Chapter 20

Lou slowly put the plates she was holding down on the counter, her back to the table.  She closed her eyes momentarily and took a deep breath.  When she'd seen Jimmy out in the yard, she'd figured he was there to try to make amends with Kid and apologize; simple as that, nothing else.  Now, she wasn't so sure.  Why was he about to ask not only Kid but Buck as well an important question?

She hesitantly made herself turn around to look in their direction.  She glanced at Teaspoon, trying to get his attention to see if he knew what this was about, but he wasn't looking her way.  Or maybe he was avoiding her stare on purpose.  Rachel cast a worried eye her way but Lou quickly looked away.  Lou finally focused on seeing Kid's reaction and it was just as she expected.

Kid was staring at Jimmy one minute then moving his eyes between Buck and Teaspoon the next.  He licked his lips then quietly asked, "What did you need, Jimmy?"  Kid was very much surprised that Jimmy would want anything from him, Buck, yes, but not Kid.  After Noah's funeral, Jimmy had made it perfectly clear he didn't need any help or want any opinions from the southerner. 

"Yeah, what's going on, Jimmy?" Buck asked.  He had a pretty good idea why the former rider and his new partner were there but he wanted to hear what the man had to say for himself.

Jimmy glanced in Rachel and Teaspoon's direction.  "I, um, this gang isn't anyone to mess with," he began, changing his tactic.  "They run in a good sized pack and are really handy with guns.  They've now got a wounded member and it don't look like they're gonna leave him behind.  It'll slow 'em down, give us the chance to catch 'em where we want 'em."

"What's that got to do with us?" Buck asked, pointing to himself and Kid.

Jimmy leaned forward, his arms resting on the table.  He played with his cup for a moment before answering, "I was kinda hopin' we could get some extra help to bring this gang in.  There's a big reward on their heads - means a good amount per person, more than we've ever made doing this before."  He paused then looked at each man as he spoke.  "Buck, there's no better tracker I know out there, we could sure use ya."

"Doesn't Sam have a tracker in the posse already?" Buck asked.

"He does but I thought we could use the best.  They've gotta figure we'd be comin' after them so they're not gonna make it easy on us," Jimmy told him.  "We could use all the help we can get."

Buck glanced at Kid then Teaspoon then back to Jimmy and smiled.  "You can count me in - besides, it'll be great to see Sam again.  And since it's you asking, why would I say no?"  He was glad to see Jimmy coming around again, asking for help, instead of trying to prove he could do everything himself.  Buck would do whatever it took to bring the family back together; he just knew his going wouldn't be enough.

"Glad to hear it and so will Sam," Jimmy acknowledged.  He then turned his attention back to the man seated across from him and took a deep breath before beginning.  "And Kid, I don't know anyone I'd rather have ridin' alongside me; no finer gun out there I'd want protectin' my hide or who I'd want to protect.  We know how the other thinks when it comes to a dangerous situation; we been in 'em enough times.  'Sides it would be just like old times," he quickly added.  He hoped Kid got the meaning behind the words, but in his opinion, he couldn't have been plainer if he'd actually spelled it out.  And that wasn't something Jimmy Hickok did all that often.

Kid had found himself tightly gripping the cup in front of him, staring at the liquid inside it, while Jimmy had been talking.  He finally removed his hands as his knuckles started hurting and began rubbing the soreness out of them, his eyes never leaving the table’s surface.  He'd heard the sentiment in Jimmy's voice, the compliments, but there was more to it than that.  There was an apology there, a want to be forgiven.  This was Jimmy's way of saying he wanted Kid back in his life. 

During Jimmy's speech, Lou had stepped back until she was leaning against the counter near the stove.  Her breathing became heavy as she heard Jimmy dole out the praise then ask for Kid to go off and risk his life in the name of friendship.  Had he lost his mind?!  Her head shot up as Jimmy spoke again.

"You can think about it, let me know."

Lou's eyes were instantly upon her husband, expecting him to graciously thank their former bunk mate for the offer then decline, giving any and all reasons that were running through her head why he couldn't do it.  But Kid just sat there, staring at that stupid table, not opening his mouth.

She stood up tall and took a couple steps toward the table.  "He doesn't have to think about it.  Do you, Kid? ... Kid?"  She was beginning to panic.  She looked around the table, trying to get support from Rachel, Teaspoon, Buck, anyone, but by the way they were avoiding her eyes, she knew she was on her own.  Well, that's how she'd lived most of her life and it was nothing new for her to fight for what she wanted out of life.  And what she wanted right now was for the man she'd married to say he wasn't going to accept Jimmy's offer.

No, Kid didn’t have to think about what his answer would be.  There was only one thing Jimmy Hickok deserved to hear.  Kid finally looked up but it was in Lou’s direction and not Jimmy’s that he directed his stare.  He’d heard her voice catch as she spoke to him and it confused him.  Did she really doubt how he would respond to Jimmy’s question? 

Lou stared right back at her husband, trying to plead with him with her eyes.  He was giving her a confused look and it was scaring her.  "Come on, Kid,” she pleaded silently, not daring to open her mouth in front of everyone for fear of what might really come out of it.  “Tell him why you can't accept.  Tell him why it's out of the question.  Please."  She hoped against hope that he could read her mind.  But she couldn't do anything but stand and wait for his response.

Kid wanted to assure Lou that he was about to do exactly what she would want.  He reached out his hand toward her and she instantly grabbed onto it with both of hers.  He gave her a slight grin; he wouldn’t let her down.  Turning back to Jimmy, Kid asked, "When do we leave?"