It was early September 1876. The weather was holding and it was hot out behind the barn where Louise was working with one of her horses. A voice from behind her had her smiling. It was Jesse James. Turning she greeted him warmly and then pulled him further behind the barn, out of view of the main house as she looked towards the porch where the man in the rocker still seemed to be sleeping. “Jesse! It’s been a while. How have you been? Teaspoons here! He got concerned after Rachel’s visit and decided to come have a talk with me himself. If you don’t want to get an ear full, you’d better stay out of sight,” she told him a little put out at the dressing down she’d been receiving from her old boss and the man she considered family. “So that’s who’s been sitting on your porch all afternoon,” he told her with a grin. He’d been keeping an eye on the house waiting to see when he could get Lou alone to talk to. “I guess that would mean you aren’t able to go with us?” he looked at her with eyes full of merriment. Just before a ‘job’ was pulled off Jesse always got a look in his eyes that reminded Louise of a small child on his birthday with gifts to unwrap. Sighing, Louise looked towards to porch to make sure Teaspoon was still napping then shook her head. “Doubt I can get away with him here. If he even suspected that I was heading off with you on another ‘job,’ he’d probably hog tie me and then set out after you,” she told him with a grimace. “When and where?” she asked curious to know what was about to go down. “The plan is a bank in Mankato, Minnesota in a few days,” he told her. “Cole planned this one and after how he’s been feeling like he’s got no say in things, Frank and I decided to go along with it.” Louise had been going on ‘job’s with Jesse, Frank and the others for years now. She no longer needed to rob banks and trains and such but after doing it for so long, it had become a way of life for her and she knew it was the same for Jesse. The rush that was experienced as they pulled off a robbery couldn’t be found anywhere else and Louise had come to want, to need the feeling that she got while riding with the James-Younger Gang. Looping her arm through Jesse’s she looked up at him with disappointment clearly written on her face. “I wish I could go with you Jesse. Really I do,” she told him a little put out that of all times for Teaspoon to show up, he’d have to do it when Jesse was going on a ride. “I know you do Lou. I wish there was some way you could come too.” Knowing that no amount of talking would make a way for Lou to join him and the others, Jesse patted her hand and asked, “So how is the old coot? He’s got to be getting up in years….he was old when I met him.” Lou laughed. “Jesse, we were all old when you met us!” Punching him lightly in the arm she teased him. “Remember how you tried to steal my horse? Then couldn’t believe it when I fought back and you found out I was a girl? You were such a brat back then Jesse James!” Jesse had the decency to look abashed at his long ago attempt at stealing her horse. “Good thing I got better at stealing huh?” he asked with a wide grin. “Oh, you!” she said giving him another hug. “Well, I never thought I’d be right along side you doing that stealing, did you?” Giving her one last squeeze he admitted, “No, I didn’t. But I’m glad you’ve been with me all these years Lou. You’ve always had my back and you don’t know what that’s meant to me…” Not liking the idea of not being there for this job, Lou told him with concern lacing her voice, “Watch your back this time Jesse. I’m not going to be there to do it for you and I would hate for anything to happen to you…” She gave him a lingering hug and then kissed his cheek. “Give my best to Zee and the kids. Let me know how things go will you?” she told him before he turned with a wave and nod, heading for the back of the corral to disappear into the trees. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Louise had gone into town on the morning of September 8th only to be greeted by people discussing the latest robbery attempt by the James-Younger Gang. Grabbing a newspaper she hurried to a bench and sat down to read. The paper said that the James-Younger Gang had attempted to rob the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota the day before. Apparently one of the townspeople became suspicious of one of the gang members as they waited outside the bank. He had raised the alarm and armed townspeople opened fire on the gang members as they attempted to flee the bank. Two of the gang members were killed and left lying dead in the street as other members of the gang rode out of town; many of them wounded according to various towns’ people. Louise’s heart was racing as she read the account of the attempted robbery. She wondered why they had changed their plans on hitting the Mankato Bank to the Northfield Bank. That was unusual. Something must have happened to make them forget about the planned robbery but Louise couldn’t guess what that something might have been and now it looked like Jesse and the others were in trouble. Forgetting about the original reason she’d come into town, Louise tucked the paper into her coat pocket and went to her horse and headed for home as fast as she could. Her mind was racing on what to do to help Jesse. She had no idea how hurt any of the gang was or where they might be right now. The paper mentioned a posse out on their trail but they hadn’t been captured at the time the story was printed. All she could do at the moment was pray for their escape and return. Louise kept the news from Teaspoon and didn’t mention the attempted robbery during the last couple days of his visit. Quietly she listened to him go on about walking the straight and narrow path, how she needed to live life on the right side of the law and if Jesse couldn’t stop his lawless ways then she needed to get him out of her life for good. Louise listened to all that he had to say and softly agreed with him when he waited for her to say something. She felt a twinge of guilt telling Teaspoon that she felt the same way and that she would do exactly as he said before she ended up behind bars or worse knowing full well that if Jesse escaped, she’d be back riding with him the next time he went out. With tears in her eyes she put him on the train back to Sweetwater where he said he’d live out the last of his days. He made her promise to come see him soon and she said she’d try. As the train pulled away a young boy peddling papers came by and announced that the Younger Brothers had been arrested in Minnesota. Frantic, Louise gave the boy a coin and took a paper from him and began to read. Apparently Cole, Jim and Bob Younger were caught outside of Madelia, Minnesota and Charlie Pitts was killed when the posse surrounded them. They were being taken to jail to await trial in Minnesota. Jesse and Frank weren’t with them and the Younger’s wouldn’t say that they had been part of the hold up. With a sigh of relief Louise thanked God that Jesse and Frank had gotten away. Though she and Cole Younger had never gotten along she was sorry to hear that he and his brothers had been caught. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Louise spent a tense next two weeks at home waiting for word from Jesse that he and Frank were all right. When a note was slid under her door one night it contained a message from Jesse saying that he was fine but that Frank had been shot in the leg. The note also said that both of the brothers had decided to take their families and go lay low for a while. Tears of relief flowed down Louise’s cheeks as she read that her friend was all right. She still wondered why their plans had changed and what went wrong but knew she’d find out once she and Jesse had a chance to talk again. With a sigh, she went to the kitchen stove and dropped the note into the fire to destroy all evidence that she’d been in contact with Jesse or that he and Frank were okay. Setting the kettle on for tea, she went upstairs to dress, intending to work outside while the weather was still nice. With a smile, Louise knew that soon she’d hear from Jesse again and without a doubt, the two would ride together again. Drop me a note and let me know what you thought!