Chapter Seven
Kid opened the door to the hotel room, trying to be as quiet as possible, just in case Lou was in fact asleep. Despite the coolness of the night air outside, the air in the room was warm and stagnant, and smelled of sickness. Lou hadn’t lit a lamp, and Kid had to squint while his eyes adjusted to the darkness.
When they did, he saw Louise flopped like a rag doll on the bed, moaning in a restless sleep. Kid crossed the room and opened the window, letting in some fresh air and alleviating the stench. Then he went to the wash basin to get a cool cloth for Lou’s face and discovered where the smell was coming from.
Immediately, Kid felt guilty. He’d been cold with Lou before he left and didn’t realize she was sick. He should have been with her instead of out at the station.
Kid found a wash rag on the bureau and dipped into some fresh water in pitcher next to the wash basin. He rung it out and then went to the bed and placed it on Lou’s forehand.
“No!” she moaned, turning away from him. “No! You can’t yet! You can’t!”
“Louise,” he said, shaking her gently, “Lou, it’s me. It’s Kid, honey.”
Lou’s eyes flew open and she grasped Kid’s hand on her forehead. Had she only been dreaming, or had he called her “honey?” She rolled over to face him and pushed herself up into a seated position, not letting go of his hand.
“Lou? You okay? Are you sick?” he asked, concerned.
Her eyes were as big as saucers as she looked at him, her brow furrowed. Lou shook her head. “No. No, I’m fine,” she answered. “I just got sick is all. Just once.”
“I’m sorry,” he told her. “I shouldn’ta left you here alone. I shoulda...”
“Kid, you got nothin’ to apologize for,” she replied, taking her hand from his and placing her finger on his lips. “It’s me who should be apologizin’.”
Kid looked at his disheveled wife and gently took her hand away from his mouth. “We gotta talk, Lou.”
“I know,” she answered softly, her gaze drifting to the window and the stars in the night sky.
Kid took a deep breath. “Lou, I been doin’ a lot of thinkin’. The Express is endin’ and there’s not enough work in Rock Creek to get us a place of our own and support Jeremiah and Teresa. Things just can’t stay the way they are now.”
“I know,” Lou said again.
“Lou, we both been under a lot of strain this past week. Things we said today, they were hurtful, but we both know neither one of us really meant ‘em. Least I didn’t,” Kid said.
“I didn’t either, Kid,” Lou told him. Looking back into his eyes she said, “I love you, Kid. No matter what. I love you.” Tears welled in her eyes and she hung her head.
“Lou. Louise, look at me,” Kid directly, lifting her chin towards him. “I’m goin’ back to Virginia. I’m gonna fight.”
Lou closed her eyes and hung her head again. Sobs were about to overcome her as she said once again, “I know.”
He reached for her and they clung to each other, days of worry and hurt melting in the heat of their embrace.
“When are we leavin’?” Lou asked.
Kid pulled away from her, looking at his wife in shock. “Lou, you ain’t goin’. You’re gonna stay here, with Rachel and Teaspoon.”
“What’da ya mean, I ain’t goin’?” Lou demanded. “You promised, Kid. You promised you’d never ride out without me again!”
“A war zone ain’t no place for a woman, Lou. You know that,” Kid answered.
“I’m your wife, Kid. My place is with you, where ever you are,” Lou said. “You promised,” she said again. “Please, Kid. Now I think I know how you felt when you proposed those two times and I turned you down. I don’t wanna live without you. I can’t.”
Kid shook his head. “Lou, you can’t come. It ain’t safe.”
“You know damn well I can take care of myself. I been doin’ it for the past year and a half!” Lou shot back.
“This ain’t the Express. This is a war,” Kid answered.
“Yeah, where you know you your enemies are. They wear uniforms. Half the time with the Express, we didn’t know who was our friend or who was tryin’ to kill us,” Lou insisted. “I’m goin’ with you, Kid. I’ll follow you if I have to. You know I learned enough from Buck that I could.”
Kid knew it. Not only could she track him, she could keep up with him. She’d always been one of the fastest riders. But where would she stay. He had no family, at least no close family. No family willing to take in an independent, headstrong woman while her husband went off to fight in a war for God knows how long. “Lou, you got no place to stay if you come along. At least if you stay here, you’ll be with family.”
“Kid,” she said gently, “You’re my family.”
Those pleading brown eyes. Kid saw their whole future together whenever he looked into them. A place of their own, maybe a little horse ranch. A passel of kids. A simple life. A happy life, growing old together. But the war that had been threatening to rear its ugly head was about to, shattering their dreams. How could he refuse this woman he’d loved from the moment he’d discovered she was a girl?
“I’ll find a place, Kid,” Lou pleaded. “It’ll work out. You’ll see. I just can’t watch you ride away without me, not knowin’ if I’ll ever see you again.”
Kid got up from the bed and paced the small room, wringing his hands nervously.
“So when are we leavin’?” Lou asked again hopefully.
Kid was quiet for a long time. Finally, he shook his head. She had a way of getting to him. “Day after tomorrow,” he answered.
