The Beauty Comes in the Springtime
by
Carrie Tegtmeier

  On the way home all the riders and Lou decided not to say anything about Mary until they got home and then Lou would sit them down and tell them they didn’t want to make the trip home harder than it already was for the children. Plus Louise wanted sometime to figure out how she was going to tell her brother and sister that they would never see their mother again. When they got home the children immediately went looking for their mother, they were calling out her name and running everywhere to try and find her. They did this before Louise had a chance gather them up and tell them the awful truth. Finally she got up the courage to say something.

 “Miah Tessa come here and sit down, I have somethin' important to tell ya.” Lou said as she sat down on the steps of the house. This was going to be the hardest thing she had ever done before she knew that even before she opened her mouth. As the children sat down Louise started getting a big lump in her throat and tears started coming to her eyes which made it more difficult to tell them, but she refused to cry. She had to be strong for them, she couldn’t show weakness.

 “Guys I have some terrible news to tell ya. Do ya remember when ya stopped at a cabin with Ma?” They both replied by shaking their heads yes. “Well ya see Boggs hurt her to the point to where she couldn’t recover...She died.”

 Tessa started crying as soon as the words had died away in the wind. She climbed into Louise’s lab and started bawling like the child she was. Louise tried to comfort her the best she could, but she knew she would never be able to replace her mother.

 Miah on the other hand got angry. “You’re lying! She’s not dead. Ma would never leave us. She loves us too much. Where is she? Did ya leave her behind so ya didn’t have to take care of her anymore? Why didn’t ya leave us with her that way ya wouldn’t have to bother with us either.” Jeremiah was getting so angry he started hitting Lou. She covered Tessa up the best she could so she wouldn’t get hit. His blows luckily didn’t hurt too much, but he was starting to hit her
 other bruises which made it start hurting more.

  Finally Kid came over and grabbed Miah by the wrists and stopped him from hitting her. “Enough Miah!” Kid turned Miah around and looked him square in the eye. They stood there for a few moments then all of a sudden Miah burst into tears. Kid grabbed him into a tight hug and let him cry until his heart was content.

 The children had finally cried themselves to sleep. Tessa was in Lou’s lap and Miah in Kids. They gently picked up the children and headed into the house. They went upstairs to the bedroom they put both of them in their beds, covering them up before they quietly left the room. Once outside the house Lou immediately ran straight to the barn. Once in there she saddled up Lighting and took off like a mad woman.

 Kid was debating with himself whether or not he should go after her. On one hand she probably needed time by herself but he didn’t want her to be alone at this point. He wanted to be with her to comfort her in her time of need. As Kid stood there he started thinking of everything that the woman he loved had been through in such a short time. And as he thought about it he began to realize Lou had never cried in that whole time. She hadn’t even let herself grieve for her mother. He realized that she was trying to be strong. He decided when he finds her he would tell her that she didn’t have to be strong anymore, he was there for her. He quickly went to barn and saddled Katy.

 He found her by the swimming hole sitting on the ground staring at the water. She wasn’t paying any attention to anything. So he knew that she didn’t even hear him approach. He slid off Katy and headed toward her.

 Louise was sitting on the soft grass with her knees up, her arms were wrapped around them and her head was resting on top of her knees. She was so involved with her thoughts about her past she didn’t hear the rider coming right behind her. When a hand touched her shoulder she jumped nearly ten feet in the air. She turned around and looked into those beautiful blue eyes and relaxed a little. If she let herself she would fall forever in those eyes.

 Kid smiled at her and sat down next to her wrapping his arm around her. They sat there in silence for a few moments just enjoying each other.

 “Talk to me Lou, tell me what’s goin' on in that beautiful head of yours.” Kid said with a voice that he used when he was talking to Katy.

 “I can’t.” Louise whispered out. How could she tell him what she was thinking. He would not be able to deal with it. He would probably be so disgusted that he would never speak to again if she told him what she had been through in life.

 Kid could tell that she was afraid of what had happened in her past and that she didn’t want to tell him. But he also knew nothing she could ever tell him would make him leave her. Even if she had a husband and kids that she never told him about he would never leave her side. He loved her too much to ever let her go and go through the pain she was going through right now. “Lou please tell me. I want to help ya, I want to help ya grieve for your mother. I’ll be here no matter what.”

 With that Louise couldn’t hold back any longer, she had to tell him. It came out slowly at first then faster and faster. Kid could hardly keep up with what she was saying. She told him about the beatings and the rape and everything else. Lou didn’t know it but somewhere along the line she started crying, soon she wasn’t able to stop herself from crying even if she tried.

 Kid just sat there taking it all in strides. He couldn’t imagine how anyone could do any of those things to her. His heart cried out when she told him about the rape. If Wicks wasn’t already dead he would have killed him himself. Only Wicks would have died a slower and more painful death than he already had. This was totally unlike Kid to think this way. He usually hated killing even though he knew that the men had deserved it and there was no other way. He held her tightly pulling her into his lab and cradling her like a small child as she cried. He cried with her, for the childhood that she had lost and also for the mother she had lost. They sat there like that for over an hour.

 Louise couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this safe and whole. She felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. He was still there, he didn’t leave when he even when he had heard everything. The only thing he did was hold her. At that point in time that is all she could have ever asked or wanted from him.

  She rested peacefully against his shoulder just listening to the wind blow through the trees and hearing the waves hitting the sand and rocks. As frogs and crickets played beautiful music in the background, they could smell wild flowers from a near by field, their fragrance was intoxicating. Then there were fireflies all around them, lighting up the sky along with the stars and moon. It was a beautiful spring night. A perfect night.

 Louise looked up into Kids expressive blue eyes. They stared at each other for a few moments just drinking in the sight of one another. Louise’s eyes made a soft look of kiss me, and Kid happily did so.

 Their lips touching ever so softly, barely brushing against each others at first, like butterfly kisses. Then Kid put his hand softly on her face and increased the kiss. He began rubbing his tongue across her lips asking for permission to enter her mouth. She opened her mouth for his tongue to enter. She tasted of honey was the only way Kid could describe it, sweet honey. Their kissing became more and more intense until they were both left breathless but still wanting more.

Kid gently pushed  Louise off his lap and slid her to the ground. He slowly pulled her to a lying position next to him. Both of them were laying on their sides kissing and rubbing each other. Louise slowly unbutton Kid’s shirt so she could feel his hard muscles with no cloth between her hand and him. She grew excited from just touching his bare skin. She pulled his shirt off with his assistance. Rubbing his back and running her fingers through his soft hair. Kid was slowly lifted up her skirt and rubbed his hand between her legs and her buttocks with one hand. With the other he was taking her hair out of her braid to let it go freely to let it be wild like her. Her hair was so soft to the touch it felt like silk.

When she unbutton his shirt his groin grew tighter it was cramped from being inside his pants and wanted to be released and free, but he was not going to take them off. That was Lou’s call. He was not going to pressure her into something she was not ready for. He slowly began to unbutton her blouse waiting every few seconds between buttons to see if she would want to stop.

Finally he had her shirt off and was surprised to see that there was no chemise underneath, nothing but her bare beautiful skin. He gently took one of his hands and started caressing one of her breast. They were the perfect size, they fit into his hand perfectly. He stopped kissing her and went down to her breasts and started sucking on one, then the other. Lou gasped in pleasure. She had never felt this alive before. She never knew that her body could ever be so aware of every little touch. She knew now that this was how it was suppose to be. Feeling like you fit this other person like a glove. She wanted to give him more wanted to show him that she wanted to be his.

She pushed his hands away and pushed him onto his backside. Then she slowly slid her hands down to his belt and undid it as well as his pants. Before she could even try to get his pants off he grabbed her hands gently and looked her in the eye saying are you sure with his eyes. She replied yes with her eyes. That was all they needed to do; no words were needed. He let go of her hands and lifted his buttocks up so she could slide his pants down. She slid them down to his knees. Then she took off his boots and took his pants off the rest of the way. She was surprised at how well endowed he was. She took it into her hand and stroked him. Kid let out a groan of pleasure. As she continued doing this he unlaced her boots and slowly slid them off along with her pantlets and skirt.

They kissed some more and let their hands roam everywhere. They were getting to know the other’s bodies and pleasure spots. Kid found out rather quickly that all he need to do was kiss Lou on the neck and she would almost go over the edge. And Louise found out the same thing only it was his ear. Slowly Kid rolled himself on top of Lou and just stood there for a second looking at her in all her glory. Then looking into her eyes once more he slowly entered her. He went inch by inch letting her get use to him then he would slid more of himself in until he was in completely. They moved slowly like a dance only lovers knew, taking it slowly so they could both enjoy every second of it. Then as they came near climax they moved faster until they both climaxed at the same time. As he exploded in her he  groaned, “OH....LOU!” while she yelled “KID!”.

After they had calmed down enough to start thinking again Kid rolled them so he was on bottom and she was on top of him. Never letting his groin leave from inside of her. He then rapped his arms around her and started caressing her backside. Holding on like he was never going to let go. This is how it was suppose to be, and this was how it was going to be for the rest of their lives if he had anything to say about it.

 “I love you Lou.”

  “I love you too Kid.”

 They said before they fell into a fitful sleep.
 
 

 A Month Later

A little routine had started with Louise. In the morning she would make breakfast and get the kids ready for school and after taking them she would do her chores and then she would go down to the swimming hole for an afternoon swim before she would go and get the children from school.  School would be ending soon and then the children would be helping around the station as summer set in.

At night whenever Kid was not on a run they would go off to be together, usually at the swimming hole. They would make love until the sun would start peaking over the horizon then they would sneak back into the station, Kid going to the bunkhouse and Lou going to the house. They hated leaving each other but they didn’t want anybody finding out. The other boys did however find that Kid and Lou were a couple when they walked in on them kissing passionately in the bunkhouse. Rachael on the other hand already knew, and one time caught Lou sneaking into the house one morning. She of course didn’t say anything she just smiled and acted as if nothing was strange about Louise coming in at three in the morning with her dress all wrinkled and having hay in your hair as something normal.

 Kid was away for a few days on a run and Louise thought she would die from missing him so much.

 Rachael watched Louise sitting impatiently by the window looking for any signs of Kid.  "You stare any harder out there in the darkness you’re able to go blind from looking out there for so long." Rachael teased. (Ah to be in love) she thought.

 Lou just turned around and smiled.  She knew she had been staring out the window since it became dark out.  "Don’t be silly Rachael.  I have perfectly good night vision. I wonder what’s taking the Kid so long. It’s just not like him to be this late." she said worriedly and let the smile that was on her face fade. He was two hours late. Kid was always on time, where could he be?  She had something very important to tell him and she couldn’t stand the waiting and worrying . What would he say when he found out. (Will he feel the same joy as I did when I found out? Or would he just leave me like this and go off and find someone who deserved him? Is he just using me until something better came along? Stop it Louise McCloud! Kid would never do anything like that, he loves you and you know it. So stop this nonsense right this minute!)

 Just then she heard a rider coming. She ran out the door quicker than what Rachael thought was possible.

 "Ride safe Ike!" Kid said as he passed the mochilla over to him. He was barely off his horse when he was hit with a huge bear hug.

 "Where have you been? I have been so worried about you." Lou said as she still held him.

 Kid smiled this is how he wanted to spend the rest of his life. Coming home from somewhere and have the woman you love almost bowl you over with hugs. "I had to pick up something from Seneca before I came home." Kid said as he placed his hand on his shirt pocket.

 Cody came out to take care of Kid’s horse and to see if he could hear what those two were saying to one another.

 Kid noticed this and pulled Lou away out of Cody’s ear shot.

 Then both of them at the same time said, "I have something to say."

 "You go first." Lou said as she started to think that maybe he was going to break up with her. (He finally came to his senses.)

 Kid was so excited that he didn’t notice the little note of fear in her face. He took what was in his shirt pocket and got down on one knee.

 "Lou, will you do me the honor and become my wife? I know I don’t have much but if love is enough then I have enough to fill you up til the rest of our lives, and then some." Kid held his breath as he waited for a response.

 Louise started crying unbelieving what he had just asked. She was silent for a moment and Kid started to get worried that she was trying to find a way to let him down easy. Then he saw the huge smile on her face as she said yes.

 All of a sudden they heard Cody yell  "They’re getting married!" in the bunkhouse. He said it so loud that he even woke up the children from the house.

 Everybody came out as the happy couple started walking back to the house. "Boy, he’s got a big mouth" Lou whispered to Kid. "He doesn’t even let us get to tell our happy news."

 "Yeah who needs the Pony Express when you can just tell Cody the message and he would  be able to shout it to whoever it was going to." Kid whispered back as the both started chuckling.

 Everybody came out and congratulated the happy couple.

 Later that night Kid and Lou were sitting on the porch swing wrapped in each others arm. They decided that they would be married in a week. Then Kid realized in all the excitement that he never got to hear Lou’s news.

 "Earlier you said you had something you wanted to tell me, and in all the excitement I forgot to ask you what it was."

 "I was just wondering what your name was. I thought that since you won’t tell me that I could come up with one for you."

 "What do you have in mind? Oh God?"  He whispered teasingly in her ear since that’s what  she was known to say while they were making love.

 She blushed "No, I was thinking more of Daddy." Lou held her breath and looked at Kid to see his reaction.

 It took him a second before it hit him and then a  huge smile came onto his face. "Are you sure?!"

 "Yep, I saw the doc this morning and he said I was one month along."

 "YIPPEEE!" Kid shouted at the top of his lungs, which woke everybody up. They all came out to find out what Kid was yelling about. When they heard another round of congratulations were said.
 
 

The End