Mr.
& Mrs. CodyMr.
& Mrs. Cody
Chapter 12
The next day dawned bright and everyone arose early. Emma brought in breakfast for 'her boys' and ate with them. Afterwards, Emma asked Lou to wait for her outside while she went back inside the house for something. When Emma returned, she was carrying an old shoe filled with some of the pot roast from last night's supper. Lou thought Emma was losing it. Curiosity got the better of the other riders and they came outside to see what Emma was holding. When they saw what she had done, they all silently thought the same as Lou.
"Emma, why do you have pot roast in that shoe? Are you feeling alright today?" Lou asked.
"I'm fine, silly. Come with me and you'll see what this is for." Emma grabbed Lou's hand and led her to the barn. The others quickly followed.
Emma found Tom, the old barn cat, and sat the shoe down in front of it. The tomcat immediately started eating greedily. Emma looked at Lou and the rest of the riders and seeing their confusion she quickly explained, "It's good luck to feed a cat out of an old shoe on the day of a wedding."
Lou just wordlessly nodded.
"She's right, boys." Teaspoon spoke up as he came around the corner of the barn already dressed in his finest. "My third wife did that on our wedding day."
"Yeah, but Teaspoon you didn't stay married to your third wife. So how can feeding Ole' Tom out of shoe be good luck?" Cody asked.
Teaspoon looked as if he was going to impart some worldly wisdom to them all, but then shrugged and walked off in the direction of breakfast.
"Thanks, Emma. It was a nice thought." Jimmy told her.
Buck just shook his head. "Whites sure do have some strange customs."
"I'll second that motion." Noah spoke up. Buck and Noah shared a laugh and walked back to the bunkhouse to get ready for the wedding.
"C'mon everyone, it's time to be getting' ready for the festivities and Lou we've got to get you into your dress and fix your hair." Emma said.
They all started heading back when Lou told Emma she'd be there in a few minutes. She called out to Cody. Knowing what Lou was going to ask Cody, Jimmy left the two alone.
"Cody, since Teaspoon is marrying Jimmy and me, I don't have anyone to give me away. I was wondering if you might do me that honor."
"Lou, are you sure you want me to do it?"
"Definitely. Besides I think it's kinda fittin' for 'my first husband' to give me away at my real wedding. So what do ya' say? Will you do it?" She asked.
"I'd be honored to give the lovely bride away - Mrs. Cody." They both smiled at each other and parted ways, Lou headed towards Rachel's and Cody to the bunkhouse.
Lou was fidgety. She kept creasing folds in her dress as she sat in the buckboard with Emma and Rachel.
Rachel scolded her. "Now Louise you're gonna get your dress all wrinkled doing that."
"I know. I'm just nervous is all. Is not everyday a body gets married." Lou stated matter-of-factly.
Emma who was driving, reached over and patted Lou's hand. "It's perfectly normal to get the wedding jitters. Lordy knows I did before I married Sam. But everything turned out fine in the end."
"Wouldn't have had anything to do with feeding Tom out of an old shoe would it?" Lou smiled at her.
"Exactly." Emma said simply.
"I just wish I knew where the wedding was! Jimmy's so secretive about it all."
Rachel spoke up, "Honey, you're going to love the spot he picked out. Don't you worry none."
"I'll just have to take your word for it, Rachel. Besides, knowing Jimmy it'll be just perfect. Who would have thought when we first started working for the Express me and Jimmy would end up marrying each other and that he was such a romantic. I never would have believed it the first day we all met. Of course they all thought I was a boy then." Lou reminisced.
"I knew you weren't a boy the moment I laid eyes on you, Louise McCloud! You weren't fooling me." Emma protested.
"Ohmigosh! I know where we're going now. This is the direction of the wild flower field where Jimmy took me when he first started courting me."
"Cain't keep a secret from her for long. Maybe we shoulda blindfolded her before we left." Rachel pondered out loud.
They arrived at the edge of the field about 10 minutes later. The boys were all there dressed in their finery. They had obviously all showered and were well groomed. They were hardly recognizable as the rough and tumble Pony Express riders everyone else knew.
Lou saw Emily standing next to Ike and waved. Emily waved back excitedly. She was actually wearing a dress. It had only been the second time that Lou had seen her dressed as such. The two had a lot in common and the pair we're quickly becoming fast friends.
Jimmy and Cody quickly strode over to the wagon. Cody helped Emma down and Jimmy helped Rachel. Lou's smile beamed down at Jimmy as he helped her alight from the buckboard. Once on the ground, the two were mesmerized, intently staring into one another's eyes. Jimmy still had his hands around her waist when they heard Cody loudly clear his throat. "Ahem! Jimmy I think you're wanted down by Teaspoon now. I've got a bride to escort to you."
Jimmy reluctantly let her go and took his place. Rachel handed her a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers. "Jimmy picked these for you, Lou."
Still smiling, Lou glanced in Jimmy's direction and silently mouthed, "My favorite."
He grinned back at her.
Teaspoon nodded and Cody took Lou's arm and proceeded to 'walk down the aisle' of wildflowers towards a waiting Jimmy, Kid, Teaspoon and Rachel - who was serving as Lou's maid of honor.
Once there, Cody kissed Lou's cheek and whispered, "You look beautiful, Mrs. Cody." He gave her over to Jimmy and took his place next to Buck.
When Teaspoon asked, "Who gives this bride away?" The riders all said, "Her family does."
There was a tense silence when the time came for any objections to the marriage. Cody was all too afraid Kid might say something, but was relieved when he didn't.
When it came time for the exchange of rings, Lou slipped a gold band on Jimmy's left ring finger and he attempted to do the same for her. It wouldn't fit. Her finger was too swollen from the pregnancy for it to fit. So Jimmy slipped it on her little finger instead. They both grinned at each other.
"I now pronounce you man and wife." Teaspoon said. When Jimmy didn't move, Teaspoon leaned in and said to him, "That means you can kiss 'er now, son."
Not having to be told twice, Jimmy leaned down and kissed her thoroughly. Lost in their own little world it took them a moment to realize the ceremony was actually over and everyone was clapping. For them. Mr. and Mrs. James Butler Hickok.
"I love you, Mrs. Hickok." Jimmy whispered in her ear.
"I love you right back, Mr. Hickok." She grinned and kissed him again.
Everyone surrounded them then with well wishes and congratulations.
Teresa and Rachel threw flower petals at the pair as they headed for the buckboard. Emma shouted out for Lou to throw a flower from her bouquet and she did so. Teresa caught it.
"Uh oh." Lou muttered.
"What?" Jimmy quickly asked her, worried that something was wrong with her or the baby.
"Teresa just caught the flower."
"So?" Came Jimmy's reply.
"So, the saying goes whoever catches it is the next girl to get married."
"Uh oh."
"Exactly." Came Lou's reply. She sighed. "Well she's only 12. I don't think we have anything to worry about for quite awhile. Besides she hasn't been here long enough to find a boy to be sweet on yet. Thank goodness."
"Then you haven't seen the way she looks at Cody and follows him around like a lost puppy dog?"
When Jimmy saw the look on Lou's face, he realized maybe he shouldn't have said anything.
"No. But I have seen the way Jeremiah looks at Rachel. Talk about puppy love." Lou added and shook her head. "Sure you're ready for an instant family?"
"As long as I have you by my side I'm ready for anything, Mrs. Hickok." He leaned over and kissed her.
Jimmy helped his new bride into the buckboard and he climbed in after her. Then the newly wedded Mr. and Mrs. Hickok headed for home.