|
Jimmy threw the stick in the fire. He was still having a hard time with the fact that his best friend was the son of the Confederate President. He’d tried several times the last couple of days to talk to Kid about it but Kid wouldn’t say any more about it, he just changed the subject. Then tonight when they had made camp Kid had said he was going down to the creek they were camped by to wash up. That was half an hour ago. Jimmy still wanted answers to his questions, but he knew Kid would just try to change the subject again. Jimmy was feed up, Kid was going to talk to him about it tonight or he would…he would…throwing another stick into the fire Jimmy said to himself, “Ahhh, I’d never be able to shoot him.” “What was that Jimmy?” Kid asked as he came back up from the creek. Looking up at his friend Jimmy laughed out loud, “You think if you get cleaned up nice she won’t shoot you?” “Think she would recognize me if I didn’t?” Kid asked smiling. “I did and I’m only your best friend, she’s your wife,” Jimmy replied. As Kid settled himself in front of the fire, Jimmy poured them both a cup coffee. Then as he had done every night of the trip he asked, “So when were you going to tell us who you were?” Then before Kid could change the subject Jimmy changed tactics and just said his peace, “I mean I could understand why with him being a big part of what is going on right now and all. But don’t you think that Lou should know just who the hell her father in law is? Can’t you see that if anyone else knew who you were what kind of danger that would put her and the babies in?” Having had his say and getting it off his chest Jimmy leaned back against the tree behind him, and stared at Kid. “No one but Teaspoon knows,” Kid began, “I made sure of that. I hadn’t seen my father in a long time Jimmy, he left when I was real young.” “She needs to know, Kid,” Jimmy put in. “What she doesn’t know can’t hurt her,” Kid replied. “And if someone comes looking for you?” Jimmy asked. “No one will, I’m just a solider that got tired of the fighting and decided to go home. Besides, if someone wanted to come after me to get to him, then they would have made their move by now,” Kid said as he settled himself for the night. “Kid, just do me a favor, think on it. She needs to know,” Jimmy said as he too settled down for the night. “Sure, Jimmy,” Kid said as he turned away from the fire. Kid hated that he couldn’t explain to Jimmy why he didn’t want to tell Lou about his father. He had tried to tell his father about Lou the one time they had talked but his father had acted like he always had and ignored what he said for the most part. When Kid had pushed the matter, his father had told him that if he expected to inherit anything from him then he would have to forget about that woman he had out west. Kid sighed out loud as he recalled the argument. It was then that he decided that his father had not changed, maybe he was respectable now but he was still the same as Kid remembered. As Kid finally drifted off to sleep he put the thoughts of his father from him and concentrated on the fact that tomorrow he would be home. Home with Lou, and their children, that was what he needed most.
Chapter 2The two former Express riders, the Reb and the Yank, sat on the hill above the old express station and looked down. “We won’t get there any faster sitting here,” Jimmy teased his friend.“Guess not,” Kid replied. “She won’t shoot you on sight Kid, she’s missed you too much,” Jimmy laughed again. “You’re enjoying this too much,” Kid said starting down the hill. Jimmy laughed at Kid’s back as he too started down the hill. When they reached the front of the house Jimmy said, “I’ll take the horse, she’s probably in the house with the babies.” “Thanks,” Kid said as he got down off of the horse. Jimmy watched as Kid hesitated when he reached the porch. “She ain’t me, she won’t shoot you on first sight,” Jimmy teased his friend. “You so sure about that,” Kid replied. “Nope,” Jimmy told him. Laughing to himself Jimmy made sure Kid made it into the house before he turned towards the barn. He did have to admit he was enjoying this a little too much. As he reached the barn door he noticed it was open and walked in, leading the horses. He heard her voice then, it was low but he heard her. “How are you today, girl? You make it through that storm last night ok?” Lou said as she brushed Katy. Jimmy stood and stared at her, he wished he could find a woman that even came close to the one standing there. The one he had given up for his best friend. He stood watching her for a moment, then said, “Your getting bad as Kid, Lou. Talking to Katy like she’s a person,” Jimmy said from outside the stall. “Jimmy!” Lou exclaimed, as she ran up to hug him. “What are you doing back so soon? Are you home to stay?” “Whoa, slow down,” he said as he sat her away from him. “Everything is fine and I’m here for as long as you need me. “And,” he said as he looked down at her, “ I found something down in Tennessee that belongs to you.” Jimmy watched as Lou’s expression went from bewilderment to realization. He could have told anyone that asked the moment that she knew what he meant. His smile got bigger as she started to fire questions at him, “ Did he send a letter with you? How is he? Is he hurt? Why ain’t he writin’ me? When’s he coming home? What was he doing in Tennessee, I thought he was in Virginia?” The questions came so fast Jimmy didn’t have time to answer them. “Lou, slow down,” he told her with a chuckle. “He’s fine. We were in the same battle, a little place called Shiloh. He never got any of your letters, and he told me that he wrote. I guess with the war and all they got lost. Oh, by the way,” Jimmy paused for a moment, “I brought him back with me.” Lou stood stunned for moment, then as his words sank in she reached up and kiss him on the cheek, saying, “Thank you, Jimmy.” As she pulled back, Jimmy saw the tears in her eyes, and the biggest smile he’d ever seen light up her whole face. Without saying another word, Lou ran for the house. Jimmy laughed to himself again, when he saw her pause at the door of the house. It was funny, she was as nervous as Kid was.
Chapter 3As Kid had come through the door of the house he’d heard someone in the kitchen. Then he saw Rachel through the open door of the kitchen humming to herself as she prepared lunch. Figuring Lou might be upstairs Kid started up the stairs. When he reached the top, he noticed the door to the guest room was open. And two cradles up against the far wall. He heard one of the babies cry out and walked towards the room.Reaching the cradles he looked down at the two babies, one cried out again. He reached down to pick the child up. The little cap the baby was wearing fell off as he picked it up and he saw she had auburn hair. When she opened her eyes, Kid was taken aback a moment, because the eye of the small child mirrored Lou’s. The small baby cried out again, and Kid laughed to himself as he saw her mother’s temper in the child. She was going to be just like Lou. He could just imagine the handful she was going to be, as she grew older. Feeling like someone was watching him he looked into the other cradle then. He was taken aback only slightly this time as his own eyes stared back at him. His son was awake now, and watching every move he made. “You’re going to have your hands full when they get older,” Rachel said from behind him. “They’re so small,” Kid said in answer. “The doc says they are just fine, twins are suppose to be small. And they have grown a lot,” Rachel told him. “She looks just like Lou,” Kid said looking at his daughter. “Lou says the same thing about Jamie, that he looks just like you,” replied Rachel. “She’s been really hurt, Kid that you didn’t write or anything.” “I did write but then she stopped writing. I never got any letters after the first few months, and she never told me about the baby...er...babies,” Kid told her. They both jumped then as they heard the door downstairs bang open and Lou call out, “KID!” Handing his daughter to Rachel, Kid hurried out of the room. Emma let out a protest as she was handed to Rachel. Laughing at the baby Rachel said, “You will have him wrapped around your finger soon enough little one, right now though, your ma and pa have some reacquainting to do.” They met on the stairs, Lou was half way up and Kid half way down. Not a word was said as they stood there a moment. Then Kid smiled at her and the last year and a half seem to melt away. She was in his arms, tears rolled down her cheeks as he kissed her. He was home and safe. Kid had tears in his eyes too as he broke their kiss. He knew he had missed her but he never realized how much. “Kid,” Lou said hoarsely, “There’s something….” “I know,” he told her, “they’re beautiful. And it looks like I’m going to need a shotgun especially if that daughter of our turns out as beautiful as her ma.” “Then,” Lou replied laughing through the tears, “I’ll need one to keep the girls away from our son, cause he sure is his pa all over again.” “I did write, Lou,” Kid told her, wanting to get things settled right away. “I know, Jimmy told me. He also told me you never got any of my letters,” she replied. Kid watched as she hesitated a minute, then before she could ask her question he answered it, “I’m home for good. I’m not going back the war is over for me. This is where I belong.” “Are you sure, Kid?” she asked knowing how important it had been to him to go. “I made a mistake Lou, this is my home and this is where my family is,” Kid told her. “’Bout time you came home,” she told him with a grin as she reached up to kiss him again.
Chapter 4“Think they’ll make it down for supper?” Jimmy asked Rachel.“Probably not, they have a lot of time to make up for,” Rachel replied with a grin. “What about yourself, Jimmy?” “No one special, except for you, Lou and the twins here for me,” Jimmy answered. Patting Jimmy’s hand as she sat down at the table, Rachel said, “You did good bringing him home.” “I just traveled with him to make sure he got through the lines ok,” Jimmy told her, “It was all his idea to come home. Rachel, Kid told me that Teaspoon was suppose to be there but I’m not sure if he was, we never saw him.” “Oh,” Rachel said as she got up to do something. She didn’t want Jimmy to see the concern on her face. She kept telling herself he was all right, but she just couldn’t be sure. About that time they heard a commotion in the parlor. “What in tarnation is going on around here when a man can’t get a proper welcome,” came the shout from the next room. Jimmy and Rachel recognized that voice instantly, it even had Lou and Kid heading for the stairs. “Well, now that’s more like it,” Teaspoon said as they all came into the front room at once. Rachel was the first to reach him throwing her arms around him and kissing him. When they finally parted Teaspoon said, “You boys sure are hard to catch up with, took me till today to finally catch ya. Guess I learned you boys…and girl…well.” They all laughed at that. Hearing a cry from upstairs, Teaspoon smiled, “Guess that answers my next question, why you resign your commission Kid and came home. So what do I have a grandson or daughter?” Lou answered him with a hug and said, “One of each.” “One of each? Twins?” Teaspoon chuckled, “You always had to out do everyone else didn’t you?” Lou blushed at his teasing. “Congratulations, Kid.” “Good to see you, Teaspoon,” Kid said, then added, “Are you home to stay?” “Yep, like you I decided it was time to come home, seen enough killin’ to last me the rest of my life,” Teaspoon answered him, “’Sides I reached a decision out there on that battle field, my memories may be there, but this here is my home.” Looking at Lou, Kid agreed with Teaspoon, “Yeah, made a mistake didn’t we this here is home.”
|
