Love on the Run

Part 5

Kid refused to leave Lou's side over the next few days, wanting to be there when she regained consciousness. But the longer she was out, the more the doctor worried that she might not wake up.

"Kid," Charlotte said entering the room. "Why don't you go and get cleaned up, maybe get some sleep."

Kid shook his head. "I wanna be here when she wakes up." He picked up Lou's hand and held it against his cheek. "Come on, sweetheart, it's time to wake up. Open your eyes. There's someone who wants to see you."

"Kid, please. I'll stay with her and I'll come get you if anything changes."

"This is all my fault Charlotte. I shouldn't have left her. I shoulda made her come with me when I first left."

Charlotte placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. "Kid, it's not your fault. You couldn't have known. If anything it's my fault. I'm the one who got her the job there. Has Bobby been by to talk to you yet?"

Kid nodded. "There won't be any charges. Apparently half the town wanted Wicks dead; they don't think there's a jury out there that would find me guilty."

"I have to agree with him there. You did all of us girls a big favor. You're a hero to us."

"If I'm such a hero, Lou wouldn't be lying here."

Lou heard voices. She thought she heard Kid, but she had dreamed his voice so much during the lonely months they were apart, she couldn't be sure. She tried to open her eyes so she could see him but they wouldn't open.

She felt his hand on hers. If there was some way she could just let him know that she loved him too.

~~ ** ~~

Kid finally dozed off sometime during the early morning and awoke suddenly when he felt a tightening grip on his hand. He waited to see if he could feel it again, praying he wasn't dreaming. Lou didn't disappoint him.

"Lou, honey, time to wake up."

"Kid?" she barely whispered as her eyes fluttered open. Her throat was dry and hurt as she tried to speak.

"Thank God, Lou. You had me worried." He kissed the hand he was still holding.

"Wicks?" she croaked.

"He'll never hurt you again. I promise you. You know, we have to stop meeting like this." Lou tried to chuckle but only wound up coughing. "Do you want some water?"

Lou nodded and tried to sit up. Kid supported her back with one hand as he held the cup to her lips with the other.

"Feelin' better?" Lou nodded. "God Lou, you don't know how worried I've been."

"Kid, what are you doin' here? I thought... What about..."

In that instant, Kid knew he had been right in his suspicions all along. "Jedidiah?" Lou nodded. "Lou, why didn't you tell me we made a child together?"

"You didn't come back. Then the letters stopped comin'... I thought you didn't love me."

"Lou, you have to know, I've loved you from the moment I first saw you. And I did come back, but we'll talk more about that later. Right now you need to rest; build your strength up."

"But Jedidiah..."

"He's fine Lou. He's back in Sweetwater, waitin' for his momma."

Lou smiled at his words and fell back to sleep.

~~ ** ~~

Lou gradually regained her strength back over the next few days. Charlotte stopped by often as did Bobby. But once Lou found out that Bobby had seen Kid in town the night he proposed, she refused to see him. He kept trying to apologize, but eventually accepted the fact that he'd lost his best friend and the only woman he'd ever loved.

Kid and Lou decided to take things slowly this time, and at night she would lie cuddled against him for comfort. Even though Lou's body had changed because of the pregnancy, Kid was amazed how she still fit perfectly with his when they lay side by side at night. And during the day, they spent the hours catching up and getting to know each other all over again.

"I knew as much as I wanted to and as much help as Charlotte gave me, I just couldn't keep him with me. I know what it was like to grow up in an orphanage, and I wanted my... our child to have a better life than that. I figured it was better to send Jedidiah to you."

"The moment I saw those brown eyes and the way he smiled, I knew in my heart that he was mine. It was almost like lookin' in a mirror."

"And I named him after your brother. I'm sorry he didn't get the chance to see his nephew, but I'm glad you got the chance to see him again."

"God, Lou. I wish I had known sooner. I hate to think of all you went through because of me."

"Kid, it's not your fault. I had a part in him bein' here too," she replied with a saucy grin. Kid blushed at the memories that surfaced. "I think I missed most how you can blush so easily."

Kid chuckled. "I'm serious, Lou. You shouldn't have gone through all of that by yourself."

"Kid, it's over and done with. We can't go back and change things. We can only go forwards now."

"Well, I've been thinkin' 'bout that. I come up with an idea that'll make things easier and better."

"About what?"

"Us... Jedidiah... What we should do now." Lou groaned. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna ask you to marry me again."

"You're not?" Lou asked sounding disappointed.

"I should, because it's what's right, but I won't. Not now anyway. I know you're not ready, even though I am. But I was thinkin' about our situation and what to do about it."

"And?"

"Come back to Sweetwater with me. Jedidiah needs you as much as I do."

"What would I do?"

"Well, that's the perfect part. Rememeber me talkin' about Emma?"

"Your station mother? The one who was bein' courted by the Marshal?"

Kid nodded, "Well, they ran off and got married leavin' us in a bit of a bind. I was thinkin' maybe you could take the job."

"What would I be doin?"

"Cooking, cleaning, things like that. You'd stay in the main house and you can keep Jedidiah with you. I have to warn you though, we can all be a bit of a handful."

"But what would we tell everyone?"

"We can tell them the truth or we can tell them what ever you feel comfortable with. It doesn't matter as long as we're together."

"Do you think we can make it work?" Lou asked sounding skeptical. It sounded too good to be true.

Kid nodded. "We'll never know until we try."

"Then what are we waiting for? I miss our son."