William Tompkins felt the warmth of the morning sun filtering through the curtained windows. He sighed, rolled over and sat himself on the side of the bed. He took a look at his pocket watch on the night stand. Seven o'clock in the morning. He had slept later than planned, but still had time to get the store ready for customers at eight.
As the only General store in town, and war in full force in the east, Tompkins was busy in Rock Creek. He was getting too old to do this day in and day out. It was just him, with no extra help. Sick days were not an option if he wanted to make money. Luckily he didn't get sick that often.
Not that he ever had a reason to take time off and go somewhere. Tompkins couldn't even recall the last time he'd taken a day off other than Sunday. Even on Sunday's he was too busy to take time for himself and enjoy the open country side. Working too many days in a row was really taking a toll on him. Tompkins was only in his mid-forties, but felt much older than that.
As Tompkins moved around the room and started to get ready for the day, his mind thought about the help again. Or lack of. Was there someone in town that could help him out? The kids were all in school again, being August, and some were too young to really be at the store by themselves.
When the army moved in, there also came a lot of unfamiliar faces. Tompkins wasn't sure who he could trust and not trust. And with the war, many people, people he'd known since moving to Rock Creek, had moved away.
Names started flashing through his mind as he walked down stairs to start coffee. One name that came to mind as he filled his cup was Lou…Louise McCloud. Though she wasn't a McCloud anymore, or was she? Tompkins was at the wedding, but he couldn't remember Teaspoon giving a name to the happy couple.
He still remembered when she asked him to come to the wedding.
Tompkins was enjoying the sunny day outside, taking inventory on the items on the boardwalk. Behind him, he had heard someone clear their throat. Tompkins saw Lou standing on the boardwalk.
Without taking his eyes away from his inventory, Tompkins said, "Hi, Lou."
Lou just stood there for a few short seconds then stated. "Don't ya notice something different about me?"
Tompkins turned back to Lou, giving her a glance up and down. "Nice dress." He said before walking around the stack of baskets. Lou followed him, a look of shock on her face.
"You knew?!" She asked surprised.
Tompkins looked at her pointedly. "Well, of course I knew. What do you take me for? Some kinda fool?" Before Lou could answer, he continued. "It just wasn't none of my business what you wanted to wear. I just figured that's the way you wanted to go about things."
Lou looked as if she was mulling over what he had said. She finally spoke again. "Well, the reason why I'm here is because Kid and I are gettin' married…day after tomorrow. And we wanted to invite you to our weddin'."
"I always thought there was something squirrely goin' on between you two." Tompkins said, pointing at Lou. She smiled and blushed at his comment. He chuckled at her actions. "I'd be honored to go to your weddin', Lou. And I'm really happy for both of ya."
"Thanks." Lou said, smiling again. With that she left.
And he had meant those words. He knew the riders didn't have the best of lives, so they needed all the happiness they could get.
He always kept an eye on the riders as they came into the store. One time, they had destroyed his store. Lou had even hit him in the face with a frying pan as they were trying to defend Buck. Tompkins figured he'd had that coming, as he had called them an "Indian Lover". Over time, Tompkins learned that knew he was wrong about Buck. Not only the frying pan to a face, but the fact that Buck had been there to help him out more times than once.
From the years he'd known Lou, he knew she had a strong work ethic. She worked just as hard, right alongside of Teaspoon's boys. Boys, Tompkins chuckled to himself, they have proved themselves men more times than not.
Oh, yeah. He'd known Lou was a girl. How he'd missed it the first time, he had no idea. But it was when that DeWitt fellow came into town, back in Sweetwater, that his thoughts on the matter were pretty much confirmed.
That particular day he had come out of the back supply room, after filling Teaspoon's order of oats and other needed supplies. He had been wiping his hands on his apron when he spotted Lou looking at all ladies hats and other womanly frills. The look on Lou's face sent him back to another time and place, to his pretty little eight year old girl, Jenny.
When his wife Sally had taken a notion to have a proper family photograph taken, Tompkins couldn't say no, and Jenny was thrilled to death. For this special occasion she was allowed to pick out her very first proper "frilly dress" as Tompkins like to call the things.
The look he saw shining in his daughter's eyes that day, as she fingered the fabric of each pretty dress, was the same look of joy and wonder he was seeing mirrored on Lou's face right at the moment. That's when all his suspicions were set in stone.
Over the course of the next few months, Tompkins kept an eye on Lou. He'd watch as she looked at womanly goods with longing. Tompkins's heart broke for the young lady, but he never once gave her away.
He also thought back to when Lou bought the shirt for Kid. Tompkins knew it was too big for Lou, but she insisted it was just right. Tompkins wasn't sure which rider was getting the shirt. When he'd seen Kid wearing the shirt a few days later, he knew. He'd seen them together around town and always chuckled at the way they tried to hide the fact that Lou was a girl, but especially their feelings for each other. Through it all, Tompkins' felt they'd make for a real fine couple.
As Tompkins got his store opened for the day, he knew what he needed to do. Lou was his best option to work for him. Aside from her work ethics, he knew from past experience that her math skills were top notch.
After the morning rush, Tompkins put a closed signed in the store window. He knew Lou would be at the Teaspoon's office or at the Express Station. When Lou and Kid got married, Lou had quit riding for the Express. Tompkins knew she still had chores around the Station to do. Mid mornings, if Kid was out on run, Lou would join Teaspoon in the office before dinner.
If Tompkins was lucky, he'd be able to catch Lou there before they left to eat at the Station. If Lou wasn't at the office, he figured he'd head to the Station. It was a nice day for a walk.
Tompkins crossed the dirt street and stepped onto the boardwalk. He could see the door to the office standing open, allowing the August breeze to waif in. Tompkins cleared his throat. At first Lou automatically folded her arms across her chest, then uncrossed them when she saw it was him.
"Tompkins, can I help you with something?" Teaspoon asked in his usual way. Tompkins was just standing there staring at the duo.
"I would actually like to talk to Lou…Louise, if I could." Tompkins replied.
XXXXX
Wow! This story has been a long time coming. It's been in the works for a few months, but I could never get it right. When I first wrote "The Job Offer", I knew I had to do a prequel to show what Tompkins was thinking when he thought to hire Lou to work in the store. I have more thoughts on writing about Tompkins, but it will be awhile before those come out.
Special thank you to Ardith for reading this over, and Beulah for her help with the story and graphics. And as always, the ladies at the Plus for their continued support and encouragement.
~S