I do not own the Young Riders just borrowing them .
Buck hurried to get Barnett back to the Marshal's office. Jimmy as much as he wanted to stay with the young lady and get the answers about Lou, reluctantly did as suggested because he didn't want to feel Teaspoon's wrath. Once Barnett was at the office Teaspoon, Jimmy, Buck, and Jesse started off to the station.
Cody and Ike were helping Rachel with banging the dirt out of her area rug, well at least Ike was helping, Cody was complaining. "Rachel, what does it matter if we get the dirt outside it just going to come back in."
Ike hands started flying *you're not helping, you're the one who offered to help as soon as you smelt the apple pie.*
"Mr. Cody, Ike's right. If you want an extra piece of pie after dinner you will help clean the rug," Rachel yelled heading back into the house, but stopping when noticing four riders approaching the station. "Riders coming," she called out.
"It looks like Jimmy, Buck, Teaspoon, and...", Cody started.
Ike signed, *It's Lightning."
"Lou!," Cody dropped the broom to go meet the others.
The four riders pulled up in front of the bunkhouse. Cody seeing the back of Lou's coat and slender form put his arm around her, " Good to have you back, Lou?" Then he noticed it wasn't Lou.
A startled Jesse took a step away from Cody and closer to the marshal. "Rachel! Boys this is Jesse and she's going to be staying with us for a while as Lou wished. Now, boys we have chores still to do before dinner and they will not get done by themselves. Ike can you take Lightning. Cody, put away these items." Teaspoon to order. "Miss..."
"Please call me Jesse,"
"Alright Jesse why don't you go with Rachel and she can show you where you can freshen up and we can finish our chores then we can discuss everything over dinner."
"Thank you, Marshal Hunter,"as Rachel put a comforting hand on Jesse shoulder leading her to small white house with the white fence around it.
" No, call me Teaspoon, Jesse."
"Thank you Teaspoon." They all started walking in direction that they needed to go. when Jesse said, "wait." She ran back towards Lightning and wrapped her arms around his head, whispered "Thank you Lightning go and rest Lou would be proud of you." Lightning neighed as though he understood what Jesse said. Jesse, then ran back to Rachel side.
"Jesse this is my guest room, it's yours. My room is across the hall, if you need anything. I'll let you freshen up, while I look for some clothes for you to wear." Rachel was trying to figure out how old Jesse was . She knew that girls had to grow up quick out in the west. But looking at her small frame and how she hugged Lightning she thought she was pretty young.
"Teaspoon, did Jesse say anything about Lou," Jimmy almost demanding as he was brushing down Sundancer.
Teaspoon was agitated that he had to keep repeating himself. "Boys, I keep telling y'all that all I know is that Lou sent Jesse here. That's all! I don't know any more about Lou than the rest of y'all."
Cody, putting the feed away said, "Did you notice what she was wearing besides Lou's coat? I only know one type of woman who wears an outfit like that."
"Cody!" Teaspoon said warningly.
"Come on Teaspoon," Jimmy countered. "She had Lou's horse, gun, long johns, and jacket, for cryin' out loud! How do we know she didn't hurt Lou, take her horse and things?"
"Now, Jimmy that young lady has a story and I'm only going to make her tell it once." Did you see how frighten and how easily tense she gets," Teaspoon asked the boys.
Rachel knocked on Jesse's door, but she didn't answer. Quietly Rachel turned the door handle and peeked inside. There laying on the bed was Jesse, fast asleep. Rachel smiled and placed the clothes at the end of the bed and slipped out of the room. She looks like an angel with her long blond hair framing her face.
Teaspoon saw Rachel taking clothes off the line and walked over to her.
"How's Jesse doing, Rachel?"
"Teaspoon, she must be exhausted! She's sleeping right now. I figured she could sleep till supper is ready in about an hour. Teaspoon do you know anything about the girl? "
"Just that Lou sent her. Why?"
"Looking at her while she was sleeping she looks younger than a woman in her kind of profession should be."
The smell of cooked carrots and roasting meat wafted its way upward. The delectable aroma filled Jesse's senses as she began to stir.
Jesse took a moment to savor the hearty smell, then noticed a pair of work pants and shirt lying on the bed. As she rolled up the pant legs that were too long and rolled over the waist of the pants, her stomach began to rumble.
Walking down the step, she continued rolling up sleeves of a shirt that she was swimming in.
Peering into the kitchen Jesse, stomach growled louder as she ventured to speak, "Rachel, can I help you with anything? Also thanks for the clothes."
Rachel tried to cover the smile that played across her face when she saw that the clothes were way too big for her.
"You can help me carry dinner over to the bunkhouse in a few minutes and after dinner I will definitely try to find some clothes that may fit you better," Rachel let out her smile.
Jesse let out a laugh, "thank you, Rachel. I can tell by the smell of dinner that Lou was right. You're a great cook."
"Thanks Jesse! Lets get this dinner over to the bunkhouse before those boys storm my kitchen."
Jesse and Rachel brought dinner over to the bunkhouse, she noticed everyone's relaxing on his bunk bed and a long table in the middle of the room. .They placed the meals on the table and everyone took their seats, except for Noah who was out on a run.
Teaspoon was at head of the table, Rachel was at the other end, Jimmy, Cody, and Kid were on one side, and Buck and Ike on the other. Jesse did not know where to sit so she placed herself between Rachel and Ike.
As all the dishes we being passed around the table, Jesse took small portions from each dish that passed by. She was feeling uncomfortable and could feel eyes watching her, staring at her as she began to eat.
Placing her fork down she spoke, "Marshall Hunt... I mean, Teaspoon, thank you for opening your home to me," Jesse began.
"Lou said I should give you a place to stay, and if that what Lou wants" Teaspoon replied. At the sound of Lou's name all the boys heads snapped up from their plates and looked at Jesse.
"Let me introduce you to everyone."
"No need to Mars... Teaspoon, I feel like I already know each of you by the way Lou spoke about you all."
"Louise, talked about us," Teaspoon said with a gleaming smile and wink in his eye.
"You are Marshall Teaspoon Hunter, a man who fights for what is right not what is just popular. You give people a chance no matter where it is they come from. You may have not been looking for a family when the express first started, but Lou wishes you were her father instead of the one she had."
"She'd said that about me," Teaspoon straighten up prouder in his chair.
"You," Jesse pointed to Ike, "you are Ike. I could tell by the way you took care of Lightning. Lou said you were the best with all the animals."
Ike smiled at Jesse.
"She is also right about your smile. Lou told us it could light up a room." Jesse returned Ike's warm smile. Is that smile for me she wondered as butterflies started to dance in her stomach.
"Sitting next to Ike is Buck." Jesse turned a smiling face towards the half Kiowa. "Lou said to me you care deeply about those you love, and listen with great concern, even when you're worried about those you most love and are the most concerned about."
Buck gave Jesse one of his rare smiles, "Yeah."
Jesse flicked her gaze across the table and let her eyes landed upon Cody. "You're William ." Jesse's grin turned into a suppressed giggle as she gaze upon the blond haired rider.
Cody gave Jesse a charming smile, "What did Lou say about me," around a mouth full of food.
"She said you're long winded and always looking for ways of getting out of work," she laughed starting to feel more comfortable around everyone. "But she believes in you and one day everyone is going to know your name. It will be a household name."
For the first time Cody had nothing to say in response as he pondered the girls words.
"She thinks that about me," Cody asked astonished.
"She'll never tell you because she doesn't need your head any bigger," Jesse grinned.
"And you, Jimmy," she turned a smiling hazel eyed gaze upon the sandy haired rider. "I can tell by the love in your eyes you care deeply for her. She loves you, you know. You let her be herself. She knows she can tell you anything and you wouldn't judge her or treat her any different. But she's scared you will push her away for her own good."
"She's right I should. Look at what's happened to her because of me," Jimmy yelled.
"Calm down Jimmy, none of this is your fault," Rachel jump in to say.
Jesse got up to stand in front of the door that Jimmy was heading for. "Rachel's correct , Lou does not blame you, Jimmy for anything. If anything she feels that she's not worthy of you love." Jesse eyed her shoes like she was telling a huge secret.
"Please sit back down I did not mean to upset you, Jimmy," Jesse looked up to him with her hazel eyes, button nose, and a sad puppy face.
Jimmy could not resist her cute puppy dog face and sat back down. Jimmy thought where do girls learn to uses these looks to get what they want.
Once Jesse saw Jimmy returning to the table she sat and spoke, "Rachel you are like a mother, big sister, and best friend all in one for Lou."
"Lou is very special to me too, Jesse."
"I'm guessing Noah is out on a run," Jesse said before tasting the roast Rachel worked so hard preparing. "He's a proud man who just wants to live his life ,with the same privileges as everyone else. She felt happy and proud to be able to give him back his daddy's saddle."
"Yeah Rachel, you and Lou never explained how you received Noah's saddle," Teaspoon stated before popping a potato into his mouth.
"Us girls have to have some secrets," Rachel replied smiling and winking an eye at Teaspoon.
"Well, that leaves nobody but me left," Kid stated.
"Yeah, I know who you are. But unlike the others I have no desire to talk to you," Jesse said sticking a carrot in her mouth.
"What?" Kid asked sharply as he glared at his brothers. "She can come in here and tell y'all the nice things Lou said about you and she can't talk to me?" Yanking his napkin out of his shirt he threw it down angrily as he got up from the table.
"No, she even had nice things to say about you," Jesse sputtered out throwing down her fork and glaring at Kid. "If it was not for you she would not of trusted men again and been a part of this express family."
A smile started to tug at the corner of Kid's mouth at the realization that Lou did say something nice about him.
Jesse saw the smile spread across his face, stood up from the table and flew towards Kid . She poked Kid in the shoulder, "but, I do not like people who hurt my friends, even if I only met her two days ago."
"You only met Lou two days ago," Teaspoon questioned.
"Yes sir. I mean Teaspoon. She was visiting a friend of hers, Charlotte Rowan." She was looking at everyone like they should know the name. "Well, Charlotte and Lou are old friends. I was there when she was telling Charlotte all about you all and her life here in Sweetwater,"
'It doesn't matter how long you have been friends with Lou for you to stay with us," Rachel exclaimed.
"I must have fallen asleep because both Lou and Charlotte woke me up. Charlotte must have told Lou my story because she said she had a plan to get me out of my predicament."
"Jesse what predicament is that," Jimmy asked a little too roughly.
"My mother died a few years ago when I was ten and my father took to drinking and gambling. One night a few weeks ago he was killed in a card game and he owed a man money. So this man took me as payment to work in his establishment."
"What about the Marshal? Couldn't he of helped you out," Teaspoon inquired.
Jesse laughed. "My employer owns the law in St. Joe's! Not all law enforcement is as reputable as you, Teaspoon."
"Well he's not your employer anymore," Teaspoon stated.
"You're right, thanks to Lou."
"What do you mean by that," Cody asked around a mouth full of food.
"Well I met Lou the day before my first sale. It seems men pay more money for virgins," she coughed. "My auction night was last night. Lou came up with a plan. She won the auction and for two hundred fifty seven dollars Lou got me for the night. As soon as we got to the room she started telling me about Lightning and to ride straight here and she would meet me here in a couple of days."
"Where did she get that kind of money," Buck asked.
"I know she's been saving to get Jeremiah and Teresa," Kid stated.
"Who leaves tomorrow on the ride to St. Joe's," Teaspoon asked.
"That would be me, Teaspoon," Cody announces.
"Alright son, when you get there try and see if you can find anything out about Lou, and where she is."
"Teaspoon, I wouldn't do that. Wicks is probably looking for Lou and myself, and if anyone is asking about us, he wouldn't think twice to use Cody to get to us," Jesse said.
When Rachel heard the name Wicks, she dropped a glass on the floor. "Clumsy me," Rachel said to cover her worry over the name Wicks and remembering what Louise told her about the vile man.
Upon hearing the name Wicks, Jimmy jumped up remembering Lou said Wicks was her nightmare, "I going with Cody tomorrow," as he went to where his guns were hanging.
Teaspoon pulled Jimmy outside, "now I know you are worried about her. But she sent this girl here so she would be protected and with her not being back we are short on riders. I need you to stay."
"But Teaspoon..."
"You know something don't you, how can I help her if I don't have all the information."
Jimmy threw his hands up in the air with frustration, knowing Teaspoon was right.
"She only told me once that her nightmare is a man named Wicks."
"So why was she there," Teaspoon pondered.
"I don't know, but Teaspoon I would hate to think what would happen to Lou if she didn't get out of there."
"I know son, but lets give it a couple of days and wait till Cody comes back."
Lou forgot how much longer everything takes by stage. She was getting a little restless and tired of her companions. There was the annoyingly sweet newlywed couple, on their way to Sacramento, California, that got on Lou's last nerve. Then there was the older lady, who kept talking on and on endlessly about meeting her grandchildren in the Wyoming Territory.
On one of the scheduled stops Lou spend time with the drivers of the stage, Jack Bennett, an older man in his forties and Phil Spears a younger man in his twenties. She felt that she had more in common with them than her traveling companions.
"So Mr. Bennett how long have you been driving for the stage? Louise asked making small talk.
"About a year, Miss, and Phil's been my shotgun rider for about as long."
"Excuse me Miss, but are you in some kinda trouble," Phil asked. "I mean the bruises on your..."
"Phil," Jack yelled out.
"It's nothing," Lou smiled. "I had a slight accident, that's all," Lou supplied. "My brother rides for the pony express out of Sweetwater.
Thank you Leah for your help. Also, to all the Ladies at the plus, you rock!