Chapter Eighteen

Louise rode for a long time, headed no where in particular, just glad to be away from the station and on her own. It was so crazy there, with all of the guests and no Express rides. Tempers had been quick to flare, including hers. She understood Kid’s frustration, but her patience for it, today especially, was thin.

“Are all men like that, or just my husband?” she asked Lightning, speaking to him as Kid often spoke to Katy.

Lightning whinnied in response, but Lou had no idea what the horse meant by his answer. She decided it meant all of them.

In her haste to get away from the station, Louise had forgotten to take a coat, and the early winter winds on the plains cut through her cotton blouse and denim riding skirt. The incessant blowing of the wind and the bright sunlight only made her headache worse, until finally she decided to stop by a creek she’d never noticed before.

She dismounted Lightning and led him to drink, while she cupped her hands and drank the cold, fresh water herself. Lou found a sunny spot behind a tree where the wind wasn’t so bad and sat down, soaking up the rays like a cat in a window. Before she knew it, she’d drifted off to sleep.

By supper time, Louise had not returned. Rachel, Buck, Noah, and Cassie were all worried, but Kid was downright frantic.

“It’s my fault!” he kept saying. “She was only tryin’ to help, and now she’s run off and prob’ly run into trouble! She don’t even carry her gun anymore!”

Rachel and Cassie thought the boys should go get Teaspoon, but they knew he’d be home for supper soon. The trouble was, it was getting darker and darker, and the moon was barely visible behind the cold clouds that hung in the night sky.

“I gotta go find her!” Kid insisted. “Something’s wrong. I can feel it!”

Noah and Buck tried to calm him, knowing he wouldn’t go out on his own with his leg still so weak.

“Kid, you ain’t goin’ by yourself,” Noah insisted. “We’ll just wait fer Teaspoon and then we’ll all go.”

“Noah, you’re not going anywhere,” Cassie told him firmly. “It’s near freezing out there and you’re still havin’ problems breathing right. You’ll catch your death if you’re out there long!”

“Cassie, I got to. It’s Lou,” Noah contended. Then drawing her aside, he quietly told her, “Kid could be right, you know. Somethin’ bad mighta happened.”

Cassie gave him a look telling him she meant what she said. “We’ll just wait for Teaspoon and then come up with a plan,” he finally said.



Teaspoon knew something was wrong the minute he rode up to the way station. Buck’s and Kid’s horses were saddled and waiting out front. Teaspoon dismounted his horse and made his way up the stairs, afraid of what he’d hear when he entered the house.

Buck caught him first so he could explain the situation. “Lou’s missin’,” he told the marshal. “She rode outta here late this mornin’ in a huff and she ain’t back yet.”

“And Kid’s fit to be tied, I s’pose,” Teaspoon replied.

Buck raised his eyebrows. “What do you think?”

“Let me have a talk with the boy, and then we’ll head out,” Marshall Hunter told the former rider. “Kid?” he called.

“Teaspoon, we’re wastin’ time!” Kid said.

“Kid, sit down and get a hold of yerself,” the older man commanded. “You can’t be workin’ yerself into knots each time there’s a crisis. It’ll make yer job as deputy that much harder.”

A hush fell over the kitchen as the group tried to comprehend what they’d just heard.

“Deputy?” Rachel questioned.

“Yes,” Teaspoon confirmed. “Once Kid’s feelin’ up to it, he’s gonna be my permanent deputy marshal. Once he’s got a feel for the job, he’ll take over,” he announced proudly.

“Marshall Brookfield?” Buck and Noah asked at the same time.

Kid hung his head in embarrassment. “Yeah. Guess so.”

“How long you two been keepin’ this a secret?” Noah wanted to know.

Teaspoon looked at Kid. “Guess since the shootin’. I’m gettin’ too old fer that sort o’ trouble. It’s time for a younger man to step in and take the job.”

There were congratulations all around for Kid, but it was evident he didn’t have time for them. “C’mon, Teaspoon. We need to get goin’.”

“Lemme warm my insides up and then we’ll head out,” Teaspoon answered.

Rachel was prepared for that. “Here,” she said, handing him a satchel. “I sent along some warm biscuits and plenty of hard tack. There’s enough there for Louise, too, so don’t be eatin’ it all yourself.”

Teaspoon shook his head as he followed Kid and Buck out the door. “A fella gets less and less respect the older he gets,” he muttered. “Whatever happened to respectin’ yer elders?”

“Ride safe, ya’ll,” Rachel said softly, almost to herself. “And bring Louise home with you.”



Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6

Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12

Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18

Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Epilogue



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