Disclaimer: No, I do not own The Young Riders. I have, however, asked Santa to put them in my stocking this Christmas. ;)
A/N: Ike has been pestering me on a daily basis to let him become better-acquainted with Emily Metcalfe, and since he is such a wonderful, sweet fellow I am letting him do just that. And the other riders? Well, as usual they are clamoring for some fun. And fun they shall have - but at whose expense? Could be more than one person's expense, and not necessarily who you might think!
The routine of summer carried on into mid-August, but along with our regular chores we were preparing for the long winter to come. We still spent the early morning hours caring for the horses, but we also dove into the hot, heavy work of cutting and stacking firewood - enough for heat and cooking in the cold months - and cutting, stooking, and storing enough hay and straw to furnish the horses through the winter. Competition for these commodities was fierce in the town of Rock Creek; Teaspoon was a shrewd businessman and always managed to swing a deal or two, but this year he had help from a seemingly unlikely source: Ike.
The old teacher's homestead had lain vacant for several years, and fallen into a state of disrepair. It had been on the verge of being torn down and its land sold off until Emily Metcalfe, to everyone's surprise, purchased the homestead and its land. More than a few businessmen in the town had had their feathers ruffled over this strange turn of events, for though the buildings weren't held in high regard, the land itself was valuable. There was a deep, stone-lined artesian well that never had run dry, trees suitable for cutting for firewood if properly managed, and the soil was well-suited for planting businessmen were either too lazy or too cheap to buy the land and homestead and tear down the buildings themselves; they preferred to have someone else do the work for them, then buy the land at a reduced price. Emily, I learned, had been approached more than once by men hungering for that particular parcel of land and each time her answer had been the same. More than once the men left only when persuaded by the barrels of Emily's shotgun pointed at their chests.
As Buck and I quickly found out, more had happened in our absence than what we had seen in our visions. Despite an unfortunate interruption in his first visit with Emily, Ike had persisted in his attempts to make her acquaintance and was rewarded with an invitation to share dinner with her at her home. Rachel later told me that at first she had had second thoughts about Ike visiting a young woman alone in her home, unchaperoned, but Teaspoon had intervened on Ike's behalf, saying that next to Kid, Ike was the person he trusted most to behave like a gentleman. Rachel couldn't argue with that. Emily, it turned out, was a splendid cook; she had had to learn early in life, Ike explained, because her ma had died when Emily was just ten and she then had to take care of her pa. She and Ike had sat on the newly-repaired front porch after the dishes were washed up and talked until the stars had come out, when they had unexpected company: the son of the town banker, dead-drunk, stumbled off of his horse waving a pistol and demanding the rights to the property before he burned the house down and made it look like an accident.
Emily seemed to be well-used to dealing with situations such as this, Ike explained to me and Buck with a grin; she didn't blanch or faint or scream. In fact, she remained very calm; she graciously excused herself, stepped inside the house for a moment, and promptly returned - shotgun in hand. The young man very unwisely took a lurching step forward, and Emily let off both barrels. After he picked himself up off the ground, he tottered over to his horse, managed to mount, and sped away at a smart gallop - hastened by a couple of shots from Ike's revolver. He had ridden back into Rock Creek, it turned out, fallen off of his horse, and stumbled into the marshal's office where he promptly told Teaspoon that "that high-falutin' young tart who thinks she's so high an' mighty" had tried to shoot him. When Teaspoon demanded to know who or what in tarnation he was talking about, "Her!" he screamed, pointing, and promptly fainted. Ike had brought Emily back to town with him on his horse, Amigo, so that Emily could have the drunk arrested.
Teaspoon, with Ike's help, dragged the unconscious young fellow into a cell, dumped him on the floor, and locked the door firmly. The three then sat down to coffee and a plate of Rachel's fresh cookies at Teaspoon's desk. Emily explained to Teaspoon that she was sick and tired of chasing off irate men with her shotgun; she had come to Rock Creek, it seemed, after having lived in California all of her life and wanted a change of scenery. Her pa had died just the year before, shot by a fellow gambler he had accused of cheating at cards in a saloon in San Francisco. Emily had been lured to the city of Los Angeles by stories she had heard of a woman named Biddie Mason, a former slave who was a nurse and midwife and actually owned her own land.
Ike's eyes positively glowed with admiration for Emily as he related the story to Buck and me, not that I could blame him for feeling that way. But we urged him to continue.
Emily had packed up what few possessions she cared to keep, including a locket containing a lock of her mother's hair and her father's shotgun and revolver, sold everything else of value, and said goodbye to the tenement where she and her father had lived since her mother's death nine years ago. She travelled by stage to Los Angeles, keeping her money hidden in a pocket she'd sewn to the inside of her camisole. She searched high and low for Miss Mason, or Auntie Mason as she was known; upon tracking her down, Emily begged her to let her learn nursing and midwifery from her. Auntie Mason had initially refused, claiming that the city was no place for a single young woman - a single young white woman at that. Emily offered to pay her for teaching her, saying that she would do anything to learn nursing and midwifery so that other women perhaps not need die in childbirth as her own mother had.
Auntie Mason had softened then, seeing that Emily was indeed earnest in her desire to learn, and they struck a deal: she would teach Emily for a year on the condition that Emily helped pay for the nursing supplies they would be needing. She took Emily under her wing, teaching her nursing skills and the art of midwifery. Initially, Emily was looked upon with open hostility and hatred by the poor people for whom she cared, who saw her as nothing more than a bored, spoiled white girl, or worse - as little more than a prostitute. She gritted her teeth, though, and stuck it out and Auntie Mason was impressed by her toughness and determination. At the end of the year, she asked Emily what she wanted to do with her life now that she had a vocation.
Emily told her that she wanted to get away from California and its somber memories; the western frontier and its wild country was just beginning to be settled by the pioneers from other parts of the world. Surely, she said, there must be a great need for nurses and midwives in the wide country between Missouri and California. Auntie Mason agreed wholeheartedly with her and wished her Godspeed. Emily didn't have a set destination in mind until she actually reached Rock Creek and learned of a homestead and land being sold at an incredibly low price - by California's standards. In a very short time, the homestead and land was hers and she had convinced Doc Barnes to let her work with him on simple nursing and childbirth cases. The Doc learned of Emily's apprenticeship with Auntie Mason and was deeply impressed. He had heard of Biddie Mason and her work in Los Angeles - and her unusual practice of handwashing, which was considered by some to be the reason so few of her midwifery patients died of childbed fever.
Emily worked hard to gain the trust of both Doc Barnes and the townsfolk, and was rewarded for her efforts. The Doc soon trusted her to visit patients for whom simple nursing care was required, and to take on the labour and delivery for those women whose pregnancies had been easy. Emily missed Auntie Mason and her strong presence deeply, but was quickly learning to rely on herself, on her instincts and her quick thinking, and soon began to enjoy the challenges of caring for the frontier townsfolk. The only real problem was that of the greedy businessmen who would seemingly stop at nothing to drive her off of her land.
Teaspoon, Ike continued, tipped his chair back, took a cigar out of his shirt pocket and bit off the end, and lit it with a wooden match. He sat in silence for several minutes, watching the cigar smoke rise to the ceiling, until Ike began to wonder if he should take Emily home. Finally, Teaspoon spoke.
"Seems to me, Miss Metcalfe, you got yourself a genu-wine problem" Teaspoon drawled. "These unscrupulous-type menfolk jus' don't know when to quit, do they now?" Emily nodded her agreement. "I don't know what to do, Marshal Hunter, they're like a pack of hungry wolves that keep circling round and round, waiting to attack."
"Mmm-hmm" Teaspoon agreed. "That does sound 'bout right, don't it, Ike?"
Ike nodded emphatically and signed rapidly to Teaspoon; Emily tried to follow what Ike was signing, but couldn't keep up with him. "What's he saying?" she finally demanded.
"Ike here is got a dandy idea, Miss Metcalfe" Teaspoon said, setting his chair back down on all four legs. "Seems these fellas don't give two hoots 'bout you or your home, do they?" She shook her head. "An' what they really want is what they can get fer themselves, to line their own pockets, right?"
"Marshal Hunter, I know - " Emily was becoming exasperated by Teaspoon's meanderings. But Teaspoon continued anyway.
"So - what if you was able to strike up a deal with somebody trustworthy, somebody who would help cut and stack your firewood fer the winter, whilst cutting some fer themselves an' payin you? And, someone to cut hay for the winter, for your stock and theirs, and stook it and store it away, like? It would work out both ways, don't you think? These - uhm, gentlemen from the town would leave you alone, once they saw your land was bein' worked. Too late fer crops to go in this year, but there's always next year, now ain't there?" Teaspoon regarded her from beneath his bushy brows.
Emily sat stock-still for a long moment, then laughed out loud. "It's perfect!" she exclaimed. "Thank you, Marshal Hunter! Ike - " She leaned over, flung her arms around Ike's neck, and kissed his cheek soundly.
Of course, Buck and I chuckled as Ike blushed and laughed good-naturedly while relating this part of the tale. But we could tell that he was just pleased as punch with the whole business.
That was how we were able to cut some of our firewood and hay for the winter; Teaspoon had finagled a deal with a young newly-married couple from outside of town for the remainder of what we'd be needing.
Buck, Ike, and I were set to go to Emily's a couple of mornings from then on; Jimmy, Cody, Kid, and Noah would do the same with the young couple who owned a larger parcel of land. Of course, we still had our rides and regular chores besides this, but it wasn't so bad - I got to work with Buck and Ike who worked hard and didn't complain. And, I started to get to know Emily and discovered just how much we had in common.
The three of us headed over to Emily's a couple of mornings after we'd gotten back from Green River. We had already finished our early-morning chores, of course, and Ike and I had trimmed down both Lightning's and Amigo's hooves and had them freshly shod. It had been arduous work; neither horse minded being shod, but they both detested having their hooves trimmed. I had held Amigo for Ike while he worked on his hooves; Amigo was in a very no-nonsense mood when Ike began working on the rear hooves and Ike, who like any smart horseman knew was wise, stood right close behind Amigo's hocks to avoid a hard kick. Amigo then gave Ike a good hard shove with his hock instead, sending Ike stumbling backwards only to land square on his ass in the dirt.
Ike sat, gasping for a moment, then got up and shook his fist at me because a tiny snicker had escaped my traitorous mouth. He shot me a murderous look while he dusted off his behind, then grimly went back to the task at hand. As I tied Amigo to the hitching rail, I began to feel uneasy - Lightning looked to be in no better mood. Sure enough, as soon as I started paring down his left hind hoof, Lightning turned his head, sniffed me all over - and smartly and efficiently bit my right butt-cheek. I straightened and let loose a scream that had Rachel flying out of the house and Buck out of the barn, pitchfork in hand. The noise startled Ike into dropping the rope; he grabbed it as I whipped around and pointed a finger right in his face.
"You did that on purpose!" I hollered, rubbing my sore behind. "Why didn't you hold his head?"
*I let him turn his head to nudge off a fly* Ike signed back at me. *I didn't tell him to bite your ass!*
Seeing me then charge at Ike, Buck hurriedly grabbed me from behind and held my arms. Rachel hurried up to us.
"Oh, Lou! Do you want me to take a look at that?" she exclaimed.
Buck doubled over in laughter and dropped my arms; I stomped down, hard, on his left foot and he yelped. Ike stood, shaking with silent laughter, and even the corners of Rachel's mouth had begun to twitch. I glared at all three of them, picked up the knife, and once again stood behind Lightning. Buck came up beside me.
"I'm sorry, Lou" he whispered into my ear, contrite. "I'm sorry I laughed at you. That must really hurt."
"I'd bend down and take a chunk out of your ass if I didn't think you'd enjoy it, Buck Cross" I hissed. He took a hasty step backwards.
"Do you want me to rub it until it feels better?" he asked sympathetically.
I straightened up and turned very, very slowly, knife in hand. "If you aren't back in that barn in three seconds flat, I will castrate you myself with this paring knife I am holding in my hand. One. Two. Thr-"
Buck's eyes grew wide as saucers; he backed away, tripped over the pitchfork he had dropped, and scrambled away as fast as his long legs would carry him. Rachel also took the opportunity to make a hasty escape.
Ike wiped the smirk off of his face as soon as I looked at him. He held Lightning's head firmly and securely while I finished the hateful job I had only just started. We had our horses shod in record time that morning; leaving them tied to the hitching rail, we washed our hands and went inside for breakfast. I sat down next to Buck, mindful of my sore behind, and reached for the platter of bacon while Rachel served fried eggs to me and Ike.
"How's your behind?" Buck whispered into my ear. I almost choked on the mouthful of bacon I was chewing and shot him a venomous look.
"Did you just say what I think you said, Buck?" Jimmy laughed from my other side.
"What'd he say, Jimmy?" Cody asked, muffled by the wad of toast in his mouth. I shot Jimmy a pleading look.
"He said, 'How's your behind' " Kid snickered from across the table. I tried to kick him under the table but missed. Ike began to shake with laughter, as did Noah.
"What the hell - " he gasped, wiping away the tears trickling down his face. "What's wrong with your behi - no, I take that back. I don't want to know!"
*Lightning bit Lou's ass* Ike signed, by way of explanation. A collective sound of understanding went around the table.
"Ike McSwain!" Rachel exclaimed. "Do not use that kind of language while we are eating!" Ike signed an apology.
"Was that that horrible scream we heard earlier?" Cody asked, biting into a biscuit. "Sounded like a pig getting its throat cut! You sure can scream loud, Lou!"
"Are you sure you don't want me to have a look at it, Lou? You don't want it to get infected" Rachel said, concerned. The boys howled with laughter; all, that is, except for Buck, who knew better. He tried unsuccessfully to plaster a look of concern on his face. I was on the verge of tears caused by equal parts of pain and humiliation.
"Rachel, it's all right. Really it is - but thanks for asking" I managed to get out. I ignored the rest of the remarks the fellas made at the expense of me and my sore bottom and finished my breakfast. Afterwards Ike, Buck, and I made ready to leave for Emily's while the others stayed to do chores at the station. Even the sight of Cody dressed up in Rachel's frilly apron couldn't boost my spirits; I left the bunkhouse and saddled up Lightning, putting my canteen inside the saddlebag. Buck and Ike joined me at the hitching rail.
"Lou, Ike and I were thinking that we'd use the cross-cut saw to fell some trees if you wanted to scythe down some hay out in the pasture" Buck said. "We figured that he and I would work best with the two-man saw - we're about the same height. That all right with you?"
He was trying to be kind and make amends, but right about then all I wanted was to be left alone. "Sure. Whatever" I said curtly. "Ike, do you know if Emily has a scythe in her toolshed?"
Ike nodded yes. "Good" I said. "Let's go." I mounted up and set off at a slow canter, not bothering to wait for the other two. I tried very hard to not bounce in the saddle, but Lightning's gaits were always choppy when his hooves were trimmed and he was adjusting to a new set of shoes. I gritted my teeth and swore under my breath; I had a backache as well. "Dammit" I muttered to myself. This was going to be a very long day.
Emily's home was not far from the way station, and I pulled up beside her porch in a matter of minutes. I swung down from the saddle, glad to be off of my rear end, and called out. "Hello? Emily, are you here?"
I heard a loud crash from somewhere inside the house and the sound of a muffled curse. "Just a cotton-pickin' minute!" a woman's voice yelled.
I unsaddled Lightning, slinging his reins and the saddle over the porch railing. Curious, I climbed up the front steps and poked my head inside the door. A steady stream of cusswords came from somewhere to my left; I tiptoed inside. The kitchen seemed to be on my left, and I poked my head inside. My eyebrows rose to the center of my forehead.
Emily Metcalfe, dressed in a man's shirt and britches, her face red and smudged with dirt, was smack in the middle of the kitchen floor - on her behind. An overturned bucket of soapy water and a washrag completed this unfortunate scene. With a muffled exclamation, I hurried into the kitchen and helped the soaking wet girl to her feet and over to a chair.
"Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?" I asked her anxiously. She sat, silent and red-faced, then looked at me. I looked at her. The corners of my mouth began to twitch, as did hers. We burst into peals of hysterical laughter. I sank down, painfully, into the chair across from hers.
"You're Lou, aren't you?" she gasped as soon as she was able to speak.
"Lou McLeod" I said, extending her a hand. "Ike and Buck shouldn't be much longer; I - uh - left before they did."
"That's all right, let them take their time" Emily said, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I wanted to talk to you alone, anyway."
I raised my eyebrows questioningly. "Lou is really short for Louise, isn't it?" she asked, resting her elbows on the table.
She was nothing if not direct. "Yes, it is, but it's - not exactly common knowledge around here" I said. "The Pony Express doesn't hire women riders - so I'm Lou, except to the other fellas here, and Teaspoon and Rachel. They keep my secret."
"Okay" she grinned, "now I understand. Ike mentioned something about you and Buck and I wondered - "
I laughed outright at that. "I can see why you'd be wondering. Yeah, Buck and I, we're - um - "
"Together?" Emily asked , smiling.
"Yeah. We have been, for a little while now." I felt my face flush the tiniest bit. I dared to be bold. "So - how do you like Ike?" I held my breath, hoping she wouldn't be offended by my asking.
To my surprise, her face turned a delicate shade of pink and she looked down at the table. "I like him a whole lot" she said in a low voice, meeting my eyes."Ike is about the kindest person I have ever met. He can't talk, but the way he expresses himself is so much better than talking. He doesn't need words." She smiled shyly. "Is he always so gentle?"
"Yes, he is. Well, except when someone's done him or someone he cares about wrong. But he is gentle, with children and animals and people he cares about - "
The sound of horses and Buck's voice came from outside. "Hello? Lou, Emily, are you here?" Footsteps sounded from the floorboards of the porch.
"In here!" Emily called. "Come on inside!"
Buck and Ike walked into the sunny kitchen, their expressions a study as they surveyed the scene before them. I bit down hard on my lip to keep from laughing. "Is everything all right?" Buck asked discreetly.
"Everything's fine, Buck. Emily's taking a break from scrubbing her floor is all. We were just having a little chat." I managed not to laugh.
"Come on, I'll show you where to find what you need." She led us around the side of the house to a small toolshed.
"The scythe and the saw are both pretty old, but in good shape" she said, rummaging inside the cobwebby shed until she found the scythe. "They've been cared for, anyway." I took the scythe from her. "Ike, maybe you can reach up to get the saw down? I'm afraid I'm too short."
Ike gave her a soft smile and stepped inside; he emerged a moment later with the long cross-cut saw. Emily smiled at him. Buck and I glanced at each other and smiled somewhat sheepishly.
"I'll be here at the house if you need anything" Emily told us. "Ike, you know which trees to take?" He nodded. "I'll see you around noon, then." The fellas walked off behind the house, each carrying one end of the saw. "Come on, I'll show you the best place to cut the hay."
A breeze fanned our faces as we walked along to a field alongside the south side of the house. The grass was thicker and greener here than I had seen elsewhere; it would make fine hay for the winter. I put down the scythe, took off my vest, and rolled up my sleeves. Emily frowned at me, tilting her head to one side.
"I've noticed you're walking with a limp" she said. "Are you hurt?"
I sighed and tilted my hat back slightly on my head. "No" I said finally. "well, yes. The only thing that's hurt is my dignity." She looked at me, not understanding. I cracked a smile then.
"My horse hates having his hooves pared down" I explained. "I had to do it first thing this morning, and - well - he got mad at me and bit my ass when I was bent over."
A long moment went by before the two of us burst out laughing. It felt good to stop being angry over the silly incident and laugh about it instead. We both laughed until our eyes streamed and noses ran.
"Oh, my Lord" Emily said finally. "I bet it's just throbbing to beat the band. Did it break the skin?"
"I don't know" I admitted. "Rachel offered to look at it, but the boys were there and kept making fun of me, and I was too mad then to let her look."
"I could take a look, if you like" she offered. "I am a nurse, after all, and I'm not family either. Unless, you'd rather Buck take a look?"
"Well - " I hesitated, looking all around to make sure there was no-one in sight, "all right." I quickly unbuttoned my trousers and bared just enough of my right backside to let Emily take a look. "Well?"
"You can fasten those up again" she said. "You're lucky - he didn't break the skin. It's big and it's purple. and it's got to hurt like nobody's business."
"You got that right" I said glumly. "Riding's going to be tricky."
"It is going to be sore until the swelling goes down quite a bit" Emily agreed. "Can you put some ice on it when you get back to the station?"
"I don't think I'll have time" I said. "I'm supposed to get back in time to help Rachel clean the bunkhouse."
"Oh, too bad" Emily said sympathetically. "That's got to be a nasty chore - cleaning up after all those boys?"
This girl was nobody's fool, that was for sure. "A couple of them aren't bad" I grinned, thinking of Ike and Buck. "But I'd really rather shovel manure than clean up after them."
She laughed, an honest hearty laugh that was contagious, and soon I was laughing right along with her. "When is your next ride?" she asked presently, wiping her eyes.
"I've got the early run tomorrow morning - I leave at dawn for Spring Pass, switch the mochillas, and come right back to Rock Creek. It's my favourite run; I'm always back a little before lunch" I answered. I tilted my head. "Why do you ask?"
"Because" Emily said, leaning against a fencepost, "I am frankly sick and tired of my own company. I thought if I packed a lunch, we could go on a picnic somewhere nearby? That is, if you'd want to?"
My face split into a huge grin. "That's the best idea anyone 'round here's had in ages. I would love that - there's a perfect spot a stone's throw away from the swimming hole where it's shady under the trees, and there's lots of grass to spread a blanket down on. Do you have a horse you can ride?"
"Yep" Emily replied, grinning. "I've got Buster - he's a real rump-buster. Got him soon's I settled here."
I picked up the scythe. "I'll ride over here soon's as I pass on the mochilla in Rock Creek, then. I'll even wash up" I laughed.
"See you when you're done cutting." She waved as she walked off and I felt good, ready to tackle the morning's work.
I was happy to be out of doors in the warm sunshine. It was hard work and I found the scythe awkward to handle because of my lack of height, but I soon found a rhythm to swinging the scythe and the job went very quickly from then on. It was a warm day for sure, but not as scorchingly hot as it had been earlier in the month. I wished I could take off my shirt, like the boys undoubtedly had, but I couldn't without drawing unwanted attention to myself. I thought of Buck and Ike cutting with the long saw; an image grew in my mind of Buck - shirtless, his long dark hair flowing down between his shoulderblades, a fine sheen of sweat making his smooth brown skin glisten...his trousers barely clinging to his narrow hips...
I took a long drink of cold water from my canteen, letting some dribble down my chin to my neck. I definitely needed to cool off and get my mind back on the task at hand...though, thinking of that image of Buck while I worked made time go by even more quickly.
By the time the sun was high in the sky and I knew it was almost noon, I set the scythe down on the grass and took a look around me. I had done a good morning's work for sure; I was pleased with myself. I bent down to pick up the scythe again, when a cramp shot through my lower stomach. I swore to myself; I should've known. After all, it was the full moon, and I'd even gotten a backache to boot, but my mind had been elsewhere this morning before I'd left the way station and I'd never even thought of bringing some cloth with me. Damn.
I threw on my vest, grabbed canteen and scythe, and made for the house as fast as I could. I hurriedly hung the scythe back in the toolshed and opened the front door. "Emily?" I hollered.
She emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a piece of towelling. "Yes, Lou?" She quickly frowned. "You're not all right, are you? What is it?"
I bit my lip as another cramp ripped through my lower half. "Do you have - a spare piece of cloth I could have?"
"Cloth?" she asked, puzzled.
"It's for - oh hell, my monthly's started and blood'll be running down my leg in a minute" I blurted out.
"Oh, dang" she exclaimed and grabbed my hand. "Come on upstairs."
We clattered upstairs, stopping at a closet in the hallway; it looked to be stocked with doctor's supplies. Emily rummaged and pulled out a large square of fluffy, soft white material and two diaper pins. I looked at it, puzzled.
"It's a newborn's diaper" she explained. "Please don't be offended - it's what Auntie Mason told me works best when you're real busy and can't make a lot of trips to the privy. Just fold it like this - " and she quickly folded it into a skinny rectangle. "Then, pin the skinny ends along the seam of your britches and nobody can tell. Here, you can fix yourself up in here."
She showed me into what looked to be a spare bedroom, the shades drawn to keep out the bright sun, and closed the door behind her. I quickly got things where they needed to be and gave a sigh of relief. When I came back downstairs, Buck and Ike were already waiting for me. Ike was busily signing to Emily, who was laughing. I wondered if he was telling her what Amigo had done to him earlier. I walked up to Buck and took his hand. He looked down at me, smiling warmly. "You okay?" he whispered.
"Yeah...just a little sore, is all" I whispered, putting a hand to my lower stomach. His eyes darkened in understanding. "I can make you some tea when we get back" he said quietly.
I nodded my head. "Buck?" I said very quietly and he raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry...for being so bitchy earlier." I flushed and lowered my head.
He cupped my cheek with his hand, removing it quickly when Ike and Emily turned to us. "It's all right" Emily grinned. "I know about the two of you."
He laughed then. "Good" he said, "things could get awkward otherwise."
The horses were saddled and tied to the porch railing. "I'll see you tomorrow at noon" I said to Emily as I wheeled Lightning around.
"I'll bring a blanket and food if you can bring something to drink. Oh, and I put another cloth inside your saddlebag" she said with a grin.
We waved as we rode off towards the way station. "Are you two going on a picnic tomorrow or something?" Buck asked as we reined the horses in to a slow canter.
"Yes, we are" I smiled. "We've got a lot in common." Buck laughed his deep, hearty laugh; Ike smiled widely and gave me a thumbs-up. We rode home slowly; we each seemed to be lost in our own thoughts. Presently, we came to a grove of shady trees just outside of town. "What do you say we stop and rest for a minute?" Buck asked me and Ike.
Ike and I looked at each other and shrugged. We dismounted underneath the shady canopy, looping the horses' reins over low-hanging branches. I pulled my canteen out of my saddlebag, as did Buck and Ike, and sat down on the ground with my back to the sun. I took a long swallow of water, sighing with satisfaction as it cooled my parched throat. "This was a good idea, Buck" I smiled at him shyly. Ike signed in agreement.
Buck grinned his lopsided grin, the one that never failed to make me smile. " I just wanted us all to be alone together before we got back to the station" he said. "We're never really alone there - someone's always around."
Ike frowned and signed *Is something wrong?*
"Nothing's wrong, Ike. It just seems as good a time as any to tell him the good news. What do you think, Lou?" Buck asked me, raising an eyebrow and smiling slightly.
I grinned then and laughed, the funny loopy laugh that always comes out when I'm really, really happy. "This is a real good time."
Ike looked totally perplexed. *Are you two going to tell me, or do I have to wait for Christmas?* he signed emphatically.
"Well - " Buck and I looked at each other and laughed. "Ike, I've asked Lou to marry me."
Ike's mouth fell open. *Tell me you didn't say yes, Lou!*
"Well Ike, sorry to disappoint you, but I said yes!" I laughed, and Buck hugged me from behind.
Ike's face nearly split in two, his smile was so wide. He jumped to his feet. *I want to kiss the bride!* he signed and helped me to my feet. He kissed my cheek and hugged me so hard I couldn't breathe. Buck got to his feet, and he and Ike laughed, then hugged each other.
*I am so happy for the two of you!* he signed, still laughing, tears in his eyes. *When's the wedding going to be?*
"We think it's best if we wait until the Express shuts down" Buck said, his arms around my waist. "That way, we can buy land and get our ranch started."
"The three of us, Ike" I said softly.
Ike's eyes lit up like candles on a birthday cake. *I don't know what to say!* He put his hands to his head. *This is the best day ever!*
I laughed that loopy laugh again. "Don't be too quick to say that, Ike" I said michievously. "It's not over yet!"
The boys looked at each other; Buck shrugged. They turned and looked at me.
"I've got to tell you, Ike Mc Swain" I began slyly. "There's a certain nurse-midwife by the name of Emily who thinks you're someone pretty special, too!"
Ike just didn't know how to respond to that piece of news. He looked at me, questioning, eyebrows raised.
"Yep!" I grinned.
He turned beet red, picked me up, and whirled me around and around, then set me back down. I stumbled sideways and Buck caught me and held me in his arms.
"You're right, Ike, it doesn't get any better than this" Buck said, clapping him on the back and kissing me on the cheek."There's just one favour we ask of you."
Ike nodded. *What is it, Buck?*
"Please don't say anything to the other fellas just yet. We don't want anyone else to know until the Express is closer to being finished" Buck said quietly.
*Not a word* Ike signed, his face serious. *I guess you don't want word getting around town.*
"That's it exactly."
By the time we got back to the station, Rachel was just dishing up apple pie for dessert. "Well, you three" she smiled. "Glad you could make it! I was beginning to think you got lost."
"We're sorry, Rachel" Buck said. "We forgot about the time, was all." Ike and I nodded in agreement.
"Well - all right; I'll forgive you this time. Here, I managed to save you a few sandwiches" she said, keeping them well away from Cody, who was eyeing them hungrily.
After lunch was finished, I hurried to the tack room and retrieved the cloth diaper that Emily had so thoughtfully sent home with me. I shoved it down the front of my pants, not wanting anyone to see what it was, and pulled it out again to put inside my trunk.
"What's that, Lou?" Rachel asked, standing in the doorway to the bunkhouse with a mop and bucket in her hand.
"What? Uhm, nothing" I stammered, hastily shutting the lid to my trunk. "Nothing, really."
"That's funny. I could've sworn it looked like a diaper" Rachel grinned.
I sat down, put my elbows on the table, and covered my face with my hands. "It is" I said, my voice muffled.
"Lou? I'm afraid I don't understand" Rachel said, sounding troubled. "Is there something I should know?"
I straightened up immediately. "Rachel! No! It's nothing like that! Emily sent it home with me, it's for my - well, you know, my" I dropped my voice, "my monthly."
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Oh, is that all? Oh, Lou - honey, I'm sorry, I just - " She gave a sigh of relief. "I know that you and Buck are - close. You're probably even - intimate, by now." It was more of a question than a statement.
I raised my head, gathered my courage together, and looked her straight in the eye. "We are" I said in a low voice in case anyone was outside on the porch. "But Rachel, you've gotta know - we've been careful. All the time. We haven't taken any chances yet, and we're not going to, either."
"I'm so glad of that, Louise" she said softly. "Is this something that you and Buck are in agreement on?"
"It is" I said. "Even the - um, the first time - Buck thought to ask me when my next monthly was going to be, and I was honest with him, I told him it was only three days away. And, if we decided to - you know, get intimate, that we wouldn't make a baby." I hesitated, wondering if I should go on. "At the Kiowa village, Morning Star put her hand on me, here" I put it on my lower stomach, "and told me that I wasn't with child right now. But, she told me, and I don't think Buck knows unless he's figured it out himself, that when we want to make a baby, that I should go to him on an evening of the new moon and I will be ready then."
"Do you believe that, Lou?" Rachel asked, her face and voice questioning.
"I do believe that, Rachel, because it makes sense to me" I said earnestly. "I always get my monthly at the full moon. And the new moon is two weeks after the full moon; it's like doing arithmetic kinda."
"It does make sense, Lou, and I'm so glad the two of you can be so honest with each other" she smiled, a genuine smile. "Buck is one special young man, and he's lucky to have you!"
"I know" I grinned.
We put our hearts and a lot of elbow grease into cleaning out the bunkhouse that afternoon, and while I was mopping the floor down I thought of doing this in my own home - Buck's and my home. My stomach did a strange kind of flip then, realizing that when we were married, I would be doing this for the two of us. It occurred to me then that there were an awful lot of things that I, myself, was going to be responsible for and I'd better start making a list of what I needed to ask Rachel about - cooking, keeping house, sewing, and a multitude of other womanly chores. It was kind of overwhelming, and I needed to get busy and learn.
That night, Buck and I fed and watered the horses for the night. Afterwards, I was dog-tired, and I had one awful dose of cramps. I thought about going straight to bed, when Buck suggested we go up to the hayloft.
"You know I can't - you know" I said, lowering my head. He tipped up my chin with his hand and placed a gentle kiss on my lips.
"That's not why I want to go up there tonight, Louise" he said, giving me a soft smile. "Why don't you go on ahead and get comfortable. I'll be up in a few minutes, okay?"
I nodded my head, and climbed the ladder to the loft. I shook out the blanket and placed it on the floor. Buck climbed up the ladder a few minutes later; I could smell, rather than see, him coming. It smelled like sage.
"What's that, Buck?" He was holding a thick square of cloth; that was where the smell of sage was coming from.
He knelt down beside me, setting a tin cup on the floor. "Are you comfortable?" I nodded. "Undo your pants, Lou."
"What?" I asked, startled.
"This is a sage poultice. It will help get rid of your cramps if you put it on your belly" he explained patiently.
"Ohhh!" I exclaimed. I unbuttoned my trousers and Buck placed the square of cloth on the skin over my womb. "That feels so nice and warm, and it smells good." He handed me the tin cup then, and I smelled the familiar aroma of raspberry leaf and willow bark tea. "Buck, thank you. So much." I sipped the hot tea gratefully. "I really did need this tonight."
"I kinda figured that" he said, giving me a crooked grin. "Move forward for a minute." I scooted forward, and Buck settled in behind me, his legs outside of mine, his large warm hands on the cloth square.
"Lean back" he whispered. I leaned back against his solid chest and gave a contented sigh; there was no place I'd rather have been right then.
We watched the moon, and talked quietly about the day we'd had. We both were glad to have been able to find time alone with Ike, and were glad that he was enthusiastic about getting a ranch started in the not-too-distant future. But more than anything, I think, I was thrilled for Ike that Emily genuinely liked him and his kindness, his gentleness.
"It's about time Ike met someone special" I said, putting my hands over Buck's. "Someone who sees Ike for who and what he really is."
"I've wished that for him for so long, Lou, he has the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known" Buck said softly into my ear. "I hope and pray that if they are meant to be together, that the Spirits will guide them along that path."
We made our way back down the ladder into the barn. Outside, Buck set the now-cool poultice by the front door to the house.
"You can use it again tomorrow if you need to" Buck said by way of explanation. "You can just set it by the hearth to warm up."
"Thank you" I said tenderly, squeezing Buck's hand and standing on tiptoe to kiss him. He put his arms around me and gave me a long, slow kiss.
Inside the bunkhouse, most of the fellas were reading before bed, as they usually did. Cody, I saw, had taken to writing in a journal. He looked up as we walked over to the bunk.
"My, but you two certainly do smell good tonight" he smirked. "Just what were you doing in the barn, anyway?"
"Finding something to kill the awful stench of your dirty stockings" I retorted and Buck, with his usual grace and good aim, leaned down, picked up Cody's dirty stockings, and threw them smack into the middle of his face.
"Dang it all, Buck" Cody wheezed as he threw the stockings onto the floor again. "Would you quit doing that!" He sat up and threw his pillow at Buck, who dodged it easily.
"Sure" Buck said good-naturedly, and threw the offending stockings into the woodstove. "That's better. Good night, Cody!" he laughed, turning the wick all the way down in the oil lamp, and snuggled up close beside me in our bunk. By the time Cody retrieved his pillow and got back into his bunk, I was fast asleep in Buck's arms in the moonlight.
A/N: Who wouldn't sleep well, all wrapped up in Buck? I know I would for sure! So, it looks like Ike and Emily are progressing very nicely! I just had to make Emily a nurse; after all, it is the profession to which I belong and I thought she would make just an amazing nurse. And isn't Buck just a honey? I hope Lou appreciates him; she better, or she'll get a stiff talking-to. Speaking of talk (sorry, that just popped out - honest) I wonder what Lou and Emily will have to talk about? Or who(m). Could be a certain handsome young Kiowa warrior and his best friend? More than likely! Stay tuned - and please do let me know what you think! I am having so much fun with this story and its characters. Even Cody and his smelly socks (grin).
Just a side note - Bridget "Biddie" Mason was a former slave, free once her master resettled them in California. She was indeed a nurse and a midwife in Los Angeles, and was one of the first black women to purchase and own real estate. To me, she was a true pioneer, and a real heroine! ML