What Do I Care?
Image Courtesy
of The Writers Ranch
"My name isn't Lou... It's..." Cody watched as Lou buried his face in his hands and growled. Finally he crossed his arms over his chest and looked straight at his remaining friends.
"It's Louise. Louise McCloud."
Silence enveloped the camp, even the crackling fire seemed to be in a stunned silence. Cody for once couldn't think of anything to say. Always the first to lighten the mood with a wise crack, his brain was on overload trying to comprehend that the smallest of the riders was actually a girl!
Lou turned and ran back towards the creek. Jimmy started to follow her but Kid pulled him back.
"Let her go, Jimmy."
Buck was the first to recover. "You both knew?" Jimmy and Kid nodded. "Since when?"
"I found out this afternoon, shortly before Boggs was killed," Jimmy answered. "Kid found out... When did you find out exactly, Kid?"
Finally Cody's mouth opened and as usual, he spoke before he thought things through. "More importantly, how?"
Kid shook his head and went after Lou. Cody felt someone slap him upside the back of his head, and rubbed the sore area as he looked behind him to see Ike standing there with an innocent look on his face.
"Oh come on! Aren't you curious as to how Kid found out Lou was a girl? And why he didn't tell us? I mean she's worked with us, eaten with us, slept with us, and more importantly, watched us dress and undress!"
** What does it matter, Cody?" ** Ike asked. ** You've offered to show half the girls in town what Lou has already seen. **
"He's right you know," Buck added.
** No, she always stepped out when we changed. And most of the time we've been together, we've all slept in at least our long john bottoms. **
"What should we do?" Buck asked.
** Are we really going to ask her to leave like she thinks we are? **
Jimmy shook his head. "What we need to do is go over there and tell her that we're alright with it. That it doesn't matter that she's a girl, she's no different from the rest of us."
"But she is different from the rest of us, Jimmy," Cody responded. "But that doesn't have to be a bad thing. It could be nice to have a girl around. Wouldn't ever have to look far for a date to the dance."
The others chuckled and started to come up with a way to let Lou know they were all right with things as they were. As they started walking towards the creek where Kid and Lou were, Cody saw a wildflower in the fading light and went to pick it. He looked behind him and gestured to Buck and Ike.
"Girls like flowers right?" Buck and Ike nodded and picked one as well.
"Lou, you alright?" Jimmy asked as they approached the couple.
Cody noticed they had been huddled together and wondered if there was something going on between them.
Lou nodded.
"Well Buck, Ike, and Cody here have somethin' they wanna tell ya."
Cody stepped forward first, holding the flower behind his back and stuck out his empty hand. "Name's William F. Cody, most folks just call me Cody, and it's a pleasure to meet you... Louise," he grinned bringing the wildflower from behind his back.
"Same here goes for us," Buck said pointing to Ike as well before both handed her flowers as well.
Lou chuckled at the simple gesture. Cody stared at her wondering how he had missed the signs before. She wasn't as pretty as some of the girls he'd gone out with, but she was Lou... One of the best riders the station had.
"We better turn in soon," Cody stated, not quite sure what to say. Now that he knew her secret, he was scared he would act like the typical love struck idiot he often became in a lady's presence.
Lou nodded and the group headed back to the campfire. They ate in silence, everyone lost in their own thought of the days events. As they finally said goodnight and drifted off to sleep, Cody again began thinking of Lou as a girl instead of a guy. As he began to sleep as well, an idea formed in his head that he hoped would allow him to get to know her better.
When Cody woke the next morning, he noticed as usual Lou was already up, bathed, dressed and had started breakfast for the group. "Morning, uhm... Louise," he grinned.
Lou looked at him and smiled. "Mornin' Cody. If you guys are gonna let me stay, you might want to stick to Lou. Teaspoon and Emma still don't know because if they did they'd fire me. Just call me Lou all the time and you won't slip up.
"Ok, mornin', Lou. Need some help?"
Lou looked at Cody amazed. Has it been that much of a shock to him that he's offering to do chores? She thought chuckling.
"Thanks, Cody, but I think I got it."
Cody nodded and looked around at his still sleeping friends. Gathering up the courage before anyone else awoke, he cleared his throat.
"Uhm, Lou, can I ask you something?"
Lou swallowed hard wondering how personal Cody was about to get. There were some things she hadn't even told Kid yet and didn't plan on telling anyone as long as she didn't have to.
"Sure, Cody. Don't mean I'll answer it."
Cody chuckled. "I was wonderin' if, well if sometime maybe, if you weren't doin' anything..."
"Are you askin' her out?" Kid asked stunned as he rolled over to face the two.
Cody blushed. "Well yeah. I just thought it might be a good way to get to know Louise instead of Lou."
Lou bit her tongue to keep from laughing. The other riders groaned as they realized the first thing they had heard when waking up, was Cody acting like his normal, skirt chasing self. Suddenly, Cody was hit from behind by someone's bedroll.
"Ok, that hurt!" he said rubbing the back of his head. "What? Who here didn't think about it at least once?"
Everyone remained silent and Cody watched as Lou and Kid kept shyly glancing at each other. It was at that moment he knew there had to have been something going on between the two.
"Unless of course, you're already seeing someone," he quickly added. "Then accept my apologies." Cody shot a look towards Kid, "to the both of you."
"It was really sweet, Cody." Lou shook her head. "I'm not seein' anyone, but I'm just not ready too either. It's kinda hard when you live the kind of life I do."
Cody noticed the hurt look briefly pass Kid's face as she mentioned she wasn't seeing someone. "Well that's what I meant, I mean what do I care what you do, I already know. And I'm tellin' ya Lou, I ain't never met a girl that can shoot as good as you. But I understand, that's fine... Just remember next time you need someone to accompany you on a ride..."
This time Cody ducked as he saw Kid throw one of his boots at him. "Alright, I get the point. Sheesh!" Cody exclaimed as he took the plate he was offered and thought about how he would one day take Lou out on a real date.