“I don’t like it, Jimmy. Not one bit!” an agitated Lou stated as she glared at her husband over the laundry she was folding. Letting out a deep breath, Jimmy tried to pacify his wife. “There isn’t anything to worry about Lou. All I’m gonna do is escort Brody to the Territorial Marshal’s office in Sioux City and I will be right back. Shouldn’t take more than four days round trip.” “Can’t Sam send someone else? You just got back from helping out the Sheriff in Lincoln for two weeks. Olivia and I need you…” At the sound of her name being spoken, Olivia who was just past her first birthday started jabbering loudly. Jimmy went to where his daughter sat and picked her up. Kissing her on the top of the head, he asked, “How’s daddy’s girl?” The child smiled drool running down her chin. Grabbing a clean cloth from the table, Jimmy wiped her chin asking Lou, “She still teething?” “She’s got two teeth working through the gum on top,” Lou looked perturbed as she added, “You would know that if you were home more often.” Sitting down in a chair at the table, Jimmy gave Olivia a spoon to play with. “That ain’t fair Lou and you know it. I’ve got a job to do and being away from you two comes up every now and then.” His voice hinted at the anger he was keeping in check. Lou looked over at her husband as he sat playing with the baby, showing her how to hit the spoon on the table to make noise, but she seemed more interested in gumming it. Knowing that she wasn’t being reasonable, Lou regretted giving her husband a hard time. “I’m sorry, Jimmy. I know it’s not often that you’re away. It’s just that I missed you so much when you were in Lincoln.” Jimmy looked up at her and caught the look of loneliness that crossed her face before she noticed him watching her. “If Emma weren’t expecting any day now, Sam would take Brody himself. Don’t worry, Lou. I’m a big boy, I can take care of myself.” Walking over to where he sat, Lou stood behind him and gave him a hug around his neck. Settling her chin on his shoulder, she watched their daughter who had given up her spoon in favor of sticking her fingers in her father’s mouth and pulling on his lower lip. “Just promise you’ll come back soon,” she murmured, kissing his ear. Rolling his eyes towards her he said, “Rhy rhomas” which she took to be “I promise” since Olivia’s fingers were still in his mouth. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ “Where could he be?” Lou said out loud as she got Olivia into a warm coat and wrapped her in a blanket for the walk over to the sheriff’s office the fifth morning after Jimmy left for Sioux City with the prisoner Brody Lane. Jimmy had promised to be back not later than dinner the night before and he hadn’t returned yet, prompting the visit to see Sam to find out if he had heard anything from his deputy. Hurrying through the cold, Lou held Olivia close to her chest to keep the cold air off the child. Upon reaching the jail, Lou pulled the blanket back from Olivia’s head as she pushed the door open with the other hand. It was warm and bright inside the jailhouse, but Sam was nowhere in sight. Coming out of the back room, a recently hired man by the name of Walsh greeted Lou. “Mrs. Hickok! What brings you here this morning?” he asked ushering her to a chair. “I came to see Sam. Is he here?” she asked worry evident in her words. “No he isn’t. He sent word that Emma’s not feeling well today and he’s staying home. Is something wrong?” he asked. “Have you had any word from my husband? He should have been back yesterday.” “Sam didn’t say anything last night when he left and there hasn’t been any word this morning and I’ve been here all morning. Maybe the weather held him up. I heard a couple of old timers saying that there was a storm brewing yesterday. Maybe it passed by us and he got caught in it?” Sighing as she wrapped Olivia up in the blanket again, Lou felt a bit foolish for worrying and bothering the deputy. “You’re probably right. I’m sure Jimmy will be home soon. If you do hear anything, please let me know…” “I sure will, ma’am,” Joe Walsh told her holding open the door for her and Olivia to pass through. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ By two that afternoon, Jimmy had still not returned and Lou’s concern had taken a firm hold on her. Checking on the sleeping Olivia, she threw a shawl over her head and ran to the next-door neighbors. Knocking on the door, Lou waited for the Widow Nelson to answer. When she did, the woman beckoned her into the warm house. “Where’s the little one?” the kind woman asked always looking forward to seeing the cheerful child that she sometimes cared for. “She’s napping right now. I came to ask if you would be able to stay with Olivia for a day or two?” Lou begged. “Why of course child. I would love to take care of that little angel of yours. I hope nothing has happened?” she said with great concern. “I’m not sure. Jimmy should have been home yesterday and there’s no word from him. I just got a feeling that something isn’t right.” “When do you want me to come, dear?” the Widow Nelson asked patting Lou’s hand. “The sooner the better,” Lou replied concern washing over her once more. “I’ll be there in a jiffy,” the woman told her turning to go pack an overnight bag as Lou returned to her house to check on her sleeping daughter. Quickly changing into trousers and layering several warm shirts under her winter coat, Lou threw a change of clothes and some food with an extra blanket into her saddlebags. By the time she had finished, she heard her neighbor letting herself in the front door. Quietly, she peeked in on her daughter who was still napping, gave her a kiss on the forehead and rushed down the stairs. “Thank you again, for watching Olivia for me. I know she enjoys being with you. You know where everything is, so please help yourself. I hope to be back in a day or so. If you need anything, send the Jenkins boy over to the Cains.” “You just go find that husband of yours. The little one and I will be just fine!” the woman told Lou who was putting her hat on and wrapping a scarf around her neck. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ After saddling her horse, Lou rode over to the Cains before heading out to find her husband. Emma was sleeping when she arrived so she told Sam why she was there and where she was heading. “You sure you want to do that Lou?” Sam asked, eyeing the young woman in front of him. “You know Jimmy can take care of himself. He might have run into some bad weather that’s just delaying him.” “I’ve already thought about that Sam. I just got the feeling that something ain’t right. The Widow Nelson is going to take care of Olivia while I’m gone. I told her to get a hold of you if she needs something. I hope to be back in a day or two.” Seeing the determined look on Lou’s face, Sam knew it was pointless to try and talk her out of going after her husband. “You just take care of yourself out there Lou. Jimmy and Emma will have my hide if anything were to happen to you, seeing how I can’t stop you from going,” he told her. “Tell Emma I hope to be back before that little one makes an appearance. ‘Bye, Sam,” she called out heading down the front steps. As she mounted her horse, Sam waved and called out, “Ride safe!” which brought a smile to Lou’s face. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Dusk was falling as Lou searched the countryside for any sign that her husband had passed that way recently. As a lone wolf howl sounded in the distance, Lou said aloud, “Sure wish Buck were here.” Going a little further along the trail, something off to her right caught her eye as it flapped in the wind caught on a tree branch. Getting her horse as close to the object as she could, Lou reached over and snagged the object in her hand. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized it was the brown scarf she had given Jimmy last Christmas. “Oh, my god! JIMMY!” she yelled, eyes scanning for any more signs of his whereabouts. She jumped off her horse and searched the ground closely for tracks. A light layer of snow had covered most tracks but near a bush she saw hoof prints, sure it had to be Jimmy’s horse’s she called out again for her husband. “JIMMY?” she yelled, pausing to listen if he called back. Nothing. The wind was whipping across the prairie and through the trees sending a chill down Lou’s spine. “Oh, Jimmy. Where are you?” Not far from the bush, Lou noticed something dark in the snow. Running over to the spot, she dropped down on her knees when she realized it was blood. Fear ripped through her as she called out, “JIMMY! Where are you?!” For a moment she stood, not sure if she had heard a distant neighing of a horse. No, she had. There it was again. Lou jumped on her horse and turned it toward the sound. Within minutes she could see the outline of a horse and some kind of building. Urging the horse faster, she kept yelling her husband’s name, worried that he hadn’t answered. “Yes!” she said when she could make out that the horse she was riding towards was Jimmy’s. Drawing to a stop next to it, she slid from her horse and looped the reins around the post next to Jimmy’s horse. Lou rushed to the door of the shack and went through it without knocking. Inside it was dark and she could barely make out a shaped along the far side of the room. “Jimmy?” she questioned, moving towards the shadow with her hands out in front of her, trying not to trip in the dark. A groan sounded as Lou stumbled against the end of a table. Feeling along it, her hands found a candle but she didn’t feel anything to light it with. Making her way around the table, she called out again, “Jimmy? Jimmy?!” The lump thrashed and mumbled then was quiet. Lou reached the figure lying on the floor and felt along it, sure it had to be her missing husband. As her fingers traced the face, Lou’s heart raced. It was Jimmy. She had found him. “I knew something was wrong,” she stated to the darkness. Softly stroking his cheeks, she called out, “Jimmy? Jimmy it’s me, Lou. You’re going to be alright.” When his head turned towards her voice, Lou was desperate to hear him speak. After repeating his name several times, a hoarse voice whispered, “Lou?” then fell silent as he drifted off again. Tucking the blanket around his body, Lou told him that she would be right back and then ran to get her saddlebags. Before heading back into the shack, in the fading light Lou searched for the piece of flint that she always carried so that she could get a fired started right away to warm Jimmy up. “Ah! Here it is,” she cried happily holding the flint that Buck had insisted they all carry with them when they were on a run. Near the door, she noticed a snow covered pile and brushed away the snow to find a pile of kindling that she hoped was dry enough to light. Tossing her saddlebags inside the door, she gathered as much wood as she could carry and took it inside, kicking the door closed behind her. Lighting a fire in the dark was harder than she thought it would be. After a few mumbled cuss words, a spark took and slowly the flames fanned into a small fire. Grabbing a twig that was burning, Lou lit the candle she had found on the table. Shadows danced across the walls giving the room an eerie feeling, but allowed Lou to check Jimmy over. Kneeling next to him, she drew back the blanket he had been covered with. Immediately her eyes noticed the dark patch spread out over his left shoulder. “Oh, Jimmy!” she cried, “What happened to you?” She knew he had been shot, she just didn’t know why or by whom. She could see beads of sweat on his forehead and reached up to feel if he was feverish. “Damn!” she ground out touching his skin, finding it on fire. “I’ve got to get you near that fire Jimmy,” she told him, looking around the room to see if there might be anything she could use to make a pallet for him. A wooden box in one corner held two moth eaten blankets. “Can’t be choosy,” she said spreading them out in front of the fireplace. Once that was ready, she returned to where her husband was lying still unconscious. “Now, how do I get you over there?” she questioned out loud, pulling him into a sitting position against her. First, she tried to drag him by the arms, but he was dead weight and didn’t budge. Next she tried pulling him by the legs. That worked for several inches and then she couldn’t get him to move any further. Sitting on the floor next to him, she looked over at him, tears in her eyes. “Lord, help me out here! I gotta get him over to that fire so I can help him…” Wiping the tears from her face with the back of a hand, Lou moved so that she could sit with Jimmy’s shoulders in her lap. Working her arms under his, she positioned herself into a squat and pulled, almost falling over backwards as his body moved. “Yes!” she grinned, lifting him again and taking a crouched step backwards. By the time she finally maneuvered Jimmy’s body onto the blankets she had set out, she was winded and covered in sweat herself. In the light of the fire, Lou was able to look over her husband’s injuries more thoroughly. There was a gunshot wound to the left shoulder that she had noticed before, but the left wrist was also injured. It was swollen and deep purple, indicating that it might be broken. Trying not to jar his wrist, Lou struggled to ease his arm out of his jacket. The shirt, she just ripped since it was ruined anyhow. Using her cup to heat up some snow, Lou was able to clean the bullet wound. Lifting Jimmy’s body so that she could clean the backside of the wound, she was glad to see that the bullet had went clean through. “At least I don’t have to try and get a bullet out,” she muttered to herself, having had the unpleasant misfortune of doing that once for Sam when she rode for the Pony Express. After cleaning the wound, Lou tore one of her shirts into strips and wrapped them around the shoulder best she could. Next, she wrapped the wrist hoping that she was doing it correctly since she did not have a splint to hold it stable. Jimmy’s saddlebag was under the table and Lou found it as she sat next to Jimmy where he lay. Pulling it out, Lou found his spare shirt balled up. “Even if it is worn, it’s better than blood soaked,” she told the prone Jimmy as she ripped the rest of his ruined shirt off him. It was a struggle getting the other shirt onto him, causing Lou to grumble something like “It’s easier to dress a squirming baby than you.” Once Jimmy was bandaged and dressed, Lou tried to make him as comfortable as possible by balling up one of the shirts she wore and putting his blanket with the extra one she had brought around him. With nothing more that she could do for the moment, Lou went to check on the horses. “Poor Sundance! How long have you been out here in this cold?” Lou asked him, stroking his nose. He nuzzled her hand looking for food and she gave him some of the oats she had brought for her horse. She moved both horses to the back of the shack where they would at least be out of the wind. Giving them a pat and promising to check on them again, she went back in the shack. Digging in Jimmy’s bags, Lou found the coffee pot that he always took with him on trips. Filling it with snow, she set it near the fire to melt. Once it was melted, she put more snow in until the pot was full of water. “Now for something warm,” she murmured setting the pot back on to wait for the coffee to brew. Soon the smell filled the little shack. As she poured herself a cup of the dark, steaming liquid, Jimmy began to move around on his pallet. Setting the cup down, Lou turned towards him and said softly, “Jimmy? Jimmy it’s me Lou. I’m here now and you’re going to be fine.” His eyes fluttered open and tried to focus on the form leaning above him. Closing his eyes, he shifted towards her groaning as he moved his left shoulder. Gently pushing him back down, Lou told him, “You’ve been shot. You lost a lot of blood but it went clean through. Try not to move to much.” “Ummm…” he ground out, looking at his wife. “Your wrist is hurt too. I think it may be broke.” Jimmy’s eyes glanced down to where the hand lay across his chest. “Hurts,” he told her. “Try not to move it. I couldn’t find a splint for it,” Lou said, gently touching his cheek. At her touch, his eyes flew to her face. He could see the love and concern mirrored in her eyes. He lifted his right hand to her cheek and stroked it. “Glad… to see… you,” he rasped. A tear slid down her cheek as she held onto his hand. “I’m glad to see you too.” “Thirsty…” he mentioned, licking his parched lips. Lou scrambled to get his cup and her canteen of water. “Here you are. Take a small sip at first,” she told him, not sure how long it had been since he had last had a drink and she didn’t want it to upset his stomach. He took a small sip and then pushed the cup away. “Want…coffee. So cold…” She grabbed her cup and he took a long drink of the warm liquid. “Feels better,” he told her as the warmth spread through his stomach. After he drank almost half a cup, his eyes began to droop. “Why don’t you try to sleep,” Lou suggested adding some more wood to the fire. “Don’t leave,” he muttered, already half asleep. “No chance of that happening,” Lou promised him, settling herself next to him and drawing her blanket over the two of them. Jimmy snuggled against her and she kissed his forehead as he drifted off. Lou got up several time during the night to check on Jimmy and was relieved when she no longer felt a fever near day break. With nothing to do but wait until she felt Jimmy was able to be moved, Lou snuggled down under the blankets after checking on the horses and fell into a deep sleep. She awoke when she felt her arm being shaken. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Lou sat up on one elbow and looked around her, trying to remember where she was. ‘Jimmy,’ she thought sitting up straighter and looking to where he lay. A smile crossed her face when she saw him looking up at her with a big grin. “Well, hello there sleepy head!” he said to her pulling her towards him with his good hand. After kissing her soundly, he asked, “What happened? What are you doing here?” Enjoying his kiss, Lou had to focus on what he was saying. “Don’t you remember?” she asked sitting up. As he shook his head, Lou told him, “You were shot. Can you remember what happened before you were shot?” His brow furrowed as he tried to think back but drew a blank. “Nope. Don’t remember a thing.” Lou shook her head and looked at him. “You took Brody to Sioux City. You were supposed to be back two days ago. When you didn’t show by yesterday afternoon, I came looking for you,” Lou explained. “My guardian angel,” he said, stroking her hair. “Always looking out for me.” “Someone needs to,” she teased kissing him again. “Where’s Olivia?” Jimmy asked, concerned for their daughter. “At home. Widow Nelson is staying with her,” Lou told him grabbing the coffee pot and going to the door to fill it with snow. After the coffee was brewing she sat next to him, offering him some of the bread and butter she had brought with her. “I have some jerked beef too,” she told him as he tore into the bread. “You make the best bread, I swear Lou,” he told her taking the other piece she offered him. “After you eat, I’d like to take another look at your shoulder. I want to make sure it isn’t getting infected.” Jimmy nodded, his mouth full. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Once Lou was satisfied that the wound was healing and not infected, she helped Jimmy put his shirt back on. “I feel like a little kid!” he blurted in frustration as Lou buttoned his shirt for him. “It’s gonna take a while for your wrist to heal Jimmy,” Lou told him knowing how he hated feeling beholden to anyone, even her. With a grimace, Jimmy sat quietly as his wife finished with the buttons. “There! Now that wasn’t so bad was it?” she asked. Jimmy just glared at her. “Why don’t you get some rest,” she suggested, noticing that his face had paled with the changing of the bandage and dressing. “I don’t want to sleep. I want to get going,” he complained, starting to stand up. “Whoa, there! You aren’t going anywhere yet Jimmy,” Lou stated pushing him back down on the pallet. “It’s going to be at least another day before you’re ready to ride. And that will be with me riding behind you so you don’t fall off.” Jimmy looked cross at her and grumbled, “I ain’t ever fallen off a horse.” “I heard that!” Lou mentioned, tucking the blankets back around him. “I seem to remember a time or two when we rode for the Pony Express that you fell off your horse,” she teased. “Well, your memory must be failing you,” he scowled. After a moment, his arm snaked out and pulled her down to where he lay. “If I got to rest, I insist that you rest with me.” Lou shrugged and lifted the blanket to crawl in next to him. “Why not? Nothing else to do,” she told him snuggling next to him and laying her head on his chest. “I’m not hurting you, am I?” she asked when he took in a sharp breath. Jimmy tucked her head against him. “Just lay still Lou. It’ ain’t my shoulder that you got all bothered.” Lou pondered his words a moment before letting out a surprised, “Oh.” Resting her hand over his on his stomach, she told him, “You are feeling better!” Jimmy grunted and drifted off to sleep. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Lou announced that Jimmy was fit enough to ride by late afternoon the next day. It was slow going with the two of them riding double on Sundance, the larger of the two horses. Lou refused to let Jimmy ride by himself, sure that he wouldn’t be able to handle the horse on his own. “Would you stop squirming!” Lou told Jimmy for the tenth time. “Good, Lord. You’re worse than Olivia, I swear,” she grumbled almost falling off the back of the horse. “If you’d just let me ride by myself…” Jimmy protested at being babied by her. “Well, if you hadn’t gone and got yourself shot, you could!” came her retort, silencing him. About an hour outside of Omaha, Jimmy brought her attention to a small group of riders coming their way. They watched the group approach in silence, waiting to see if they knew the riders. To both of their relief, they recognized Sam the same time he recognized them. “Jimmy! Lou! Thank God you two are all right!” Sam called out. “He’s shot,” Lou told Sam, looking around her husband’s side. “What?” Sam asked with concern. “Who shot you?” he questioned his deputy. “Don’t know Sam. Can’t remember.” “He needs to see the doctor,” Lou mentioned as Sundance came even with Sam’s horse. “How bad is he?” Sam asked her, noticing his deputy’s pallor. “Bullet went through the left shoulder, doesn’t look infected but Doc can tell us for sure. Also, his wrist looks like it may be broken,” she told him not paying attention to Jimmy who was trying to interrupt their conversation. “You two can stop talking about me like I ain’t even here!” he demanded. “I can tell ya what’s wrong myself!” Two other men that Lou didn’t recognize sat on their horses behind Sam. Not wanting to seem rude, Lou thanked them for coming out to look for her husband. “No problem, Mrs. Hickok,” the shorter man, who said his name was Waters, told her. The other named Simons, nodded to her. Jimmy just nodded at the two men, not feeling like talking anymore. He was more tired than he would admit to his wife. Sam and the other’s turned their horses back towards Omaha and fell in beside Lou and Jimmy. “How’s Emma?” Lou asked. Tilting his hat back, Sam grinned from ear to ear. “The new momma couldn’t be happier!” he told her. Jimmy and Lou turned to look at him. “Congratulations,” Jimmy offered as Lou demanded, “What did she have?” “You are looking at the proud papa of a little girl!” Sam beamed, putting a cigar in his mouth and lighting it. “A name Sam…” Lou prompted, waiting impatiently. “What? Oh, a name. Lila Rose. Emma picked it.” “Well, I think it’s pretty,” Lou told Sam with a smile. “Let’s get you two back to town and we’ll see about Jimmy’s wounds and then you can head over to see Emma and the baby. I’m sure she will be glad to see you, Lou,” Sam told them anxious to get home to his wife and newborn daughter and to the bottom of his deputy’s shooting. “Sounds good to me, Sam,” Jimmy mumbled before drifting off into a troubled and cumbersome sleep against his wife. 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