Alone again, for the first time

Chapter 1

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked standing on the steps of the bunk house.

"Of course, we'll be fine" Lou said, leaning against the door jam.

"But I didn't have any time to put together any meals for you, there's a little left over stew and some cold biscuits from breakfast but not much else. Are you sure?" Rachel asked.

I watched as Rachel and Noah walked toward the buckboard, they were headed to fort Laramie to pick up Kid. A rider out of Horse Creek station came through about an hour ago with word that Kid had been thrown from a horse near Cottonwood station and had been taken to Fort Laramie with several broken ribs and a concussion. The doctor there said he would be ready to travel in a day or so but couldn't ride; he was concerned about the broken ribs doing damage to a lung. So Noah and Rachael were taking the wagon to bring him home. I was worried of course, I worry about all the boys, but it was different with Kid especially after all we had been through, but we ain't together anymore and it seemed better for Rachel to go since she was better at taking care of sick and injured folks than me. And Kid and I was friends now, well we were trying anyway, he had moved on and it was time I started letting go too. I looked over at Jimmy sitting in the rocker on the porch, a blanket over his legs, he was getting over a bad fever he had for almost a week and it seemed to take a lot out of him. He was on the mend but Doc wanted him to rest for a few more days. He'd be good as new by then… well he'll be back to his usually ornery self anyway.

"We aint … aren't… gonna starve Rachael, I can make sandwiches" Lou stated firmly "Gosh you'd think I was planning on poisoning him, the way you all are acting."

"Lou" Noah said as he helped Rachael into the buckboard "no one said you poisoned folks on purpose'.

Lou glared at him, and then at Jimmy, "what are you laughing at?" Jimmy stopped laughing but just couldn't wipe the grin from his face. ..Damn that grin it was infectious. Lou tried not to, but she couldn't but grin back.

"Go will ya', Kid's waiting on you" Lou said with her hands on her hips "someone has to stay here, may as well be me, what with Cody & Ike out on long runs, and Teaspoon & Buck in Blue Creek someone has to mind the store and make sure Jimmy does what the doctor told him too. Hell, Jimmy will probably be well by tomorrow and I'll make him cook."

Noah laughed "You sure that's what you want Lou?"

Lou smiled "I think I'll be ok, I'll have ta make do. I cain't really afford to lose any weight, but Jimmy well…." Lou nodded in Jimmy direction.

"Hey my weight is just fine." Jimmy looked back towards the buckboard "It's only 2 days afore the boys get back. And at this rate Teaspoon will be back before you. Go! We'll be fine."

"Be safe you two" Lou hollered as she and Jimmy watched the wagon disappeared towards the horizon.

"Lou" said Jimmy as Lou started to walk into the bunk house.

"What?"

"I'm Hungry" he said with a smile

Lou sighed and thought "This may be a long weekend."

...

The rest of that day, Friday, Lou spent trying to get as many chores done as possible, there were stalls to muck out, horses to groom, feed & water. There were still a few riders from other stations coming that needed fresh horses, Jimmy did what he could, but he tired pretty quickly and he was too stubborn to just sit down so that she practically had to force him. Dinner that night was the left over stew with a few biscuits and butter.

After dinner Lou put water on to boil and made a pot of tea. Jimmy was sitting on the porch watching the sun go down. "All in all I'd say it was a good day" Lou said to Jimmy as she brought him a cup of the tea.

"Yea I reckon" Jimmy said taking the cup and nodding his thanks. "Sorry I wasn't much help, I don't know when I'd been this sick before, but tomorrow I will be able to help more"

"You did what you could Jimmy and tomorrow being Saturday there will be fewer riders coming through, may not have any at all. Noah said he would let the other stations know we were shorthanded and hopefully they will be able to by-pass us."

"Wow a quiet day for a change, I don't think I know what that's even like" jimmy chuckled "No Cody yammering on about who knows what."

Lou laughed "No Rachael or Teaspoon telling us what chores need doing or whose gonna draw the short straw…..wow no straws!" Lou smiled a smile so bright that Jimmy figured they could see it in town. He liked watching her face. It could tell a whole story without her saying a word. Happy, sad, mad, frustrated, beautiful, angry, loving, understanding it was all there in her face.

"What?" Lou looked at Jimmy watching her "something wrong with my face?"

"No" Jimmy smiled as he turned to watch the evening sky change from golden yellow, orange and red to blues and blacks as the stars came out, he thought about leaving it at that, just "no", but instead he stood up, looked back her "No Lou you have a nice face" he touched her cheek with the back of his hand, just for a moment, like Teaspoon sometimes did now that he knew she was a girl. It was like Teaspoon was letting her know she was still one of the 'boys' but also his 'girl' and that was OK with him. But Jimmy's touch was different, different as night and day. She knew Jimmy had feelings for her but she wasn't sure what they were. She had feelings too, and she was damn sure about 'em, even if she found them pretty confusing. Jimmy's touch lit a fire so deep in her that it made her head swim and made her breath catch in her chest.

"Good night Lou"

Lou watched him as he walked into the bunk House. "You staying up" he asked.

"Yea, just gonna finish my tea" Lou said looking back out at the night sky afraid that even in the dark he would see something in her eyes. "Good night Jimmy."

There was also the fact that she was sure that if she tried to stand up her shaky legs would fail her. That's what Jimmy's innocent touches could do, Lou had been wondering for some time what his hands would feel like on her arms, on her back pulling her close, what his lips might feel like…..Lou breathed out long and slow. The two of them together, alone, for another two days, she was seriously considering chopping wood before turning in.

...