A cloud of dust kicked up as ranch hands rushed towards the main corral. News travels fast in K&L. Once the workers heard from Jim that Kid was trying to break the new horse -- and that he was having a rather painful time at it -- everybody dropped what they were doing and ran to watch the show.

Louisa was the first to notice the flurry of activity. She was standing before the sink scrubbing potatoes. Lou was sitting at the table, slicing carrots for dinner. 

"Lou?" Louisa glanced worriedly over her shoulder, unsure how to warn her friend of what she thought was trouble. "Your men seem to be in an awful lot of hurry."

"What?" Lou awkwardly pushed herself up and away from the table. As she peered out of the small window, Lou saw Paul laugh and shove his youngest son, Richie, behind him. The frown on her brow slowly cleared as she realized what the rush was about. She turned towards Isa and grinned wickedly. "I bet someone is trying to break a new horse. And judging by the smiles on those faces," she nodded towards the window, "it's my husband who is getting his ass kicked."

"Oh!" Isa was confused by the devilish glint in Lou's eye.

Lou laughed, "Kid'll be fine. His ego and his behind will be sore tonight, but he'll survive. He and Buck are used to this. They got tossed a lot when we were riders." She turned around so Louisa can untie the apron strings on her back. Louisa took hers off, too, and draped them over a chair. Together, the two women headed towards the door.

"Didn't you help out?" Louisa heard a lot about the riders from Cody, but she still couldn't believe that the petite beauty and soon-to-be mother of three beside her masqueraded as a boy to ride for the Pony Express.

"Sure I did. But I wasn't stubborn enough to keep jumping on a horse that didn't want me," Lou winked mischievously at Isa, who laughed in return.

Kid saw stars circling before his eyes. He was content to watch them for a minute or two, but his men were screaming for blood -- his blood. He threw a disgusted look at the grinning ranch hands perched on the corral fence.

"I don't think Lou will think any less of you if you quit now." Despite his teasing tone, Buck was serious as he peered at his friend's dazed countenance. "Besides, you're not courtin' anymore."

"Funny. Very funny. You're a funny guy, have I told you that?" Kid grumbled as he let himself be pulled up by Buck and Jim. The feeling on his behind was slow to return and he tried to buy himself some time by dusting his pant seat repeatedly. "How long was I on?"

"Didn't even touch the saddle!" A new voice joined the noisy crowd. 

Kid looked at his wife, a half-smile on his face. "You said that before," he reminded her, "And I think I said 'Go try it yourself.'"

Lou straightened away from the fence and walked inside the corral. "You said it," she said, as the ranch hands behind her hooted with laughter and cheers of encouragement.

Kid knew he made a mistake as soon as the words left his mouth. He forgot how much his very pregnant wife enjoyed dares. "I was joking, Lou," he said, uneasiness apparent in his voice. "You're not getting on that blasted horse."

"Of course, I'm not." Lou pulled her husband's head down for a quick kiss. "But it was funny seeing you go pale."

"Gonna try again, Mr. Kid?" Jim asked enthusiastically. He wanted to get on the horse himself and fervently prayed that his boss was tired of getting thrown.

Abandoning his pride, Kid looped an arm around his wife's shoulders and limped out of the corral. "Nope, I'll leave the taming of that wild beast to you. Buck?"

"I'll take care of this, old man," Buck grinned.

Louisa rushed to follow as Kid and Lou walked towards the main house, but Kid had other ideas. "Why don't you stay and watch, Isa? The boys won't have much fun showing off if there aren't pretty women around."

"But I'm not done with the potatoes," she protested weakly.

Kid and Lou didn't hear her though. Kid was whispering something that was making his wife blush prettily. Isa watched for a moment, a bit of envy creeping into her heart. She thought of her own husband and wondered where he was and if he was safe. Does he even think of me? Does he think of our child? Louisa felt tears on her face and brushed them away. She can't seem to think about anything these days without crying. Lou told her it was because she was with child. She didn't tell her friend she cried often even when she was not pregnant.

A shout snapped her out of her reverie. "Miss Louisa, Miss Louisa," called Lauren. Paul and Rose's fourteen-year-old daughter waved at her from the other side of the corral. Isa made her way around several shouting men and women before reaching Lauren's side.

"Everybody seems to be here. Are they finished for the day?" Louisa asked. Because of the noise, she had to shout her question a couple of times before Lauren understood.

"Oh, the lot of them still have chores to do but it isn't often we get a horse this stubborn," the younger woman shouted back, nodding towards the animal inside the corral.

It was the first time Louisa had seen the horse up close and even to her untrained eye, it was magnificent. Fifteen hands, at least, the animal stood proudly in the middle of the corral, his midnight black coat gleaming with sweat. He was currently without rider, for he had tossed Jim into the mud again. He snorted -- with a hint of mischief, Louisa suspected -- and dared another man to try his strength. As if aware that he was being admired, the horse reared and raised its hooves in an impressive display of power. And with the glorious colors of the setting sun in the background, Louisa knew she had never seen a more beautiful sight.

"He is beautiful, isn't he?" Louisa whispered to no one in particular.

"He sure is," Lauren answered softly, her voice dreamy. "Mr. Buck is the most beautiful man in the territory, maybe even the whole West."

"What?" Louisa gaped at the young woman whose besotted gaze landed just past Louisa's shoulder. "I meant the horse, he's beautiful."

"He is actually a she. But yeah, the horse is beautiful," a masculine voice replied.

Louisa jumped a foot when she saw Buck standing beside her. She didn't hear him approach and blamed the quickening of her heartbeat to the surprise of finding him next to her. Lauren smiled shyly at Buck. The smile slipped a bit when Buck ruffled her hair like an indulgent uncle.

Louisa continued to stare at Buck in confusion. "I'm sorry. What did you say?" she asked.

Buck grinned and Louisa was struck by the truth in Lauren's statement. Black eyebrows slashed above deep-set eyes. The fading light accentuated his impossibly high cheekbones which narrowed towards a straight nose, a well-sculpted mouth and a firm jaw. Buck is a beautiful man.

"The horse, it's a mare, actually," Buck clarified.

"Oh," Louisa's gaze shifted from Buck's face to the horse, trying to make sure he wasn't pulling her leg. When she saw the evidence, or lack of, she colored with embarrassment. "I didn't notice," she said weakly.

The playful child in Buck -- which didn't often come out -- enjoyed her discomfort. He had been watching her since she and Lou joined the rambunctious ranch hands. "Maybe you weren't looking were it mattered," he said in a low tone and laughed when her face turned even redder. 

"Mr. Buck," Rose admonished the young man with a bark and a glare. She arrived just in time to hear Buck's outrageous remarks. There was a naughty glint in her eye when she added, "Mr. Spoon taught you better than to tease young ladies." 

"Ain't teasing, ma'am," Buck said, though his tone said otherwise. "Just making an observation." With that he tipped his hat respectfully at the ladies and returned to the corral, all the while whistling a happy tune.

"My, my, I sure am glad to see Mr. Buck back to his cheerful old self," Rose sighed. "Didn't think the boy would smile again after ..."

Rose's words were cut short when Kid's voice rang out from inside the main house. "Buck, Buck, get a doctor. Quick. The baby is on its way out!"
 
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