Chapter 7

Late the next afternoon the stagecoach rolled into town, a dusty and tired couple got off and looked around. The town was small, had only been established about twelve years back, it was just beginning to grow. It sported a general store, telegram office, blacksmith and livery, and a saloon. There was no church or school building that they could see. The name of the town was no where to be seen so if they hadn't of known that this was Sweet Gum, they wouldn't have gotten off the stage because there was no hotel and nothing to draw in visitors but they were there for one reason only, they were there to see their youngins.

"Best we see if we can find someone to point us in the right direction." Sam stated after taking thier bags from the stage coach driver.

"Maybe the telegram officer would know where to find Buck." Emma offered pointing to the small building.

Sam led the way over to the office and opened the door for Emma to enter first. They spotted the tiny man behind the counter. "Howdy, can I help y'all?" Pete asked.

"We's was wondering if you could tell us where we might find Buck Cross." Sam asked the little man.

"Buck? Whatcha y'all be wanting with him?" Pete asked.

"To visit. We're old friends, family even." Emma said with a soft smile.

"Well now, didn't reckon Buck had no friends nor family. Weren't till bout three days ago or so that anyone had seen him with another living soul twerent working for him. Pretty lil thing too. Reckon he'd done bought her off Indians what with the way she was dressed and all." Pete rambled on.

"Can ya just point us in the right direction, we've been traveling for three days now and would like to rest." Sam asked slightly annoyed.

"Just head east out of town, you'll run right into his place but it's a good half day ride out of town. Ya ain't gonna get there before dark." Pete said.

"Damn...I don't reckon there's a hotel in town we missed?" Sam asked exasperated.

"Fraid not, ya can get a room over at the saloon." Pete stated pointing across the way towards the large building.

"Thank you." Sam said before exiting the little office with Emma.

"I guess the saloon will be alright for one night Sam...hopefully Buck can put us up at his place tomorrow." Emma said looking at the saloon with disdain.

"Sorry darlin', best we go on in and get a room before the night crowd gets here." Sam apologized placing his hand on the small of her back to lead her into the building.

The inside of the building was smoky and poorly lit, there were a few men sitting around playing cards and drinking at the bar already but for the most part it was empty. The barkeep looked up and spotted the new arrivals. "Can I get you folks anything?"

"The fella over at the telegram office said we could mayhap get a room for the night seeing as there's no hotel." Sam said to the man behind the bar.

"You're in luck I got a room available. Last door on the end upstairs. I'd keep the missus inside the room once the place starts getting crowded, some of the fellas might get a little handsy." The barkeep stated after he handed over the key.

"Will do...would it be possible to have a bath? or food?" Sam asked after taking the key.

"I'll see if one of the girls will let the lady use her bath, and I'll send up a small meal." the barkeep offered.

"Thank you sir, that's very thoughtful." Emma said with a soft smile before Sam escorted her up the stairs to the room that they would be staying in.

An hour later one of the working women brought in a metal tub for Emma to use and filled it with semi warm water and brought up a tray with a small meal for them both to eat. Once the woman left Emma quickly stripped and sunk gratefully into the water to wash away the days of dust that coated her skin and hair.

"Ya want me to wash your back?" Sam asked with a smirk.

Emma grinned up at him and offered him the soap. "Just think, this time tomorrow you'll be with your girl again and Buck." Sam stated as we rubbed the soap over his wife's smooth back.

"I want to know everything that happened to poor Lou, why she disappeared, how she came to be with Buck, why she just didn't come home to us after Kid was killed, what she did to live. And I want to know why Buck never tried to contact us, what has he done all this time." Emma said to her husband, tears filling her eyes.

"I'm sure we will find out everything, just don't try to rush them into explaining. It maybe painful to Lou especially if what that man at the telegram office said was true about her must have been living with the Indians." Sam stated as he helped his wife out of the tub.

After they ate their small meal, Sam left Emma alone in the room to rest as he went down to the bar to get a drink and maybe a game of cards in. He promised he'd be back in no more than an hour. And he was true to his word, an hour later he was back in their room holding his wife while she slept. He however could not, not with the sounds coming from downstairs, the lawman in him couldn't help but be on alert. When the sounds from the bar finally began to subside in the early morning hours, Sam was finally able to fall into a deep sleep.

They awoke that morning with the sun shinning in the one window. Dressing quickly, they gathered their bags and walked down the stairs. There was no one in the saloon now except a young girl washing the tables. "Ya can just leave the key on the counter." She called when she saw them.

Sam placed the key on the counter and together with his wife walked out into the bright morning. He led Emma over to the livery to see about hiring a couple of horses to take them out to Buck's place. The livery owner only had one horse available but it would have to do. After securing their bags to the saddle and helping Emma up on the horse, Sam mounted up and together they rode out of town heading east. They would be with their youngins by lunch time.

Lou was on the porch setting the plank table with plates and food for lunch when she spotted the rider slowly approaching the house. The rider was to far away for Lou to be able to see who it was, but she probably wouldn't know them anyway as she didn't know anybody in the area save the Lakota tribe. Buck and Jeb were still no where to be seen, so she slipped into the house and retrieved Buck's rifle from under the bed. She stood just inside the door and waited for the rider to get closer.

"Anybody home?" A strong and familiar male voice called out.

"Lou? Buck? Ya here?" a very familiar and welcomed female voice called out.

Lou poked her head out the door, "Emma? Sam?" she cried when she knew it was them.

Emma quickly dismounted from the horse and ran to Lou as she ran from the house and into her open arms. The two women clung to each other crying. Sam dismounted and tied the horse to the corral railing before walking over to the women who still had not let go of each other. "Ya reckon I can get in on that hug?"

Lou let go enough to pull Sam into their embrace. "Oh Loulabelle, you've gotten to be so pretty course ya always were." Emma stated when she pulled back and could really look at Lou.

She blushed and lowered her eyes. "Y'all come on up to the house, I was just fixing to ring the bell to let Buck and his hand know lunch is ready. Let me get a couple of plates from inside." Lou said stepping back from them.

Lou turned and fled into the house leaving Sam and Emma standing there slightly confused by her sudden departure. She returned a few minutes later with two more plates and then rang the triangle lunch bell to call the men in. A few minutes later Buck and Jeb appeared. Emma of course drew Buck into a hug when she saw him and commented on how handsome he had become. Lunch was a quiet affair, despite Emma's attempts to draw Buck and Lou into conversation. Neither of them wanted to talk to much about the past in front of Jeb. After they finished eating Buck sent Jeb away to work while he stayed to visit with Sam and Emma.

"Now you two want to tell me everything?" Emma asked.

"Where do ya want us to start?" Lou asked uncomfortable.

"How bout Buck you telling me why ya never tried to contact us, why ya just left Rock Creek without a goodbye to Teaspoon and Rachel?" Sam asked seeing how uncomfortable Lou looked and wanting to give her a few minutes to gather her wits.

"I'm sorry...I just couldn't stay there with everybody gone. I didn't belong there. And Emma you know I thought of you like a mother but without the others it hurt too much to even think about going to you." Buck stated not able to meet Emma's eyes.

"You mean it was too painful because Ike was gone and Lou had married the Kid." Emma stated.

Buck just looked up at Emma not surprised that she knew his exact reasons. "Yeah."

Emma looked over at Lou waiting for her to start talking. "After Kid died, I had to do some things I ain't proud of to survive. I know I could have just asked and you would have sent Sam to get me but I felt like it was something I had to do on my own...I worked in...I was a whore."

"Oh Loulabelle...my dear girl." Emma cried putting her hand over Lou's on the table.

"Ya ain't disgusted by me?" Lou asked surprised at the gentle touch.

"Louise, you are my girl, ain't nothing you can do or have done that will change how I feel about you. I just wished you would have let us know how bad things were for you. That you would have let us help you." Emma stated squeezing her hand.

"When I left Virginia to come to you it was only after I had been attacked and almost killed by a man in the brothel. He wasn't one of my clients but he didn't take it well when I refused to take him as one. When I had healed enough I left and was headed to St. Lois, where I bought a horse and headed out to Omaha. I had been on the trail for a week when I had a miscarriage, I didn't even know I had been carrying a baby. I fell from my horse and passed out from the pain and blood loss. When I came too, it was to find I had been taken in by Lakota Indians. I spent the next two years in thier village." Lou explained.

"And that's where I found her, just five days ago. I went to the village to trade some of my older mares for new breeding stock but then I saw her there. The chief was trying to trade her to another settler but I couldn't let that happen, so I offered my horses for her. Just so you know I don't pretend that I own Lou, she's free to come and go as she pleases. If she wants to return to Sweetwater with you that is her choice." Buck explained to Emma's gasp when he said he had bought Lou.

"I told Buck I wanted to stay here." Lou said quietly.

"Lou you know you are always welcome with us if you change your mind, but whatever your decision just know that we love you and want you to be happy. And Buck we love you too and want to be part of your life again. Don't shut us out again." Emma told them both.

Buck just hung his head in shame, "I'll try not to Emma, no matter what Lou decides to do. If you'll excuse me I've got some things I need to take care of."

The three of them watched Buck walk away. "He loves me...I think it scares him to think I'll leave and he'll be left alone again...Emma I don't think he'd survive being all alone again."

"I know he does Loulabelle...he always has. But Lou, you need to figure out what it is you want. It wouldn't be fair to either of you for you to stay just so he won't be alone if that's not what you really want to do...if he ain't the one ya want to be with." Emma said quietly.

"Emma," Sam said quietly.

"What is it Sam?" Emma asked.

"Maybe it would be better if Lou stayed with Buck...not that I don't want her to come with us." He explained real quick at the look on Emma's face. "It's just that well ..."

"No other man would want me once they found out what I was." Lou supplied for him and Sam nodded his head in uncomfortable agreement.

"That's horse pucky..." Emma started but then stop knowing that they were both right, it would take a special kinda man to look past Lou's past and see the real her, a man like Buck. "Loulabelle...how do you feel about Buck?"

"I dunno...Emma for the longest time I've felt unworthy of being loved. I haven't been able to love anyone or anything in a long time, I feel like my heart has been dead, that it died when I saw Kid's name in the list of killed in battle. But in the past few days, it feels like my heart is starting to beat again for the first time since Kid died." Lou explained.

Emma and Sam shared a small smile, "I think maybe if ya gave it some time you'll find Buck will wake up all of your heart." Emma said slyly causing Lou to blush.

"Well I best get these dishes cleaned up. There's a creek behind the house if y'all want to go for a swim." Lou said getting up from the table.

Emma stood and helped Lou cleaned the table off carrying the dishes into the one room cabin. She quickly took note of the small room and the one bed, her eyebrow raising when she realized that Buck and Lou were sharing it. Lou didn't miss the look, "We ain't intimate if that's what you're thinking. Buck said he wouldn't touch me till I feel the same for him."

Emma smiled at those words, "Buck always was a gentleman. I guess we should've wrote first, maybe y'all could have come to us."

"You and Sam are taking the bed. I'm used to sleeping on the ground and Buck is too... well not as much as he used to be but, no arguing." Lou stated when she saw Emma open her mouth.

"Do ya need any help?" Emma asked.

"Not with the cleaning I got that but this dress is all I got. I started on a new one with some fabric Buck bought me but honestly I never was much good with a needle, I could do simple things like the curtains but a dress." Lou said with a little shrug.

"Just leave it to me Loulabelle, I'll have you dolled up in no time." Emma stated as she grabbed up the dress Lou had started.

That afternoon was spent catching up while Emma sewed and Lou peeled potatoes for dinner. Sam had wandered off to the creek and then to the barn. Emma only had to pull out all of Lou's stitches and start over completely but she had already gotten the skirt sewed together and was working on the bodice. All in all it was turning out to be a very pleasant afternoon. It reminded Lou of home, her heart came even more alive with the feelings of love she was being showered with. Maybe just maybe she could put her past behind her and go forward with a future... but did that future include staying with Buck or did it mean going home with Sam and Emma. She wasn't sure what it was she really wanted to do.