It was a nice, quiet evening at the Sweetwater station. It was almost a week after Teaspoon had found out the truth about Lou… Louise. Teaspoon had a hard time trying to cope with the fact that that little, puny girl had fooled him for so long, but when the boys had told him that even they had not immediately discovered the true identity of their fellow rider, he was kind of relieved. Now he was mostly amazed by her ability, matching the whole bunch of boys in riding skills and everything.
After supper they all went out the bunkhouse, to enjoy the light evening breeze, sitting on the porch. Teaspoon and Rachel were on two chairs, with Lou on the floor between them, Jimmy and Cody leaning against the posts of the porch, Buck and Noah sitting on the floor with their back against the wall, Kid and Ike on the steps with their arms supporting their backs.
Teaspoon was looking over all his boys, and his girl, too, gazing on her intently. She sensed his stare and smiled at him when he leaned to give her a tender stroke on her hair. She closed her eyes, happy he wasn't angry she had fooled him for a while, pretending to be a boy.
"Look at her, she is so happy!" the blond Cody exclaimed, pointing at Lou.
"And she is right to be!" Teaspoon replied, stroking again her short hair and combing her.
"Teaspoon, Lou's not a dog, don't need to pet her like that".
"As far as I know, most girls like to be caressed and combed and since she had to pretend to be a boy, she didn't get it for a long time, maybe Emma did it sometimes, Rachel, too, but since now I can coddle her, I want to do it because she deserves it, she is a very good rider and such a nice girl. Besides, Cody" said Teaspoon with a wink, "to me Lou is more like a cat than a dog, a little, sweet, nice, pretty pussycat".
She smiled and blushed visibly, making everybody laugh.
"Meow!"
All they boys went silent hearing a meow, so perfect that they turned around to look for a cat in the nearby. Lou giggled and meowed again, making all them know she was doing it. Then she rubbed her head against Teaspoon's hand, arching her back, and then stretched her arms to the floor exactly the way a cat would do it. They started a soft laugh, Ike clapping his hand on his thigh to call her like a cat, Buck clicking his tongue to get her attention, but everybody almost froze when she moved toward each of them, rubbing her head against Buck and Noah's knees, Jimmy and Cody's calves, finally passing under Kid and Ike's arms, the very same way cats do. She stopped to play with Ike's hat, attacking its string, ending her move stretching and crouching down like a cat.
"Ah, well, we've got a real nice pussycat, indeed, see, don't you, boys?" Teaspoon called, slapping his knee with a smirk, watching intently one particular rider who seemed mesmerized after the cat-a-like Lou.
Rachel stood up and disappeared for a while into the bunkhouse, re-appearing a short later bringing a small bowl with some milk, calling the cat-a-like Lou. Lou moved to reach it, meowing soundly. She lapped it, and then licked her mouth to clean herself from the milk dripping toward her chin. Finally she moved back to her first place, next to Teaspoon, tipping her head back, making him understand she was looking for some more coddles. He gladly obliged and petted her on her head and throat. That's when they heard her purring.
The boys finally were back to reality after being charmed by her eye-catching moves.
"She's a real cat!" Billy said.
They all laughed, watching Lou taking her place back between Teaspoon and Rachel, sitting with crossed legs, Indian style.
"Yeah, Lou, how can you do… that?" Buck asked.
Lou smiled with a faraway look and started to explain.
"Back at the orphanage there were some really friendly cats in the yard that we often played with. One day, when it was pouring like no other times, the sisters came out with the idea of a new game we could play inside, they challenged us to mimic the cats, promising to the best a piece of chocolate. I was so fond of it. So, you know how a strong motivation can make me do whatever I set my mind on, don't you?"
Everybody laughed again, most of them trying to figure a younger Lou, playing a cat to get some chocolate. All the boys were smiling, but some appeared more at ease than others. Teaspoon was closely watching his boys' faces, then chuckled.
"Lou, have the boys disturbed you at night lately? Maybe snoring too loud or tossin' too much?" Teaspoon inquired.
"Not at all, I'm kind of used to them now, their snoring sounds like some sort of lullaby for me."
"Then, should I think they have made something wrong, maybe teasing you too far for being a girl?" Teaspoon went on.
"Nope, why?" she replied, a frown of worry marring her serene features.
"Well, as far as I can see, they won't fall promptly asleep as before now, I'd bet they will have a hard time to get to sleep, so it made me got the thought you wanted some sort of revenge".
Teaspoon winked at Rachel then at Lou. She blushed and he stroked her hair another time, chuckling, making everybody smile once again.
Then the boys and Lou moved inside, after bidding goodnight to Rachel and Teaspoon.
After everyone stripping down to their long-johns, the bunkhouse was at last quiet.
Sometime later every eye was tight shut. All the riders were sleeping quite soundly...all except one.
Kid tossed and turned in his bunk unable to rest. Finally opening his eyes he took a peek toward the bunk down below, thus catching sight of Lou. He silently eased down off his bunk, worried about his male friends. No one stirred, so he went to kneel down next to Lou and stopped breathing a moment to admire her.
She looked so tender, so beautiful. With a gentle finger he moved a few loose strands of her auburn hair from her forehead. Kid started to comb her hair, enjoying the soft, silky sensation. Then he couldn't help anymore acting on his deep feelings, moving to shower her face with soft kisses and finally concentrating on her lips. They were so inviting, so relaxed as he kissed them. Lou stirred. He turned his head to look at Lou's eyes, she was so beautiful.
"Am I really that interesting when I'm sleepin'?"
"Always to me, my little pussycat".