By Kirsten
Lou noticed an immediate change in Jimmy's behavior since he had left to talk to the stagecoach driver. He'd become quiet and complacent, almost as if he didn't know what was going on around him. "Hey, I've been talking to you for the past five minutes, haven't you heard anything I've said?"
Jimmy blinked and turned to Lou. "Huh? Oh, I'm sorry." He smiled shyly. "I guess I'm just distracted." He turned back to his steady glare straight ahead. He kept seeing the lovely faces of Christine and her sister. Molly, well, he wasn't sure how they'd get along. She seemed much too elegant to be out here, but there was something uniquely special about Christy.......Christine.
"Well, do you?" Lou asked for the third time.
Jimmy once again broke his thoughts. "I'm sorry, Lou. What was the question."
"Do you?" She replied, now starting to become slightly irritated.
He turned to her innocently, and she lost her feelings of frustration. It was hard to stay angry at any of the guys. They each had their own baby face look of innocence. "I mean the question before that. The one I'm supposed to be answering."
"Oh, sorry." She said softly. It was funny how she and Jimmy had this uncanny ability to understand what the other meant even when nobody else did. "I just asked if you ever think about loving someone."
He smiled warmly. "You mean like you and Kid?"
Lou felt her face flush. She knew how she felt, it could just be hard to admit it sometimes. "Yeah." Was her soft reply. Lou wasn't even sure if he had heard her answer.
"I don't know Lou, it would have to be someone really special. Like you." He paused for a moment, and then quickly went on realizing the awkward situation he had placed her in. "But I'm not ready for anything like that. There's a lot of women out there to meet, you know." He lightly touched her hand. "For the moment though, I'm just happy with my friends.
She smiled and leaned back, not quite sure how to respond. Soon enough though, they were discussing what was going to happen with their time off, and what special plans they had been making.
"Well, sure Jimmy, I think that would be alright." Rachel replied, slightly puzzled. This wasn't quite like the young man she knew. He didn't normally take the initiative and invite people over. These must be some special about these guests.
He looked relieved and quite embarrassed at the same time. "Thanks, Rachel."
"Okay, fine. We'll divide this bunkhouse in two......this is your half, and this is my half. You cross the line and you owe me five bucks!" Kid said as he began pulling the few things that were his onto the side of the bunkhouse which he had now claimed. Cody, did the same, only he made sure that all of the dirt was swept onto "Kid's" side first.
"There, now that means that you keep your stinky breath on your side, and you only sit on the right side of the table." Cody added. "And if you cross the line, you owe me ten bucks!"
"Hey, that's not fair!" Kid protested.
Lou walked in and heard the last part of Kid's statement. She then noticed the line that had been drawn across the floor with Indian chalk. "Whoa, what's going on around here?" She asked making sure not to step on the fine line. She ended up on Cody's side and stared quite bewildered at them both. Suddenly she felt a shove on her back which jerked her neck and knocked her across the line close to Kid.
"Hey!" They both exclaimed to Cody at the same time.
Kid turned to Lou, "You alright?" He said worriedly.
"Fine, but would someone please tell me what's going on?" She had seen these guys do a lot of crazy things, but this beat all. Cody and Kid had been at it for the past couple of weeks.......most of it was silly little squabbles. It seems that this, however, was something a little larger on the scale of things.
"Kid and myself have divided the bunkhouse. He says that he's tired of messing with my stuff, and I'm tired of messing with his. So, we've separated the room......all of his stuff can't cross over into my area." Cody explained as he leaned over, not crossing the line, and grabbed his belt.
Lou crossed her arms and stared at him. "So what's that got to do with pushing me across the room?" She looked down, careful not to put her toe across the line. Oh this is ridiculous! Now paranoid about stepping over the line. I live here too! She thought to herself.
"Well, I said ALL of Kid's belongings, and I'd say you fit into that category." Cody added with a wink. Something in the tone of a low growl escaped Lou's mouth. But then, shouldn't you fight fire with fire? Wait, no, that's don't fight fire with fire.......excepting in cases when dealing with William Cody.
Kid looked over at Lou, a little worried that she might think that was his idea for Cody to say that. He was quite relieved though when Lou stepped back and leaned against him affectionately. "Okay, Mr. Cody, you're right. But I warn you, if you cross over our line that's 10 dollars you owe me, plus the money you'll owe Kid."
On to Chapter Four