Chapter 14
From the day Kid had received that involuntary shower from Louise, he hadn't talked to her again. As she had loudly stated, she had steered completely clear of him at all costs and on his part, Kid hadn't wanted to force an encounter with her. He had simply seen her from a safe distance as she went about on her daily routine, and when on one occasion he had happened to cross ways with her, she hadn't even met his gaze and passed by him without uttering a single sound. Kid just didn't know what to tell her to make things better, and he felt in his heart that it was all his fault that they had fallen out.
He admitted that his words, blurted in the heat of the moment, had been plainly cruel and now he wasn't sure how to sort things out with Louise. An apology wouldn't be enough and trying to explain that he hadn't meant those inappropriate remarks would be too awkward for both of them. So time went by making the rift between them wider and so far insurmountable. In a strange way he missed her and every single day he kept racking his brains to find the way to approach Lou again without blundering it more. Yet, nothing came to his troubled mind, and he had to admit that he couldn't blame her if she wouldn't talk to him ever again. The thought was too perturbing and kept torturing him continuously. Being aware of Lou's wary nature, Kid felt honored to have been the recipient of her trust, and now he had simply betrayed her by saying those cruel words. He had every intention of doing something about the situation, rehearsing mentally what he should tell her, but finally his insecurities won him over and he ended up doing nothing.
For some strange reason Kid had been feeling very lonely from the day of his argument with the petite girl. Doritha's anger did not last long, and soon they were back to normal as if nothing had happened between them. Those days Kid had spent out with Louise were never brought up between the couple again, and now that the Southerner wasn't on speaking terms with Louise, there was no doubt that Doritha relished on her sense of victory, which in Kid's opinion was simply an illogical notion. The Southerner did not know who, but he was sure somebody had informed his fiancée about his fight with Lou. After all, Kid had to admit that they hadn't been very discreet at all, loudly hurling accusations at each other in the middle of the street, and then him ending up soaked to the bone had drawn the curiosity of every busybody in Rock Creek.
As the rider pondered about the events in the last few weeks, he started to think that leaving things with Lou as they were might be his best option after all. Even though his problems with Doritha hadn't diminished one bit, he thought that maybe he should focus on what he already had with her and forget about everything else, including his friendship with Lou. He needed to start considering his future. Why should he worry about his friendship with Louise when he had more important issues to deal with like Doritha and their coming marriage? After all, he hadn't known her for long and he already had enough friends as it was, didn't he? Yet, the thought didn't make him feel any better, and a nagging voice inside him kept disturbing his peace of mind and all he could do was ignore it at all costs.
Intent on doing what he had told Louise and what had started off their heated argument, Kid began looking for the ideal place where he could build his ranch and a home for him and Doritha. In the sparse time he had left from his rides, the chores at the station and his visits with his fiancée he searched the area and the properties that were for sale. Kid decided not to tell Doritha anything about his intentions as he thought that it would be a nice way to surprise her. The blonde girl never mentioned the matter of their future home, and Kid suspected that she might be wondering whether he had the means to make his plans a reality. As the proper Southern lady she was, the rider knew that she would never dream of mentioning any of this to him and questioning his capabilities as a man. That was the way she had been raised. So it would be a pleasant surprise indeed when he showed her the place where they'd live as a married couple in just a few months' time.
After a few weeks of barren search Kid was beginning to feel like it was a lost cause. Nothing that he had seen so far seemed to satisfy his expectations, and he gladly thought that he had been right to hide his activities from Doritha. If he failed to find the ideal place for the two of them, he wouldn't want to appear like a fool before her. Her opinion was important to him, and it seemed that since she got to Rock Creek, nothing of what he did pleased her. Yet, Kid stubbornly swore to himself that this time would be different. He would find the property where they could live, as the fairy tales said, happily ever after.
After a couple of weeks his luck finally changed. It was one of those days when another of the dozens sellers he had talked to in the last weeks approached him with a new offer. Many people were ready to sell their properties and homes and head for the East. This talk of war was already causing notable changes and many men were eager to leave everything and be ready to join the battle when the moment came. Kid was still doubting whether he would end up doing the same as many of these gentlemen, and maybe that was the reason why he had been hesitant about buying one of the dozens of properties he had been shown.
Kid followed Mr. Owen, the fella selling his land, expecting to find similar conditions to the other cases and steeling himself against another bitter disappointment. However, when they reached the place, the Southerner was welcomed with the best view he had had in a very long time. Looking around him mesmerized he realized that this was exactly how he had dreamed his place would look like. The property wasn't really very big, just enough to start his business and make a living out of it. There was a barn, stout stables and beyond the corral Kid could make out the pastures spread, where he could envision his future animals grazing peacefully.
The house was of average size, a bit bigger than Rachel's; it had a wide porch surrounded by a beautiful wooden veranda. A swing and several rocking chairs neatly placed on the porch gave the house a welcoming and cozy air. The windows on both floors were spacious, completed with beautifully carved shutters. Kid looked around him, not quite believing what his eyes were seeing. Strangely and despite being in Rock Creek for quite a few months now, he had never come across this place. The property was simply ideal and when Mr. Owen showed him around and inside the house, his interest kept growing by the minute. This had to be his and with a pounding heart he dreadfully waited for the man to say the figure that would make Kid final owner of all this lot. As he did so, Kid worked out the numbers in his mind. Of course he'd need a loan from the bank, which he thought he wouldn't have any problem in getting, and with his savings he had no doubt he could close the deal with Mr. Owen. The two men shook their hands with ample smiles, both happy and satisfied with the result of their dealings.
It took a couple of days more to finish all the red tape. Kid managed to get that loan from the bank without much trouble, and when he finally stamped his signature on the paper that stated that he was the sole owner of that land from that day on, he couldn't help but smile his widest smile. As soon as everything was sorted out, Kid didn't waste any time and headed for Doritha's place.
On his way there he kept daydreaming about the day he and his new bride would start living there. Kid tried to imagine her on the porch of their house, wearing a simple dress and an apron, and her hands caressing her growing middle. For some strange reason that bucolic image didn't come very easily to him, and he had to chide himself for letting his own wishes get so out of control. Of course it was difficult to think of Doritha being married to him and being a mother no less! Chuckling at his own thoughts he reached her place and as soon as he told her he had something to show her with a mischievous expression on his face, the girl let him drive to whichever place he was so secretive about. When they finally reached the property, Doritha looked around, and it was clear from her expression that she was anything but excited.
"Come on, honey. Say something," Kid urged her as they stepped inside the house and she remained silent.
"About what?" she asked, eyeing him with an odd expression.
"About this place, our place. I've bought it for us, as I promised I'd do. It needs a few repairs but I reckon we'll be very comfortable here," Kid explained and as her blank expression told him everything that he had to know, he added with a bitter voice, "You don't like it."
"Oh, Kid, it's not that I don't like it," Doritha hurried to say, trying to select her words carefully. "It's just that you caught me by surprise." She hesitated for a few seconds and then she continued, trying to sound innocent, "I always thought we'd end up buying the house I'm living in from the Evans."
"Doritha, you know I can't afford a house like that one!" Kid exclaimed, getting annoyed by her obtuseness.
"Well, Papa would be happy to buy it for us as a wedding gift," she continued, not ready to give up on her own convictions and wishes. She loved her house, and that was where she really felt comfortable. The girl just couldn't understand that Kid might think that she'd be happy in this kind of surroundings.
"I don't need to rely on your father's money!" Kid retorted a bit too loudly at the mention of Doritha's father. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of you myself. Besides, the Evans' house doesn't have the appropriate conditions to turn it into a horse ranch!"
"Still dead set on that idea of the ranch?" she let out with a weary sigh.
"What do you mean?" he asked with a frown, dreading her answer already.
"Kid, it's just plain stupid to resign ourselves to something when we could have much more," Doritha said with a cold voice. "I'm tired of praising you and talking about your wonders to people who would help us to better ourselves, but you always end up ruining everything! The Governor was ready to give you an opportunity in his office just for my sake, but you wouldn't even listen to him and kept foolishly babbling on about ranching!"
"I don't need anybody giving me "opportunities"!" Kid barked, astounded by her words. He wasn't a fool and was aware of what his fiancée was trying to do. For the sake of avoiding more fights with Doritha he had tried to let her know that he wasn't interested in that kind of activities by refusing her friends' offers or simply turning a deaf ear to them, but obviously he had been wrong again. "I know nothing about all that stuff, but I do know about horses. That's what I want to do, what I've always dreamed of doing. I told you so from the first!"
"How can you be so selfish?" Doritha barked furiously. "You only think about yourself! You should have asked me before going and wasting your precious money on this piece of dirt!"
"You're being unreasonable!" the Southerner retorted heatedly.
"Am I? I'm not the one pretending to force my fiancé into a life she doesn't want!"
Kid couldn't believe his own ears. She was the one who was unhappy about him not accepting the high plans she had for the two of them without even talking to him first. Doritha had known from the very beginning what kind of life she would be ready to get herself into if she wanted to marry him. Kid had never forced her into anything as she put it; she could well have refused his offer to come to Rock Creek, but she had accepted him gladly, and that included the whole package, his life, his average incomes, his dreams and plans. And now she had to throw this tantrum over something that she had always known about, practically undermining all his efforts he had made for pleasing her and building a future for the two of them.
"I'm the woman you love!" Doritha continued stubbornly, oblivious to Kid's feelings and flabbergasted expression. "You should try your hardest to make my life easier instead of turning me into your slave!"
"I ain't doing such a thing!" Kid defended himself, deeply hurt by her accusations.
"Well, it sounds that way to me!" she barked as she glared at him dangerously. Without saying one more word, Doritha swirled around and dashed out of the house without waiting for any further indication. It took Kid a few seconds to spur into action and follow her outside.
"Doritha! Doritha!" he called after her, not really knowing what he wanted to tell her. He was angry at her mean attitude, but he knew that they couldn't leave things like that. It was their future they had been arguing about, and they needed to agree about what they both wanted from their life together. How could they get married when they weren't happy with the other's expectations?
When Kid plodded outside, the girl was already on her carriage, ready to leave. "Doritha, wait! We need to talk!" he called.
"Not now Kid! I have things to do!" she said and before he could say anything else, she whipped the horse and drove the wagon out of the property she hoped not to set foot on any more.
Kid stood in the middle of the porch that was now his, staring at the image of the buggy disappearing in the distance. When he couldn't see it any more, he dropped heavily on one of the wooden steps and buried his face in his hands, letting out a muffled noise in frustration. Once again he was back in the middle of nowhere with Doritha. All they did was to push each other in opposite directions, making them stand on the same spot as at the very beginning, that is, nowhere. Things couldn't remain like this forever, and they eventually had to take a step in the same direction.
Kid knew it wouldn't be easy and what was more, he suspected that Doritha wouldn't be likely to budge. He felt like crying; for the first time in his life he wasn't sure where he was going. Barely a few months ago he was so certain of what he wanted in his life. He was sure of his plans for a ranch, of his love for Doritha… but now he didn't know where he stood. It was as if Doritha was always putting him in a position where he had to choose, between his dreams and her, between her and Lou… Lou.
Her image popped into his mind and he felt sadness wash over him. She had been right about Doritha, and now he regretted lashing out at her more than ever. Had he been so blind as not to see what was seemingly so obvious for everybody, or at least for Louise? Lou had voiced her doubts about Doritha becoming a rancher's wife and she hardly knew her. Was he such a fool to believe that he could make his fiancée happy with just his love? What should he do now? Should he forget about his plans, his dreams? He wished he could talk to somebody about this and instantly his thoughts went out to Lou. He'd love to be able to talk to her. She had always offered him sound words, but now he couldn't do that either. He had messed things up with Louise as well, and at this moment he felt a wave of loneliness permeated all over him as he sat dejected on the porch of his now new house.
That same afternoon Rachel had wandered to town out of boredom. It was a quiet day; all her chores were done, and there was still a couple of hours left till dinner time. None of the boys or Teaspoon were around the station and unable to stand the tedium any longer, Rachel decided to go for a stroll and drop by Tompkins'. She thought that she'd love to get a new blouse and some cologne for Saturday's social, so she headed for the general store straightaway. Two days before when the station mistress and the boys had been down to Tompkins for provisions, she had noticed that the store keeper had brought in a new selection of clothing items and a certain embroidered blouse had caught her eye. So now she had the intention to get the garment for herself before somebody else would snatch her opportunity.
After hunting for those articles, the lady approached the counter to pay for them to the store keeper. Today the mercantile was really busy, and Rachel had to wait for Tompkins to finish with some other customers. She stood next to other ladies and a couple of men, pondering on her own thoughts when suddenly a loud male voice reached her ears, followed by a whimpering feminine one. Turning her attention to the source of those voices, she saw a rough man leering at a young girl near the shelf where the hats were on display. It was obvious that he was completely drunk and was trying to make advances to the girl in front of everybody. Rachel recognized the young lady as Betty Stevenson, one of the local girls. The man uttered some rude comments, embarrassing the young lady and shocking everybody in the store. She tried to escape, but the man grabbed her by the arm forcefully and snickering at the girl's pained expression he continued harassing her.
"I'm in much need of a little love, beautiful. Come on, give me a kiss with those lips of yours," the man drawled as he approached his face towards the girl's scared one.
Before anybody could do anything, another female voice resounded, firm and clear, "Leave her alone, you big oaf!" The man and everybody else in the store witnessed the exchange and shifted their attention to the person uttering those words. "Get the hell out of here and go amuse yourself somewhere else!" Louise barked with a resolute air, taking a step in their direction.
The man looked her up and down and releasing the girl in his grasp, he let out an amused guffaw and plodded towards Lou in three long strides. To her chagrin she reacted instinctively and backed off in fright till her back was against the shelves of the store. "You ready to give me some of it yourself, little thing?" the man asked with an evil leer as he placed both his hands on each side of Lou's head, cornering her on the spot.
From her position at the far end of the store, Rachel stared, waxing righteously indignant at the man's horrid behavior. It seemed that nobody was ready to speak up or do anything while he kept harassing this girl. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Tompkins bending over little Tommy Palmer and whispering something in his ear. The boy dashed out and Rachel suspected that he was going to search for the marshal. The blonde lady couldn't keep quiet any longer, ready to force the man to let the girl loose, but her intentions stopped short as suddenly the man doubled in pain while he cried in a cracked voice, "You bitch!"
Rachel grinned contentedly as she realized that somehow the girl had managed to hit him in a very sensitive spot of his. "Serves him right," she thought as she watched Tompkins grabbing the man by the arm and hurling out of the store gruffly.
"I don't want your kind in my place again, understood?" the store keeper barked from the door as he saw the fella recoil and flee without further protests.
In the meantime Louise felt relief wash over her after getting rid of that creep. Her cheeks were flushing violently and having the need for some fresh air, she discreetly walked out of the store. Once outside she let out her held breath as she leaned her back against the wall. "Louise, you're gonna get yourself killed one of these days," she muttered aloud. Suddenly, some giggles reached her ears and turning her head to her side she came face to face with a blonde lady who was looking at her with obvious merriment and curiosity.
"Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear you," Rachel said as she noticed Lou's serious countenance. Louise remained silent and the station mistress asked, "You're Kid's friend, ain't you?"
Lou frowned at the woman's words and instead of answering, she said, "And you are…?"
"Oh, I'm Rachel Dunne," the older woman answered. "I work at the station taking care of the riders."
Lou nodded, remembering her name being mentioned by Kid in one of their past conversations. "My name's Louise," she said after a silent lapse.
"I know," Rachel added with a smile and at Lou's confused frown she simply said, "Kid's told me some about you." Louise smiled ruefully, thinking about her wrecked friendship with the blue-eyed rider. "You scared the heck out of me in there with that man!"
"Tell me about it!" Lou let out wryly, which made the older woman burst out laughing and soon the girl joined in her mirth. "This character of mine is going to get me into some deep trouble one day," she added with a sigh.
Rachel smiled at her comment. "Kid told me that you got real spunk, and I now understand what he meant."
Louise spread her lips into a thin line, expressing her disapproval of her own actions. "I'm sure he could tell you a thing or two about it; actually he felt it all over him literally speaking."
Rachel let out a peal of laughter as she recalled the day Kid had appeared soaked to the skin, and after much insistence on her and the riders' part, the Southerner had confessed about his argument with Louise and how that had led to him ending up completely drenched. The days that followed poor Kid had been the aim of his friends' banter and jokes, but even though he suffered their incessant teasing stoically, Rachel could tell there was something else bothering him which still lasted to this very day.
"I imagine he must be very angry with me," Lou let out with a thin voice, as she lowered her eyes. She had felt terrible since that day. Kid had been an invaluable friend, helping her in the matter with her estranged father and her siblings. Nobody had ever done something like that for her and she had had a funny way of showing her appreciation. Why on earth did she need to talk about that fiancée of his? He didn't need any of her unasked advice, and the worst had been when her anger had got the best of her and she had blindly thrown all that cold water over him. That had been simply inexcusable and right now Louise couldn't feel more embarrassed. She knew that she should go and apologize for her totally unacceptable behavior, but for once she didn't have the guts to face somebody. Never before had she felt so utterly ashamed of herself and she kept dreading to come across him here in town. On one occasion, Lou had almost bumped into him, but to her dismay Kid had continued his way without saying a single word, and she had just felt too embarrassed to even meet his evasive eyes.
"I'm sure that's not the case," Rachel said, replying to her previous remark. "Kid always talks highly of you."
"Really?" Lou muttered skeptically, silently praying that Rachel's word had some truth behind them.
"Really," the older woman stated, which provoked a coy smile from Lou. The two woman kept smiling silently for a few seconds, and then as an idea popped into her head, Rachel asked, "Louise, why don't you come to the station and have dinner with us?"
"Uh… I…," Lou stuttered, stunned at the sudden invitation. "I don't think that would be appropriate."
"Nonsense!" Rachel exclaimed. "Well, the boys can be a rowdy bunch at times, but they'll have to answer to me if they don't treat you with the respect you deserve. They know I mean business."
Lou giggled as she could well imagine Rachel scolding at those grown-up men risking their lives every day as if they were young children. "I don't know, Mrs. Dunne…"
"It's Rachel."
The petite girl smiled in appreciation. "I dunno, Rachel. I don't want to make Kid feel awkward. You know, we ain't speaking."
"Louise, I think you got the wrong idea with Kid. I'm sure he'll be greatly pleased to see you," Rachel insisted, hoping that she was telling the truth. Kid never talked about his matters very much, but somehow she felt that the rider seemed more forlorn lately and she suspected that it was because of the girl before her now. "That way you two could make up."
Lou kept considering Rachel's suggestion but still unsure whether to accept it. Noticing her hesitation, the station mistress added, "Those boys can be an amusing group, you'll see." Lou remained silent and Rachel insisted, "Come on. Shall we wait for you tonight?"
"Oh… I work till late today," Lou replied.
"All right. Tomorrow then. At about half-past six?"
Louise felt that she couldn't refuse her invitation any longer and silently nodded her agreement. In a way she was glad that Rachel had so kindly invited her. The lady seemed very agreeable, and Lou had to admit that she wouldn't mind to strike up friendship with her. Moreover, Louise never had the chance to go anywhere, and it would be pleasant to do something else rather than work. However, the notion that Kid would be there filled her with anxiety.
She was still troubled about that fight she had with the rider. What if he wouldn't talk to her? Or worse, what if he refused to sit at the same table as her? Of course she deserved all that after her improper behavior, but she knew that in that case she would feel terribly hurt. Although it sounded surprising to her own ears, she had grown fond of Kid in the brief time they had known each other. Now she felt like crying whenever she thought of him and of their lost friendship. She knew that she would cry for sure if he made a sarcastic comment or snubbed her in front of everybody.
Rachel noticed Lou's demeanor change as if she were on the verge of tears and placing her hand on her shoulder she asked, "Louise, are you all right?"
The lady's voice snapped the girl out of her reverie and shushing away her troubling thoughts, she hurried to force a smile onto her face and said, "Oh yes, I'm fine. Uh… I have to go now."
Rachel nodded and as Louise started walking away, she added, "See you tomorrow." Lou did not reply, and waving her hand at the lady to bid her good-bye, she went on her way towards the hotel where her tiresome chores were expecting her. "It was nice meeting you!" Rachel called, which made Lou pause briefly and turning her head she smiled at the older lady. As she resumed shuffling towards the building, Rachel stood on the same spot, smiling at herself. It was then that she heard loud steps coming from the opposite direction of the walkway and she saw Teaspoon walking towards her.
"What's happenin' here?" the marshal asked as he reached her side. "Little Tommy Palmer said that there was some serious trouble at Tompkins'."
"Oh just a local drunkard doing the usual stuff," Rachel replied matter-of-factly. "But everything's fine now; he's gone."
Teaspoon eyed the woman, who seemed to be in an especially jolly mood and after a moment he asked, "And can I ask why it is you're in such a good mood, Ma'am?"
Rachel laughed at the marshal's remark and then she said, "No reason. I've just had a pleasant conversation with a very nice girl. By the way, I invited her to dinner tomorrow."
Teaspoon lifted one eyebrow in surprise, wondering what else was behind the lady's words. They didn't have many guests in the bunkhouse regularly, much less girls. The boys did not seem to be very lucky with the so-called weaker sex, and Kid's fiancée wasn't very willing to enjoy their company very often. "What are you up to, Rachel Dunne?" Teaspoon asked directly.
"Me? Nothing," Rachel feigned to play innocent.
"Are you tryin' to play matchmaker?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Teaspoon," the woman exclaimed, pretending to be offended by his insinuations. "I've just invited that girl Kid's friends with."
"The one he eloped with a few weeks ago?" the marshal asked with a frown.
"That's not strictly true," Rachel chided lightly.
"You know what I mean!" he exclaimed, somehow irritated at her attitude.
"Yeah, that's the one."
"Rachel, for your information Kid's engaged," Teaspoon added, letting the meaning dawn on his blonde friend.
"I know," the woman retorted, shrugging her shoulders indifferently. "Kid's just friends with her. I don't see any harm in inviting her to dinner." Teaspoon kept eyeing her skeptically and she added, "Besides, for once I'd love to have a woman other than myself at the bunkhouse. It ain't easy not to have some female company from time to time."
Teaspoon shook his head, not sure whether Rachel's idea was sound, especially when everybody knew that Kid was having problems with his girlfriend. Passing his arm over Rachel's shoulders, he said, "I hope you know what you're doin'. It's fragile stuff you're handlin' there."
"I know."
"You women," the marshal let out with a chuckle. "Come on, I'll walk you back to the station," he added and they started making their way towards the end of the street, leaving the general store behind them. The marshal continued babbling as Rachel laughed at his comments, oblivious to the fact that while in conversation with both Louise and Teaspoon, somebody had been listening to every single word with the keenest interest.