Jimmy traveled quickly by himself, stopping only to rest his horse and for an occasional game of cards when he felt the infrequent need for some company. He was free out here in the familiar, peaceful grasslands. As he crossed the prairies he had so often ridden over on his Express runs, his thoughts returned again and again to those days long past. The danger, the excitement, the experiences they had shared, but mostly he thought about the family he had called his own. As he neared Sweetwater he grew increasingly impatient, longing to be home. Wondering if home was even still there, or whether he was just being a fool coming all this way.
By the next day Jimmy found himself in the once tiny township of Sweetwater. However it was tiny no more. Setting his horse at a slow walk, he tried to take in all the changes that surrounded him—the sheer size and apparent prosperity of the town whose previous claim to fame was the Pony Express station at its outskirts. Now Sweetwater was buzzing with activity as the black imposing steam engine chugged to a stop at the newly constructed Union Pacific Railway station, offloading dozens of passengers and cargo from the East. Saloons flanked the dusty main street on both sides trying to out compete each other with scantily dressed, bored-looking young women lounging over balconies to entice the nervous cowboy onlookers inside.
As Jimmy passed one such establishment two of these boys erupted from the swing doors throwing wild, drunken punches at one another, perhaps over the nonexistent affections of a disinterested saloon girl. The town folk looked on, some disgusted at the spectacle, others vaguely amused and willing to make a wager on the outcome of the fight. Their entertainment was broken up by a couple of deputies who emerged nonchalantly from the same saloon, apparently willing to let the two boys tire themselves out first before they made any attempt to come between them.
Jimmy continued on his way, passing shop fronts displaying their wares on the muddy floorboards, blacksmiths, livery stables and finally the whitewashed schoolhouse at the edge of town. Though there was much to see and do in Sweetwater these days, his anticipation grew as he followed the road out of town to the Station. Away from the bustle of the town, smelling the familiar smell of the creek nearby, Jimmy began to imagine he was simply returning from an Express run, and he would soon spy Cody or Buck or one of the others up ahead ready to receive the weathered mochila full of mail. Soon he would hear Rachel's cry of "Rider comin'!" and his journey would be at an end. Jimmy smiled to himself at the recollection, though the knowledge that he would never again experience that feeling at the end of a run when he returned home to his family now saddened him. He could never recapture those days, no matter how fast he rode.
It was early afternoon when he arrived at the former Sweetwater Pony Express Station. The buildings rose up from the flat prairie before him like an invitation home, bathed in the golden sunlight. He was struck by the changes before him as he approached the main house—which was now larger than it had once been, freshly painted and surrounded by a low set fence. Jimmy recognized the familiar bunkhouse nearby but it too had been repaired, and another barn had been built adjacent to the old pony stalls. Gentle movement caught his eye as behind the barn nearly fifty horses grazed peacefully in the expansive corral, spreading further than he could make out.
Jimmy was amazed at the prosperity before him, and for a terrible moment he considered that Kid and Lou had moved on elsewhere. There was no one about as he jumped to the ground, stiff from his long ride. Leaving his horse at the corral post he wandered towards the house, peering around curiously for any sign of life. Smoke furled lazily from the chimney, but the ranch was quiet apart from the occasional distant whinnying of a horse. He was about to call out when a small boy, about five or six years old in his estimation, ran out from beside the house with a battered kite in his hand. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the stranger standing there in his yard, before approaching him curiously.
"Hey there," said Jimmy, pulling his hat from his head. His eyes widened as he realized the child was unmistakably the Kid and Lou's—he could see it in the boy's upturned face that studied him fearlessly. "What's your name, son?"
"Jamie," was the loud and eager reply. "D'you like kites?"
"Jamie?" Hickok repeated, his expression puzzled. Slowly he knelt before the boy.
"Yessir, James Hunter Morgan. I live here."
Jimmy was speechless. Had they really named their son after him? It took a few seconds for him to recover his voice.
"Is your mother at home, Jamie, or your father?"
"Pa's deliverin' some horses with Cholo, but Ma's inside with my brother. Are you here to buy a horse, Mister?"
Before Jimmy could answer he heard the screen door bang closed and he lifted his eyes quickly to the house. His breath caught in his throat as Lou stepped onto the porch holding the hand of an even younger boy with her same dark hair. She was looking down at him as she helped the boy down the steps of the house and had not noticed Jimmy yet, thus giving him a moment to study her. He stared dumbly at the woman who had once passed herself off as a man in order to ride for the Pony Express, a feat which seemed almost impossible with her present appearance.
Lou was even more beautiful than Jimmy remembered or ever thought possible. Her face was fuller and her cheeks rosy with health and happiness. Her short, boyish hair now fell in a plait down her back. She smiled down at her small son as he maneuvered the final step, then looked up in search of Jamie. For a moment she hesitated at the sight of a strange man with her eldest boy. Her brow was furrowed as she stepped towards them, but then she stopped again when something about his mustached face struck her. For a split second she was unable to move from shock and disbelief, then a huge grin lit up her face as she ran towards him.
"JIMMY!"
Lou flew into his arms and hugged him tightly, her sons staring in amazement at their mother with the stranger. She finally let him go and held his face in her hands, needing to study his features just to make sure it was him.
"My God, Jimmy, it's really you!" she gasped.
"Hey, Lou," he replied, unsure what else to say. For the moment he was content just to drink in her beauty and revel in the joy he felt on seeing her again. He could not express such things in words.
"What are you doin' here?" She was breathless with excitement. "We haven't heard from you in so long."
"I know, I thought it was about time I paid you a visit. I got your letter." Jimmy pulled it from his pocket to prove the point and she grinned, hugging him once more.
"Oh Jimmy, Kid will be so glad you've come at last! We've haven't heard any news for so long that we…"
"I know, I'm sorry." His face seemed to fall slightly. "I've never been one for letter writin'. But I, uh, I did miss you, Lou."
"Well, you're here now, that's all that matters." Lou held onto his hand firmly in case he should somehow disappear. The dazzling smile had not yet faded on her lips. "You've met Jamie, I see. And this is Adam. Boys, this is your Uncle Jimmy. He's finally come to meet you."
"How d'you do, Adam," said Jimmy, bending closer to speak to him. The younger boy smiled shyly and hid behind his mother's skirts. Jamie simply stared in awe at his 'uncle' and namesake, thrilled that he was actually meeting him after all of the stories he had heard about his parents' friend. "You've certainly got your hands full here, Lou."
"They'll be even fuller soon," she replied with a sly grin, and for the first time Jimmy noticed her small, rounded belly.
"Well, you've been busy, I see… Not to mention all of this," Jimmy motioned to the ranch around him. "Things have certainly changed around here."
"And we'll tell you all about it, but first come inside. You must be tired." Lou took his arm and led him towards the house. "Kid should be back soon, and he'll get the surprise of his life when he sees you here… But first I have a surprise for you."
Jimmy raised his eyebrows, but Lou only smiled conspiratorially in response. He understood when she ushered him into the back parlor in the house and he found Teaspoon Hunter snoring in a chair, the same ratty black hat perched ceremoniously on his head.