Chapter Eight
Lou wiped the sweat from her brow, pushing back the wisps of loose hair that clung to her face. Mending the fenceline was hard enough work without the sun that tormented them day in and day out.
"Gettin' worn out already, Lou? You been slackin' off on the hard work since you and The Kid got married, huh?" Cody teased from across the fence. Lou glared at her former bunkmate, before tossing a well-aimed clod of dirt at his head. "Hey now, Lou! Watch what you're doing! After all, I am an injured man."
"If getting knocked-out cold while showing off on your pony is what the army classifies as 'injured in the line of fire,' then I might begin to take it easy on ya," Lou laughed. She remembered the day Rachael had gone into town and come back ashen-faced. William F. Cody was on the list of those Missing in Action. After three weeks of wondering their fears were put to rest when a telegram came to them telling of how Cody had been injured before a charge and was missing after the battle. A week later another company had found him hiking across the land, armed to the teeth with the guns of those that had died in the battle. Exhausted and combative in his delusion, he'd been a hard man to bring home. But he was safe and alive. It was as if a wave of sorrow had receded for Rachael and Lou.
Two days later, Cody showed up on their doorstep, grinning from ear to ear with a wide bandage wrapped around his head. There were vague explanations of how he got his injury but the general conscensess was that he'd been trick riding when his horse got spooked. Cody'd been thrown and that was all he could remember. A day later, he found himself face down in a gully under the body of a dead soilder, his company nowhere in sight. Lou noticed how Cody's usual demenor changed whenever he reached that part of his story. It chilled her to see even someone like Cody become so sollem at the rememberance of a battle. No stories filled with bravado and excitement, just a quiet explanation before moving on. She often wondered if Kid would have that same grim expression on his face as he told his stories of the war.
Kid had been gone two years. A year and a half since his last letter, the bloodstained letter that Lou kept in a carved wooden box on her night stand along with all her tangible memories of Kid.
When Cody came to stay with them while he healed up, Rachael thought Lou might regain some of her easy laughter, and to an extent Rachael's hopes were answered. Having Cody around did make Lou feel more lighthearted, but there was always the sigh after the long laugh, the silence when there were no more funny 'rememeber-when's' to rehash. The cloud that was the Civil War eventually dampened their spirits like everything else it touched.
"Whachya thinkin' 'bout, Lou?" Cody asked after a bit.
"Thinking 'bout Kid," she replied, truthfully. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she turned her attention back on the fence.
Cody watched his friend struggle with the heavy wood for a moment before moving forward to help her. Crouching down to help muscle the post into place, he layed his large hand over Lou's tiny one, causing her to look at him with surprise. "He'll come home to you, Louise." Lou, surprised by Cody's tender gesture, felt tears begin to prick at her eyes. But if Cody noticed, he didn't let on. "Now put those scrawny arms of yours to work and let's get this fixed," he said gruffly, throwing all his energy into the fence.
Lou quickly wiped the tears from her eyes got back to work.
***
There was a smile on Lou's face. Kid had brought pillows and blankets for Lou, and she was snuggled safely before the fire, Kid by her side. He watched her constantly, even as his own fatigue fought to take over. It was almost midnight. Lou had been out cold for almost four hours, not even the thunderous lightening that crashed outside would stir her.
Rascal paced restlesly around Lou and Kid on the floor, the storm and his mistress' condition agitating the old dog. "Relax, old man," Kid said softly as he scratched the dog under the chin, "She's sleeping now, but she'll be up soon. See her smiling?"
As if he understood, Rascal moved closer to Louise to inspect her face. There was indeed a smile there. Kid chuckled at Lou's dog. There wasn't a man in Lou's life who wasn't looking out for her. The story of Rascal was one that could have ended sadly. Lou had found him on the road, beaten and near death. For four weeks she'd nursed the sorrowful dog back to life and by the time he was well enough to walk he was getting into whatever fresh thing had been baked and placed on the counter to cool. The dog was a born thief and because of that, he earned his name. But it was Rascal's loyalty to Lou was astounding. It had taken the dog months before he'd even let Kid get near him after Kid came home from the war. The dog had been by Louise' side for more than a year and he didn't take kindly to another man trying to take his place. Jimmy had often commented during his visits to Silver Spring Ranch that he didn't know how Lou could have possibly missed Kid during the war, hadn't she had his double living right under her heeels?
"I'd swear that dog thinks I'm here to take your wife away," Jimmy had joked with Kid soon after his return. Startled, Kid had looked at Jimmy with a tinge of the old rivalry, making Jimmy laugh out loud. "Lord Kid, you and that flea-bitten dog are acting more and more alike these days. It's a wonder you two don't get on!" Kid had been properly mollified by Jimmy's comment, but he made the effort to pet Rascal on the head that night. Surprisingly, Rascal had accepted the pat, as if he knew from whence Kid's sudden affection sprung.
"Good boy, Rascal," Kid whispered, as the dog curled up on the other side of Lou, sandwiching her between the two of them. The storm raged on outside as Kid pulled Lou's limp body closer to him. "You got your harem here, Lou. Don't you think it's about time you woke up," he asked sadly.
At his voice, Lou stirred in his arms. Kid jumped at her movement and began whispering his longing for her to come back to him. "Lou, darlin'. I'm here. Now just wake up, Luv."
From deep within a fog, Lou heard the voice of her husband. Her mind was racing with questions. How could Kid be speaking to her like this when he was still thousands of miles away in the war?
"Open your eyes, beautiful. Tell me what happened...... How did it happen..... How did it happen....."
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