Lou was still fuming as she packed for the special run that she volunteered for when Teaspoon said he needed a rider for a long ride. Kid's moving her into Emma's without asking made her furious. It was the worst thing he'd done so far. Usually it was just making her feel smothered by his over concern for her well-being. This time though he went to far by moving her things without asking her. She had let him know in no uncertain terms what she thought about his surprise and have given him one of her own by telling him they were through. She had had enough of him and this time she meant it. Running over to Emma's house she knocked on the door and waited until the door opened and the stationmaster let her inside. "Here's that letter I need delivered Lou. It's of the utmost importance that it gets delivered into Captain Johnson's hands and no one else's. You got that?" he asked as Lou tucked the letter into the inner coat pocket and buttoned the coat again. "Yeah I got it Teaspoon. Don't worry. I'll be just fine like all the other runs I've been on." She narrowed her eyes and looked at him then said, "Unless you think I can't do my job like someone else around here." Teaspoon threw up his hands. "I ain't said nothin' like that Lou. I know you can do your job. If I didn't you wouldn't be going on this run. Remember that the area has been plagued by a band of outlaws that are known to shoot first and ask questions later. Just watch your back son." Lou nodded and pushed her glasses further up on her nose. "I'll be back in a week with the reply like you said." With that she was out the door and on her way to where Lightning was waiting, being held by Ike who was rubbing the horses nose. *Have a safe ride* Ike told her. "Thanks Ike. See you in a week." Lou was glad that Kid wasn't in the yard when she left. She knew he didn't want her going on this run. There'd been a lot of trouble out Broken Rock's way in the last two months. They'd heard about the band of outlaws that were running in the area and things didn't sound good there. Putting the thought of danger out of her mind for the time being, Lou enjoyed the freedom of racing across the prairie on her horses back. The two were so in tune with each other it was almost as if they were one. Lost in thought Lou never noticed that she picked up a lone rider following behind her in the distance. By late afternoon Lou had reached Tiller's Creek and was surprised to see Jimmy Hickok riding towards her. Waving to him she called out, "Didn't know you were out this way. Guess I forgot that Williams Post was near here." Jimmy pulled Sundance to a halt as Lou came riding up to him. "Hey Lou. What are you doing out here? Teaspoon got another special run?" They'd all been on one of Teaspoon's special runs before and more often then not, there ended up being trouble to whoever was on it. "Yeah. Going to Broken Rock," she told him with a slight frown. "Ain't that where that gang's been running around that we heard about?" he asked tilting his hat up. "Yep." Shaking his head he laughed. "Bet that didn't sit to well with someone did it?" Jimmy and Lou had discussed in great length Kid's latest effort to make her more lady like. For some reason the Southerner thought that by moving Lou into the main house, it would make her seem more like a girl and not one of them. The other riders had tried to dissuade him but he wouldn't listen. "No, I don't suppose it did but I make my own choices and do what I want, not what some man tells me I should do." The angle of her chin told Jimmy that Kid was still a subject she didn't want to talk about. "Want some company?" he asked. "I ain't got a run coming up anytime soon and if I do, Cody owes me and he can take it if you'd like someone to talk to." Lou knew that Jimmy was offering because he had nothing better to do not because he didn't think she could handle the run on her own. That was one thing that she never worried about with him. He never tried to control her or change her or expect her to be someone other then who she was and she was grateful for that. "Sure Jimmy, if you'd like to ride along." With a grin, he turned Sundance back the way he'd just come. "Well then, lets go. There should be an overhang not to much further that we can sleep under tonight if you want," he told her as they began to ride. Neither of them saw the man watching from behind some brush a ways back. Kid was seething when he seen Jimmy turn his horse around and the two of them head off. "Of course Jimmy has to show up," he muttered going back to where he'd left Katy. "She couldn't let me go along but she'll let him go." Kid would have gladly wiped the smile off Jimmy's face that he knew he'd have seen if he'd been closer. The man was always after Lou. He may say they were just friends but Kid knew better. He knew that Jimmy wanted her for himself and it made his blood boil that Lou was mad at him and had accepted Jimmy's company over his once again. Making sure he remained far enough back not to be spotted and off the main trail, Kid continued to follow the riders as the sun set. Soon he saw that they had turned toward an outcrop of rocks and figured they'd be making camp for the night so he looked for someplace that would conceal both him and Katy from sight. He'd have to forgo a fire or they'd see it but he'd be able to keep an eye on them knowing that they'd have a nice blaze going. The night air was turning cool as Kid remained hunched behind some brush watching the pair from a distance. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Sorry that dinner wasn't fancier," Lou told Jimmy as he took a bite of jerked beef. The choice of food out on the trail for them as riders wasn't a whole lot and Lou hated beans so she tried to take anything other then those when she rode out. "Don't worry, Lou," Jimmy assured her as he worried the tough, leathery meat. "I'm just glad you had enough extra to share with me. The store over at Williams Post was out of it when I stopped there earlier today so I was all out." Lou leaned over the campfire and lifted the coffee pot from over the hot embers. "At least you had coffee," she grinned. For the first time riding out, she'd forgotten to grab her pot in the rush to get away from the station before Kid got back and started complaining about her being sent out on her own to Broken Rock. Studying Jimmy as he orange from the fire danced over his chiseled features, she couldn't' help but admire how handsome he was. From there her thoughts turned to how different he was from Kid. She found both men handsome in their own way that she wouldn't deny. But that is the only thing they had in common. Kid was less moody then Jimmy and tended to be slower to anger, unless it concerned her. At first, Kid's protectiveness felt good. It made her feel cared for and she was amused by it. Over time, it became a burden. Now, every time she had a run or the riders were asked to help out the marshal on business, Kid protested. He'd go on about how dangerous it was for her to be out on the trail alone, how she could get hurt chasing bandits and so on. With a sigh, she stared into the fire. It really was tiresome the way Kid treated her and she didn't know how to stop it. That was one of the reasons she felt so comfortable in Jimmy's company. He knew she could take care of herself and didn't see any reason that she should remain behind when they rode out or that she wasn't capable of doing her job. In fact, Lou had saved his hide in more then one situation and there was no one else he'd rather have on his side then her. Yes, Jimmy accepted her as she was and it felt good. Unlike Kid, who wanted her to be more of something she wasn't. She'd never be the proper lady or a Southern Belle. It wasn't who she was and that wasn't anyone she wanted to be. Though she loved Kid, she was sure of that, she didn't know if it was the kind of love to stand the test of time. In the past she'd welcomed the safety Kid had represented but now after not having him looking over her shoulder the last few weeks, she couldn't help but feel like she'd been set free. Look what had happened when they'd fought a few weeks ago…he'd immediately started seeing that new school teacher Samantha something or other. Of course, she was from the South, giving the two of them so much more in common than she and Kid had had. And she acted like a lady and dressed like one. A frown marred her face and Jimmy, who'd been watching the play of emotions on her face over the last several moments while she'd been lost in thought asked, "A penny for your thoughts?" Shaking her head, she looked over at him confused. "What did you say? I'm sorry, I wasn't listening…" she felt a bit embarrassed at having been caught off guard like that. Jimmy had a way of knowing what she was thinking about and she didn't want him feeling smug with the fact that she'd been comparing him and Kid and so far he was coming out ahead. Grinning, he nudged her. "I said, a penny for your thoughts…they must have been quite interesting with the looks that were crossing your face." Lou could feel a blush stealing up her neck and staining her cheeks. He knows…I just know he knows I was thinking how kind and wonderful and…and…how darn sexy he looks in the fire light. Laughing he leaned back pulling her against his side. "Don't worry Lou, you're secrets are safe with me." Eyes narrowing she looked over at him. "And what does that mean?" "Relax," he told her, settling against the stone wall. "Remember, I can read you like a book." Jimmy chuckled to himself at the pink that deepened on her cheeks. The way she'd looked at him a few minutes ago told him that she wasn't immune to him as she liked to think she was. Maybe being out here on this run with her was going to be a good thing. If he'd felt any twinge of guilt at the idea of making a move on his best friends girl, make that ex-girl, he reminded himself it disappeared quickly as she wiggled next to him. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ From his spot in the bushes, Kid's blood started to boil as he watched the couple settling next to each other, way to close for his liking. 'Who does he think he is?' Kid fumed as Jimmy put his arm around Lou's shoulder. "Move away, Lou, move away," Kid grumbled, sure she'd push Jimmy's arm away. It wasn't like she and Jimmy had anything going, he told himself, but the knot in his stomach had him feeling a bit unsure. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Jimmy's arm around her was a bit unfamiliar but welcoming at the same time. Lou looked up at him from under her eyelashes. "Jimmy?" she whispered unsure of herself. He laid a finger on her lips. "Shhh….don't say a word Lou. It's just you and me from dusk to dawn." Though she wasn't exactly sure what that meant, all thoughts went out of her head as he lowered his head towards hers, his lips softly brushing against hers. He moved away to soon for her liking, wanting to feel his kiss once more she put a hand on his neck and brought his lips to hers again. With a groan, Jimmy deepened the kiss as her lips opened under his exploration. The couple was completely unaware of the man in the dark watching them, whose hand was curled into a fist, itching to let it pummel Jimmy's face black and blue. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The sun had just started sending streaks of light across the still darkened sky when the quiet was shattered by gunshots ringing out all around them. Lou's hand grabbed for her gun and she scrambled to safety behind a boulder as Jimmy rolled out of the way of shots shooting up dirt not far from him. His gun was firing as he rolled to another rock across from Lou. "You okay?" he called out, trying to tell where the shots were coming from. Lou nodded, keeping her head down as a shot hit the rock wall above her. "You think it's that gang that's been causing trouble in the area?" she asked before reaching over the rock and shooting in the direction she'd seen movement. "Could be," he yelled, getting off several shots himself, satisfied when he heard a yell in the distance telling him he'd hit at least one of the men shooting at them. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ His pride wounded at what he felt was Lou's abandonment after witnessing the embraces she and Jimmy had shared the night before, Kid had gotten up before dawn and started back the way he came. 'Let the two of them have each other,' he told himself, pain twisting in his heart. He hadn't gotten far when he heard the volley of shots being exchanged in the direction he'd just come from. Turning Katy around he spurred her into a run, his mind racing…Lou! As he approached his friend's camp, he could see three horses in the brush. Tossing Katy's reins over a branch, he made his way through the scrub brush in a crouch with his gun drawn. He almost fell over when his foot connected with a body lying in the dirt that he hadn't seen, intent on trying to catch a glimpse of Lou. Kid could tell the man was dead. It had been a shot that took a few minutes to kill the man. Shaking his head, he moved further towards where Jimmy and Lou had camped. Movement to the left of him had him whirling and shooting without hesitation. The man pitched forward, dropping the gun as he fell. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Not knowing how many men were shooting at them, Jimmy told Lou, "I think there's three, maybe four. I can't tell with the way shots are echoing…" "Me neither," she told him, taking the opportunity to run across to where he was in the lull of fire. Pulling her further behind the outcrop of rocks he was behind, Jimmy took a cursory glace to make sure she was all right before shooting towards a tree that he was sure one of the men were shooting from. His bullet make the mark and the man fell out into the open and Jimmy watched as he sank to the ground. "I think that's all of them," Jimmy told her, still staying behind the rock for several moments just to be sure. Both started to stand up when movement had them both raising their guns, ready to fire when a voice called out, "Lou?! Jimmy? You okay?" Jimmy's brow furrowed. "What the hell?" he mumbled as Lou's eyes got wide. "Kid?" she squeaked, shocked to see the man she'd been trying to avoid coming towards them. Suspicious of the rider coming towards them, Jimmy moved closer to Lou. He could tell she was just as surprised to see Kid as he was. "What are you doin' here Kid?" Jimmy asked a little harsher then he'd intended. Though he answered Jimmy, Kid's eyes drank in the sight of Lou, making sure she wasn't hurt. "I heard the shots and came to help," Kid stated, not thinking that he shouldn't have been anywhere near where Lou and Jimmy were camped. Lou's eyes narrowed. "And you just so happened to hear the shots all the way from the station and made it here in record time to help?" Jimmy could tell by Lou's stance that she was upset, very upset by the set of her shoulders. "Lou," he said softly, laying a hand on her arm. Lou shook him off and moved towards Kid. "You were following me weren't you?!" she accused him, a finger poking him in the chest emphasizing each word. Kid tried not to look guilty but it didn't work. "I was just worried about ya Lou…." His voice broke off at the look she shot him. "Wrong answer," Jimmy mumbled under his breath causing Lou to glare at him before turning on Kid once more. "It ain't your place to be worrying about me Kid. You lost that right when we broke up and you started seein' someone else. I don't need you followin' me around, spyin' on me!" she seethed. Kid looked from Lou to Jimmy, knowing that he wasn't going to get any help in that direction. Jimmy was always against him when it came to Lou. Jimmy didn't say a word. This was Lou's business and he was going to let her take control of the situation. He couldn't believe that Kid was stupid enough to follow Lou out on a run like this. If she'd wanted him along she would have asked. "Go home Kid," she ordered, holstering her gun. "Why's he goin' with you and I can't?" Kid asked nodding towards Jimmy. "Cause he don't smother me and he didn't sneak after me." Seeing that Kid was about to argue with her, Lou stated, "I asked him to come. Now go home Kid. I don't want you here." Without another word, Lou made her way back to their camp and began cleaning up so they could continue on to Broken Rock. Kid stood staring at Jimmy, anger barely being reined in at the other man's being with Lou and what he'd seen the night before. "I'd just do as she says Kid," Jimmy told him with a shrug before turning to help Lou gather there belongings. Kid stared after them for several minutes, torn between demanding that he and not Jimmy accompany Lou on her run and knowing that if he insisted on going with, Lou would probably take her gun out and shoot him herself. Knowing he was beat, at least for the moment, Kid turned and made his way to where he'd left Katy and got up in the saddle. With a forlorn look back at the woman still loved, Kid headed back towards Rock Creek. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Is he gone?" Lou asked, anger still lacing her voice. Jimmy stood watching the horizon for a moment. "Yep. Headed for Rock Creek." "He'd better not follow me again, or else I swear Jimmy, I may just kill him!" Jimmy smirked at her words, knowing that she'd never really kill Kid but he was glad it wasn't him she was mad at. Tying his bedroll on the back of Sundance's saddle, he was surprised when Lou came up to him and lay a hand on his cheek, looking into his eyes. "Thank you for never smothering me Jimmy. I don't think I could handle it if you did that to me…" Smiling he winked at her. "If I ever do, I give you permission to shoot me Lou." Standing on tiptoe she placed a kiss on his lips. "And I'll take you up on that." Laughing they got onto their horses. Lou couldn't help feeling the attraction between her and Jimmy. It'd been there for a long time, simmering and after last night, she had a feeling it wouldn't take too much before that desire reached the boiling point. Drop me a note and let me know what you thought!