Mr.
& Mrs. CodyMr.
& Mrs. Cody
Chapter 11
It was the day before Jimmy and Lou's wedding and the excitement was running high around the weigh station. Teaspoon had of course sent their rides to the next station so they could all be together for the wedding.
That afternoon, Lou was suspicious that something was up when Teresa ran into Rachel's urging Lou to come quick out to the bunkhouse, but with no explanation.
When she walked in, Lou saw all the riders gathered at the table and there were some packages in the center.
Jimmy walked up to her and kissed her cheek and gave her a rose. "Emma said this is what's called a bridal shower. All the bride's friends get together and give her gifts for the wedding. So here we all are." And he gestured to the table.
Lou sat down and opened the biggest one first of course. Jimmy helped her hold open the present, it was a wedding ring quilt with their names sewn on the corner with tomorrow's date. Apparently Emma and Rachel had been working on something other than just her wedding dress!
"Thank you both so much. I'll always treasure this. It's so beautiful." Lou had tears in her eyes.
"We're really glad you like it Loulabelle. Now go on and open up the rest." Emma urged.
Books. Cookbooks to be exact were what the rest of her presents consisted of.
Ike and Emily had given her "The Young Housekeeper's Friend" by Mrs. M.H. Cornelius. Buck had bought her "Miss Leslie's Directions for Cookery". Noah gave her "The Good Housekeeper" by Sara Josepha Hale. Cody naturally gave her a dessert cookbook. The last book she opened was from the Kid. It was written by Mary Randolph.
"The Virginia Housewife?" Lou said, not knowing what else to say.
Jimmy was starting to get angry when he heard the title.
"Now, Lou, I don't mean nothing by it. I just wanted you to remember who this one came from is all."
"Oh." Was all she could say.
Cody spoke up, trying to dispel some of the tension. "I also got something for the little one, too. Although Emma swears by all that's holy we're gonna be givin' you a baby shower before the baby's born." He pushed the small package towards Lou. She opened it. Inside was a small rattle. "I made it myself. Teaspoon helped."
Lou rose and walked to Cody and planted a sisterly kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Mr. Cody." And she hugged him.
"Um, you're welcome…Lou." Looking over at Jimmy and noticing his approval, he added, "Mrs. Cody." And they all laughed.
"Thank you everyone. You'd think I didn't know how to cook or somethin'."
All the boys groaned. Except Ike, who signed, *Maybe you can help teach Emily how to cook.* And he grinned.
"Ike McSwain! I do too know how to cook! I just can't cook that many different things." Emily protested.
Lou then realized that Emily didn't have the privilege of having a bridal shower herself and stated as much to Emma and Rachel.
"Oh, don't worry, we're having Emily's next Saturday. Better late than never!" Rachel assured her.
"Well then, I'll just have to see if the boys haven't bought Tompkins out of all his cookbooks!" Lou told Emily.
After supper that night, Jimmy and Lou took a walk around the weigh station. They hadn't snuck out to the barn since they'd returned even though the doctor in town had assured her it wouldn't harm the baby. When Lou informed Jimmy, he had merely said, "That's good to know" and grinned from ear to ear with that heart-melting, stomach-fluttering smile of his and winked. "But what if we waited until our wedding night?" He asked.
When Lou would have protested, Jimmy insisted, "Anticipation is everything, Lou." And he kissed her soundly.
Now here they were, only one night separating them from being together, in every sense of the word, for the rest of their lives.
They walked to the pond, hand-in-hand. Jimmy sat down back to the tree and pulled Lou down onto his lap. "You ready for tomorrow?"
Lou kissed him. "What do you think?" She kissed him again. It quickly escalated in something much more heated. All of a sudden Lou jerked back.
"Lou, what's wrong?"
"Shh, wait a minute." She grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach. "There! Can you feel it?" She said excitedly.
He looked puzzled. "You mean that little twitching?"
"Yeah. Oh, Jimmy, I think that's our baby!"
They sat quietly for awhile marveling in the knowledge their little one was alive and well. Feeling the small movement made their baby all too real for both of them. Lou and Jimmy smiled contently waiting for Baby Hickok's next move.
When the sun finally set behind the horizon, they silently made their way back to the bunkhouse, still in awe.