Ó Starbright 1999

Chapter 5

"So this is paradise on earth," Noah chuckled as they rode up to the old farm inhabited by the True Believers in the Spirit. What he saw was a huge barn, ready to drop by the first blow of wind for what it seemed. On a meadow aside the barn there was four raggedy cows and two horses. Noah snickered at the sight of a young girl chasing two pigs over the yard. The main house looked slightly better, it was a large two-store building, the roof seemed to need repairs though. There were five girls working the land right besides the main building, all looking very young and some definitely pregnant. The newest building, the chapel, stood out gaudily, it was painted in a celestial blue and the contrast was remarkable.

"Not yet, but we're working on it," Cody said with a smile as he lifted his hand and waved at a girl coming out of the chapel.

"That's Lindsay," he smiled to the rest of the riders.

"You remember what to do, don't ya?" Lou hissed at him, poking her finger into his ribs. "You owe me!"

Cody shifted away from Lou."Just remember that you won't be able to do things you accustomed to do. Pastor Allen won't have you brake horses, he'll stick you in the kitchen or out on the lot. Don't be taking it out on me later."

Lou suddenly felt foolish sitting at Cody's side on the buckboard. What was she doing? She straightened out her dress nervously, why was she all dressed up like this, trying to impress a man she knew next to nothing about, this wasn't her. Or was it? "I know Cody, I just wanna see what this man is all about, if he is as flawless as you make him out to be."

Cody grinned at her; "You won't be disappointed Lou..I mean Louise, dear cousin."

Pastor Allen had emerged on the Chapel stairs. He was looking at Buck and Noah riding up. Lou almost gasped at the sight of him, he was breathtakingly handsome, he really was. And those eyes of his were mesmerizing. Lou held her breath when he diverted his eyes in her direction and smiled. Without even thinking she smiled back.

Noah felt unwelcome the instance the man's gaze landed on him. He wanted to rein the horse in the opposite direction and gallop away from this place. The man didn't show his disapproval straight out but Noah could feel it. His eyes wandered to Buck and he saw Buck had reacted in the same way. They were not welcomed. A girl out in the lot had turned and now stared flagrantly in their direction, turning to her friends she said something that made them all straighten their backs and demote both Buck and Noah with their stares. One of the girls made a cross sign over her chest like chasing bad omens away.

Buck cleared his throat; "Well Cody, now that you're here safe and sound, both you and Louise, I think I'll be making my way back home and ..."

"Buck's right, we should be heading off, be expecting you to supper Cody, you've got a ride tomorrow!" Noah added, grateful that Buck had picked up the signs too and decided to get himself out of this awkward situation. Noah was more than eager to follow.

Cody stared at them with a wrinkled brow, Lou's widened eyes asked them what this was all about?

Noah felt there was no time to stay and explain, there was something eerie about the man. Noah felt a chill run down his spine as he met the man's ice-cold stare.

"Come on Buck," he pleaded and turned his horse around, Buck wasn't to be begged twice, with a glance at each other they spurred their horses into a fast canter, feeling the need to get out of the place as soon as possible, not even taking the time to say good-bye.

Cody stared baffled at the two storming away. "But..." he started when he felt the Pastor's hand on his shoulder.

"Let the young men go, son, they obviously have better things to do," the man said, "and you should introduce me to this lovely young lady, don't forget your manners Billy!"

"I'm sorry reverend," Cody said turning to make the introduction, "this is my cousin, Louise Mc..Millan. Her parents died unexpectedly and she's staying with Rachel for a while. Louise meet Pastor Allen"

Louise had momentarily been caught off guard by Cody's blatant lies, wasn't lying wrong? But when the man turned those eyes in her direction she made a curtsey and took the outstretched hand. Pastor Allen kissed her hand and Louise blushed. Her reaction startled her, who the hell was she becoming?

"I take it she will be staying with you Billy till her beau takes her to the altar?" Pastor Allen smiled at Lou, "A beautiful girl like she is bound to be engaged."

"No beau," Lou cracked, "I'm staying with Rachel till I find..something else." Lou was baffled that lying seemed to be so contagious.

"Well Billy, I'm sure you want to spend some time with Lindsay, she's been awaiting for you to help her do the fences. I'll take care of Louise and show her around."

Cody was already smiling at the girl waiting by the chapel, with a nod he turned to run up to her. Lindsay let out a pearly laugh.
Lou's arms trembled as pastor Allen hooked his arm around hers. With shaking knees she followed the man, she wished Kid could see her now.

"Buck!" Noah hollered, "slow down!"

Buck reined his horse to a walk. Glancing over his shoulder he shrugged at the sight of the houses far behind. He'd feel safe only when they were not to be seen anymore.

"So you felt it too?" Noah remarked, "I've never seen such despise in anybody's eyes before."

"I can't understand how Cody and Lou didn't pick up on it?" Buck pondered.

"Maybe coz' the man wasn't lookin' at them like he was lookin' at us?" Noah smirked. "Did you see the girls out in the lot, I could have sworn they wished us to fall down dead. They seemed to think we were some kind of demons."

"Yep, I noticed," Buck nodded, "wonder why?"

"I think I'm gonna have a talk with Cody when he comes back, maybe he knows something that would explain it all?"

"Maybe they never saw a black man or an Indian before?" Buck muttered.

Noah threw him an incredulous glance, "so you mean I outta get accustomed to provoking that kind of reaction in people? Buck please, I'm used to despise and even scorn but that was something else!"

"I'm just sayin' maybe there's an explanation."

Noah laughed, "I'm sure there is, Buck, just as sure as I know I ain't gonna like it."

Lou followed the pastor around the property, she did not listen to what he said, she was too occupied with listening to the voice itself. It was hypnotic, the tone of his voice seemed to bring with it some kind of inner peace. The words didn't matter any longer, she sank into a calm while she wandered alongside the man, totally lost in his presence. The voice had her floating on dreams of a better tomorrow, a sanctitude and unconditional love. She didn't feel her feet touch the ground, instead she sailed on a wave of tingling expectation and serenity.

She woke as they stepped into the house and wandered into a room where several young girls were seated. Everybody lifted their faces as they strode in. The smiles were welcoming and accepting. Lou understood Cody perfectly in that instance, there was something here that calmed her rattled nerves and answered her questions. She could live like this, she would love to live like this. Dulled into complete peace of mind.

"Girls, this is Louise McMillan, Billy's cousin. Make her feel welcome, she'll be staying for the day. I have to go help Peters for a while, I'll be back soon."

Lou noticed the total admiration on the girls' faces as they nodded in the Pastor's direction. Smiling at him they all assured him Louise would be taken care of.

Lou sank to a chair, the warmth of the young women's smiles so overwhelming. One of the girls rose and went into the adjoining room only to immediately appear with a glass of lemonade. "You look hot, Louise," the girl smiled in a motherly fashion, "I'm Cynthia and I'm so happy to meet you. All Billy's friends are our friends."

"Thank you Cynthia" Lou cracked and took the glass from the tray. The taste was heavenly, she hadn't noticed how thirsty she was.

"I'm May," another girl told her, "I love your dress, you're so pretty!"

Lou didn't know what to say, the girl seemed sincere and she wasn't used to being complimented. It happened rarely, and Kid never said..... No, forget about him, damn it Lou, he's not here, maybe he never was there for you!

"Louise, what's wrong?" Cynthia asked, laying her hand on Lou's arm.

The tone of her voice made tears spring to Lou's eyes. Without reflecting Louise told them about her and Kid, she told them absolutely everything. Accompanied by other girls understanding nods and reassurances they had gone through similar things she told them matters she'd never said to anybody before. She was about to spill the fact that she was a rider for the Pony Express too, but something held her back. Instead she kept pouring out what Kid had done to her. The girls made her picture him like a demon, somewhere inside she knew what she told the girls wasn't exactly the truth. But they all seemed to want her to say those things, so she obliged, grateful for their unconditional love and understanding. The girls came up close and comforted her, telling her nothing was her fault and that she was safe, she could always return to them if things went wrong.
Louise smiled at them with tear-filled eyes, she might take them up on that. She knew now she really hated the Kid. And what was there for her to go back to? His harsh words, his disrespect or the callousness? Here she had all these girls, many of them had surely been through what she had been through and they seemed so happy. Maybe this really was paradise on earth?

"Billy?"

Cody was mending the fences with sweat covering his body, he felt he had never worked this hard his entire life before. He turned as he heard the chaplain call out his name.

"You are amazing Billy, all this work in such a short time. Son, you're the best thing that's happened to this place. I don't know how to thank you!"

Cody smiled at the man, he treated him with respect, not like the riders at the Station. From them one could expect anything. Out here he was appreciated.

"Take a break, son, you will have to be heading home soon. Lindsay's prepared a bath for you, you look like you need it. I won't have you risk your health for a measly fence."

Cody took the towel the reverend was handing him, hell, Teaspoon asked him to risk his health every day. Pastor Allen really cared for him.

"I'm sorry my friends left that soon," he said, still angry at Buck and Noah for bailing out the way they did. He could have used a couple of more hands to help with the fencing. The caretaker, Peters, had not been seen all day.

"Billy, don't worry about that. You know your friends are always welcome. But the fact is that some of these young women were raped by Indians, and they might be scared. I'm not saying it's right but I have a girl here that was raped by Indians on the family's way out west. She was left for dead and woke in a pool of her mother's blood. That makes a person scared, Billy. I know your friend didn't do it and would never think about doing a thing like that but the girl can't know, can she?"

"I didn't know," Cody whispered, appalled by the story.

"I know that, son, but that's what happened, and you see, I have to try and keep these young women feel safe." Pastor Allen's voice grew very sad, "they have all seen so much trouble and pain, I don't want to bring them anymore if I can help it."

"I'll tell them to keep away from here, thank you for telling me." Cody understood Buck and Noah should have to stay out, he didn't want to upset the girls. His friends would understand that.

"Billy, if I ever have a son I wish he'd be exactly like you!"

Cody wished with all his heart Pastor Allen would have been his father, things would have been so different if he was. Smiling at the man he followed him to the main house, he'd have a bath before it was time to head home. Home? Was the Sweetwater really home? Nobody seemed to appreciate his work back there as it was appreciated here. Wasn't home a place where you felt loved and wanted? He sighed as he slid into the bath that Lindsay had prepared, the water had a fragrance of pine in it. Maybe it was time to move on from the Pony Express, maybe it was time to find another home?