Chapter 54
Later that night, after their children were fast asleep, Kid and Lou walked across the yard to the bunkhouse. Buck had asked to speak with them in private before they turned in for the night.
"I wonder what Buck wants to talk to us about?" Kid queried aloud.
"I'm sure I don't know," Lou mumbled, lost in her own thoughts.
Buck was waiting for them on the porch of the bunkhouse.
"What did you want to talk to us about Buck?" Kid asked.
"I'm going to tell you in a minute, Kid," Buck said solemnly, "But first I want you and Lou to promise not to interrupt me until I'm finished speaking."
He waited until both Kid and Lou had agreed to his request before he spoke again. "When Cherokee and I arrived at the K&L, I told you that we had come because I wanted you to meet my son. That was a partial truth. The real reason was that I was worried. I've been having some troubling dreams lately…disturbing visions."
He saw Kid and Lou exchange a glance, but neither spoke as he continued,
"At first, I only got bits and pieces of flickering images and information that told me someone I loved was in danger. Two nights ago, I had another vision. This time a whole picture formed. Lou was in my vision. She was in the meadow where you erected the crosses in honor of Ike and Noah. There was someone else in it, too. There was a man with dark hair…he seemed oddly familiar, but I couldn't put a name to his face. Lou seemed to know him though, and was terrified of him."
Lou abruptly turned away from Buck and Kid, as the Kiowa finished speaking. Her heart raced and she feared letting Buck and Kid see how unsettling her friend's words were to her. She struggled to get herself under control.
"Lou, are you alright?" Kid placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
Lou stepped out of his reach and quickly turned around, "I'm fine. Just surprised that Buck would think us foolish enough to believe in such things as visions. I'm going to bed."
"Lou…," Kid called after her, but she kept walking and didn't turn around. He turned back to Buck, "I'm sorry, Buck."
"Don't Kid," Buck quickly stopped him, "What I said spooked Lou more that she's letting on. She said what she did as a way to deflect what she's feeling. I didn't want to frighten her, but I had to tell you about my visions."
"To be honest, Buck, I don't know if I believe in visions, either. It doesn't matter whether I do or don't. You do, and I trust you. I'll be keeping Lou close for the next couple of days."
"She's going to hate that," Buck commented.
"If it keeps any harm from coming to her, I'll face her wrath," Kid stepped off the porch and started toward the house, "Night, Buck."
"Night, Kid."
Kid found Lou already in bed, and the room dark, when he reached it. He undressed and slid under the covers beside her. He reached for her, but she rolled over onto her side, with her back to him.
Pain sliced through him at her rejection, but he shoved it aside, "Buck didn't mean to frighten you."
"I don't want to talk about Buck and his foolishness!" Lou snapped.
"Buck might believe things differently than we do, but there's no call claiming them as 'foolishness'!" Kid said heatedly.
"You can believe whatever you want, but I don't have to believe the same way you do!"
"I've never known Buck's 'hunches' or instincts to be wrong and more than once he's saved our lives overly the years. Calling what he believes in 'foolishness' is insulting and you should be ashamed of yourself!"
"I'm tired Kid, and I'm going to sleep," Lou spat at him before falling silent.
Kid seethed at her words but refrained from saying anything else. Lou was being more than just plain stubborn, she was being rather hostile in the way she was reacting to Buck's visions. He closed his eyes and willed sleep to claim him, but it was a long time in coming.
