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Chapter 4
Til Birth Does Us Part
© Hanny
Chapter 5
Lou was shocked. How can he ask me that? It was so simple for him. Like it all had to do with a little question. She couldn’t stand to be near him so she just ran out of the barn, feeling angry and hurt and betrayed by one of the few people she still trusted. She knew he wouldn’t tell the Kid but she didn’t think she could stay there, listen to him and look at him.
"Lou wait." Jimmy tried to stop her but she didn’t even hear him through her loud sobs.
As she ran out of the barn she collapsed into Cody who just came in. "Woah, Lou, stop." When he realized she was crying he hugged her. "What is it, Lou?"
She didn’t answer him and just let him hold her. Cody saw Jimmy approach and gave him an expecting look.
Jimmy shrugged and tried to touch her but she shrugged his hand. "Don’t touch me." She said.
Jimmy and Cody exchanged confused gazes and then Jimmy left the barn.
Cody guided her toward the barrels. He sat her on one of them and gave her his handkerchief to wipe the tears. "Lou?"
"I don’t want to talk about it, Cody."
"That’s O.K., Lou." He said.
She looked at him unbelievingly.
"What?" He smiled. "I can be serious sometimes."
"I know." She said apologetically.
"Just don’t tell anyone."
She smiled at him. "Thank you."
"Don’t mention it. You O.K.?"
She nodded. "I’ll be fine. I just want to be alone for a while. Do you mind?"
"No. Actually I’m hungry. You know where Rachel is?"
Her smile broadened. "I think she’s preparing lunch."
"O.K." He said. "Sure you’ll be alright?"
"Yeah. Go eat. You look like you need it."
"I’ll come back in a few minutes."
"Probably a few hours." Lou joked.
"Glad to see you can still make jokes." He smiled. "Promise me you won’t cry."
"Promise me you won’t tell that I did."
"I won’t." He said.
"I won’t cry." She promised.
Jimmy caught up with him on the way to the bunkhouse. "Is she still crying?"
"What have you done to her?" Cody stopped walking and faced him.
"Nothing."
"So why is she crying like this?"
"She’s still crying?"
"No."
"So why are you still talking about it?"
"Jimmy, if you hurt her…"
"What? If I hurt her, what? You would do what?"
"Too many people have hurt her. You’re probably her best friend right now. Don’t disappoint her."
"And why do you think I would?"
"Cause you’re in love with her and you’re not thinking straight."
"I’m not…" Jimmy tried but Cody held his hand up to stop him.
"Don’t bather, Jimmy." He said before continuing his walk toward the bunkhouse.
Jimmy remained standing there helplessly.
When Cody returned to the barn half an hour later he found Lou sleeping on some hay. She was curled and her hands were caressing her abdomen. He watched her for a couple of minutes. He knew they weren’t close. She was the rider he talked the lesser with. But still she was a member of his family and she was the only sister he had. And he admired her spunk and courage and abilities, even if he would never admit it to anyone. Furthermore, his curiosity won the best of him.
He found a blanket in a corner and covered her. She stirred for a second but didn’t wake up. Cody left the barn and went back to the bunkhouse.
The Kid found Jimmy shooting at cans behind the stables. He pulled his own gun and joined in. for a couple of minutes they were just shooting, not a word spoken between them. When they stopped to reload Jimmy turned to face the Kid.
"What do you want?"
"I was wondering if you found anything more about her." Kid answered him.
Jimmy stared at him for a moment. What was he going to tell him? That he was going to be a father and that the mother doesn’t want him to know about it? Or maybe that he, Jimmy, his best friend, just asked the woman that he loves more then anything to marry him?
"Well, did you?" The Kid repeated his question.
"No." Jimmy lied. "She said she just didn’t feel well for the last week. I made her promise that she will see a doctor." When he saw the suspicious look on the Kid’s face, he continued. "I heard there’s a flu going on in Seneca. Maybe she caught it while she was there."
"But she felt ill before she even went there." The Kid questioned.
"I don’t know, Kid." Jimmy was desperate. How am I going to get out of this one? He thought. "Maybe she caught it someplace else. Stop worrying, it’s probably nothing at all." He left the Kid standing there before he had a chance to ask any more questions.
It was late afternoon when Kid arrived at Samantha’s place. She heard him galloping toward her house and went out to greet him. As he dismounted she approached him and flanged her arms around his neck and kissed him. She could feel him stiffen under her hands and she wondered why he hasn’t returned the kiss. She dropped her arms and backed away.
"What’s wrong?" She asked.
"Uh?"
He is clearly someplace else, she thought. "Kid?" she tried again.
He looked ashamed. "Oh, sorry." He said absentmindedly.
"What is it, Kid?" her voice was full of dread of what it was that occupied his mind like that.
"Samantha, we need to talk."
She nodded. I knew this would come someday, it was too good to last forever. She led him toward the swing on her porch. When they were sited she took his hand in hers. He took a deep breath before he opened his mouth.
"Samantha, Lou told me you were looking for me."
She nodded. "I just wanted to invite you for lunch, that’s all."
"I wasn’t at the station." He said.
"I know that, Kid." She smiled.
"No, Samantha, you don’t know." He saw she didn’t understand his meaning. "What I mean is that I was riding around."
"I thought you had the day off."
"I did. I went for a ride to think. I needed to get away so I could think clearly. I needed to think about you and I and about…"
"You and Lou?" she interrupted him. She felt tears in her eyes.
He nodded. "I’m so sorry Samantha. I really am. I thought I could forget about her, but the truth is that I can’t. I do care a lot about you, you have to believe me this. But it won’t be fair to you to keep on like this." He waited for her to answer, any kind of answer, but she just stood up and with his hand still in hers she turned to face him.
"Well then, Kid. I guess this is a good-bye."
"I’m so sorry, Samantha…" he said again.
"Sh, Kid, I know you are. But I think you should leave now."
He kissed her hand.
"Please don’t be noble on me now, Kid."
He stood up and looked her in the eyes. She stared right back in his. "Tell Lou she’s a very lucky girl, will you?" she tried to smile at him.
"You are a great woman, Samantha." He said and then ran down the steps, mounted Katy and galloped out of her yard.
"I know." She whispered to herself, wiping a tear that escaped her eye, as she watched him gallop out of her life.
Kid dismounted Katy near the bunkhouse and rushed in. "Where’s Lou?" he asked Noah who was sitting at the table cleaning his gun.
"Cody said she’s sleeping in the barn." Noah whispered pointing toward the sleeping Cody.
"In the barn?" Kid confirmed.
Noah nodded.
Kid just ran out of the bunkhouse with the same speed that he entered it. He went straight toward the barn.
"Lou?" Kid called when he entered the barn. "Lou, where are you?"
Lou thought she heard someone calling her. "Lou?" Here it is again, she thought. What does he want from me now? "I’m here, Kid." She said.
He found her and kneeled beside her. "Hi." He said.
"Hi."
"How are you feeling?" He asked, his hand reached to touch her.
She backed away from his hand. "What do you want, Kid?" she asked.
"There’s something I want to tell you." He answered.
She looked into his eyes. "You’re sure I’d want to hear it?"
"Lou," he started. "Remember how great it was when we were together?"
Tears filled her eyes. "Why are you doing this to me, Kid?"
"What?" He asked.
"You’re still trying to hurt me. You still can’t forgive me for not marrying you, can you? Not even after you found someone else."
"We broke up." He said silently.
"Uh?" She didn’t understand him. "I know we broke up, Kid."
"Me and Samantha. We broke up."
Lou looked at him bewildered. Does he know? "Why are you telling me this, Kid?"
He lowered his eyes. "I thought we could…"
"No, Kid." She cut him off.
"Please, Lou, just hear me out." He pleaded.
"No!" She said firmly and stood up. "You can’t ran back to me just because you’re alone. It doesn’t work this way, Kid." She started walking out of the barn.
"I told her I can’t see her anymore. I told her I still love you, Lou."
She stopped in her tracks. She didn’t know if she should believe him. "Well, Kid, that’s just too bad. I don’t love you anymore." She lied. Before he’d see the tears in her eyes, she ran out.
Lou entered the bunkhouse. She looked around. It was empty aside from Cody who was sound asleep on his bunk. She opened her crate and took out a piece of paper and a pencil. She sat at the table and began writing.
Dear Emma,
I’m sorry I haven’t written to you sooner. So many things have happened here. We have a new housekeeper, as you probably know, and she’s O.K. The boys couldn’t take their eyes off her at first, but they grew accustomed to her presence by now.
I can’t write much now, cause I have to send this letter to you as soon as possible.
The thing is, Emma, I’m going to have a baby. A few month ago the Kid and I grew close. Very close, I guess. We’re not together anymore, and now I found out I’m going to have this baby…
I can’t have him find out, Emma, so I have to leave Sweetwater. I can’t ride now anyway, so it won’t really be a problem to leave the Express.
I guess what I’m trying to ask is if I can come to stay with you and Sam. I have no other place to go.
I would understand if you couldn’t have me,
Love always,
Louise.
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