Angel In Her Face

It had been a long time since ‘Wild Bill’ Hickok visited Sweetwater. As he rode through the center of town, he took note of the growth, which had occurred, during his absence. The one time frontier town that he fondly remembered had evolved into a bustling community.

The General Mercantile was still located on Main Street where William Tompkins had built it, but the present owners had enlarged it into two buildings. There were other stores he recognized from when he was a resident, like Danvers’ Gunsmith shop, Browning Bakery, but twice as many that he had never seen before. Among the churches, restaurants, hotels, and liveries, Jimmy counted several new saloons and gaming establishments. He made a mental note to himself to visit a few of them before he left Sweetwater.

He was a fair hand at poker and could stand to increase the small cache of money he carried on his person. Any gambling would have to wait until after his reunion with Lou and Kid Kidrickson. He had ridden with the Kid and Lou while they were all Pony Express riders. Sweetwater had been their base of operations and the place in which he had been gifted with a new family. Out of all the members of his PX family, he was closest to Kid and Lou. There was a time when he had even toiled with the idea that he and Lou could have a life together. That was before she was kidnapped by a rival of his. Jimmy knew then that a life with him would be one filled with always looking over their shoulders and danger. He did not want that kind of life for Lou.

It turned out that neither did Lou. She had taken the idea of a future with her away, before he had even expressed his feelings for her. Almost from the inception of the express, Lou and Kid had developed feelings for one another. When Lou was shot during one of her first rides, Kid found her. In the process of attending to her wound, the other male rider had discovered she was really a female, instead of the boy they all believed.

Through this shared confidence, Kid and Lou had grown closer until love blossomed between them. Even though Jimmy had personally witnessed many problematic times between Kid and Lou, some of which he had been an active participant, their love had endured. He had had to concede defeat in winning Lou’s love and although it hurt him to do so, Jimmy had given his blessing for Lou and Kid’s marriage.

While Lou would always hold a special place in his heart, Jimmy knew that she was with the man who would give her the best life. Kid was loving, loyal, stable, and cherished Lou above anything else. He treated Lou with the love and respect she deserved, and they were very happy together.

A gunshot nearby shattered his reverie, causing Jimmy to pull one of the twin pearl handled Colts he wore strapped to his hips and scan his surroundings. When he had ascertained that the gunshot was not a warning shot directed at him, Jimmy holstered the weapon and continued on his way.

Soon he reached the outskirts of town and was approaching the lucrative horse ranch and trading post that his close friends owned. After the Civil War was over, Kid and Lou had returned to the place where they had met and fell in love. In her letters to him over the years, Lou had described the ramshackle state of disrepair they had found the way station in, and the work it took to fix it up. Lou had also enclosed regular updates on the growing family she and Kid had been blessed with.

As he entered the yard, Jimmy smiled when he saw the small passel of children playing out front. He was pleased to see that they all had a combination of their parents’ features.

The oldest girl and boy among the brook of children stopped playing and eyed him curiously, as he approached. He watched as Katerina, Kid and Lou’s eldest daughter moved forward to greet him, as Jeremiah called out, “Ma, we’ve got company.”

“Uncle Jimmy?” Katerina asked tentatively as Jimmy swung down from the saddle.

“That’s right, sweetheart, it’s me,” Jimmy replied, knowing that his looks had changed over the years since she or any of the other children had last seen him.

Katerina’s face blossomed into happy recognition and she threw herself into her uncle’s arms. Their older sister’s reaction to the stranger sent assurance coursing through the other children, and prodded them into welcoming Jimmy warmly too.

Jimmy was in the middle of the group of energetic children, when he heard his name called.

“Jimmy.”

Jimmy turned toward the voice, a welcoming smile on his face. His breath stilled as he watched the diminutive figure clothed in burgundy cotton race down the porch steps toward him. Lou’s dark hair was tied back from her beautiful face with a strip of lace. The burgundy dress accentuated her slender form perfectly. The large doe eyes he remembered so vividly and captured a man’s soul with one look were overflowing with joyful tears as she neared him.

There was an angel in her face. Jimmy had not been aware of it until just then, but Lou was the angel in his life. As the children scattered to allow their mother access to their uncle, Jimmy opened his arms and welcomed Lou into them.

“Oh, Jimmy, I’m so glad you came,” Lou cried against his chest.

“Me, too, Lou.”

The embrace lasted for several minutes as Jimmy relished the feel of Lou in his arms, and Lou gave up a silent prayer of thanks for seeing her and Kid’s dear friend safely back to them.