tightly to the reins of their exhausted horses, and surveyed the buildings stretching ahead of them. Another town in an endless string of towns, no different from any other. At least this time they could stay a while.
Stamping their feet, the horses snorted softly, the sound muffled by the pouring rain. The two youths sat there for several minutes, silently contemplating what lay before them. With an exchanged glance that bespoke of easy intimacy, the young pair nodded to one another and urged their mounts onward through the deep mires of mud.
The town was eerily silent but for the rain that pounded relentlessly on the rooftops and raised sidewalks. As they drew closer, raucous laughter and the merry tinkling of a piano could be heard escaping from the saloon and filtering out onto the street.
The young man threw his companion a smile that, to her, seemed to shed sunlight on the otherwise dismally grey day. She smiled back, brown eyes meeting blue with a look of the purest adoration, and anticipated the question that was most certainly coming.
"You doin' okay?" he asked, brow furrowed in concern.
She laughed delightedly. Right on the money! Did she know how to read this man, or what? "Just fine, you big worrywart."
"Any time you want to stop and rest, you just tell me, okay?"
Brown eyes rolled heavenward, followed by a sigh of controlled exasperation. "I think I've been doin' just fine the past several hundred miles, thank you very much."
"All right, Miss High-and-Mighty, I'll remember that attitude when I have to pull you out of the mud again."
"Honestly! Do you have to keep reminding me of my one embarrassing moment?" she retorted, cheeks flushing an indignant red.
"Your one embarrassing moment?" A chuckle escaped the young man's crooked grin. "Are you referrin' to when you actually fell off your horse, or are you referrin' to your skirt flyin' up over your head when you landed on your backside?"
"I am referrin' to -"
"At least now I'm up to date on women's undergarments."
"It coulda happened to anyone!"
The young man ignored her. He tilted his head to one side, pondering. "'Course, there was also the time you accidentally opened the door on the preacher while he was in the outhouse." He pretended to have to think about this. "Wouldn't that be considered pretty embarrassing, too?"
"So help me, DC..." Her voice had gone low and threatening. She managed to send him a look of intimidating fury despite the water that poured over the brim of her hat.
"As a matter of fact," he continued, "I think it's pretty safe to say you've had a hell of a lot more than one embarrassing moment in your lifetime." He tossed her another grin. "Wouldn't you?"
No answer.
The teasing façade was dropped and he turned instantly contrite. "You mad at me now?"
"Only you would pick a fight in the pouring rain," came the final seething reply.
"I ain't pickin' a fight. Aw, I was just teasin' you, you know that. I always tease you. Don't be mad, Li'l Bit."
"It coulda happened to anyone!" she repeated fiercely, sticking her tongue out at him.
The young man fought back another broad smile but couldn't withhold the snort of laughter that suddenly escaped his lips. "Not anyone, Li'l Bit - just you."
She sniffed haughtily and did not deign to answer further. She sank her spurs into her horse's flanks and prodded him on. They had reached the hotel.
"C'mon, Li'l Bit, I know you ain't really mad."
A smile was creeping over her lips but she bit it back. She kept her eyes on the hotel and didn't turn to him even when he trotted up beside her.
"C'mon, don't be sore at me," he said in wheedling tones.
Jumping down from her horse, the young woman landed with a squelch of her boots in the mud. With her nose raised in the air, she went about tethering her horse to the railing and ignoring her companion.
He joined her after a moment, stumbling through the mud, not even bothering to tie up his own mount, knowing that the faithful horse would remain at his side. He was about to resume his previous pleadings when he caught the glimmer of a smile playing about the young woman's full lips. Her brown eyes were downcast, attempting to hide their dancing playfulness as she untied her saddlebags. He knew this look all too well. She was baiting him.
He paused, deciding on the best course of action; but he was no match for feminine wiles. Drawn in by the sweet smile suddenly shining from her eyes and the promise of a kiss on her lips, he leaned his head down to meet her mouth with his own, only to feel her hands grasp his shoulders firmly, followed by a short but firm push.
Moments later he found himself looking up at the figure of a young woman with her hands on her hips and a delighted smirk curling her mouth. She leaned down to scrape a patch of mud from his face, and for a moment they were nose to nose, triumphant brown eyes gazing into sheepish blue.
"Told you it coulda happened to anyone," she said archly, flouncing past him, out of the rain and into the warm, dry hotel.
***
“Are you tryin' to tell me there ain't a free room in this entire town?"
"I apologize, sir," replied the expressionless young clerk, not sounding at all apologetic, "but Rock Creek gets its fair share of travelers these days, and what with all the rain we've had recently, people are havin' to stop and stay for a while. I'm afraid we're full up."
The young man before him slapped the countertop in exasperation and whirled round to face his companion, a slight, pretty thing with dark, fiery eyes. "He says they ain't got no rooms for us, Li'l Bit."
"I heard 'im."
He spun back around to the clerk, pushing his rain-soaked, fawn-colored hat back from his sandy curls. "Sir, I'm here on official business. Now, I understand these folks comin' through and needin' a place to stay, but I'm supposed to be here."
"Sir," the clerk replied sourly, "the fact that you're supposed to be here doesn't make our hotel two rooms emptier."
"Fine. Fine." Clearly frustrated, the young man dropped his voice lower. "I'll manage somehow. But can't you do somethin' for the lady?"
"Oh, no you don't." Suddenly the girl materialized at the counter alongside the young man. She was instantly in a huff. "Don't you do it, DC, don't you dare do it!"
"Be reasonable, Li'l Bit. What else am I supposed to do?" By the sound of his voice, it was obviously a familiar argument. "It'll only be for a few days."
"I did not come on this trip to be holed up in some hotel by myself, while you go traipsin' around with the likes of Wild Bill Hickok."
"I ain't gonna traipse around with Wild Bill Hickok. I'm here to do a job!"
"Uh, excuse me, but he prefers not to be called 'Wild Bill'," drawled a new, vaguely amused voice.
The young pair turned together to locate the owner of the intruding voice. They found a man leaning against the counter, a wry smile on his face as he inspected the two with sharp eyes. He looked to be in his early fifties at least, and in desperate need of a shave and a haircut. They couldn't help but smile at him.
"I beg your pardon?"
"I said James Hickok ain't too fond of bein' called 'Wild Bill'."
"Forgive me for askin', sir, but how would you know that?" the young man asked politely.
Tipping his black hat back from his silvery-grey hair, the older man gestured to the opposite corner of the room where another man, younger, was sitting by the fire warming his hands. "Well, he's right over there, you can ask him yourself."
The young woman's eyes grew huge with trepidation. "That's Wild Bill Hickok?" she asked in fearful awe.
The older man chuckled. "Naw, miss, that's just our Jimmy. There ain't a whole lotta wild to him, not really. Anyhow, forgive me for eavesdroppin', but I couldn't help overhear your predicament. You say you're here on business, is that it?" When the young man nodded, he went on. "And you, miss, said somethin' about your fella meetin' our Jimmy, ain't that right? Well," the man spread his arms wide and grinned, "if it ain't a small world after all!"
The young pair looked at him, puzzled.
"Teaspoon Hunter," he said, "Pleased to make your acquaintance."
At the mention of the man's name, the younger man relaxed immediately. "Mr Hunter!" he cried exultantly. "Am I glad to meet you at last!"
Teaspoon Hunter laughed, taking in the wretched appearance of the twosome, their hats wilted on their heads, their hair plastered to their skin in various places, both thoroughly soaked to the bone. "I'll bet you are," he agreed cheerfully. "You're our newspaper fella, ain't you?"
"Yes, sir, that I am."
"Right pleased to have you, Mr - ?"
The young woman snickered softly.
"Oh, folks just call me Kid," replied the young man hastily, with a glare in her direction.
The two men shook hands exuberantly.
"Kid, huh?" Teaspoon pondered this information for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, Kid'll do just fine. Well, Kid, you and your lovely friend are more than welcome to stay out at the station, seein' as how the hotel's full up."
Kid seemed about to accept joyfully, but then hesitated. "Well, Mr Hunter -"
"Teaspoon."
"Teaspoon," he nodded. "Well, I don't mind bunkin' down with you and the riders, but I’m a bit concerned about my -"
Sensing his apprehension at the thought of his pretty companion in a bunkhouse full of rambunctious boys, Teaspoon laughed. "Oh don't you worry, son, the lady can stay with Rachel - she's our station keeper."
Kid's sigh of relief was almost comical. "Thank you very much, Mr - Teaspoon. Much obliged."
"Aw, nothin' to it. Matter of fact, Rachel sent me and Jimmy by here to see if you had checked in yet and wanted to join us for supper." Teaspoon looked deeply pleased with the turn of events. "This here, son, is what you might call serendipity."
There was something about the kindly way the older man called him 'son' that made Kid flush with pleasure. "Well, thank you," he said again.
"We're much obliged," the young woman agreed, her smile genuine. Kid was relieved; she seemed to have already warmed to Teaspoon Hunter.
"No problem at all," Teaspoon assured them. "Jimmy!" he bellowed. "Come on over here and meet the newspaper man!"
James Hickok bolted to his feet, an expression of reluctant resolve on his face, and joined Teaspoon and the young couple. He nodded at them both. "How do you do."
"James Hickok, this here is the Kid. He's the fella's been sent to write the Pony Express up in all the papers and make us famous."
Jimmy just frowned and muttered under his breath. It sounded something like, "I don't need no more help gettin' famous, Teaspoon."
Teaspoon turned to the young woman, so pretty and sharp from the top of her head right down to her muddy boots. There was a spark of liveliness in her brown eyes that Teaspoon liked immediately. "And in all the hubbub," he said, "we clean forgot to introduce your companion, Kid." He tipped his hat again. "My apologies, miss," he said with his most charming smile. "You know us men don't always have the right manners."
Kid straightened himself up proudly and slipped his arm around the young woman's shoulders. "Mr Hunter, Mr Hickok, this is my fiancée. Miss Margaret Seaborn."