Laura Wilson pushed her long golden curls back over her shoulder and began to pace the length of the room again.
Where is he, she asked herself. She'd been waiting in Kid's rooms for him for hours. He was supposed to have had dinner with her fmaily hours ago. Now, she didn't mind him being late. It happened often when things came up unexpectedly. But when he was two hours late, she'd started to worry, especially now that that woman had come back. So, Laura had come to wait for him. When would they ever be free of this woman from his past who'd broken his heart and disappeared without a trace?
The door opened and Kid stopped suddenly, surprised for the second time that day. "Laura, what're you doin' here?" he asked. He hung up his coat and hat on the peg by the door.
She rushed into his warm embrace, kissing him passionately. "Where've you been? I was so worried!" Laura exclaimed, holding his cold face in her hands.
Kid felt a flash of guilt. He'd never meant to stay so long at the station but he just couldn't tear himself away. It had almost been like old times during dinner with them all reminiscing about the Express days. As bad as he felt about worrying Laura needlessly, he couldn't regret the hours he'd spent with his son or the chance Lou'd given him to actually put the baby to bed. "Uh, yeah. I'm sorry, hon," Kid apologized. "I, uh, had dinner out at the station and...."
"I knew it!" Laura cried. "I knew she was trouble the minute I saw her in town this afternoon. You knew she was comin' all along didn't you?"
So the two women had met, he thought warily. Uh-oh, this can't be good. "Who, Lou?" he asked distractedly. "I swear, sweetheart, I had no idea until I walked into Rachel and Teaspoon's place and saw her." Kid grabbed her hands and led her to the small settee in front of the fire where they'd spent many a romantic evening. "Laura, we need to talk."
Her brow furrowed in concern as she stared into his serious gaze. "You're scaring me, Gabriel," Laura said, using his real name. "Why do I get the feelin' that this has to do with a certain petite woman with auburn hair who just happened to arrive in town this afternoon?"
"I don't know how to tell you this but I...I was late because I was helpin' her put Alex to bed," he said quickly, anxious for the moment to be over.
Laura felt a dread settle over her and weigh down her soul. "Who's Alex?"
"Alex is my son."
"YOUR SON?!" Laura laughed bitterly as the words sank in. "Did she tell you that? How do you know he's even yours? I mean a woman like her...who knows how many men she was with after you?"
Kid bristled slightly at the implication of her words. "Even if it weren't obvious who his father is, Lou'd never lie to me about this," Kid insisted. "Lou may be a lot of things but she's not petty enough to resort to playin' games like some women." The jealous fire in Laura's green eyes and the catty words were a side of her Kid had never seen before. Sure, he knew she really didn't like Louise but everything she'd said had been in defense of him and his broken heart. Now, he was ready to put things in the past and move on but Laura seemed threatened by Lou's mere presence in town.
"How can you be so sure, Kid?" she said. "It's obvious she's changed. It's also quite convenient that she suddenly shows up after all these months with a baby just as you're movin' on--just as we're movin' on."
Kid sighed deeply. "Just because I'm plannin' on spendin' time with Alex, don't mean I plan on spendin' time with Lou," he said. He leaned in and kissed her gently. "Her bein' here don't change what's goin' on with me and you. We may have Alex in common, but I don't feel the same way about her I once did. All I ask is that, for his sake, you two try to be civil toward each other. I love you and we are gettin' married, but Lou will always be family in one way or another."
Laura's eyes softened as she relented. "Just please tell me you didn't invite her to the dinner Friday," she pleaded.
His eyes turned supremely guilty and he lifted a hand to rub at the back of his neck. "Well,...."
"Goddamn you Gabriel Valentine Travis!" Laura cursed uncharacteristically, rising from the settee violently. "How could you do this to me?"
Kid rose and crossed to her, kneeling at her feet and taking her hands in his. "Please, Laura, for me?" he begged giving her his best hound-dog eyes. "Just meet Alex. I promise you that nothin' will happen. She'll probably come and leave early. You won't even know she's there. I just want you to see him, hon, see how beautiful he is and Lou won't let him out of her sight for a minute yet. Please!"
"You know I'd do anythin' for you, sugar, but I just ain't too comfortable havin' them there," she sighed. "What's Mama gonna think when I tell her that your former sweetheart is bringin' your son to our engagement dinner?"
"So don't tell her," Kid replied. "Tell her she's my cousin or somethin'. Your mama don't even have to know Alex is mine, if we keep this a secret just between us."
Laura didn't like the protective note in his voice. She still didn't want Louise there, but she could tell it meant a lot to Kid to have her there. Reluctantly, she nodded, however. "Maybe seein' us together will help her realize just how much things have changed since she left?" she said hopefully. Her green eyes brightened as she thread her fingers through his sandy curls. "So, he's a beautiful baby, huh?"
"Not compared to the ones we'll have," Kid answered quickly as he stood and hugged her tightly. He buried his face in her curls, inhaling the slight scent of jasmine that clung to her. "Think of Alex as good practice for our little ones."
The thought of losing her figure to pregnancy had never appealed to Laura. She'd watched her mother go from the most beautiful Southern belle in all of three Georgia counties to being the heavy-set mother of eight she was now. Laura cringed at the thought of being surrounded by howling children, but hid her feelings from Kid. She knew just how much he wanted children and promised herself she'd try her hand at motherhood for his sake. Maybe they'd get lucky and she couldn't have children. Instead, she smiled and snuggled closer to his warmth happy to at last have a peaceful moment alone with him.
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"I can't go!"
Rachel looked up from repinning Lexi's diaper as Louise walked down the stairs and sank into an armchair. She lifted the baby to her shoulder and walked over to sit on the settee. "And why can't you go now?" she asked patiently.
Louise had been coming up with excuse after excuse all week for not attending the engagement dinner. However, she refused to say teh real reason she didn't want to go. Rachel had seen the way she'd looked at Kid that first night at dinner and since when he'd been over to see his son. Anyone could see she'd come back, still in love with him. It broke Rachel's heart to see the grieving woman struggling to maintain her pride as she tried to come to terms with more heartache.
"Rachel, it's been too long since I've gone out like this...socially," Louise moaned. "I don't have anythin' suitable to wear, really."
"Then let's go to Thompkins' and we'll pick you out somethin' nice or you can borrow one of my dresses," Rachel reasoned. "Kid wanted you there and you told him you'd come."
Lou gave a frustrated sound knowing Rachel was right. "How do I do it, Rachel?" she asked softly. "How do you just stop lovin' someone? How do you watch him pledge his love to someone else and pretend that there was never anythin' between you? God, I should never have come back!"
The older woman crouched in front of Louise as best she could. With one hand she lifted the delicate, wavering chin and looked into the moist brown eyes full of hurt. "You're doin' what's right by lettin' Kid know his son," Rachel pointed out. "I don't think you can just stop lovin' someone, but you can move on. Sometimes, doin' what's right hurts more than takin' the easy way out, but it's still right. You're a strong woman, Louise McCloud and you've made it through a lot of things on your own. Now, you have to be strong again, but this time you're not alone."
"You're right, Rachel," Lou said, wiping at her tears with a sniff. "I've got two children dependin' on me and a family to help. I can do this." She laughed slightly and grinned at Rachel. "And this time, I'm a rich woman."
Rachel smiled, relieved to see a bit of the old spitfire back. "See, I told you you could. Where are you goin?" she asked.
Louise had gotten up and grabbed her coat from it's peg by the door. "Watch Lexi for me, will you?" Bundled up in her coat, she walked toward the door. "I've still got my pride and if I have to go to that damned dinner, I'm goin' to look so good that people won't even see how much it hurts," she said determinedly.
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Louise dodged around an oncoming wagon as she crossed the muddy street. Holding her skirts up out of the mud, she took one large step across a puddle to stand on the boarded walk. However, her feet had landed on the edge of the platform and her arms flailed slightly as she lost her balance. Teetering precariously, she never saw the man whose strong arm wrapped around her middle, pulling her toward him. Her head snapped up and she found herself looking up into a familiar pair of green eyes set within a ruggedly handsome face.
The man's longish redgold curls whipped around his head in the chill wind and a grin split his face as he saw who it was he'd just rescued. "Why if it ain't Miss Louise?" he said. "What may I ask is a beautiful lady like you doin' walkin' around a tough town like this all by your lonesome?"
Louise squealed as she recognized the man before her. "Oh, my God, Danny?!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, giggling as he lifted her from her feet easily, swinging her around and creating quite a scene in front of half of Sweetwater. However, Louise didn't care as she inhaled the scent of leather and horseflesh that had always clung to her friend. Pulling back, she cupped his face in her hands still unable to believe it was really him--and here in Sweetwater. "We thought the raiders had gotten you too! What are you doin' alive and here in town no less?"
"Well, they took a couple potshots at me but I got away with nothin' but a scratch," Danny said. "When I got back to Denver, they said Tanner was dead and you'd sold out and headed for Sweetwater." He leaned over and brushed her forehead with his lips. "I'm so sorry about 'Miah, babygirl."
She smiled at the endearment and fought the tears that threatened. She really wanted nothing more than to curl up in his arms and cry but people were beginning to stare at the two of them. Somehow, she knew that with Danny in town, things would be easier for her to bear. "Thanks. It's been hard, but I think we're finally startin' to heal." Louise took hold of his arm. "Why don't you escort me to the dressmaker's and help me pick out a dress and I'll explain everythin'."
Danny placed his hand over hers and smiled down at her flirtatiously.
"It would be my honor and privilege to escort you 'round town, Miss McCloud,"
he replied in an exaggerated Georgian drawl. Ignoring the townspeople's
looks, the two headed down the sidewalk to the dressmaker's talking in
warm, low tones.
