Spring 1866
It had been a long time in coming, but finally Killian "The Kid" Kidrickson felt that he had kept the promise he had made to both Ike McSwain and Noah Dixon, a long time ago. Ike and Noah had been close friends, brothers of his heart, and fellow Pony Express Riders, who had lost their lives several years earlier. The PX family had lost Ike first, when the mute rider was killed while protecting the love of his life, Emily Metcalfe.
Ike's death had been devastating to them all, but especially Buck Cross, another of the riders, and Ike's blood brother. They had feared for a while that they would lose Buck as well, but it had been Noah that was taken from them. The black rider had died protecting Rosemary Burke a few days after he and Louise, his wife of five years, had been married.
Noah's death had been one of many events that had nearly torn the PX family apart forever. Jesse James had fled Rock Creek, where they had all been based at the time, with his older brother Frank. William F. Cody, another one of the riders had signed up to be a scout in the Union Army. James Butler Hickok had left town with Rosemary Burke, and he and Lou had headed to Virginia so that he could fight on the side of the South in the upcoming Civil War.
The years that had followed had been hard ones for all of them concerned. He had never fully anticipated what enlisting in the army and fighting in the war would ask of him. There had been long periods of separation from Louise, fierce fighting, painful injuries, starvation, and brutality. During his imprisonment, he had thought a lot about those earlier days with the Pony Express, and how much each member had meant to him. It was then that he had decided that if he had ever got out of there and was reunited with Louise, that he wherever they settled down to live, that he would honor Ike and Noah in some way. He got his chance when Jimmy and Cody risked life and limb to free him.
Their willingness to come to his aid had reinforced the earlier bonds that the three young men had formed during the days that they had ridden for the Pony Express and from that day on, Kid knew that no matter what happened they would always be family.
After he and Louise had been reunited, they had begun making plans to return to Sweetwater where they had met and fallen in love. Several weeks had to be put aside while he recuperated from the extensive injuries he had sustained while in prison, and he chafed under the wait. Louise and their children had made sure to keep him occupied with daily projects, until he was finally fully recovered and they were ready to make the long trek to Sweetwater.
It had almost been an unconscious agreement on both their parts in deciding that Sweetwater was the place where they wanted to settle down and raise their family. They were hoping to buy enough land to start a ranch. Good fortune was with them when they had arrived in Sweetwater six months earlier and realized that a portion of the land that had been previously owned by Emma Shannon Cain was for sale. Sadly, the ex-housekeeper's house had been totaled in a fire, but the bunkhouse where so many memories had been made, had been still standing.
They had bought the land and made the bunkhouse livable for them and their four small children to reside in until they could build a home.
Conscious that Louise and their children were observing him as he worked, Kid swung the hammer he held one more time to make sure that the ornate cross he had carved was securely imbedded in the grassy meadow and rose to his feet. He stepped back to where Lou stood with little Mary Rachel in her arms, and was immediately surrounded by his two other daughters and his son.
"Their beautiful crosses, Kid." Louise whispered hoarsely, past the lump of emotion in her throat.
"Thanks," Kid said his voice equally hoarse. "I know that Ike and Noah aren't buried here, but I just wanted to do something to honor them."
"I can just hear Noah telling Ike "Kid's done well." Louise said softly, gazing up at the cerulean sky. "And Ike's nodding his agreement."
Kid chuckled. "He's not nodding Louise; he's voicing his agreement loud and clear. If you listen real close, I bet you can hear them."
He cupped his hand to his ear and cocked his head so that he was looking up at the sky, and was amused to see all the children copy him, including little Mary. Louise followed suit and for several moments, the Kidrickson family just listened.
Five-year-old Katerina spoke first. "I heard them Pa. Didn't you, Ma?"
"I sure did, darling." Louise was quick to say.
The other children quickly followed suit with saying that they could hear their uncles as well, until finally Kid suggested that they head back to the house for dinner. Louise led the children over to the wagon, giving Kid a moment alone."
"Ike and Noah, I miss you. Not a day goes by when I haven't felt your presence close to me. I just wanted to do something to let you both know how much you mean to me, to Louise, and the rest of the PX family as well. I love you, brothers of my heart."
When he was finished, Kid went to join his family.