Rope Burns Chapter 1, a young riders fanfic

I do not own the Young Riders or its characters.

This is the corrections for the story Color Blind part 2 with additional chapters under a new story because for some reason I could not add chapters to the Color Blind story.

Jimmy

I was holding Lou apologizing for Hopkins's and what he had done. Lou was sobbing as I threw the noose from around her next to the ground. I untied her hands and just keep holding her tight. I was looking over her shoulders making sure Hopkins was still down on the ground after I shot him.

"Is he dead?" Lou asked while wiping her tear again regaining her composure.

"No, not dead just immobile at the moment."

"Good I would never want you to kill anyone on the count of me," she said.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

"I'll be better when we get him to the marshal's office."

We brought Hopkins to the marshal's office. We explained to the marshal what he did and he locked him up.

"Thanks Hickok," said the marshal. "If we need any other information, I will send notice to Marshal Hunter in Sweetwater."

"Good day Marshal."

Lou looked like she could use some cleaning up and need to get out of the dress before we had to pick up the packages that Teaspoon sent us to Willow Springs for.

"Do you want to head back to the hotel while I see if the stage arrived yet?"

"You can tell I want to get out of these clothes, uh!"

"I just know you Lou."

She was walking back to the hotel, and all I wanted to do was hold her and tell her everything was going to be fine.

Lou

I slipped up the back stair of the hotel and into our room so no one would see me. I closed the door and just stood there frozen as I thought back on what happened in the last twenty four hours. The next thing I knew I felt a tear dropping down my face. I went over to the wash basin to wash my face
and looked in the mirror. My fingers were tracing the rope burns around my neck. I washed up quickly put on my riding clothes and putting dress in my saddle bag.

Jimmy

"Has the bankroll come in yet?" I asked the clerk.

"Sorry, Jimmy, it will be probably a couple of more hours for the stage."

"Ok send a message over to the hotel when it gets here!"

"Will do, Jimmy."

I went back to the hotel to check on Lou and I wanted to know the whole story of how and what Hopkins did? I walked in the room and noticed that Lou was a sleep on the bed. Maybe it was good that the stagecoach was not going to be here for another couple of hours. I know I didn't sleep much when Lou was taken and I'm sure she did not either. I kicked back in a chair a put my hat over my head I knew my question would wait.

Lou

I was fast asleep dreaming, remembering her my day off with Jimmy, the dress I purchased and how it made her me feel with all the whistles directed to me. I remembered the dinner, how sweet the wine tasted, and the dance with Jimmy after he gave the man a coin. I even dreamt about the circus and how they picked me to be the lady that disappeared. It put a smile on my face while dreaming how good it felt to be a beautiful woman. The next thing I saw was the bag thrown over my face. My sleep became restless. I began to toss and turn. I knocked over a glass of water that was next to the bed. When the glass hit the floor and broke, I jumped out of bed.

Jimmy

My hands went straight to my colts. Lou was shaking when I came over to the bed. I sat on the bed and was hugging Lou telling her it was just a dream. She leapt out of bed and ran over to the saddle bag and started tearing everything out of the bag. She had the dress in her hands and tied to pull it all apart.

"It's entirely my fault," she said as she stood there barely being able to see behind the tears.

"No it's not Lou," I said. "It was my fault that all this happen to you. I should of never taken you or anyone I care about out because I never know who is watching me or who might be looking to see if I have a weak spot."

I was standing behind her and could see our reflections in the floor length mirror. I could remember still smell how good she smelled last night. She turned around and faced me.

"Jimmy, do not blame yourself for this," she said. "It was not your fault!

"It's not! It's Hopkins's fault. You were just trying to make me feel betterabout myself." She was holding my face in her delicate little hands.

"Jimmy Hickok you are a great friend to me," she continued. "I even think you understand me better than Kid ever will. You accept me for who I am and you never try to change me into something I am not."

I was staring at her beautiful face. My eyes dropped down to her neck. I saw the rope burns around her neck. I ran my fingers over the burns.

"Jimmy, it was not your fault," she said in a soft spoken tone.

I dropped my head down not want her to see the tear in my eye.

She gave me a gentle kiss on the cheek and whispered in my ear that I am a good man with a loving heart. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back a kissed her like I've wanted too for a very long time. I could taste her. She was not holding back at all. She was kissing me back. My hands fell on her face
then down on to the rope burns. Her hands went around my waist pull me closer to her. She started to unbutton my shirt. All I wanted right now was to make her mine. We ended up on the bed. I was on top looking into her eyes. She removed my shirt and pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"Jimmy, I love you," she said. "I need you to make the nightmare go away."

There was a knock on the door.

"Mister Hickok, Mister Hickok."

It broke this spell Lou and I were in.

"Yes?" I said as I went to only open the door a little.

"You said for us to come get you when the shipment arrived."

"Thank You," I said. "We will be right down."

I was thinking to myself I did not know if the knock on the door was a blessing or not. I couldn't bring myself to look at Lou, because I was afraid there might be a look of regret.

"Well, the shipment is here," I said. "I guess we better get going. Teaspoon wants the shipment as soon as possible."

"I guess you're right," she said sounding a little disappointed, which brought a smile to my face.

"It looks like it's going to be a night or two before we get back to Sweetwater," I said. "I'll go to the town store to get supplies, Lou, while you pick up the important package."

At the store Jimmy picked up some food and few extra rounds. He was expecting any trouble, but
then remember that Teaspoon said he wanted a second gun on this one.

I met Lou outside of the store. "Are you ready to leave?" I asked.

Then we rode out of Willow Springs.

"I guess you will be glad to leave this place," I said to Lou.

"Yes and No," she said with a wink to me.

Chapter 2

The first couple of hours were quiet on the ride home.

"Jimmy, are you mad at me?"

"No, Lou why would you say that!"

"Well, you and I have not spoken since we left Willow Springs."

"Well it takes two not to talk," he said with a smirk. Lou laughs. "I think this is the first time I heard you laugh since our dance the other night."

"Jimmy, I do have to thank you."

"For what?"

"For making me feel like a new woman and for saving my life."

Jimmy thought to himself this is the first time she brought up Hopkins. "The sun will be setting soon, we better start looking for a spot to spend the night," Jimmy said to Lou.

Jimmy started a fire, while Lou straightened out the bed rolls. They both ate some jerky Jimmy picked up.

"Well, dinner not as good as the other night, but the stars make it nice," Lou said.

"Since we are talking about the other night, can you tell me what happened at the carnival after you went into the box?"

Lou looked a little puzzled. "Jimmy you know what happened," Hopkins took me.

"Yeah, but I meant how?" He could see she was starting to get fidgety.

"Ok let me think about it," Lou said. "I went into the box and gentleman who put me in the box whispered to look down. As he closed the door and part of the floorboard moved the man said to get down here. I jumped down. Then I don't remember. I woke up in a room or maybe a closet. That's all I can remember."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"That's it."

"Ok that's a start. Maybe if you sleep on it you will be able to remember more in the morning. Because you know everyone back at the station is going to want to know more."

"What do you mean Jimmy?" her voiced rose.

"Once they see the rope burns on your neck and wrist they are going to want to know what happened."

"Who says I going to show them? It's none of their business!"

"Well at least Teaspoon going to want to know what happened."

"Like I said who's going to tell him. It did not happen on company time. It happened on our time off. He does not need to know. We handled the situation!"

"You can keep these burns from being seen."

"The hell I can't. Hell Jimmy I hidden a lot worse than this from all of you."

"Alright, you're not even going to tell Kid?"

"Jimmy, he already doesn't think I should be working here. Honestly, he does not even get the right to know anything that I do or anything that happens to me," she seemed to be yelling at this point. "If I want a clean break then I can't be running to him. I decided that the moment I broke it off with him."

Upon hearing all of what Lou said, Jimmy was wondering would she even tell him everything that happen to her while being kidnapped?

"Sorry Jimmy, I did not mean to be yelling."

"Well I'm a little happy to hear you won't be telling them because I won't have five men blaming me for what happened to you."

"Jimmy," she said so sweetly, "I told you it not your fault."

"Lou, I should know better. I left myself wide open for that to happen by parading you around town with me."

"Jimmy you were trying to make me feel better, you are not at fault for what Hopkins's and his men did."

'Shit!' she thought to herself, 'I let that slip hopefully he won't realize what I said.'

"Hopkins's and his men," Jimmy said harshly. "Lou what are you not telling me. What do you remember?"

"Jimmy, I don't want you to feel worse than you do. When you asked me to think back on it, I remembered when I awoke in that room or closet, outside the door I could hear voices. One of them was definitely Hopkins's voice, but he was talking with two or three other voices. I never saw any faces because they always threw a bag over my face. I'm guessing that how Hopkins's got me hanging from the tree."

"Lou you should have told me."

"Why? So you would be going crazy trying to find these men that I don't even know what they look like."

"Maybe, it would be my right."

"You are sweet, Jimmy as she sat down next to him. Do you want some more coffee, Jimmy? Since we are talking do you want to discuss what almost happened in the hotel?" Lou asked.

He really didn't want to talk about it because he was afraid he was not going to like what he was about to hear.

"No need to Lou. I know we just got caught up in the heat of the moment. Wanting to feel alive because of the life and death situation we were in."

As he was saying these words her heart felt to be breaking.

"Ok," she said abruptly, "I'm going to sleep. She didn't want Jimmy seeing her about to cry."

He said, "night Lou, I'll take the first watch."

She fell asleep crying to herself because that was not what she wanted to hear.

It was quiet all night. At one point Jimmy looked over to Lou tossing and turning. It seemed the talking of what happened with Hopkins, were giving her nightmares. He moved closer to her to tell her she alright.

"Jimmy," she said in her sleep.

"I'm here you are ok." It was soothing to his heart that she was calling his name. She asked for him to hold her, and he couldn't refuse. As soon as he started holding her, she stopped tossing and turning. He just laid there thinking how good this feels.

Jimmy must have fallen asleep, because he jumped reaching for his colts, when Lou sat up screaming and trying to catch her breath. It was still night. He tried to comfort Lou telling her she was ok and he was right here.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"Do I really have a choice?" she said.

"No, shaking my head," he sat right behind her.

"I want to take all your fears and nightmares away," he whispered into her ear.

She responded softly, "My fear is a man name Wicks, but my nightmare is that you'll never want to be in my bed, as she turned around to look at my eyes."

"Lou," he said as he took a deep breath looking at how beautiful she is.

"Jimmy, I told you back at Willow Springs that I love you, and you never responded. Except for a little while ago when you said back in the hotel room it was just the rush of almost dying that had you in bed with me," she said as she started to turn away.

Jimmy grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him and kissed her with all the passion that he had for her. She started to lean back while unbuttoning her shirt and he did not stop her.

He was kissing every part of Lou's body. She never had this tingling feeling before. Everywhere, he touched or kissed just left her tingling and wanting more. 'This is what love making should feel like,' she thought. She didn't even have to tell him what she liked. It was like he was reading her mind.

"I love you James Butler Hickok," she said.

"I love you too, Louise McCloud," he said back as they fell asleep in each other's arms.

Chapter 3

"Morning Jimmy," Lou said while handing me a cup of coffee.

"I didn't hear you get up."

"I know. You just looked like you were getting a good sound sleep; I didn't want to wake you."

"Well, how did you sleep?"

"I have not had that great of a sleep in a long time. It was a sleep without my nightmare or fear."

Jimmy smirked as I said that. "Well, we better get this package to Teaspoon, before he send a party to go looking for us," I laugh.

"We will head to Teaspoons office first then," Jimmy said, while saddling his palomino. He was also thinking he wanted to rush back to the bunkhouse, because Kid would be there and he would not be able to look at him in the eyes.

"Jimmy!"

"Yeah Lou?"

"Let me be the one to talk to Kid, ok."

"He will probably be less likely to shoot you," Jimmy said.

"I don't know about that! Jimmy we have to stop just outside of Sweetwater."

"Why?"

"So I can make sure the rope burns are covered well."

"All right!"

"You'll have to be my mirror."

We stopped just outside of town. Jimmy got off his horse and came over to give me a hand.

"Thanks Jimmy," I said as I rewarded him with a small kiss.

"Now, no more doing that till we tell Kid."

"I could not help it Jimmy. I have not had a kiss from you since last night, and I was beginning to miss your touch. Now let me button up my shirt all the way. Can you see the rope burns?" she asked.

"You don't really notice it unless you are looking for it."

"Good," she said as she picked up some dirt from the trail and rubbed it on her face and neck. She rolled down the sleeves on her shirt. "Now I'm ready to head to Teaspoon's."

We rode down the main street straight to Teaspoon's office.

Jimmy walked in with Lou following behind, "Sorry we are late Teaspoon. We came as fast as we could sorry for the delay."

"That all right son, we got the message the stage was running late."

"Lou, you can take the banknotes over to the bank, there will be another rider picking them up to take them to Sacramento tomorrow."

"Alright, Teaspoon."

Jimmy sat down and put is feet on Teaspoon's desk. "So did we miss anything going on around here?"

Teaspoon looked around to make sure Lou was not around. "Kid was almost in a duel over that school teacher! I stopped the duel, but not without killing a man. He tried to shoot Kid unarmed."

Jimmy was stunned at the news. He was glad his friend was still alive but was a little sad for Lou for when she hears about it.

Lou walked back into Teaspoon's office asking if he needed anything before they head back to the bunk house.

"Lou, how was the run to Willow Springs?" Teaspoon asked.

"It was ok. We had an extra day off. But if you do not mind, I could us some cleaning up and something to eat."

"I could too," Jimmy said, as he rubbed his stomach maybe there will be some lunch left over.

Teaspoon thought something was up, but didn't know what.

"So, I was only ok," Jimmy said to Lou.

"Jimmy, Teaspoon only asked how Willow Springs was not the ride home."

"And the ride home?"

"It was like being a child at Christmas, opening the best present under the tree." She kicked Lightning and head back to the bunkhouse, Jimmy sat there feeling proud and followed Lou back to the bunkhouse.

Buck yelled, "Riders coming."

As they all stated to head out of the bunkhouse, Rachael said, "its Lou and Jimmy."

Cody said to Jimmy, "I was to miss you Hickok."

"Nice to see you too," he replied.

*So, how was the ride?* Ike signed.

"It was fine," Lou answered. "How were things around here?"she asked, not really caring.

Ike, Buck, Cody, Noah, and looked at each other and Kid said, "Fine." The others looked at him in disgust.

"Rachael, did Cody save us anything from lunch; I'm starved as she walked into the bunkhouse."

"You know the rules, Louise, first you have to clean up."

Jimmy looked to Kid, "Everything was fine uh. I was in town not even ten minutes till I heard about your almost duel. She will eventually hear about don't you think she should hear it from you first?" Jimmy said with the others agreeing with him.

"I need to find the right time," Kid said. "I want you all to promise me, that you won't say anything to her till I do."

He walked away mad. The rest of the boys went into the bunkhouse.

Rachael walked back to where Lou was washing up, to ask her a question, when she saw the rope burns around her neck. "Louise, what happened?" she asked as Lou quickly dried her face and buttoned her shirt.

"Rachael keep your voice down, it's nothing. I tell you later but just know that I'm fine."

"Alright," she said, "but Lou we will talk about those burn marks later."

Kid was rounding the corner when he heard Rachael say, 'those burn marks later,' when they went into the bunkhouse.

"Teaspoon," Rachael said, "when did you get here?"

"After Jimmy left, a note came in for him, and I thought I give it to him and grab a snack."

Kid came in the bunkhouse, and slammed the door. He walked right up to Lou.

"The ride was fine?" he asked as his voice grew louder.

"Yea it was," she said, as she did not like the tone in his voice. Nobody in the room liked the tone in his voice.

"Let me see these rope burns, Rachael was talking about."

Everyone in the room eyes turned on Lou.

"What happened in Willow Springs?" his eyes went looking to Jimmy for answers.

"Don't say a thing, Jimmy. I don't owe you an explanation for a dam thing," she said furiously. "If I feel like sharing something I tell ya. What happen on my time is not you concern anymore. You do not see me asking questions about your duel or your girl."

Everyone's eyes went looking around the room to see who told Lou.

"Don't go looking to blame one of the boys. I heard about it in Willow Springs! It seems when you willing to die in a duel over a girl you just met, people talk." She stormed out of the bunkhouse. "I had enough of him," she said softly to Jimmy.

"Let her go," Jimmy said to Kid, staring him down.

"Fine, then you tell me what happened in Willow Springs."

"She said it's not your concern."

"But it is mine," Teaspoon said.

"Sorry Teaspoon, you have to ask her."

"I am right now."

Teaspoon walked out of the bunkhouse going over to the corral where the Lou was watching the horses. "Lou, Kid was just concerned."

"Well, Teaspoon I am not his concern."

"I know! But we are all family and if Noah or Cody or Ike came home with rope burns you would want to know, right."

"If they would have brought up the rope burns I would want to know, but I would not go pushing for a story that doesn't want to be told. She walked away."

Teaspoon thought she was right; she should have brought it up.

Meanwhile in the bunkhouse, Kid was trying to get answers out of Jimmy.

"Kid, I think you are just jealous that I know something that you don't."

"Jimmy we all think of Lou as family and we just want to know that she alright and not in any danger," Buck said trying to be a voice of reason.

"No, I'm not in any danger," Lou said coming back into the bunkhouse. "Here are the burns. She rolled up her sleeves and unbuttons a button on her shirt."

"That rope burn looks like it came from a noose," Noah said. Jimmy looked at Lou and remember how she looked and how he felt see her in the predicament Hopkins had her in.

"I will start at the beginning, but anyone cuts me off or interrupts, I will stop," she warned. "I was feeling bad when we arrived in Willow Springs and got madder when I found out we would have to wait on the stage. Jimmy was trying to make me feel better. So we got a room because they only had one left."

Kid looked to Jimmy, "it is your fault she was almost killed."

"No it is not! It is Hopkins fault," Lou shouted out. "Jimmy cannot be blamed for another man action," she said as she moved across the room and grabbed Jimmy's hand. Everyone in the room noticed her action.

"He takes you out in public to a dinner and carnival. For James Butler Hickok to do that he was asking for trouble to happen," Kid said while looking at Lou and Jimmy holding hands.

"Now Kid, You know that's not true," Teaspoon said.

"Yea, Kid it could have been any of us, with Jimmy and Hopkins would have used us to get the drop on Jimmy," Noah said. "You should just be grateful that Jimmy saved Lou and not jealous."

"Jealous? Jealous of what? Jimmy?" Kid asked, walking out to go finish his chores.

"Lou we are all glad, you're alright, but we are family and I don't like when any of you get hurt on the job or when you are off the job and not tell me about it" Teaspoon explained.

"Sorry Teaspoon, I was just trying to avoid this whole ordeal," she said as she walked out on the porch.

"I know. Oh, before I forget, here is the letter for you Jimmy," as Teaspoon pulls it from his pocket.

"Thanks, Teaspoon," he said as he put the letter in his pocket and joined Lou on the porch.

"Rachael, do you have a snack before I head back to town" Teaspoon's tummy rumbled.

"Let's see what I have," as they walked to the kitchen.

Jimmy was lying down in his bunk trying to rest, while Cody started to read one of his dime novels, Ike was writing in his journal, and Buck and Noah were talking in the bunkhouse.

"So Jimmy what happened between you and Lou in Willow Springs?"

"What are you talking about Cody", as he removed the hat from in front of his face and starting to sit up?

"I mean did anything happen between you and Lou."

"What makes you say a thing like that Cody?"

Noah, Ike, and Buck stopped what they were doing to listen to the conversation.

"Well Jimmy, we all noticed as Kid started to go off on you, she scurried across the room to hold your hand," Noah said.

"Did she? I didn't notice!" Jimmy was lying out of his mouth. It made him feel so good that she wanted him to be her protector. "Maybe she was trying to make sure I wasn't going to start fighting with Kid. I was already furious with how he was speaking to her."

Ike started signing, "me too!" "But a smile did come across my face when she stood up to him and told him she already knew about the duel."

"I know! The look on Kid's face was in utter shock," Buck said.

"I'm not going to sit here and listen to the four of you gossip anymore," as Jimmy left the bunkhouse.

"Did anyone notice he did not answer the question," Cody said inquisitively?

Jimmy came up besides Lou on the porch, "Lou, are you alright?"

"Yes, I was just thinking about what I want to say to Kid."

"Before you go and talk to Kid are you sure? He is not with Samantha anymore, Lou!"

"Jimmy, are you regretting being with me? If you are that's fine, but I'm done with Kid. He does not want me for me he just wants to change me into what he wants", Lou said forcefully.

"Lou I want to be with you, I just wanted to give you an out, if you wanted one!" Jimmy was pondering in is mind if he should ask his question. "I do have a one question, when did you find out about the duel?"

"Jimmy, I decided to make love to you, she whispered softly, before I found out about Kid and his duel. But to answer your question, I found out about the duel while I picked up the banknotes and you went to get supplies. Now, if you will excuse me, I think I should go and talk with Kid."

"Do you want me to come along Lou" Jimmy asked?

"No I think I should do this alone," Lou said.

If you need me, just holler, I'll be hanging around." Jimmy was hoping Kid was going to make this hard on Lou.

"Thanks, Jimmy" Lou responded walking to the barn to go speak with Kid.

Kid was brushing down Katy in the barn, when he heard the barn doors open. He turned around and saw that it was Lou who walked in. He turned around and continued to brush Katy. Lou walked in to Lightning's stall and started saddling her, to make it look like that was her reason for being in the barn.

"Kid we need to talk," she said.

"What do we need to talk about now, Lou? You didn't seem to want to talk in the bunkhouse," Kid said brushing Katy a little harder now.

"We need to talk about what is going on between us because I still want us to be friends."

"There is no us remember, Lou! You chose that ", Kid voice sounding irate.

"Yeah, I did. Because you wanted to change who I am into someone I did not want to be. I'm not like most women Kid. I want to be able to make my own choices, and not being told that I shouldn't," her voice raising a little.

"I did not come in here to argue with you," Lou said with a lowered voice.

"Then why did you come in here?" Kid asked as he stopped brushing Katy and threw up his hands.

"I wanted to come in here and tell you that it is definitely over between us. When you are willing to die or kill for another woman, it means there no more us." She was thinking it might not hurt Kid so much having said that first. "Also, I found someone who wants to be with me and I want to be with him."

"You want to be with Jimmy," Kid said angrily moving closer to Lou. "Have you 'danced 'with Jimmy?

"Yes," she said to him looking sheepishly.

"Whore," Kid said as he backhanded her across the face. Kid couldn't believe he just did that. "Sorry, Lou," he said starting to move closer.

Lou, drew her gun and fired it at Kid's feet. "Don't move!" She started to get up and saddle Lightning, as the others came running in seeing Lou holding a gun on Kid, crying, and rubbing her jaw. "Maybe your more like your father than you thought Kid," she said. "No one follow me I'm going to be shooting first."

"Remember I will stop at any interruptions," she reminded them.

"I bought a dress and we went out to dinner and then to a carnival that was going on in town. They needed help from a beautiful lady in the audience. They chose me. I was to disappear and come back. Well, I went in the box, was told to go under the box, by the sliding door. The next thing a bag was thrown over my head and put into a room or closet I could hear the one man call the other Hopkins. The morning came and the men threw the bag over my head and had me in a noose tied to a horse. Long story short Jimmy had to choose to save me or himself. Jimmy shot the saddle and then shot Hopkins. We then took him to the marshal in Willow Springs."

Kid looked to Jimmy, "it is your fault she was almost killed."

"He takes you out in public to a dinner and carnival. For James Butler Hickok to do that he was asking for trouble to happen," Kid said while looking at Lou and Jimmy holding hands.

"Now Kid, You know that's not true," Teaspoon said.

"Yea, Kid it could have been any of us, with Jimmy and Hopkins would have used us to get the drop on Jimmy," Noah said. "You should just be grateful that Jimmy saved Lou and not jealous."

"Jealous? Jealous of what? Jimmy?" Kid asked, walking out to go finish his chores.

"Lou we are all glad, you're alright, but we are family and I don't like when any of you get hurt on the job or when you are off the job and not tell me about it" Teaspoon explained.

"Sorry Teaspoon, I was just trying to avoid this whole ordeal," she said as she walked out on the porch.

"I know. Oh, before I forget, here is the letter for you Jimmy," as Teaspoon pulls it from his pocket.

"Thanks, Teaspoon," he said as he put the letter in his pocket and joined Lou on the porch.

"Rachael, do you have a snack before I head back to town" Teaspoon's tummy rumbled.

"Let's see what I have," as they walked to the kitchen.

Jimmy was lying down in his bunk trying to rest, while Cody started to read one of his dime novels, Ike was writing in his journal, and Buck and Noah were talking in the bunkhouse.

"So Jimmy what happened between you and Lou in Willow Springs?"

"What are you talking about Cody", as he removed the hat from in front of his face and starting to sit up?

"I mean did anything happen between you and Lou."

"What makes you say a thing like that Cody?"

Noah, Ike, and Buck stopped what they were doing to listen to the conversation.

"Well Jimmy, we all noticed as Kid started to go off on you, she scurried across the room to hold your hand," Noah said.

Ike started signing, "me too!" "But a smile did come across my face when she stood up to him and told him she already knew about the duel."

"I know! The look on Kid's face was in utter shock," Buck said.

"I'm not going to sit here and listen to the four of you gossip anymore," as Jimmy left the bunkhouse.

"Did anyone notice he did not answer the question," Cody said inquisitively?

Jimmy came up besides Lou on the porch, "Lou, are you alright?"

"Yes, I was just thinking about what I want to say to Kid."

"Before you go and talk to Kid are you sure? He is not with Samantha anymore, Lou!"

"Jimmy, are you regretting being with me? If you are that's fine, but I'm done with Kid. He does not want me for me he just wants to change me into what he wants", Lou said forcefully.

"Do you want me to come along Lou" Jimmy asked?

"No I think I should do this alone," Lou said.

If you need me, just holler, I'll be hanging around." Jimmy was hoping Kid was going to make this hard on Lou.

"Thanks, Jimmy" Lou responded walking to the barn to go speak with Kid.

"Kid we need to talk," she said.

"What do we need to talk about now, Lou? You didn't seem to want to talk in the bunkhouse," Kid said brushing Katy a little harder now.

"We need to talk about what is going on between us because I still want us to be friends."

"There is no us remember, Lou! You chose that ", Kid voice sounding irate.

"I did not come in here to argue with you," Lou said with a lowered voice.

"Then why did you come in here?" Kid asked as he stopped brushing Katy and threw up his hands.

"You want to be with Jimmy," Kid said angrily moving closer to Lou. "Have you 'danced 'with Jimmy?

"Yes," she said to him looking sheepishly.

"Whore," Kid said as he backhanded her across the face. Kid couldn't believe he just did that. "Sorry, Lou," he said starting to move closer.

Thank you, Anita for all of your help. I hope everyone enjoys the story. There is still more to come.