Chapter 1

The journey to Rock Creek was as rough and hard as they had imagined it would be. The weather sometimes made it impossible to advance as much as they'd like. They had to be stationary for hours or even days, waiting for the bad weather to settle. As a result of the climate, the roads were sometimes bumpy, rough and difficult for circulation. On one occasion, one of the wagon wheels had rolled into a pothole and its axle had fallen apart as a consequence. Paul had to ride to the nearest town for a replacement, which had been another cause for further delay.

Travelling with children wasn't easy either. They had to stop continually, whenever Joseph felt he had 'to go'. As a child, it was naturally he couldn't hold back or whenever Alice was in a special fussy mood, they had to stop too. On those latter occasions, Lou had to get off the covered wagon and let the girl breathe some fresh air, and it seemed that did the trick. Most times Alice calmed down and they could go on. Yet, there were times that nothing seemed to appease her. The problem was that

Alice was starting to teethe and the poor girl was naturally complaining.

Despite all the discomforts, Kid was enjoying the journey. Travelling had always been second nature to him. Since very young he had drifted from one place to another, and sometimes he missed the freedom and sensations he had experienced in those olden days. During this trip he was re-encountering an almost forgotten part of himself, and somehow all this travelling was making him reminisce about when he had been a young Pony Express rider. That had been a special time for him and he had loved riding against the wind and witnessing the change of seasons or sleeping under the stars.

Likewise, this journey was also significant and enjoyable. It was a pleasure to his eyes to watch the change of landscapes as they travelled from state to state. Today they had crossed the Nebraska border and they would reach Rock Creek in just a couple of days. Kid couldn't wait to get there and rest. The only thing that kept worrying him was Lou. She still hadn't said anything about his marriage proposal, not a single word, nothing at all. Of course he had really meant what he had told her. He was ready to wait for her for as long as it took, but deep down he had hoped that she would say yes right away. If only he knew what she thought about it. It would make him feel more reassured if he had the least idea what her feelings were. Lou was as affectionate as always, but she wouldn't speak up. Kid often felt the urge to ask her, but always ended up chickening out. He was afraid to scare her away or make her think he was an annoying pest.

His eyes were fixed on the fire in front of him. Paul lay asleep a few feet from him and Lou and the children were also resting in the covered wagon. The night was cold but peaceful. The stars shone above his head and the moon was just a thin slice in the dark sky. The only light came from the bonfire in the middle of the camp, the combination of shadows reflecting on his face.

With just his thoughts and the silence keeping him company, Kid gave a start as a couple of hands clasped his torso from behind. His mouth split into a big smile, on noticing Lou's lips planting a kiss on his rough cheek. "Hmm, you need a good shave," Lou said as she sat next to him and Kid automatically wrapped her in his blanket, bringing her closer.

"What are you doing up?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

"And you?" Louise asked instead of answering his question.

"Just thinking."

"Thinking about what?" she asked again.

"About you… like always," Kid replied, brushing his cheek against hers. "You are all I think about."

They stared into each other's eyes for a few minutes and very slowly Kid lowered his face and met her enticing lips. They started softly but the passion gradually mounted, and they let themselves get carried away. It was weeks since they had been able to share some intimate moments together and their reactions and feelings were just a natural response to that absence. Despite the cold temperature, Lou's body was on fire, every inch of her skin longed for him. She let him know about her intentions very clearly when she shifted and straddled him without neglecting his mouth or the caresses she was generously bestowing upon him.

As Lou rubbed against him, Kid felt his body react instantly and tried to stop. "Lou, no…"

Louise was panting as she looked into his eyes with a confused expression. "Why not, Kid? I've been very patient during all these months and I think it's time we gave each other a little treat. I need you."

"Lou, we can't. Paul's sleeping right there."

"Oh he won't awake. You know he sleeps like a log. And if he does wake up, maybe he'll like watching us," Lou replied with a mischievous smile.

Kid chuckled, amused. "But 'I' don't like being watched."

"Then let's get lost for a while. We can have a quick…uh…ride. We'll be back before anybody misses us."

Without a word Kid moved her from his lap onto the trunk beside him. "Lou, believe me, saying no now is killing me and you know how I feel. I don't want our first time to be like this, in the middle of nowhere, jumping on each other as if we were a couple of…"

"Beasts?" Lou cut in roughly, annoyed not only by his refusal but also by his comment. "That's what I am, Kid! A filthy animal! Remember where I was for the last years… in the wild and you know what animals do, what I did there."

Kid sighed tiredly. "Why do you keep bringing all that up? Why do you keep torturing yourself… torturing us with that?"

"Not talking about it won't make it disappear. I'm not a perfect, pure, untouched damsel. I can't really understand why you treat me like one when you know all my dirty secrets."

Kid stared at her with a flabbergasted expression. "Lou, we won't be able to start a new life if you can't forgive yourself. You can't keep doing this to yourself. Nobody is judging you… except you."

Louise softened at his words. She wasn't sure why she had reacted so harshly. Lately she was a nervous wreck and the closer they got to Rock Creek, the worse her nerves were. Tonight she had wanted a little release, that's all. "I'm… I'm sorry," she muttered in a low voice.

"Lou, I love you… just the way you are… with your past, your present and especially your future. I know who you are and you're not what people in Richmond said about you."

"I… I love you too," she managed to say. He was right, but she still felt something very strange in her heart, in her whole self. She couldn't really see herself in that neat light he talked about. She still saw darkness and shadows before her eyes.

"I want to be with you too more than anything in this world… Maybe when we get to Rock Creek?"

Louise smiled and snuggled closer to him. "Can I at least sleep with you tonight?"

Kid didn't reply and simply spread another bedroll next to his. They lay down, their arms quickly searching for each other and Kid covered both their bodies with a couple of blankets. They remained quiet in a close embrace, hearing the creaking of the kindling as it burned in the campfire, the sounds of the animals and birds, and Paul's deep breathing.

"Do you remember when we used to spend nights like this in our Pony Express days?" Kid asked after a lengthy pause.

"Yes," Lou answered in a nostalgic tone. "We used to sleep like this even before we were a couple." She especially remembered that soon after Jed was killed, Teaspoon had sent them on a ride and on those nights under the stars she had crept next to him and held him tightly, letting him know she was there for him. In the morning they never mentioned it. It had been just something that Kid needed at that point and there was no reason to say a word about it. "We were so young and innocent," she let out in a sigh.

Silence responded to her comment and when she stole a glance in his direction, she realized that he had fallen asleep. Louise smiled and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, snuggling even closer. As she lay awake next to him in the dark, she kept smiling. It was strange that after all the years and the events in her life, she had ended up returning to the first and only man she had ever really loved. They might fight, she might get into one of her weird moods, but at the end of the day Kid was always there for her. He sometimes understood her better than she did, or at least he always found the way to appease her. He was really the man she needed in her life, the man that made her happy. She didn't want to lose him ever again. She wanted him forever and longed to fall in his arms every night like today. Maybe it was time for her to do something, to settle matters for once and all.

When Kid woke up the following morning, he instantly realized that Lou was gone. The sunrays fell on his eyes and he lifted a hand to block them. "Morning, sleepyhead," a male voice greeted him.

Kid sat up, brushing his hand over his unruly hair. "Morning, Paul," he answered and looking around the camp, he asked, "Where are Lou and the children?"

"She went to the creek with the children to collect some water," Paul replied, pouring a cup of steaming coffee, which Kid accepted gladly. "You seem to have had a delightful night."

Kid sent him a confused look, wondering whether Paul might have heard something of what he and Lou had been talking about the night before. "What do you mean?"

"You and Louise looked so sweet, so lovely, so peaceful this morning, glued to each other under the blankets," Paul remarked teasingly.

"We just slept together… that's all," Kid defended himself, chuckling at the same time.

"I'm not saying anything," Paul replied, lifting his hands over his head in mock surrender. "I just imagine that it must feel much better to sleep next to a beautiful woman on the hard ground than all alone."

"Much better," Kid admitted, mentally wishing he could do just that every single night. If they were married… That was what they should do. Kid intended to ask her again today. When their children had their nap and she came to sit on the wagon seat next to him like usual, he would bring up the issue again.

Joseph's loud cries snapped him out of his thoughts. The boy lunged against him at the cry of 'Morning, pa!' Kid hugged his son and shared a warm look with Lou as she came closer.

The group had a relaxing breakfast as for once the children seemed to be in a good, laid-back mood. Paul and Kid kept saying the same sentences of every morning… how much they longed to finally reach Rock Creek once and for all and Lou listened to them and she had to admit she shared their same feelings. It was a very long way and she really wanted all this travelling to finish.

After breakfast, they set up to collect everything before setting off. Paul took the horses to the creek and Joseph insisted on going with him.

"When do you reckon we will get to Rock Creek?" Lou asked as she placed Alice in her basket and covered her against the crisp morning.

"Probably tomorrow afternoon," Kid replied.

Louise nodded and kept watching him. He was sitting on a fallen log and looking ahead, obviously waiting for Paul and Joseph to come back from watering the horses. "Kid?" she called in a soft voice.

"Yes?" he replied without averting his eyes.

"I will."

This time Kid directed confused gaze towards her and asked, "What?"

"I will… I will marry you."

No sooner had the words left her mouth than he ran to her, knelt and kissed her full on her lips. "Are… are you sure? Do you really mean that?" he kept asking as his hands squeezed her shoulder.

"Yes, yes," Lou replied among giggles.

Kid straightened up, bringing Lou back to her feet as he held her hand. "There's a small town twenty minutes or so from here. We could go there and…"

"Kid, what are you talking about?"

"I'm going to marry you today," Kid replied.

"Today?" Lou echoed. "Don't you trust me?"

"You said yes, Lou… you said yes, and I'm not taking chances … this time. You still sure you want to do this?"

Louise smiled as she looked into his eyes. The nagging voice hadn't kept quiet since he had proposed to her weeks ago, and she was making a supernatural effort to ignore it. This was it; she was really going to go through with it. She was going to marry Kid and she was sure she wanted this, and despite the confusing sensations in her heart she said, "Yes, Kid, let's get married."