“So, you and that there girl rider is gonna get married next Saturday?” Tompkins questioned Kid as he was loading the last of the fifty-pound bags of flour, corn and oats onto the wagon. Jimmy and Cody had hauled out all the crates of other goods that were on Rachel’s list and were watching the afternoon stage as it stopped to let out a lone female in Rock Creek. “Yes, Sir. Louise and I are finally going to tie the knot. We’d sure be happy if you’d come Mr. Tompkins,” Kid mentioned, not noticing the woman with a determined look in her eye making her way towards him. As an after thought, Kid turned and added with a mischievous grin, “I’m sure Rachel would like to see you there. We plan on having dancing…” knowing that Tompkins followed the Express family to Rock Creek when they moved, having taken a liking to Rachel and was trying to court the woman. Any response Tompkins would have made was lost when an approaching woman’s high pitched nasal voice called out, “Thaddeus Arbunkle! You sure have led me on a merry chase! It’s taken me three years to find you, but find you I have!” Cody looked aghast as the plain looking woman threw herself at Kid and placed a kiss upon his lips that made all three young men shake in their boots. Not from passion, but revulsion. Kid looked like he wished he were anywhere but in the woman’s arms. Jimmy watched the scene with interest, wondering who the female was. “Myrtle,” Kid croaked, looking like he was about to be sick, having turned a sickly shade of green. Disentangling himself from the woman’s embrace, Kid stuttered, “What are you doing here?” ‘Now, this is starting to get pretty interesting,’ Cody thought to himself, as he looked over at Jimmy who was taking the familiarity between Kid and Myrtle none to kindly. Without tact, Cody came up behind the couple and nudged Kid in the back to get his attention. “So, Thaddeus, who’s your charming friend?” Cody inquired, taking stock of the woman as he spoke. ‘Sure not much to look at. Mousy brown hair, eyes a pale gray, nose to long and pointy. Makes me think of a rat,’ Cody decided when he was done staring. With that irritating nasal voice, the woman answered before Kid’s brain had a chance to process his friend’s question. “Why, I’m Myrtle Arbunkle, Thaddeus’s wife! Nice to meet you, and you are?” Grinning at her reply with twisted delight, Cody swept his hat off his head and artfully lifted her hand in his, bowing over it offering, “William F. Cody, at your service ma’am.” With an impish look at his friend,” Why didn’t you tell us you had a wife Kid…er, I mean Thaddeus?” Cody could barely keep the laughter out of his voice as he watched Kid’s face turn shades of red, whether from anger or embarrassment, he couldn’t tell. Kid looked from Cody to Jimmy, who looked like a thundercloud about to burst. Nothing Kid could say would make the situation better in Jimmy’s eyes. He was furious that Kid had lied not only to them, but to Louise all this time and he had even planned on marrying her next Saturday knowing he already had a wife. Ignoring the couple, Jimmy ordered Cody, “Bring the supplies when you’re done here Cody. Look’s like Kid, I mean Thaddeus is going to be tied up for a while. I’ll meet you back at the station later,” then stormed off to where he could see Teaspoon watching from the Marshal’s office doorway. Tilting his head in the direction Jimmy had just come from, Teaspoon asked, “What’s that all about?” Seething, Jimmy could barely speak but managed to get out a curt, “Looks like Kid, I mean Thaddeus Arbunkle forgot to mention he had himself a wife!” Confused Teaspoon looked at the young man wondering what he was talking about. “What are you going on about Jimmy? Who’s Thaddeus Arbunkle and what’s it got to do with Kid?” Sighing, Jimmy explained again, “Kid is Thaddeus Arbunkle and that there’s his wife Myrtle. Seems he’s been married all this time and he never mentioned it. To you, Lou or any of us!” Teaspoon leaned against the door frame as the meaning of his words sank in. “Oh, Lord. Louise!” “Exactly, Teaspoon,” Jimmy blurted, his anger rising once more. “I’m going to find her right now. She ain’t going to take this very well Teaspoon…” “You stay with her, you hear Jimmy? I’ll go find Rachel and let her know what’s happened.” *~*~*~* Heading off towards the dress shop that Lou said she was going to when they’d talked earlier, Jimmy dreaded the thought of being the one to tell her about Kid. ‘Thaddeus’, Jimmy reminded himself as he closed the door to the shop behind him. “Jimmy! What are you doing here?” Lou asked surprised to see her friend walking towards her. “I never thought I’d see you in a dress shop!” she teased, enjoying his discomfort. “I was looking for you Lou. Teaspoon asked me to fetch you and take you back to the station. He and Rachel need to talk to you about something.” Jimmy silently congratulated himself on having passed the misfortune of telling Lou about her fiancé onto the others. A concerned look came over Lou’s face as she put the ribbon she’d been looking at down on the counter. “Is something wrong Jimmy? Has something happened? You’re scaring me!” Offering the woman his arm, he steered her out of the shop with a mumbled, “You could say that again…” and than refused to say another word. *~*~*~* “Louise is going to be crushed!” Rachel lamented, sitting down at the kitchen table in disbelief. “I know, I know. That’s why I sent Jimmy to bring her home before she finds out from someone in town!” Teaspoon scowled, hoping that the young man got to Lou in time. Just then the back door opened as Cody came blustering in. “Can you believe it?” he asked the other two, “Kid ain’t Kid at all. He’s someone named Thaddeus Arbunkle. Now we know why he preferred to be called Kid!” Helping himself to a piece of pie that was sitting on the table, between bites, he continued to tell Teaspoon and Rachel what he had found out about Kid. “Seems he was married ‘bout three and a half years ago, back in Virginia to that there Myrtle woman. No offense, but she sure ain’t nothin’ to look at.” “Cody!” Rachel chided. “Well, she ain’t Rachel,” he wailed, “Just wait ‘til you see her. Kid, I mean Thaddeus is gonna bring her by after he settles her in at the hotel. Anyway, seems Kid…er, Thaddeus up and left in the middle of the night a month after they were married and she’s been lookin’ for him ever since! Can you believe it?” Cody asked shaking his head, not wanting to be in Kid’s place for anything once Lou finds out. Just than, Jimmy’s voice could be heard telling Lou that ‘Rachel and Teaspoon just said they wanted to talk to ya.’ Rachel and Teaspoon just looked at each other, dreading the forthcoming discussion. “Can’t says I blame him, leaving it to us,” Teaspoon admitted to Rachel as the couple came into the house. “Rachel, Teaspoon?” Lou queried s she looked at the solemn faces around the room, “What’s wrong? I can tell something’s happened by your faces. Jimmy wouldn’t tell me anything…” her voice tapered off as Rachel led her to a chair. “Maybe you should let Kid tell her,” Cody suggested to the quiet room. Rachel glared at him and Teaspoon motioned him to be quiet. “Is it Kid?” Lou whispered, fear entering into her heart at everyone’s reluctance to tell her what was going on. “Has something happened to him? Is he hurt?” she asked starting to rise from the chair, ready to go to him. “No, no. Kid isn’t hurt,” Rachel assured the young woman, as Jimmy could be heard muttering, “At least not yet!” Lou looked over at him with questioning eyes, wondering what could cause him to say such a thing, when Rachel caught her attention again. “You could say something’s happened. Um, when the boys were picking up the supplies, seems a woman Kid knows arrived on the stage.” Rachel paused, not knowing how to tell Lou the rest of the news. “So, who is this woman?” Lou questioned, waiting for someone to tell her what was really going on. “She’s my wife,” Kid confessed from the doorway where he stood, everyone unaware that he’d entered the house. “Your wife?” Lou stuttered, not believing she’d heard him right. “Yes, my wife. Myrtle Coltsworth, or Arbunkle since the marriage.” Lou became defensive as he spoke and demanded, “What do you mean your wife? I thought I was going to be your wife, that we were getting married next Saturday and now you’re telling me you’re already married?!” Kid had the decency to look ashamed and lowered his head from everyone’s gaze. Teaspoon cleared his throat and told the others, “I think maybe Lou and Kid need some time to talk alone,” and he started to rise to leave when Lou put a hand out to stop him. “Stay right where you are, all of you. I think that Kid owes all of us an explanation.” The others looked to Teaspoon for guidance and stayed where they sat when he shrugged and sat back down. After several minutes of silence, Lou practically snarled, “Well, Kid, we’re waiting.” Cody, being Cody offered a, “He ain’t Kid, Lou. His name is Thaddeus. Thaddeus Arbunkle,” to which he got a swift kick under the table from Jimmy and a scowl from Rachel. Lou looked at Cody and then to Kid, confused. “What does he mean you ain’t Kid?” Kid cleared his throat and looked embarrassed as he told everyone in a voice just above a whisper, “Cody’s right. My name ain’t Kid. It’s Thaddeus Arbunkle and I’ve hated it ever since I could remember.” Once he started talking, the whole story just came tumbling out of him as the others sat rapt with attention. “My father was friends with Myrtle’s father. They were boyhood friends or some such. I was only about a year old when she was born and one night not long after her birth, our father’s decided that when we were older, we would be wed. So without regard to our feelings, even though we were barely more than children ourselves, our father’s forced us to marry. “ Lost in thought, Kid became quiet until Teaspoon made a noise, breaking his reverie. Kid looked at Lou with such pain in his eyes, it would have torn her heart in half any other time but she was angry and in pain herself that she remained motionless, as she listened. “Myrtle and I tried, but after only a short while, I knew that I couldn’t stay. I didn’t love her and I never would. So, even though this might seem like a cowardly thing to do, I ran away in the middle of the night. I just up and left, taking nothing but the clothes on my back. What do you expect? I was only fifteen at the time! I wandered from place to place, doing odd jobs for food and shelter until I joined the Pony Express.” Teaspoon was the one to pose the first question after Kid had finished speaking. “Why is it that your….um bride, is traveling all by herself?” Raising his eyebrows, Kid was surprised by the question. “Seems she never told our father’s that I left her. When she found out I was gone the next morning, she packed a bag and left a note saying that we had decided to go out West and that we’d write when we got to where we were going.” “So you’re saying she’s been searching all this time for you all by herself?” Lou asked amazed. “Appears so,” was all Kid offered. Jimmy sat watching Lou’s body language, gauging what her true feelings were since her voice was so calm. That was what was worrying him the most, how calm Lou was. Jimmy knew that she was her maddest when she was so calm and quiet. In a lowered voice, Jimmy asked the couple, “So what now?” Lou looked at her friend and turned back to her ‘fiancé’. Lifting her left hand from the table where it was resting she proceeded to remove the ring Kid had given her. She stood up and threw it at him as she stated, “I sure as hell won’t be needing this!” Kid let the ring fall to the floor and watched her with sad eyes as she went to stand behind Teaspoon. “Lou…” With as forceful a voice as she could muster, Lou told him, “I think you should leave Kid. I’m sure your wife needs you.” Looking around the room at the faces he had come to love as a family, all Kid could see now was the disappointment and hurt he had caused everyone, so without another word, he turned and quietly closed the door behind himself as he left. Rachel immediately went to Lou and hugged her, murmuring, “I’m so sorry Louise.” Lou hugged the woman back and returned to her seat at the table. For once Cody was keeping quiet. He truly felt bad about the turn of events. He knew that Lou had been looking forward to marrying Kid next Saturday. Jimmy was furious about Kid’s treatment of Lou, but at the same time, his heart did a little leap as he allowed himself the momentary hope that maybe with time, he’d have the chance with her that he always dreamed of. Trying to break the tension, Lou tried to smile as she quipped, “At least I won’t have that hideous last name. Can you imagine, Louise Arbunkle?” They all had to laugh with her at the suggestion. “No wonder he wouldn’t tell anyone his real name!” Cody replied with his lop-sided grin. *~*~*~* Teaspoon and Rachel were sitting on the porch after dinner, talking when Kid returned with Myrtle on his arm. The couple couldn’t help that their welcome came out stilted. Myrtle did have a high pitched voice and it grated on the nerves from the first word out of her mouth. As Myrtle babbled on about how thrilled she was to be meeting her Thaddeus’s boss and housekeeper, the last bringing a look of distaste to Rachel’s face, but woman didn’t notice as she kept talking. Teaspoon sat tuning out the whining voice and studied the woman’s countenance. Unbeknownst to him he had come to the same conclusion as Cody earlier when he had first met the woman. ‘Good Lord, she looks like a rat.’ Not long after the couple arrived, the door to the bunkhouse opened and out walked Lou with the rest of the riders trailing behind her. She had been saying something to Jimmy when a high cackle drew her attention to the porch of the house. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted Kid, ‘No, he ain’t Kid. He’s Thaddeus,’ she corrected herself sitting with whom she guessed was his wife next to him. Changing directions, she headed towards the house to get a closer look. Jimmy and Buck gave each other an ‘uh oh’ look and hurried after her. Cody who had been lost in his own thoughts about Annie Scott, a new seamstress in town, wondered where the fire was when he noticed Jimmy and Buck trotting away. Noticing that Thaddeus was back with his wife in tow, he hurried after the trio, determined to help keep Lou from any more pain. It was thought’s of keeping Lou from hurting Myrtle that made Jimmy and Buck take up a stance on either side of their fellow rider when she came to a halt on the porch. If Myrtle was any normal person, the newcomers would have intimidated her as they stood towering over where she sat. But Myrtle remained unaware of any animosity they held for her, seeming to be in her own little world. ‘It ain’t her fault that he lied to me,’ Lou told herself as Thaddeus introduced his wife to the rest of his friends. His voice caught for a moment as he introduced Lou last. “…And this is Louise McCloud, she also rode for the Pony Express with me.” “Oh, my. I don’t know how you did it!” Myrtle declared with a tight smile. “What a dirty and so dangerous job. I must say, I am surprised that they allowed a female to do a man’s job!” At Lou’s intake of breath, Jimmy gently laid a hand on her arm, stopping her from making a nasty retort to the woman. Leaning closer to her, he suggested, “Why don’t the rest of us go into town and leave these two to visit with Teaspoon and Rachel?” “Good idea,” Buck and Cody murmured at the same time. Lou gave the couple one last glance and linked her arm with the one Buck offered her and turned away without saying ‘goodbye’. *~*~*~* “So, what are you gonna do…uh, Thaddeus, now that your wife has arrived?” Teaspoon asked, wondering if he was going to have a war on his hands with the rest of his riders if the man remained in Rock Creek. “Myrtle and I were discussing that during dinner. We’ve decided to return to Virginia. I’m sure our father’s are anxious for our return. If war does break out like everyone says, I’ll probably fight for my home state.” Rachel just lifted her eyebrows at his statement, surprised that he’d return with his wife, since he’d left her once already. Teaspoon felt a sense of relief. “When do you plan on leaving?” “There’s another stage heading to St. Joe morning after next. We’ll be on it,” he said sadly. He wasn’t looking forward to leaving or going back to Virginia with Myrtle, but he didn’t see he had any other choice. Lou was lost to him forever and his heart was breaking over their lost future. “I can’t speak for the others, but I’ll be sorry to see you go Kid…er, Thaddeus,” the stationmaster told him. Standing, ready to leave, Kid leaned over and hugged the man. “Thank you Teaspoon, for everything. I’ll never forget you…” *~*~*~* All the next day Jimmy and Buck stuck close to Lou as she tried to make herself scarce around the Express station incase Thaddeus or Myrtle stopped by. Cody had a run and would be back late that night. At breakfast the morning of Thaddeus and Myrtle’s departure, a sullen group sat at the breakfast table. None had done justice to the delicious breakfast that Rachel prepared, but even she didn’t complain, her own thought’s occupied with the missing rider. As Lou rose, pushing her plate away with most of her food still untouched, Teaspoon felt he had to say something. Looking at the young woman, he cleared his throat. At the sound, Lou glanced up at the older man, waiting for him to speak, knowing she wasn’t going to want to hear what he had to say. “He’s sorry, Lou. He’s sorry he hurt you, he’s sorry he kept the truth from all of us. He’s sorry for his wife… he’s sorry about everything.” “He can be sorry all he wants Teaspoon, it still won’t change what he did.” “No, it won’t change what he did, but it has made him decide to fight for Virginia when the war starts. With the hurt he has inside of him and what he has to look forward to after the fightin’, he won’t be back…he has nothing left to live for,” Teaspoon told her, sadness filling his voice. With tears in her eyes, Lou stated in a shaky voice, “There was a time I’d say I cared Teaspoon, but not any more.” Not looking at anyone else in the room, Lou turned and walked out the door, knowing that this too would pass and a brighter day was waiting for her, a day with unlimited possibilities. Email Lisa L. HOME