Chapter 16
Darkness had settled over the way station, and the sound of crickets was the only noise to disturb the tranquility of the evening. Hoping that the riders had already turned in for the night, Kid and Louise quietly led their horses into the barn and quickly fed and watered them. Unwilling to miss one of their last uninterrupted moments, he drew her into his embrace, softly rubbing her back and reveling in the scent of her hair.
"I'm sure gonna miss holdin' you like this whenever I want," he murmured.
"Me too," she responded, nuzzling her face into his chest and imprinting into her mind his touch, the feel of his body close to her, his smell, everything about him. She knew it would be sweet agony to be living and working in close quarters with him, unable to reveal her feelings.
"Louise," he said, moving back just enough to look into her eyes, "I know it's gonna be hard for you, pretendin' to be a man when you haven't had much chance to be a lady. Heck, it's gonna be torture for me havin' to treat you like one of the guys. I want you to know that even if I don't act like it around the guys, my feelings for you ain't gonna change one bit." He paused, drawing in a deep breath and steeling himself for the question he needed to ask her. "I would like to continue seeing you, that is, if you want to."
"See me? I think you'll see me plenty considering we'll be working together, eating together, sleeping together…I mean, sleeping in the same place," she added quickly, blushing furiously at her slip.
Kid chose to ignore the unintended implication of her words, not wanting to recall images of "unmentionables." Instead he addressed her original question. "I think you know what I mean. I know I can't exactly court you properly, but I want to continue what we've started as best as we can."
Seeing his look of hope and eager expectation, she was overwhelmed with emotion and burst into heaving sobs. She once again felt torn between the desire for happily-ever-after and the cynicism ingrained in her mind. I'm a former whore who is about to start dressing as a man to make a living. How can he think about a future with me? When she had controlled her tears enough to speak, she said, "Oh, Kid, why do you have to be so good to me? You're making me want something I know can never happen."
He instinctively held her close, stroking her back gently as she continued to sniffle. When he sensed her breathing return to normal, he led her over to a bale of hay and sat her down. Holding her hand tenderly, he replied, "Why can't it happen? Wait, before you tell all the reasons why it won't work, answer one question for me. Do you have feelings for me, more than just a friend?"
"Yes," she responded with a small smile, immediately remembering the passionate kisses they had shared. Definitely more than a friend.
"And you know I feel the same way about you. So why can't it happen? We don't have any parents here to stop us, and we're both old enough to make our own decisions. So if we want to be together, then why not? I won't push you into anything you don't want, but if you're saying it can't happen because you're scared, then that's the coward's way out. The Louise I know would like the idea of a challenge, she would fight for it. And if you think…". Words ceased as she interrupted his impassioned arguments with a kiss, and neither found the need to speak as they let their kisses speak for themselves.
"Is that a yes?" Kid finally managed to say between kisses.
"Uh huh," she mumbled breathlessly before her lips met his again.
It was a beautiful night.
