Chapter 9

Lou closed the door to the doctor's office slowly then leaned her head back against the wall of the building.  Her hands went to her mouth, trying to cover the smile that wouldn't go away.   You're with child.  How could three little words have such an effect on her?  On her whole future?  But they did. Doctor Barnes had congratulated her but she didn't even hear him, her mind was already planning on how to tell Kid the news.

When she and Rachel had reached the doctor's office, Lou was nervous about the examination part of her visit but excited to hear the outcome.  She needed Rachel's support but felt she could go it alone so she asked the older woman to wait outside for her.

Glancing around, Lou spotted Rachel on the side of the street, heading toward the next building.  She had obviously spent her time pacing and was probably as anxious as Lou was to hear what the doctor had to say.  Stepping away from the door, Lou called out,  "Rachel!"

Rachel turned quickly and seeing the smile on Lou's face, went toward her. 

Lou met her in the street.  "He said I am!"  she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Rachel's neck.  For once, she didn't care if she was making a spectacle of herself; she was happy and felt like she wanted everyone around her to know it. 

Rachel laughed and hugged her back.  "Well you knew he would say that,"  she told her.  She was as excited as Lou was - they were going to have a baby in the family.  She felt it was just what they needed after all the heartbreak as of late.

Lou let go of Rachel and immediately brought her hands down to rub them on her still flat stomach.  "I know but it was one thing thinking that I was, it's a totally different thing hearing a doctor tell you that you are.  Never in my life would I have thought that I would want this, much less be so happy about it.  I can't wait to tell Kid, see his face light up."

"He's certainly going to be surprised,"  Rachel said, still smiling.

"More than you think,"  Lou muttered.

Rachel looked at her curiously and for a moment was almost worried.  "Why?  Did Doctor Barnes tell you something, something you should be aware of?"  She knew some women had it rough right from the start and prayed that Lou wasn't one of them.  But then she wouldn't have been so happy, would she?

Lou saw the concerned look cross the other woman's face and realized she'd said things wrong.   She quickly reached out to touch Rachel's hand to reassure her.  "No, no, everything's fine, progressing nicely.  He said to come back and see him in a month and gave me a list of things I can and can't do and what I should be eating and drinking so the baby grows healthy."  She paused as a blush crept onto her cheeks.  "What I meant about Kid being overly surprised, since he knows this was very likely to happen soon, has to do with how far along I am."  She started wringing her hands again, like she'd done at the schoolhouse earlier, only this time it was out of embarrassment, not nerves.

Rachel brought her hands up to her mouth.  "I was so excited, I completely forgot to ask that?  So, I'm assuming it's a honeymoon baby?" 

Lou looked away, blushing, and slowly shook her head.  "Seems we couldn't wait for that,"  she admitted.  "Apparently I'm a little over two months along."

"Is that what you're embarrassed about?  That this child was conceived before you were married?"  Rachel tried to hide her smile because she saw how serious this subject was this Lou.

"Well, everyone knows we only got married a month ago, it's not like there's a wedding in town every week so people loose track of who got married when,"  she replied sarcastically.  "How do I explain that I'll have a baby when I haven't been married for nine months?"  She stood with her hands on her hips, waiting for an answer.

Rachel saw her wrinkled brow and pursed lips and couldn't help but laugh.  "Louise, sweetheart,  I don't think you're the first wife to be faced with this situation.  How did Doctor Barnes react when he told you the news?"  She wanted to prove that it didn't matter and knew it would take some convincing.

"I don't know,"  Lou answered, slowly.  "He just told me, that's all.  He didn't seem to think any less of me,"  she admitted, realizing that maybe she was overreacting. 

"See?  That's because you're not the first time he's come across this and you won't be the last,"  Rachel assured her, putting her arm around her shoulders.  "Maybe you should just be glad it happened a month before the wedding instead of when you two first got together.  You'd probably already be a mama if that was the case."  She looked at Lou with raised eyebrows, trying to get her point across.

Lou nodded.  "You're right, I don't know how we got so lucky.  I wouldn't have been ready before but I am now, I'm so ready."  She looked at Rachel, smiling then laughing as she was drawn into the other woman's arms once again.

"What in tarnation is goin' on with you two?"

Lou and Rachel broke away and looked toward the sidewalk, in the direction the booming voice of Teaspoon had just come from.  They watched as he stepped into the street and came up to them, one hand on his hip, the other gesturing in an animated fashion in the air.

"I beg your pardon?"  Rachel asked him.

"Laughin' and carryin' on in the middle of the street like a coupla school girls.  You ain't careful, you're gonna get run over.  Now what could be so funny that you would forget you're in the middle of town and wanna make a spectacle of yourselves?"  He stared at them in total confusion.  He'd been walking down the street, needing a break from the boring jailhouse, and happened upon the sight of the two women in his family giggling and hugging like they knew a secret no one else knew.

His appearance just made the women laugh more.  Lou went to him, put her hands on his shoulders then reaching up, planted a kiss on his cheek.  "Sorry, Teaspoon, but you ain't gonna find out until after a certain someone does."  She held her finger up in a warning.  "And no trying to get it out of me, 'cause it ain't gonna work.  And Rachel's not gonna tell either, so there."  With that said, she took Rachel's arm and started walking her in the direction of the way station.

Rachel looked over her shoulder at Teaspoon and gestured that it was out of her hands.

Now Teaspoon found himself standing in the middle of the street, lost in thought as to what those two were up to.  He finally moved when a wagon came a mite too close to the toe of his boot.  "Blasted women,"  he muttered.  "Now they got me all confused, I don't know which way I'm goin'."  He looked around to see if anyone had noticed how lost he seemed then quickly resumed his walk back to his office.