Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on characters created by Ed Spielman and owned by Ogiens/Kane Productions. Neither the author nor the webmistress claim any ownership or any profit from the creation of this work. This story may not be posted elsewhere except with the express permission of the author. Please be forewarned that this story has a recommended rating of NC17 by the author for adult situations and language as well as sexual content. If you are under 17 or would prefer not to read this type of story, please feel free to choose another from Tavern Tales. Chapter 1
Louise was at the mercantile. It had been weeks since she and had been to town. She loved the old waystation but she was close to having cabin fever and she was ecstatic that the rain had finally stopped. It was an unusually wet spring. Her and Kid had been married now for six months. The express closed down two months ago and her and Kid decided to return home to Sweetwater where they met. Rachel Ike and Buck came with them. Rachel had a room in the main house with Kid and Lou and Buck and Ike shared the bunkhouse.
Louise found herself at the soap counter. She made lye soap at home but every once in a while she would treat herself to a fragranced one. She picked up the different kinds and smelled all of them. That didn't help, she thought they all smell good. She decided on rose for herself and picked up a lilac bar for Rachel. Rachel had gone to the bank and Kid was at the feed store. Since it had rained so much they were unable to cut enough hay to feed the horses. Buck and Ike were at the station.
Louise looked up as she heard loud laughter coming from the doorway. Three cowboys were entering the store. From the looks of their clothes they had been traveling for some time. She looked away as they noticed her staring at them. She returned to the soaps putting them in her
basket. She went over to look at the new shipment of fabric She marveled at all the different colors of calico. She pulled out a bolt of blue cloth and held it up to her chest wishing she had a mirror." That looks mighty fine." A deep voice said behind her with a slight southern drawl.
Louise spun around to face the voice. She wasn't surprised to find that it was one of the men that had caught her attention earlier.
" I didn't ask you." She replied in a clipped tone.
His arrogance reminding her of Cody. Up close he may of been handsome under all that dust. He was tall and broad shouldered and kind of reminded her of Kid. He smiled wickedly at her retort. She turned and moved to walk away. As she turned the other way the end of the aisle was
blocked by two of his friends. She looked over towards the counter Mr. Thomkins was looking on waiting for the fireworks to began. It was ironic how he seemed to follow them everywhere. Louise thought briefly, maybe he has a thing a thing for Rachel. The thought brought a smile to her lips it quickly vanished though as a hand grabbed her arm. Remembering her predicament she spun around to face her adversary. Sparks were flying from her brown eyes as she ripped her arm loose and
slapped him hard enough for his head to spin with her other hand. He reached up and grabbed his face in shock." You touch me again and I'll shoot you." She told him . She could hear his friends laughing as she brushed past him and went down the next aisle.
Thompkins walked up to the trio. " You guys better get out of here while you still can. Once she hit me in the head with a skillet." He told them chuckling.
As they left he said to his friends. " I want her and I always get what I want." They headed down the street towards the saloon. As they passed the feed store they saw a man loading sacks of oats into a wagon. The man stopped a couple of feet away staring.
" Kid?"
*********************************************************************
Kid was loading the wagon. Placing the last sack on the top he leaned against it cursing Ike and Buck for not coming. He heard someone call his name and looked up shocked. His brother Jed was standing a couple of feet away.
" Jed?" Kid asked in wonder coming up and grabbing him in a bear hug. "What the hell are you doing here?"
" Well now that is a long story, but me Joe and Luke are heading for California. What the hell are you doin' here?"
Kid smiled proudly. " Well me and my friends have some land outside of town. And um I got married."
" Married?!" Jed exclaimed. " What ya do get her pregnant?" Jed asked slapping Kid on the back.
Kids mouth fell open in shock. " Of course not."
" But you did try her out first right?" Joe asked.
" What happened to your face?" Kid asked Jed to change the subject suddenly noticing welts across his brothers cheek.
" He ran into a pole cat in the mercantile." Luke told Kid as Jed gave him a dirty look.
" Jed why don't you guys come out to the ranch for dinner, you can meet my family."
" Family? You have kids too? You have been busy."
Kid laughed saying " No not yet."
" Is your wife a good cook? I could use a homecooked meal." Joe said rubbing his stomach.
" Well I don't like to brag but..." Kid trailed off avoiding the question.
Jed laughed " Well from the looks of you she must be a good cook, and in my experience good cooks are usually fat."
" She's not fat!" Kid replied indignantly.
" Of course not Kid." Jed said consoling Kid. " Now that is a looker." Jed said as a beautiful red head was heading toward them.
" That's Rachel." Kid said as Rachel walked up and greeted him. " Hey Kid how are your friends?"
Kid introduced him and Jed kissed her hand. " Your a very luck man Kid to have such a lovely wife."
" Oh I'm not his wife, we just live together." Rachel said blushing. Then she realized that didn't sound to good so she added. " In separate rooms of course."
" Of course." Jed said smiling. " Kid here invited us over for dinner, said his wife was a good cook."
" He did?" Rachel asked surprised. Kid was never one out and out lie. " Well if you boys are going to be around for a couple of days you could stay in the bunkhouse."
" That would be wonderful ma'am." Jed said graciously.
" I sure wasn't looking forward to sleeping in the mud again." Luke said.
" If your sure it ain't a problem." Joe added.
" No problem. Rachels used to taking care of a lot of men." Kid told them. As they all looked at Rachel with big grins.
" I used to cook for the pony express." Rachel told them giving the sheepish Kid a dirty look.
" Ah here comes Lou." Kid said.
Chapter 2
Louise headed down the street to meet Kid and Rachel. She was dismayed to see him talking to the man that had harassed her in the shop. He's nice to everybody! Louise grumbled to herself. Oh stop it Louise! Your just in a fowl mood. She told herself. She smiled broadly coming up with a plan.
As she came up to the group she went up and greeted Kid with a deep kiss throwing her arms him. Kid was shocked at her greeting. She never kisses me like this in public, I wonder she bought? Kid thought as he held her and kissed her back. After a couple of minutes rachel cleared her throat
smiling, she was used to this.As Kid reluctantly broke off the kiss he introduced Lou to Jed who was watching with his mouth hung open.
" Um this is my wife Louise, Lou this my brother Jed, Joe and Luke."
Louise had planned to say something sarcastic but after hearing the word brother her mind went blank. " Brother?" Was all that came out.
" Well that's the first time I've ever seen Lou speechless." Rachel chided her friend.
" Well now do I get to kiss the bride?" Jed said seriously.
" NO!" Lou and Kid exclaimed together. Kid had seen how his brother was looking at Lou and he didn't like it.
" Jed." Louise said simply dismissing him. She turned to Kid are yo ready to leave. She knew she was being rude but she wanted to get away from Jed ASAP.
" Sure honey." Kid said picking her up and putting her in the wagon. Since Jed was still watching her closely she let him. Joe helped Rachel up and without waiting for to sit down Louise sent the wagon into a trot and Rachel fell back onto the seat her skirt and feet flying up in the air. The spinning wheels throwing mud on Jed and his friends.
" I'm sorry Rachel!" Lou said grabbing her with one arm to keep her from falling from the wagon. She never once slacken the pace as Rachel tried to straighten herself up.
" Are we in a race?" Rachel asked sarcastically.
" I just want to get home." Louise told her.
" It ain't gonna make a difference how fast you get there I invited them to stay with us." Rachel said grabbing onto her seat as Louise pulled the horses to dead stop nearly throwing them both out.
" What did he do to you." Rachel asked the shocked girl. Who was sitting next to her dejectedly.
" Nothin' really. He said I looked pretty and then he grabbed my arm. So I slapped him." Louise told her.
" That's it?" Rachel asked her.
" That's it. I don't like the way he looks at me it makes me nervous." Louise told her blushing.
" I saw that, I think it was rather bold in front of Kid but I don't think Kid noticed it. Besides he didn't know you were his sister in law before. He wouldn't try anything with his brothers wife, would he?" Rachel asked Lou unsure herself.
Louise could see a dust trail behind her and started the horses into a walk.
****************************************** After the wagon left in a hurry Kid just shook his head and walked over to where he had tied Katy. As he met the others at the head of town. Luke asked him " You sure she can drive a wagon."
Kid laughed shaking his head. " You have no idea."
They caught up to the wagon about half way to the way station. Kid was surprised they were traveling at a leisurely trot. He rode up next to them.
" Is everything okay?" Kid asked concerned.
" I think the load shifted. Why don't you guys go on a ahead I need to take it slow." Louise told him.
" Alright ." Kid said looking into the back of the wagon. The load was fine and he wasn't about to send her into a mood so he motioned the others to follow him as he moved ahead.
Jed rode beside her for a moment when she looked up to tell him to leave he puckered his lips as if to give her a kiss and rode off. Louise growled irritated.
" How long did you say they were staying?" Louise asked Rachel through grinding teeth.
Chapter 3
As Lou and Rachel pulled into the station they could see everybody standing by the corral talking. She assumed Kid was introducing them to Ike and Buck. She pulled the wagon up next to the barn. Kid went over and helped Lou down and Buck helped Rachel down. The two women excused
themselves and headed to the house to make dinner. Buck and Ike took Joe and Luke to the bunkhouse giving Kid and Jed some privacy." Some place you got here Kid. You've done real good for yourself." Jed said looking around at the new corral and stables where they breed horses.
" Well Jed I've had alot of help. You should have seen this place 4 months ago."
" How did you meet your wife. She's a real fine woman."
Kid smiled remembering the first time they met. He was so stupid back then how the hell did he miss she was a girl. " It's kind of a long story but we both worked for the pony express."
" Really no wonder you could afford such a nice place. I'd like to have a place like this with a fine woman. Yup. You sure are lucky Kid." Jed said wistfully.
" Luck didn't have anything to do with it me, Lou, Rachel, Ike and Buck worked damn hard for everything we have. And I worked damn hard on getting Lou too. " Kid told his brother.
" I'm sure Louise was very hard to catch very hard indeed ." he said absent mindedly rubbing his sore face. Kid watched him as his eyes narrowed wondering if Lou was the polecat. That would explain alot. He was brought from his thoughts as he heard the dinner bell ring.
Since they had company they ate in the bunkhouse. They usually ate at the main house when they didn't have guest since their was a smaller group. Rachel and Louise carried over the steaming chicken and dumplings, cornbread, beans and corn on the cobb. The men sat around the table first
Kid, Jed, and Luke sat on one side and Rachel , Buck, Ike and Joe sat on the other . Louise was the last to sit down Jed scooted over closer to Luke and offered for Louise to sit between him and Kid." No Jed you should sit next to Kid after all you haven't seen each other in so long." Louise refused politely. Jed's eyes flashed anger as she sat on the other side of Kid. He was used to getting his way. The dinner flowed smoothly Kid and Jed talked about old times. Buck asked Jed why he wasn't fighting for the south.
" Well Buck there ain't much money to be made fightin' a war. We decided to head west and make our own fortune." Kid balked thinking how his brother sold out Virginia for money. At least he did it for love.
" I can see why you didn't go back." Jed said looking at Louise.
They could here a commotion outside and Kid excused himself to go check on Katy and the other horses. Since Kid was gone Lousie scooted over a little so her whole butt would on the bench. Jed very slowly so no one would notice did the same. Louise paused with her fork full of beans halfway to her mouth. She felt a hand rest on her knee under the table and her eyes got wide. It slowly slide up caressing her thigh as it went. She put the fork in her mouth and ate the beans then she pulled back and stabbed the tines of the fork into the hand on her thigh. Jed jerk his hand away and cursed. Everyone at the table looked at him in concern. He held his bruising hand under the table luckily or unfortunately the fork didn't pierce the skin.
" Are you all right?" Rachel asked him looking at him suspiciously.
" Yes ma'am." he said realizing nobody but Lou had noticed anything a miss. " I just meant damn I ate all my dumplings and I want some more."
" I'll get you some." Louise said quickly jumping up to serve him.
Jed smiled in surprise. Well Jed thought maybe she's comin' around after all. Louise went to the stove where they were keeping the dumplings warm. She was turned so her back was blocking everyones view as she ladled out a generous portion. And add all the salt in the salt shaker. She heard Kid enter as she turned from the stove smiling at Jed.
" Here you go! I'm gonna be disappointed if you don't eat it all." Louise told him playfully.
She was thankful Kid had come back so she could hide behind him. She just wished she could see his face when he tasted it. Jed scooped up a big bite and almost spit it back out onto his plate. Sneaky bitch he thought as he grabbed his glass of water and downed it. If I say anything they'll
all wonder why she did it. He asked for the pitcher of water and slowly began to choke down the salty food. He got about half way through before he had to run outside and throw up. He came back in saying he wasn't feeling well. He climbed up ironically into Lou's old bunk and kept watching her through half closed eyes." Hope that ain't catchy." Luke replied digging into his meal.
After dinner Kid told Jed he hoped he felt better tomorrow and escorted the ladies back home. When they got there Kid headed up to bed and Rachel and Lou went out to the porch to talk.
" What exactly happened at dinner?" Rachel said starting off the conversation.
Louise sighed. " You don't mess around do you Rachel? " Louise said as she told Rachel about what happened.
" Louise! You have to tell Kid about this. Jed has no right treating you this way. There is absolutely no excuse for this!" Rachel said angrily.
Louise wrapped her shawl tightly around her. " I can't tell Kid. I can handle Jed."
" I don't think you can. If he can't even control himself how do you expect to control him. He's gonna be awfully mad after that stunt you pulled. If you don't tell Kid I will." Rachel told her matter of factly.
" Please don't Rachel!" Louise begged. " When Kid decided not to go back to Virginia to fight he gave up something he deeply believed in. He gave up a piece of himself. A small piece but a piece no less. When he saw Jed today I haven't seen him that happy in a long time. It was like that piece of him came back and he was whole again. I can't tell him about Jed. You know Kid. He'd march over there knock him to kingdom come. Jed'll be leaving in a couple of days. I'll just avoid him as much as possible. Please don't tell him Rachel. He gave up Virginia for me I can't ask him to give up Jed too." Louise said as tears ran down her face.
Rachel wrapped her arms around her and let her cry. " Alright Lou, alright. But if he touches you again you have to tell Kid OK?" Louise hesitated before shaking her head in agreement.
Chapter 4
When Louise walked into her bedroom she found her husband sleeping peacefully. His naked body was wrapped around the covers . Lou smiled. They realized very early in their marriage that it was useless to get dressed for bed since they ended up naked anyway.
She carefully climbed over to him and started kissing his shoulders. He mumbled something in his sleep and rolled over toward her. Since he rolled over she was now kiss his chest and he moaned as she worked her way down. Her hand covered his stiring arousal and she heard him moan. She smiled knowing he was awake her mouth replaced her hand as she gently stroked him with her tongue. She trailed her tongue up his length and lightly licked the tip. She felt Kid's hands on her head pushing her down waiting to be inside her warm wet mouth. Covering him deeply she slowly sucked gently drawing him out through her tightened lips and back down again. She felt Kid shiver under ministrations as he pulled her up beside him and covered her body with his. She gasped as he thrust into her deeply. She locked her legs around his waist as she cried out his name. Kid kissed her face and neck sighing as he came into her. Lousie gasped as she felt Kid's seed spurting into her womb as she felt herself surrender . They lay gasping in each others arms. Words of love where whispered through their mumbling lips as they fell asleep sated.
***************************** Louise moaned as she shielded hers from the sun light. Louise rolled over watching Kid as he dressed. She never got tired at looking at him. Kid looked over at her and smiled. He bent over and kissed her on her lips.
" Good morning you gonna get up for breakfast?" He asked rubbing her cheek.
" Nope. I don't think I can move." Louise teased him.
" Do you want me to stay with you?" Kid asked.
" Nah, I'll grab a bite later." She definitely was in no mood to encounter Jed this early.
Kid leaned over and kissed her again before he left the room. I hope this works Lou thought as she got out of bed to get dressed. She decided to take a shower she figured Jed would be busy with the horses all morning so she wouldn't have to think about him until lunch. Louise got her new soap and a clean towel. She made her bed and tidied up the small room. Finally she saw the boys heading toward the new corral by the barn. And she headed down stairs. She passed Rachel on the way and Rachel said she would leave her a plate on the table. When Louise reached the shower she placed her clean clothes outside on an over turned bucket and laid her towel over the side. She stepped into the small room and locked the door behind her. She pulled the cord wetting her hair and lathered it first and then her body. The soft fragrance was brightening her mood already. She then rinsed her hair well and grabbed her towel and dried off. She wrapped the towel around her body as she unlatched the door and opened it a crack to reach for her clothes. They were gone. She opened the door wider thinking a strong wind had come up and blew them off. She looked around the bucket and then around the yard not seeing them any where. Frustrated she stormed off towards the house. As she passed the bunk house a hand reached out and grabbed her arm pulling her behind it.
" Think your funny do you?" Jed asked pushing her up against the rough wood as he held her wrists above her head with one hand.
" Let go of me! I'm definitely going to shoot you now." Louise threatened.
" I don't see no gun but let me double check." He said as he ripped away the towel.
Louise's scream was cut off as his mouth covered hers and his free hand roamed over her body. She froze as she felt his hand slid between her legs caressing her.
" Let her go!" A stern voice yelled as Louise heard the click of a hammer. Jed slowly released her and stepped back. Louise reached down and grabbed her crumpled towel off the ground. She looked up to gratefully see Rachel pointing a double barrelled shot gun at Jed's nether regions.
" You make one move and and you'll be ridin' side saddle. Louise go to the house. Now!"
Rachel yelled as Lou hesitated. In a flash Lou was gone.
" I wasn't gonna hurt her. I just wanted to scare her a little. " Jed said nervously.
" Well looks like you succeeded . How dare you! " Rachel yelled as anger filled her. She layed the shot gun down and advanced on Jed. Jed backed up even more scared of her than the shot gun. He stopped when he was pinned against the same wall he had held Lou against.
" Kid brought you and your friends into his home and this is how you repay him. You are the lowest kind of scum I've ever seen and I've seen alot of scum. If you look at her or if you even think about her again I'm comin after you. And I'm a damn good mind reader." Rachel had come up until she was inches away from him. She stared at him for a while before she turned around and grabbed the shot gun heading back to the house.
She found Louise curled up in a corner still wrapped in the dirty towel. She was rocking herself back and forth. Rachel went up and sat next to her. She reached over and touched her shoulder to get her attention. Louise looked crestfallen as she turned to face Rachel.
"You were right Rachel. Now I've ruined everything." Louise cried.
" No you didn't honey, Jed did. You want me to go get Kid?"
Louise nodded. She knew Rachel would tell him if she didn't. And she owed it to Kid to tell him herself. She got up and went to find something to wear.
After Rachel left Jed snuck back over to the corral. He was glad that the boys were making so much noise watching Ike break in a horse. Nobody was paying him any attention. He looked to where his brother was standing by the gate ready to jump in if Ike needed him. He thought for sure that they would of heard Rachel screaming. Hell he would of bet that half of Kansas had heard it. Several minutes later he saw Rachel walk up to the corral and whisper something to Kid. Kid asked her a question she nodded and Kid ran off toward the house. Rachel gave him a dirty look and
followed Kid. Ike dismounted having calmed the horse and the others congratulated him . They all headed to the bunkhouse and Jed followed tensely. Luke came over to Jed as they were walking back." Where have you been? " Luke asked.
" You'll find out soon enough." Jed told him entering the bunkhouse. He felt like a man waiting to swing from the gallows.
Chapter 5
Kid took the stairs two at a time. Rachel had said Louise needed to talk to him now. He slowly opened the door to their bedroom. He saw her sitting in a chair by the window her face streaked with tears. Feeling his heart pounding Kid knelt down in front of her. She lowered her head not able to look at him.
" I'm sorry Kid." She whispered. " I should of told you."
" Told me what?" Kid asked slowly lifting her face to look at her.
" That he was bothering me." Lou said as she started crying again.
Kid felt a cold as he asked her who was bothering her, although he already knew the answer.
" Jed." Lou said quietly looking at him desperately. Please lord don't make him send me away she thought as she saw anger cross his handsome face.
In a voice like steal he said. " What did he do? " Seeing he was scaring her he gently picked her up and lowered her into his lap.
" I'm not mad at you Louise, I love you but I need you tell me everything that happened. "
Kid said as he held her and caressed her hair. Louise looked at his concerned face and told him everything from the store to today. Kid bristled as he heard how Jed had been treating her . He smiled as she told him about the salt but it did nothing to ebb the anger building inside of him. As she finished her story he held her tighter as he felt her shaking remembering the events. And when she was done he held her while she cried. When she finally stopped crying she whispered " I'm so
sorry Kid."He lifted her tiny face up to his and he gently kissed her closed eyes and the tears off her face.
" It's not your fault baby, you didn't do anything wrong. Although I wish you would of told me sooner. I' m a big boy I don't need you to protect me." Louise hung her head in shame.
He grabbed her head so he could look into her eyes. " Louise I love you. I love you more than anything else on this earth. You are my whole world. We're a family now. You are more important to me than Jed, Virginia, or even Katy. I'll handle Jed and I promise you nobody'll ever hurt you
again. " Kid layed Louise gently on the bed he kissed her once again before he left to find Jed.***********************************************************************
Jed had crawled up onto his bunk and was quite as he listened to the chatter below. He didn't know what the hell was wrong with him. He loved his brother and was proud of him. He had no idea what possessed him to attack Louise that. He hoped she was alright. Well thats the way his life was, he usually ended up ruining everything. He was not surprised in the least when he heard the bunkhouse door slam open he heard the wood split as it tore from the hinges. Kid grabbed Jed by the hair and pulled him off the top bunk. Jed hit the wooden floor hard and the breath was knocked out of him. As he was trying to breathe Kid jumped on him and was beating him unmercifully. Buck and Ike tried to pull him off but to no avail. Finally Buck put his arm around Kids neck and squeezed until Kid had to stop hitting Jed to breathe. The stunned Luke and Joe tried to help the Jed up but he refused their help. Jed was holding his arm tight against his ribs. He thought he broke it when he fell but he wasn't sure. He felt blood filling his mouth and rolled over choking on it. He could hear Kid still screaming at him as Buck, Ike, Luke and Joe carried the squirming Kid outside.
" What the hells wrong with you Kid are you trying to kill him." Buck asked.
" Yes ." Kid growled breaking loose. The others tackled him before he could reach the bunkhouse. " Let me go! This between me and him." Kid yelled irritated.
" Not till you calm down."
"I'll calm down when his backstabing face is smashed into the ground." Kid said as he tried to get lose.
Jed had pulled himself up to a standing position and had made it to the doorway of the bunk house and he was leaning heavily against it. " Let him go ." He commanded. His eye was swollen shut and his face was almost unrecognizable, his white shirt was turning red from from his dripping nose.
" What the hell did you do." Buck asked Jed as the crazed Kid thrashed wildly trying to break loose and finish the job. He had never seen Kid like this.
" I attacked Louise." Jed said reluctantly.
Buck's mouth dropped open and surprise and then his eyes narrowed with anger he looked at Ike who nodded vigorously and they released Kid. Kid stumbled being released so suddenly but quickly recovered and threw himself at Jed tackling him to the ground he hit him as hard as he could and Jed's head snapped back and he lay still. Kid stopped hitting Jed when he realized he wasn't moving. He crawled off him still seething as Luke came up to check for a pulse.
"Is he alive?" Joe asked worriedly. Kid gave him a dirty look and Joe backed up.
Chapter 6
Luke nodded relieved. Buck and Ike both grabbed a bucket of water. Buck threw his on Jed to revive him and Ike threw his on Kid to calm him down. They were all relived as Jed started coughing from the water he inhaled. Luke and Joe helped Jed sit up against the bunk house as they watched Kid warily. Kid wiped the water from his face and stood up. He walked over to the bunkhouse and punched the wall. He then leaned he his head against it as he cried. He couldn't stop himself he sat down on the porch and cried like a baby. The others looked at each other and headed for the barn.
They wanted to be far enough away to give the brothers some privacy but close enough if they started fighting again. Well if Kid started fighting again.Kid walked over to where Jed was leaning he noticed his injured arm and face and it gave him no pleasure.
" Why? Why did you do that her? To me?" Kid asked his voice straining with emotion.
" I'm sorry Kid. I was jealous. You have your perfect wife, your perfect home, your perfect new family, and your perfect little town. And what do I have? Nothin'." Jed said answering his own question.
" That's not true Jed." Kid said sighing sitting down next to him.
" It is true! All my life I've been over shadowed by you, the baby of the family, The Kid. Mother always babied you and treated you better. And if you got hurt I was beat because I should of known better or wasn't watching you. That's why I left. I hated being the bad one. The trouble maker. I hated it and I hated you for being so damn perfect!"
Jed took a deep breath grimacing. " All my life I wanted to belong some where anywhere. Someone to love me unconditionally. Not cause they had to, cause they wanted to. I saw Louise in the store and I knew she was special . She was beautiful and feisty and I wanted her. When I found out
she was your wife I wanted her even more." Jed paused seeing Kid bristle he closed his eyes waiting for the blow that never came. He opened his eyes and saw Kid waiting for him to continue so he did. " I figured Louise would tell you and you would kick me out but she didn't. I wanted
you to hate me as much as I hated you so I kept getting more brazen. I'm sorry Kid. I'm sorry I hurt Louise. I'm so sorry " he said as he tears slid down his bruised face. " I wanted you to be as miserable as I am."" I never knew you felt that way." Kid told him. " I had it rough at home too. I know mother babied me and I hated it. She did love you you know. She cried for three days after you left, she didn't eat or sleep, just cried. After she died I had no one. I headed west to start a new life and was lucky enough to meet Lou and the others. I never forgot about you though. I always looked up to Jed. You were my big brother I loved you." Kid hesitated looking at Jed. " And I still do."
" Kid I lied about what I said before. I don't hate you I love you too." Jed looked up with tears in his eyes as they hugged each other sobbing. Sobbing for the young boys first beat and then abandoned by their father and a mother who's spirit died a long time before here body.
" I'm so sorry about Louise Kid. Is she gonna be okay?" Jed asked worriedly.
Kid smiled " Louise is alot tougher than she looks she'll be okay. How's your arm?" Kid asked.
" I think it's broken. ." Jed said ruefully.
" Well I'll have Rachel come by and tend to it. I'm gonna go talk to Lou." Kid helped Jed back into the bunkhouse then he left to find Rachel.
He found Rachel and Lou in the house. Louise stood up nervously as he entered he came up and wrapped her in his arms he kissed her cheek as he asked Rachel to go check on Jed. Rachel bit her hung but complied. Kid sat down in a chair and pulled Louise into his lap. She took her finger
and traced his lips." You weren't hurt?" Louise asked worriedly.
Kid shook his head no. " He wouldn't hit me back." He went on to tell Louise the rest of the conversation. Louise was saddened. She knew what it was like to abused and unloved. She wrapped her arms around Kids neck and kissed his ear whispering .
"I need you."
Kid picked up his wife and carried upstairs. They very gently made love.
Rachel went to the bunk house. She was surprised at how badly beaten Jed was when Kid didn't have a scratch. She got a bucket of water and gently started wiping the blood off his face.
" You are an idiot you know that?" At Jed's nod in agreement Rachel went on. " Your lucky he didn't kill you. You cause any more problems and I'll do it for him. Hemlock is a much better food additive than salt."
Jed groaned he wished was dead then he wouldn't be hurting so bad. He gritted his teeth as Rachel examined his arm. She checked all the bones and found them intact, but it appeared to be out of joint she grabbed his hand and pulled hard until she heard a pop. Jed passed out from the pain
and Rachel slipped out quietly.Jed and his friends left two days later when Jed was able to ride. He hugged Kid goodbye and nodded to Louise . She still felt uncomfortable around him but she was no longer scared. Louise told him to take care and she meant it. Jed blushed still awed by her. They all bid each other farewell and Jed mounted carefully his arm still in a sling. Kid held Louise as they watched them ride out of sight.
The End Back to Tavern Tales Back to the Hitching Post
