Chapter 3

Neighs and nickers mingled with chatter and laughter at the K&L ranch. Though the sun was barely up, the ranch hands were already hard at work. Some exercised horses inside the ranch's four corrals, while others busied themselves giving the animals in the stables their morning feed. Paul, the ranch foreman, was talking to a young man near the main stable, instilling in him the finer points of mucking a stall, when Buck passed by on his way to the house. The older man waved a hand in greeting before turning back toward his young charge.

The main house sat in the middle of the expansive spread. Throughout the years, several rooms had been added to the house that was once owned by the former Emma Shannon. She gave the house, as well as the land it sat on, to Kid and Lou as a wedding gift back in 1861, when the two riders were newly-married. With buckets of sweat, back-breaking hard work and loads of patience, Kid, Lou and Buck were able to turn the former station house into one of the most prestigious ranches/stud farms in the Nebraska territory.

A pair of warm eyes followed Buck as he made his way across the clearing,walking towards the main house. Rose, Paul's wife, listened to the woes of Jack, the stable hand in front of her, with half an ear. The elderly woman watched as various ranch workers yelled good morning to Buck. There was no doubt the young man was well-loved. She, herself, considered Buck a son, a member of her family.

Rose watched thoughtfully as one of the new girls at the White Dove "establishment" swooped in to flirt with Buck ... or at least, tried to. The girls always came up with a reason to visit the ranch. The ranch, with all its single male workers, gave the cathouse decent business, but Rose knew the reason for the many of the visits was the handsome young Indian, who, right now, appeared to be oblivious to the attentions of the buxom blonde. Will they never learn, Rose wondered with a slight shake of his head. Buck would smile and say polite things but he would never accept an invitation to visit the cathouse's very busy beds.

Not that he needed to pay for his pleasure, Rose thought dryly. Even those sniveling young ladies who acted like they didn't want an Indian's touch to soil their pristine hands wanted Buck. Like that Miss Lydia Parker, daughter of the bank owner. Rose knew all about her attempts to seduce Buck when he and Paul went into town to pick up supplies for the ranch. She made sure Miss Parker knew. After giving her a tongue lashing, she spent an extra minute in church asking the Lord to guide the soul of that wanton woman.

Rose looked Buck over with all the objectivity of a mother. Tall, dark, impossibly handsome with a hint of restrained danger lurking behind his eyes. Who wouldn't be tempted to flaunt convention?

Oblivious to the thoughts concerning him, Buck entered the main house and headed straight towards the kitchen, all the while calling out, "Lou? Kid? Anybody here?"

"Here," came a muffled response. Buck pushed open the door to the kitchen and found Rose's two young sons sitting at the table, munching on sausages and freshly-baked rolls.

"G'morning, Mr. Buck," Jim, the older of the two, said in between bites of pastry and meat. Richie didn't bother to greet Buck, waving at him instead as he tried to wash down the food in his mouth with coffee.

Buck smiled at the siblings. The two kids who used to follow him around wherever he went six years ago have grown into fine young men, albeit they still had the manners of little boys. "Chew," he ordered softly, ruffling Jim's hair as he went straight to the cupboard to get a tin cup. "Where are Lou and Kid?" he asked as he walked back to the table. He turned a chair around before straddling it.

"The marshall went into town early," Richie supplied. "Miss Lou, we don't know." 

"I saw her at the stables this morning but when I went back later she was already gone. Is there a problem Mr. Buck?" Jim asked a bit worriedly. Buck shook his head. Lou was already in her last month of pregnancy and she had no business loitering around the ranch. Of course, he saw no point in alarming the kids with his opinion of Lou's obstinacy. "Just wanted to see how she was doing."

Buck was damn sure what Kid wanted was for Lou to stay put since she was in her ninth month. But he should have known his stubborn friend would refuse to lessen her duties despite the fact that she could barely walk with her huge belly. Why, she was probably taking charge of the birthing of one of the horses right this moment. Alarmed by the image in his head, Buck stood up and tossed back the last of his coffee, wincing a bit as the hot liquid burned his throat. "I'll see you later," he hurriedly told the two young men before heading out of the kitchen.

As he opened the door, he ran smack right into Kid. "There you are," he greeted his good friend.

"Yes, here I am. Were you looking for me?" Kid asked. "Why were you looking for me?" His boyishly attractive face paled. "There's nothing wrong with Lou, is there?" Spinning around, Kid headed toward the stairs, bounding up the steps two at a time, all the while shouting, "Lou, sweetheart? Love? Honey? Are you in bed?"

And this is the marshall of danger-filled Sweetwater, Buck thought. The man known far and wide as a just and yet dangerous man. The man who, in the past couple of weeks, had become a nervous wreck because of his pregnant wife.

Amused by his friend's actions, Buck followed Kid and tried to tell him Lou wasn't in the house. But Kid was off and running before Buck could utter a single word. Buck made several attempts at restraining the expectant father until he realized the futility of the situation. Finally, Buck gave up and sat on the stairs' last step. The sight of his even-tempered friend running around like a headless chicken, in search of his pregnant wife was too funny even for Buck. Leaning against the wall, he laughed silently as he waited for Kid to calm down.

"Buck, she isn't here," Kid barked.

"I could have told you that myself, my friend, but you were too busy," Buck responded dryly.

"Where could that damn woman be?" Kid asked angrily. Despite having gone through two pregnancies, Lou and Kid could never agree on what Lou is allowed to do, especially on her last month. Lou insisted on continuing with her work on the ranch. Kid demanded she stayed in bed, sewing clothes for the new baby. Lou wanted to go on her daily rides. Kid pleaded for her to abandon this idea and try walking very, very, very slowly, instead.

Buck shook his head. "I was about to look for her myself. Why don't we do that together? he said, traces of humor still obvious in his voice. Putting his arms around Kid, he led his friend outside of the house.

Kid shot him a suspicious glance. "You're laughing at me," he said crossly.

Buck let out a loud whoop, the laughter he had been trying to hold back finally bursting. "That I am, my friend, that I am," he answered with no remorse whatsoever.

"Dammit, Lou!"

Lou gasped at her husband's voice. She spun around and found herself falling from the second step on the ladder on which she was perched. She didn't have time to scream, immediately finding herself enveloped in Kid's warm, yet shaky, embrace.

Kid had the look of a man who was ready to tear his russet-colored hair from its roots. His face was contorted in concern and terror. His gentle blue eyes were glazed with terror for his beloved spouse. "I blink my eyes for two seconds and you're up on ladders doing God knows what. Dammit, Lou, you can't do this to me."

Gesturing towards the lovely blossoms on the pot she left dangling from a low beam, she said innocently, "I just wanted to put some flowers."

"Inside the stable?" Kid asked incredulously. Tearing his gaze from the obstinate jut of his wife's chin, he shot a look at Buck, obviously seeking inspiration. Who was she decorating the stable for? The horses? Buck responded with a helpless shrug. He had no idea how Lou's mind worked half the time anyway.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Lou wriggled out of Kid's arms. With arms on her hips, her usually gentle brown eyes flashing with irritation, Lou was the very picture of pregnant indignation.

A bit taken aback by the force in Lou's voice, Kid answered with extreme patience, "No. But what I do have a problem with is you climbing ladders without help. You could have asked any of the ranch hands. Even Paul would have come running if you just asked."

"I wanted to do it myself," Lou wailed. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms awkwardly around Kid's waist and to her absolute amazement, she burst into tears.

"Oh no, Lou, please, sweetheart, don't cry," Kid soothed his wife. He was puzzled and anxious. Buck wasn't much help, either. He was limited to shrugging his shoulders and looking as confused as Kid. "I'll help you put the flowers up myself, just don't cry."

Lou pulled away from Kid and took out her handkerchief. After blowing her nose, she said somewhat thickly, "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." She smiled weakly to reassure her poor husband, "I'm fine, really. Don't worry."

"Are you sure?" Kid eyed his wife as one might eye a crazy horse.

"I'm ugly," Lou announced unexpectedly.

Kid didn't even blink at his beloved wife's strange statement. His eyes glowed brightly with love. "No," he corrected gently. "You are the most beautiful person in the world. I love you, Lou."

Lou linked her arms around her husband's neck and pulled him down. "I love you, Kid." They managed one kiss before they were interrupted by a commotion from outside the barn.

"Surprise!" a familiar voice rang out. 

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