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Chapter 6
Til Birth Does Us Part
© Hanny
Chapter 6
Rachel was busy sewing Buck’s torn shirt when Lou knocked on her door. "Come in." She called.
Lou entered hesitantly. "Um, Rachel… I wrote the letter for Emma… Can you send it for me, please?"
"Louise, sweetheart, of-course I can, if that is really what you want…"
Lou nodded. "It is, Rachel. It’s the only solution."
Rachel nodded understandingly. "Well, how do you feel, now?" she asked while she took her hand and led her toward the sofa.
"Now I’m fine." Lou said.
"Good. How about a cup of tea?"
"Sounds good."
Rachel went for the kettle. While she poured the tea she eyes Lou. "You look like you were sleeping. That’s good. You’re going to need your strength. Especially if you’re about to travel all the way to Emma’s."
"Yeah." Lou said absentmindedly.
"Lou, honey, what is it?" Rachel asked stroking her hair.
"Oh, Rachel, Kid just came into the barn to talk to me." She saw the questionable look on Rachel’s face and nodded. "He told me he and Samantha has broken up their relationship. He wanted us to get back together."
Rachel looked amazed. "What did you say?"
"Of-course I told him that we can’t. Oh, Rachel," tears were starting to feel her eyes. "I told him I don’t love him anymore."
"Oh, Louise, why did you do that?"
Lou shrugged. She was so desperate. Her world was coming down on her. She felt like screaming. "I got scared, Rachel. How can I ever believe him again? He told me he still loves me, but he told me he loves me before, and it wasn’t too hard for him to find another woman after we broke up."
"But if you love him, shouldn’t you give him another chance?"
"I bet he knows about the baby, Rachel. It’s probably he reason for this bizarre confession."
"But how would he know, Lou? I haven’t told him, and I guarantee you Teaspoon hasn’t either."
"Jimmy." Lou said.
"What?" Rachel couldn’t understand.
"I told him."
"You told Jimmy?" Rachel was shocked. She knew Lou and Jimmy became good friends over the time, but she never expected that. She didn’t even told the Kid about this but she told his best friend, Rachel thought. "Why did you tell him?"
"He was so worried over my throwing up, and he told the whole world about it, it was the only thing I could think of to make him stop."
"So now he told the Kid about this…"
"I’m not sure yet, Rachel, so please don’t say anything."
Rachel nodded. "I won’t. But I want you to promise me you’ll be careful. I still think you should tell the Kid. But it has to be you who tells him, not Jimmy." After a few moment of silence Rachel stood up. "Come on, let’s make the boys something to eat for dinner." She said.
Dinner was as loud as ever at the Express station. All of the riders were there, except one.
"Where’s Buck?" Lou asked suddenly.
Jimmy moved uncomfortably in his chair. Rachel stood up and started taking the dishes off of the table. The others remained as they were, just silent.
"Where is he?" Lou asked again, growing suspicious over their behavior.
"He’s out on a run." Noah answered her finally.
"Where?" Lou asked. She felt there was more to it than just another simple run.
"Seneca." Jimmy said.
Lou looked at all of them. "Seneca?" She asked. "I just came from there. Why did he go after me?" No one answered her and it suddenly became very clear to her. "He went after me, didn’t he? You sent him to check on me…" She couldn’t believe this. "Why?" she asked.
"Well, Lou, we were worried about you after the way you behaved when you came back yesterday." Jimmy told her.
"It was sheer exhaustion. You shouldn’t have sent him all the way there. You could’ve wait for me to explain."
"You still haven’t explained it, Lou." The Kid said.
She looked at him. "I don’t owe you an explanation."
"Yes you do, Lou. You can’t just tell me you don’t…" He suddenly remembered they weren’t alone in the room and stopped. She looked at him with wide-open eyes.
Jimmy saw her uneasiness and chimed in. "What’s done is done, Lou. There’s no point in talking about it now."
There was more to his words then just Buck and both he and Lou knew what. She lowered her head. "I just wish you would’ve trusted me more." She said in a low voice.
"We’re sorry, Lou, but like Jimmy said, there’s no point in talking about it now. Let’s just forget about it." Teaspoon said.
Lou nodded. "I guess." She said, though she still felt angry.
Rachel understood the full meaning of what they’ve done sending Buck to Seneca. Oh, my God. She thought. He’s gonna find out about her.
The boys went out to sit on the porch while Lou helped Rachel clear the table.
"I broke up with Samantha today." The Kid said.
Five pairs of eyes stared at him in amazement.
"Why did you do that, son?" Teaspoon asked.
"I didn’t love her." The Kid answered honestly.
"You didn’t?" Cody asked.
The Kid shook his head.
"Then why did you see her in the first place?" Noah asked.
"I thought I’d grow to love her. I needed to forget about Lou and I thought this was the way…"
*Except that it wasn’t?* Ike asked.
Kid nodded. "I can’t stop thinking about her. But it’s pointless. She doesn’t love me anymore."
"Why do you think that?" Noah asked.
"She told me so." Kid said, and walked away from the bunch.
Jimmy sighed. "I’ve never met tow people more stupid than the two of them."
No one argued.
Rachel walked out after she and Lou finished the cleaning. "Good night, Boys, Teaspoon." She said. "You better go to sleep soon, there’s a lot of work to be done tomorrow."
The boys all sighed.
"Shut up." Teaspoon said with a smile. "I wish I had your work, you bunch of lazy…"
"Yeah, Yeah." Cody stopped him.
Teaspoon sighed. "Come on, Rachel, I’ll walk you to your house."
As they walked away Jimmy stood up. "Well, Good night, Boys." He said imitating Rachel.
He found Lou sitting at the table, a cup of coffee in front of her. He sat on the bench opposite her. "Lou." He started, but she stopped him.
"Jimmy, I don’t want to talk about it."
"We have to. Did you think about what I asked?"
She looked at him with amazement. "Jimmy, give up. I’m not going to marry you."
"So what are you going to do, uh? Leave?"
"Yes. I’m going to leave, Jimmy. Why is it bothering you so much?"
"Because I don’t want you to."
"You better get used to disappointments in your life." She said coldly.
"You don’t mean it, Lou."
"Jimmy," she said, her voice on the verge of breaking. "You had no right asking me what you did. You know how I feel about you, and…"
"And I know how you feel about the Kid." He continued her sentence. "But you won’t tell him about this."
"Me not telling him has got nothing to do with you asking me to marry you."
"It got everything to do with it. Lou, you got to let someone take care of you. And if it ain’t gonna be me, then at least tell the Kid about that. And he’s not with Samantha anymore, so she won’t be a problem."
"God, Jimmy. You think Samantha is the only reason why I won’t get back with the Kid and why I won’t tell him?"
"What else?" He asked.
She rolled her eyes. "Please, Jimmy, tell me you’re not serious."
"What?" He asked honestly.
"Well, first of all, I didn’t want to marry him before he even met Samantha, and she had nothing to do with me turning him down."
"Why didn’t you marry him when he asked you?"
"I don’t think it’s any of your business, Jimmy. I haven’t told him and I’m not going to tell you." She said. She just wanted him to get out of the bunkhouse and out of the issue. She was tired talking about it.
"Look, I’m sorry, O.K.? I didn’t mean to pry. It’s just that it really amazed all of us that you didn’t want to marry him. We all thought you loved him..."
"Jimmy, can we please drop it?" She cut him off.
Jimmy looked desperate with her. "If that’s what you want. But I still think you’re wrong."
"Thanks for your opinion, Jimmy." She said coldly.
Jimmy looked at her for a couple of minutes, not uttering a word, then he stood and walked out of the bunkhouse. Lou sighed in relief, though she knew she hadn’t heard the last of it.
When Kid entered the bunkhouse everybody were already asleep. He took a chair and sat next to Lou’s bunk. He knew that if she’d wake up and see him there she’d be furious, but he didn’t care. He missed her so much. He wanted to be there, on the bunk, next to her…
She stirred and he backed in his chair. Please don’t let her wake up, he prayed. After a second she seemed to be peaceful again and he breathed easier. God, Lou, if you only knew how much I love you, he thought. Probably more now than I ever did. She didn’t know how much her words have hurt him. He believed them to be true, and it ate at his heart.
He woke up when someone touched his shoulder.
"Sleep well?" Cody asked teasingly.
"Uh?" Than he realized he fell asleep on the chair. Oh, No, he thought. He looked at Lou’s bunk. She was up and couldn’t be found inside the bunkhouse.
To his questionable look Noah volunteered. "She ran out as usual. Jimmy’s out with her."
"Jimmy?" Kid was getting jealous about it.
Cody nodded. "I wonder what’s going on between the two of them." He said, not paying any attention to the angry glares he got from Ike, Noah and the Kid.
The Kid sighed and got up from the chair. He put his clothes on and looked out of the window.
"They’re behind the bunkhouse." Cody volunteered.
The Kid threw him a hard glare. He strapped on his gun belt and walked out side.
*I hope he ain’t gonna kill Jimmy.* Ike signed.
"Cody didn’t help Jimmy much." Noah said.
Ike nodded.
"What?" Cody asked innocently.
"You can’t keep your mouth shut, can you?"
"What?" Cody asked again.
Noah flanged his hands in despair. "You don’t understand, do you?"
Finally Cody realized the full impact of his words. "Oops." He said.
The Kid walked out of the bunkhouse to look for Lou and Jimmy. He knew she would probably be mad at him for coming after her, but he had to make sure she was fine. Furthermore, there was something very suspicious about Jimmy’s behavior the previous night…
He heard some mumbling and followed the voices that became clearer the closer he got. Until he could hear understand everything…
First there was Lou’s voice telling Jimmy to stop.
Stop what? The Kid thought. He remained standing in his place and listened to the conversation.
"Stop following me, Jimmy. Stop worrying and stop talking about that."
"Lou, you must let someone take care of you."
"I can take care of myself."
"Lou…"
"And I won’t get back together with him."
"You know you love him."
Kid’s heart filled with hope.
"I won’t marry him, Jimmy."
"What about me, then?"
Kid held his breath. What?
"Jimmy, I can’t marry you."
"Why not, Lou?"
"I’m leaving."
"Don’t."
As they heard a noise they both turned to see the Kid taking off his gun belt.
"Kid…" Jimmy started.
"Lou, would you please excuse us." The Kid said, not taking his eyes off of Jimmy.
She took a step toward him. "Kid, please…"
Jimmy decided to play it innocently. "What’s wrong, Kid?"
"Lou…" the Kid repeated.
She came closer to him and put a hand on his arm to calm him down. "What is it, Kid?"
He shrugged her hand.
"Kid, I don’t want to fight with you."
"Well that’s too bad for you, cause you don’t have a choice." The Kid said. He had cold menace in his voice.
Lou took two steps away from the Kid and then run back to the bunkhouse to get the rest of the boys to stop this fight. The minute she was gone the Kid jumped on Jimmy and started hitting him with his fists. Jimmy fought his end. It was a chance for the both of them to release all the anger they held inside. Within a few seconds they were rolling on the ground hitting and cursing each other.
A minute later Lou returned with the others. It took both Noah and Cody to hold the Kid back while Ike held Jimmy. Lou stood crying, watching the scene.
"It’s not over yet, Jimmy. Don’t get too comfortable." Kid growled at him, trying to break free from the restraining hands. "Let go of me."
"Damn it, Kid, what has gotten in to you?" Cody asked.
"Why?" the Kid suddenly broke into sobs.
Noah, Cody and Ike all looked at Jimmy for an answer but he just lowered his eyes and started wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. They moved their gaze toward Lou but she just stood there, watching the Kid, shaking with sobs.
Cody left the Kid and went to stand by her side. He pulled her in an embrace. "They’re fine now." He whispered in her hair. "They’re fine."
Kid used the fact that there were two hands less restraining him and jumped on the unprepared Jimmy again.
Ike and Noah took a firm grip on him.
"You better go." Noah told Jimmy.
"I did nothing to him." Jimmy defended himself.
"Like hell you didn’t." Kid yelled at him.
"You don’t own her, Kid. I had a right to." Jimmy yelled back.
"You knew how I feel. I thought you were my friend. You couldn’t wait till we’d broke up, could you?" Kid felt all his strength leaving him and he fell to his knees.
Lou heard his voice break and turned to watch him. She approached him and kneeled in front of him. He looked up at her.
"I said no to him, Kid." She said, gently touching his face and his eye that began to turn black. She saw the pain in his eye. Not a physical pain but rather a mental one. She put a finger on his lips when he made an attempt to say something. "I’m not marrying you either." She said simply. Then she stood up and left the scene, more determined to leave than ever.
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