A KNOT TO UNTIE
By DD
An huge thanks to my wonderful beta-reader Broedy!!
Chapter 1Rock Creek, Nebraska Territory, December 1861.
When Mrs Louise McCloud entered Tompkins' store the customers' chatter stopped abruptly. It was almost three months since she had dropped her disguise to marry Kid, but some people still couldn't understand how she could deceive everyone and live in a such indecorous way.
Actually most of the townspeople didn't care very much about it, but the ones who were in the store at that moment didn't think that way. In the corner where Tompkins put the dresses and the other accessories there was a group of girls of about Lou's age. They observed her with a mixture of curiosity and fear. Lou could easily imagine what they were thinking: she's that girl rider! The one who can shoot and who slept in the same room with a lot of men!
Lou noticed their narrowed eyes, but pretended she didn't. She knew them superficially, she'd seen them during the few social dances she had attended. She never approached them and they never noticed her, but she knew a little about them: there were the pretty ones and the others who followed the pretty ones around like puppies.
She huffed while she began to pick the items she needed. These were the things that made her not regret not having lived as a 'normal' girl.
"Hey Lou, what can I do for you?"
Tompkins' greeting raised some giggles. He addressed her like she was still a rider, but Lou didn't care – she would have found strange if he'd called her 'Mrs MCloud' when she had once hit him in the head with a skillet!
"These, for now," she said, putting her purchases on the counter. "Then I have to choose some underwear. For that I'll be fine by myself, thanks."
She made for the shelves, and passed the group of young women. Lou greeted them with a "good morning."
They remained silent, staring at her, a that fact made her a little nervous.
In the end a chubby girl with a gentle face responded to her. "Good morning, Mrs McCloud."
Lou smiled at her. 'Well, maybe they aren't all made the same way, then,' she thought. She took what she needed, but when she continued to feel their eyes on her she grew angry. 'They truly haven't something better to do?!'
"Mr Tompkins?" she said, raising her voice. "Do you have any more longjohns? I need another pair for Buck." Lou stressed the last word and heard the women suck their breath. A smirk painted her face.
"Look on the last shelf!" Tompkins answered.
She stood on her tiptoes and stretched to reach the shelf. 'The boys never are around when I need them,' she thought.
Suddenly one arm extended over her shoulder and some buckskin fringes tickled her cheek.
"Let me help you, miss," said a well known voice.
"Cody?!" she exclaimed, turning.
"Lou!" The young man took a step back.
"Cody! I can't believe you are here!"
She hugged him tightly. She hadn't seen him since September, when he left as a scout with the Army. She hadn't been able to stop the tears then, because she had felt like she was losing another member of the family. Cody returned the hug, lifting her off the ground, to the astonishment of the girls.
"I didn't know I have this effect on you, Lou. Better not tell your husband!" the ex-rider joked.
"Don't flatter yourself, now," she chided him, playfully smacking his chest.
"Hey, your hair has grown," he said then, picking up one dark lock in his finger "That's why I didn't recognize you. You was right, Buck," he continued, addressing their Indian friend who had remained to the side. "She became a real woman!"
"Hey!" Lou glared the Kiowa. "What do you mean, 'a real woman'? And here I was buying a pair of longjohns for you!"
"That explains why those girls are watching us with that expression." Buck grinned.
They couldn't help but laugh then, and when Lou went to pay Tompkins he greeted them with, "You guys are always the same."
When they finally left the store Cody stopped and placed his hands on Lou's shoulders. He observed her seriously for a moment and then he shook his head, disappointed.
"It's a pity…"
Lou stared at him, confused. "What?"
"You still ain't pregnant."
Her cheeks became scarlet, then she got angry. She suspected this was one of their bets.
"What the heck are you saying? We've only married for three months! And even if I was, I still wouldn't be showing yet," she added in a lower tone.
"Well, you two danced more'n three months ago, didn't you?" Cody whispered mischievously in her ear.
"Cody!" Lou smacked his chest hard, while Buck laughed heartily.
"What are we standing around here for?" Lou said, trying to recover a little dignity. "If we go home I'll fix you something to eat. You must be starving."
Lou took their arms and steered them toward the waystation, while her friends looked at each other above her head, terrified.
"W-well Lou, I'm not very hungry now. I'll wait until Rachel's done at the school." Cody remembered all too well the meal Lou had prepared for him before he left. He wasn't able to refuse that time, and he wasn't looking forward to a repeat of the experience. Maybe only Kid's love could make something cooked by Louise McCloud edible.
"Don't be silly. Rachel wouldn't be back for a couple of hours…""B-but, don't worry…actually, I've eaten already. Right, Buck?" Cody looked at his friend, hoping he would take the hint.
"Sure," he responded. "When we stopped by to see Teaspoon he gave us some sandwiches."
"And since when does Teaspoon keep sandwiches in his office?" The small but surprisingly strong woman tightened the hold on her friends' arms. "What's going on?" Her voice sounded quietly serious, but Buck and Cody knew it was the calm before the storm.
"Ah… Lou, do you remember the last time you tried to cook without Rachel?" Buck tried to explain.
"Why? What happened?" Cody said, he began to be afraid.
"Well, let's just say that…the chicken was a bit too cooked and the kitchen needed to be repainted," Buck said with a smirk.
They could laugh about it now, but they'd been truly scared that day. Lou had been overcome by the smoke and Buck had had to carry her out of the house. Fortunately Kid wasn't there, out for one of his last runs, otherwise he would surely have had the first heart attack of his married life.
Lou disentangled her arms and crossed them over her chest.
"Ouff! It was an accident, and it happened months ago. I've gotten better since then," she pouted. She tried her best – it wasn't her fault if her mother had never taught her how to cook and if Rachel was always too occupied with the school.
"C'mon, Lou, don't get upset," Cody said.
"You're good at a lot of other things." Buck tried to flatter her.
"Such as?" she wanted to know.
"You're the fastest rider between here and Cottonwood," Buck said.
"Yes!" Cody continued. "And I never saw anyone more determined than you to hold your own in a fight..."
"And with a gun in your hand," Buck completed his friend's sentence.
"In women's things, I mean," said Lou.
The two ex-riders fell silent and looked at each other, trying desperately to find something to say.
"Well..." The girl glared at them, but they could say nothing.
"Ha! So you do think I can't do it!" she exclaimed angry. "Fine, then I'll prepare a wonderful dinner especially for you two. And you'll have to eat everything!"
She lifted her chin and stomped away. She would prove to them what Louise McCloud was capable of when she put to mind something. But soon she began to regret her promise. How would she do it? It was true, without Rachel she could do very little, and her friend was busy with examinations at school. But Lou would never surrender.
"Mrs McCloud…" a voice called her, distracting her from her thoughts.
"Yes?" Lou responded with a still furious tone.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. You forgot your purse in the store."
Lou turned and saw the girl who had smiled at her in Tompkins' store. She was a little taller than her, with a round face and sweet grey eyes. Lou blushed.
"Oh, thank you…"she said, embarrassed, as she took the purse she was giving her.
The girl outstretched her hand. "We've never been introduced. My name's Penelope Barnes, but everyone calls me Penny."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Penny. Call me Louise."
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Louise," she responded. "I don't want to seem rude but… I heard you might have some problems cooking."
'Like half of the town, I was yelling in the middle of Main Street,' Lou thought angrily.
"If you want I can help you," Penny continued.
"Truly?" Lou asked with incredulity
"Truly."