The Way Station

Lightning lit up the sky followed by a low rumble of thunder, rousing Kid from his slumber. The moon was barely visible through the clouds that had rolled in while they slept. Gently nudging the sleeping form pressed up against him, Kid whispered, "Lou, we gotta go. There's a storm coming." She mumbled something incoherent in her sleep and tried to curl further into his side. She felt a soft breeze blow over her skin. "Lou, honey, you have to wake up. You can sleep back at the bunkhouse."

A crack of thunder rolled in across the land, signalling the approaching storm. Hearing the noise, Lou's eyes fluttered open as she realized where she was. "I was having such a nice dream too," she mumbled as Kid began to sit up with her still in his arms.

"You can finish your dream at home, I promise," Kid said, looking around for his pants and her shift. "But we need to get dressed and get there first."

Lou reluctantly sat up and started reaching for her shift. Slipping it over her head, she grabbed her stockings and the hairpins, rolling them inside the silky hosiery. She watched as Kid pulled his pants back on and threw her his shirt to put on over her shift. They didn't have time to fasten all those tiny buttons. Gathering up the rest of their garments, he stuffed them into his saddlebag. Lou, now wearing his much larger shirt over her shift, folded the quilt back up and handed it to Kid who then headed over to Katy to ready her for their trip back to the bunkhouse. Once everything was packed up, Lou felt herself hoisted into the air and deposited atop Kid's beloved paint mare. He climbed up right behind her, gathered the reins in his hand, kissed her cheek one last time, and started for home.

As they raced home, Kid could feel the storm following on their heels the entire short trip back to the bunkhouse. As the familiar structure came into sight in the dim moonlight, the first fat drops of rain began pelting down upon his back. Hunching over Lou a bit, he urged Katy on the last mile or so. Finally making their way into the yard, Kid slowed his mount and walked her into the barn. Sliding off her back, he helped Lou down. She took the quilt and saddle bag as Kid led his horse into her stall to brush her down before bedding her down for the night. Outside, they could hear the rain beating a staccato on the roof. Lou stowed the quilt back on its shelf and returned to Katy's stall, settling herself on a hay bale to watch Kid finish.

Once Katy was settled, Kid sat next to Lou on the bale and, taking her hand in his, said, "Do you wanna make a run for it or should we wait here until the storm passes?"

She looked over at him, thinking about her choices before answering, "You know, if we go out the back door we could sneak in the back of the bunkhouse and the boys might not notice us."

"Sounds like a plan. Ready?"

Lou hopped off the hay and started towards the barn door, but was stopped when Kid grasped her hand in his. Pulling her back to him, he wrapped his arms around her one last time for the night and pressed his lips to hers. Looking in her eyes, he slowly released her from his embrace and began pulling her towards the door once again. They both peered outside in the direction of the bunkhouse, watching the sky light up before they took off running, hand in hand.

They arrived quickly by the back door to the bunkhouse. Huddling under the eaves, Kid carefully slid open the latch and slowly opened the door. Someone had left a lamp lit on the table for them once they returned. He quickly peered inside to see the bunks full of their fellow riders, each of them sound asleep. Opening the door wider, he motioned to Lou to enter the bunkhouse. He followed right behind her, closing the door quietly behind them. "Lucky for us, that storm is so noisy. I don't think they heard us," Lou whispered into his ear.

Kid walked her over to her small alcove before kissing her once again and heading for his own bunk. "Kid!" she hissed, trying to get his attention.

He was by her side in an instant, fearful of waking any of the boys. "What?" he whispered back.

Reaching for his shirt she still wore, she reminded, "You forgot your shirt."

"Keep it. I don't want anyone else seeing you in that shift but me," he said with a lopsided smile.

She reached up to kiss him one last time, "Good night, Kid."

"Good night, Lou."

Kid found his long johns where he left them folded on his bunk along with the rest of his clothes. Quickly shucking his pants and donning his long john bottoms, Kid tossed the rest of his clothes along with the saddlebag onto the bunk above his since no one slept there anymore. He was just about to get into bed when he heard a muffled curse coming from Lou's bunk.

"Lou, are you alright?" he asked walking over to the curtain that separated them.

"No," was her hasty reply. "I left my clothes up at Rachel's this afternoon and she took my other long johns to be washed."

"Well, can't you sleep in your shift tonight? You'll probably be cooler in it anyway," Kid suggested through the curtain. Before he could react, the curtain was pulled slightly aside and he found himself face to face with a barely dressed Lou. As he allowed his eyes to roam over her curves clearly visible through her sheer shift, he gave her an appreciative stare.

Lou looked up at him and, pulling him further into her space, said, "Can't you sleep here tonight? I don't want to be alone."

Kid gazed between her scantily clad body and her bunk, carefully weighing the consequences of being discovered in her bed in the morning, especially given her current state of undress. While he had slept in here with her twice before following their trip to Fort Kearney, he had always been careful to only stay until she had fallen asleep before sneaking back to his own bunk. Both those times though, she had been wearing her long johns. Glancing down once again at her less than masculine attire, he felt powerless to resist the pull he felt stirring inside at the thought of holding her in his arms all night. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, he pulled her over to her bed, removed the quilt and climbed in, taking her with him. "I may regret what Teaspoon will do to me in the morning, but if I get to hold you in my arms all night, it'll be worth it," he whispered into her hair.

Lou snuggled closer to him as she settled herself against his larger body. She felt a strong arm around her shoulders and his warmth seeping through the thin fabric of her shift. Feeling her body relax once again, Lou whispered, "I love you, Kid" before drifting off to sleep safe in his arms.

Kid kissed her forehead, whispering, "I love you too, sweetheart. Someday, we won't have to sneak around like this. I promise you." Closing his eyes, he drifted off to dream about the woman he held securely in his arms and the future that lay ahead of them.

The next morning, Jimmy was the first to awaken when Rachel arrived in the bunkhouse before breakfast. Yawning and stretching his limbs, he sat up on his bunk, looking around the room. Noticing the untouched bunk across from him, he caught Rachel's eye. Noticing where he was looking, Rachel whispered, "Didn't they come home last night?"

Jimmy saw the saddlebag and clothes unceremoniously dumped on the bunk above Kid's, and realized they had appeared while they slept. "I think they're here somewhere Rachel. Kid left his clothes on his bunk yesterday, but now there's a saddlebag and his suit there too." Curiosity having gotten the better of him, Jimmy hopped off his bunk and crept over to Lou's alcove. Peering behind the curtain he found the two missing riders curled up with each other, fast asleep. Returning to the table, Jimmy looked over at Rachel and pointed to the female rider's bunk. "Found them," he mouthed.

"Well, don't wake them. I'll head back to the house to start breakfast. Hopefully, they'll wake up before I get back with some food," Rachel whispered. "Why don't you go back to bed and pretend to sleep until he wakes up?"

"That's right, Kid has a run this morning. He'll have to be up soon if he wants to eat before he has to leave," Jimmy whispered back before heading to his bunk. Slipping between the sheets, he exchanged a knowing look with the station mistress as she quietly left the bunkhouse. Closing his eyes, Jimmy tried to hide the smile spreading over his face as he thought about his two friends sleeping together just a few feet away. Letting out a sigh, he could just make out whispers and movement from Lou's bunk. Peering over to the side, he watched as his sandy-haired friend slipped from behind the curtain and swiftly headed for his own bunk. The southern rider quickly pulled a swath of pale blue silk from his saddlebags, tossing it behind the curtain to the small space he had just vacated before climbing into his own bunk for a few minutes before he had to get up. Best to make it at least look like you slept there, Kid, Jimmy thought to himself. Rolling over to keep an eye on his friend, he closed his eyes to feign sleep once again.