Ó Starbright 1999

Chapter 8

All through supper Rachel held both Kid and Lou under supervision. The way the two of them had been acting she almost expected plates to start flying. And that would be a novel sight, the two of them were usually the calmest, the one's one could trust to behave. Not so any longer. Rachel knew she needed to have a talk with Kid, she had come down on him hard and now he seemed to avoid her. She hadn't been exactly fair, she knew that but she had no way of knowing what had happened until Lou had told her. Not that Lou had told her a lot. Rachel never learned why her reaction had been so strong, explosive, in its nature.

Kid had placed himself at the far end of the table, looking like he wanted to take his plate and eat in the barn. He never lifted his eyes from the cup he was holding. Rachel laid a hand on his shoulder when she filled it up. She felt Kid's react with a slight recoil. Rachel noticed Lou's glance in their direction, she looked like she wanted to say something. But Cody had taken the stand tonight, he was blabbering about the good pastor again. Rachel wondered if he knew that nobody was really listening.

Jimmy let his eyes dart between Lou and the Kid, like he was severely annoyed with the two of them and their current behavior. Ike looked like he was feeling sick and Rachel could tell Buck was trying to prevent another explosion by diverting Ike's attention from Cody's relentless appreciation of the godly pastor. Rachel threw a glance at the empty chair at the end of the table. Teaspoon should have been there, he would have been able to calm the waters. Now that he was gone to take the prisoner to Ft. Laramie Rachel felt her patience diminish by the minute. With Cody's cackle in her ears she sat down to finish her meal, her eyes never leaving the riders around the table. She wondered if it was safe to leave them alone in the bunkhouse?

Ike's glares in Cody's direction promised no good. Jimmy had the demeanor of a man that had unfinished business to attend to, Rachel guessed that one sat right at his side, looking like he wanted to run, while the other was seated on the opposite flank, barely touching her dinner. She'd have to rely on Buck. She searched his eyes and smiled, Buck looked at her with desperation. Telling her loud and clear that if Cody didn't shut up soon he'd have no way to stop whatever happened, that he in fact might start it himself. With a glance at Lou and her finger rolling the half-eaten sandwich around on her plate, Rachel rose and took Cody by his arm. Cody stopped in mid-sentence and looked puzzled at her.

"I need your help Cody!" Rachel demanded and forced him to his feet.

"Aw Rachel, I'm in the middle of supper here," Cody protested, "can't it wait?"

"Cody, if you'd talk less and eat more you would have been finished ages ago."

"This ain't fair," Cody tried again.

"Life never is," Rachel stated with a feigned calm while she dragged him out. Before she closed the door behind them she turned to the riders around the table; "for what I just did you'll all have to pitch in and clean the table."

"I love you Rachel," Jimmy exclaimed with a grin, "you just saved a couple of lives!"

"You're all heathens!" they heard from outside the bunkhouse as it dawned on Cody what Jimmy was referring to."You'll regret this!"

When hell freezes over, Ike signed to the door.

They still laughed as they started to clean the table. Jimmy chuckled with merriment while he poured the steaming water into the basin. Good old Ike to lift their moods! Well some of their moods. He glanced at Lou gathering the dishes from the table and carrying them to him. Some of them weren't so easily distracted. Turning his eyes to the other part of the room he let his glance rest on Kid going for the broom, some of them were totally unaffected. Jimmy sighed and rolled his sleeves up, if Kid started sweeping the floor he'd eventually have to come to this side of the room. Jimmy decided to take it slow and force the Kid and Lou to meet. If not face to face, at least broom to towel.

Meticulously he cleaned the glasses, holding each one up to the light to check that they were really clean. Lou glanced angrily at him. Buck laughed at Ike's jokes on the porch, shaking the table cloth Ike performed some kind of dance that had Buck snickering. Jimmy threw a glance at Kid. Kid glared back, just as meticulous in his sweeping as Jimmy was in his cleaning. Ike and Buck scrambled inside, Buck took a duster and cleaned the table before Ike folded the tablecloth and placed it in its usual place. Jimmy noticed Kid still sweeping the furthest corner.

Ike and Buck stopped and glanced around the room, noticing something was up. Jimmy smiled as he extended the glass to Lou in a very slow manner. Buck smiled and poked Ike in the ribs; "Let's go check the horses." Ike winked at Jimmy before he turned and followed Buck out.

"Is this gonna take all night?" Lou wheezed and jerked the glass out of Jimmy's hand.

"Just wanna be thorough," Jimmy smiled at the girl, "washing dishes is really an art in itself."

Lou growled;"step away and I'll show you how it's done."

"Now Lou, don't go rushing things, you know haste makes waste, don't you?"

Both Kid and Lou cast daggers in Jimmy's direction.

Kid hadn't approached them with more than two inches. "Don't wear the floor out Kid," Jimmy spoke lightly. "There's a lot of crumbles over here, why don't you come sweep them away?"

Lou was getting it, she hissed something to him and started to move away, Jimmy handed her the pitcher. "Here you go Lou, this one needs a good dry!"

"I know what you're doin' Jimmy, it won't work!"

"Doin'?" Jimmy pretended in Kid's direction. Kid had stopped sweeping and was looking wearily at Jimmy.

"I'm doin' the dishes," Jimmy explained, "got a problem with that?"

"Just the way you're doin' them," Lou snarled and pushed him out of her way, "just take the towel and shut up!"

Jimmy smiled as Kid started to sweep the floor again, at least they were finally agreeing on something. Lou slammed a plate into his hand, her eyes told him he might be totally wrong. Kid wheezed at him to step out of the way as he swop the broom over Jimmy's feet, just to take a deliberate course around Lou.

With a sigh Jimmy realized he probably was wrong.

Lou lay in her bunk, staring right into the darkness. She couldn't sleep even though she felt the weariness in her whole body. But everything felt so wrong all of a sudden. What had she gotten herself into? Why hadn't she seen this coming? She tried to lie still and avoid tossing and turning, she wanted to cry of both anger and sadness. Cody's snores underlined the grimness of her situation. Knowing she had started most of what had led up to here, she cringed at the thought. Wishing to be able to turn back time and do everything different. Her eyes watered at the realizations that it would never happen. She could never go back and she was no closer to getting her own place and taking care of her sister and brother either. Everything seemed so futile in the darkness. Maybe if she talked to pastor Allen she could help out with the girls and send for Jeremiah and Theresa. Maybe she could find a place for them all at the True Believers. There was certainly no place for her here. She loved the boys, well most of the times, but the way things had turned out she felt there was no place for her in the bunkhouse. She felt Kid move in the bunk under her and she clinched her teeth. Things wouldn't get any better, certainly not as long as he was around to remind her of her mistakes. One day Kid would find a new girl and she was not sure how she would react, she never thought she'd be so hurt when she found out about Samantha. It was over and she should rejoice in him finding happiness. So why didn't she? She pictured Kid walking up the aisle with a bride at his side and she wanted to scream. Then she repeated the words he had said to her. A tear rolled down her cheek, she had reached her decision.

"Rider comin!" Somebody was shouting in her ear. Lou muttered angrily, still half a sleep, and tried to push the rider leaning in over her away. Then she realized she must have fallen asleep after breakfast and her turn was up. Jimmy grinned at her.

"Damn!" Lou muttered and swung her legs over the bunk.

"Don't worry, Kid prepared Lightning already, Noah's still far away!"

"Why didn't you wake me Jimmy?" Lou growled, rubbing her eyes.

"Kid told me to let you sleep, he said you hadn't gotten much sleep last night."

"Is he spying on me?"

"Looking out for you is more like it. Lou, don't go wrenching his neck again."

"Right," Lou muttered and reached for her bedroll and gear, she had packed everything she needed, the letter was written everything was dealt with. She was ready.

Jimmy looked confused as she gathered her belongings, he must be puzzled to find her bringing all this along. The trip to Blue Creek wasn't but one day, taking everything you owned along wasn't normal. Thankfully enough he said nothing.

Rushing out the door she almost stumbled in her hurry. Kid was standing holding Lightning's reins. Lou groaned inwardly at the sight.

"I can take this ride for you," he said.

Without a word she stepped up to her horse and fastened her gear. Kid watched her silently, but said nothing at the amount of packing she had. Lou was almost disappointed, she had made up such good lies. Lou checked the cinch and mounted. Kid still wouldn't let go of the reins. He looked at her like he was waiting for her to say something. This made Lou wonder if he had read her mind? Kid was watching her, making her quiver. He would find out soon enough, but a part of her wanted to confess. At least she wanted to tell him how sorry she was for yesterday. But she couldn't trust her own voice right now. She concentrated on keeping a stern face while waiting for Noah to ride up close enough to enable her to escape.

When Noah thundered into the yard Lou looked around the yard once more. Her eyes landed on Jimmy and she smiled. "Take care Jimmy," she said. Kid looked bewildered at her. The tears muffled her voice as she called out to Ike and Buck standing on the porch, waving at them. Noah was swinging the poach around in his hand and Kid let go of the reins, Lou kicked Lightning into canter, having the horse brush against Kid as it took off. "Bye Noah," she whispered as she got the poach in her hand.

"Ride safe!" Kid hollered.

Lou stifled a sob and rode on, the tears dimming her eyesight.

Kid followed the pair that vanished, a puzzled look on his face. He stood there absolutely still until Lou vanished out of sight.

Jimmy walked up to him. "Ain't you comin'? We gotta get that merchandise for Rachel."

Kid kept staring in the far distance where the sky and the plain met. "Something's wrong," he muttered silently as Jimmy tugged his sleeve to get him to come along.

"Oh Kid, she's gonna be fine, she'll be back tonight. Don't start with the frettin' again, I just can't take it." Jimmy complained as he dragged the reluctant Kid toward the buckboard.

"Something's wrong with Lou," Kid repeated, "why'd she take everything along?"

"Maybe she needed to get something fixed?" Jimmy tried to lift his friend's mood but it seemed Kid wasn't even listening. "Aw come on!" Pushing him up on the buckboard Jimmy sighed deeply as Kid's eyes never left the direction in which Lou had disappeared. Jimmy felt like he really would need to tie the two together and leave them in the barn. But Kid's words had touched a nervous string in him, he was right, something was wrong with the way she acted this morning. Jimmy just couldn't put his finger on it. Hating to admit that the Kid was right he tried to push the suspicions to the back of his mind instead. Lou would be fine and back home by nightfall, he consoled himself. Still not totally convinced by the wishful thinking, he decisively shook his head to get rid of the unnerving thoughts. Lou was more than capable to take care of herself, she knew was she was doing. With a last glance in the direction Lou's had disappeared, he reined the buckboard towards Sweetwater.

Lou had Lightning run flat out till she changed horse at the next station, she'd make this run in record time, and leave word at O'Shanesseys' when she came back. There was no turning back any more, the dice was cast. Once again she'd have to start a new life. But from here it couldn't get any worse, it could only get better. She leaned forward over the horse's neck, telling herself the tears that formed in her eyes were from the wind and not the pain she felt in her heart.