Chapter 1

Kid stood with his hands on his hips as he watched Lou angrily stomp away from him again. He sighed and looked up at the sky. She was the most bull-headed woman that he knew and seeing where she was fleeing only mad him hotter. He knew her so called "best friend" was in the barn. She would go in there all mad at the world and he would just make it all go away. He was actually starting to hate him even though they once had been close friends themselves. Kid growled and kicked at the dirt before walking back toward the bunkhouse. He needed to let it all cool down before he said anything else that he would regret.

Lou rushed in the barn and went straight in Lightning's stall. She huffed as she wrapped the horse's neck in a tight hug. Jimmy heard her come in. He kept his back to her as he finished brushing his own horse. He heard her huff again. He stopped and shook his head slightly. She wasn't going to leave until he talked to her. He wished that she would just break everything off with Kid and go on about her life. She'd be happier. He took a moment to get it together before he peeked over the stall door. He saw the angry tears falling on her cheeks. He knew that they weren't tears of sadness. She was too strong for that. He cleared his throat though he knew that she already knew he was there. She wiped her eyes.

"What happened?" He asked a little more harsh that he should have.

"If you are gonna act like that, then you can just take your attitude and stick it up your ass!" She growled.

Jimmy couldn't help himself. He laughed and when he tried to stop, he laughed harder. Lou stared daggers at him but soon she laughed also.

"I'm sorry." She laughed.

"Hey, let it out. You shouldn't hold it in all the time."

"I cain't do that and you know it."

"Why Lou? You're only human. Why can't you have a good melt down every once in a while? Hell, I need one every once in a while." He smiled.

"Yeah, but yours don't involve crying and screaming."

"Well, you're right on that. I like to drink and shoot things."

Lou laughed again.

"What did the jackass do?"

"Jackass is putting it lightly. The no good son of a bitch had Teaspoon take me off the run to Willow Springs. Stupid no good, lousy, back-stabbing...ugh! I could just rip his head off!"

Jimmy laughed again and shook his head. He watched her try to contain her anger.

"There has been a lot of gang activity over that way, maybe he is right." Jimmy said cocking an eye over at her.

She froze. He knew he had done it now. She spun around on him. All her tears were gone.

"What did you say?! You agreeing with him now?! Well let me tell you something, asshole, I ride better and faster than any of ya! I can handle myself…. and you, if you, you start siding with him, I'm gonna put you on my list!"

"List of what?" Jimmy asked trying not to laugh again.

"My list of people to kill! That's what!"

Lou fumed as Jimmy fell over laughing. She stomped over to the stall door and shoved it open knocking him back. He laughed stepping out the way. She came to stand right in front of him.

"If you think this is funny, you can go to hell with him!"

"Lou, Lou, stop. I'm sorry." Jimmy said catching his breath.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Now that the tears have stopped and the fire is back, let's go for a ride. I got two bucks that says it will make you feel better."

Lou looked at her friend standing there smiling.

"You're an asshole."

"Get told that at least twice a day. Feel better now? To get it out?"

"Thank you."

"For what? We'll see how you feel after I beat you across the plain."

Lou snickered as she started to get her horse. She knew that Jimmy was her friend and that he would do anything for her. She knew that he wouldn't take her feelings getting hurt lightly and would more than likely confront Kid sooner or later when she wasn't around. Normally, she would separate them, but Kid had just done the most sneaky, undermining thing that he had ever done besides moving her out the bunkhouse that time. She hoped Jimmy would beat the shit out of him.

Kid watched from the porch as Louise and Jimmy rode out the station yard. She didn't even look his way.