Mr.
& Mrs. CodyMr.
& Mrs. Cody
Chapter 9
Lou peeked in the door to Cody's room and was happy to see him awake and talking with Kid. She walked over and gave Cody a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so glad you're finally awake. You had me worried, Mr. Cody." She smiled, slipping back into their marriage game.
"Well you can't keep me down for long, Mrs. Cody." Cody slid a glance over to Jimmy to see how he took the joke, seeing him smiling he sighed in relief. Lou was right, Jimmy wasn't going to kill him after all.
The doctor came in and was pleased with the progress his patient was making. He inquired after Lou's health and told her to make sure to get plenty of rest. Kid and Jimmy had to contain themselves from erupting in a fit of laughter every time the doctor called her 'Mrs. Cody'.
After the doctor left, Lou turned on them both. "Why is it so funny for you two to believe Cody could be married?" She said hotly.
Chastised, they stood quietly staring at her.
Finally Kid said, "It just sounds funny, Lou, that's all. 'Sides I don't think Cody could set his mind on just one girl long enough to marry her."
"Kid, if you can't be nice to him then you can just leave. Besides the doc thinks we're married and that's the way it's going to stay until we leave here."
"Sorry, Lou, Cody." Kid apologized.
Lou went to sit on the bed next to Cody, glaring at Kid. Cody cleared his throat and whispered to Lou. As she bent down she heard him ask if she'd told Jimmy the good news. She smiled and nodded.
"Congratulations, daddy!" Cody grinned at Jimmy.
Jimmy thanked him, grinning from ear to ear. "Thanks for taking care of Lou, Cody. She said you did a really good job."
"Yeah, up until I got shot." Cody lamented.
"Well it was just my turn to take care of you. Which reminds me…" She reached over for the book. "I still have to finish the story. I read it to you while you were unconscious. I was hoping somehow you could hear me and you'd wake up."
"Lou, it's the strangest thing, but I do remember you reading to me. I couldn't bring myself to wake up, but I remember the story."
"Good. I'm almost done so you're just going to have to be better by the end of the book."
"Sounds good to me." Cody agreed.
Lou started reading and Jimmy and Kid decided to leave the two alone for awhile and headed over to the saloon.
"What do you say we break the rules a little and have one drink in celebration?" Jimmy asked.
"I won't tell if you don't." Kid said.
They each ordered a whiskey and downed it quickly. The liquor burned it's way down their throats but quickly turned into a warm feeling settling in their chests.
"Kid, I know I haven't asked you yet, but I was hoping you stand up with me and be my best man at the wedding."
"Of course, Jimmy. What are best friends for, huh?" Kid asked. Even though he felt his heart was being ripped out from his chest at the thought of Lou getting married.
In the awkward silence that followed, Jimmy realized that maybe Kid was having a tougher time handling his relationship with Lou than he was letting on. He thought the Kid was okay with it by now, but the look on his face was telling him otherwise. He looked like he was going to be physically ill.
"You know, if it's too hard on you, I can ask one of the other guys." Jimmy suggested.
"No, really, I'm fine. I'm glad Lou's finally happy. And like I told you in the beginning I wouldn't trust her with anyone else." Kid admitted.
"You know there is a girl out there somewhere that's right for you. You just haven't found each other yet." Jimmy's advice sounded familiar to Kid. It was almost word for word what Teaspoon had told him not long after Jimmy began courting Lou.
"Yeah, I know."
"Hey, why don't we go back over to the doc's to check on Mr. and Mrs. Cody?" Jimmy laughed.
Kid smiled and they both headed out the door.
Cody was asleep when they came back and Lou was almost asleep sitting next to him on the bed. Jimmy whispered something in her ear and gently picked her up, carrying her back to the hotel. Kid followed them out, closing the door behind him. They reached their rooms and Jimmy told Kid goodnight over the top of Lou's head. Kid stood in the hallway and watched Jimmy take Lou into their room and close the door with his foot. Sighing, Kid walked into his empty room and laid down on his empty bed, alone.
It was two days later that the doctor pronounced Cody fit for travel back to Sweetwater. His wound was healing nicely, but he would still need to see the doctor in Sweetwater to remove the stitches.
Jimmy produced another flower from behind his back the morning they left, one he had swiped from the schoolhouse again. "Sweet William for a sweet Lou." He said as he kissed her cheek.
"From sweet Jimmy." Lou added and beamed at him. "How do you know the names of all these flowers?" She couldn't help but ask.
"I've made it my job to know these kinds of things."
"You never cease to amaze me, Jimmy Hickok." She said still smiling.
"Good. Gotta keep you on your toes. Never know what I might do next." He bent down and sweeping her up in his arms, carried her down the hotel stairs and out to the waiting buckboard.
"I can walk you know?" She weakly protested, secretly hoping he wouldn't put her down.
"Humor me, my love." And he kissed her lightly on the forehead. She snuggled deeper into his arms and Jimmy grinned. Yep, life was good.
He settled Lou in the back of the wagon and Cody decided sit in the back with her to keep her company. The doctor advised him not to ride because he could risk reopening his wound. Jimmy had his horse tied to the back of the buckboard since he was driving, but Kid had insisted on riding his horse, keeping himself separate from the others.
Cody opened their book to the last chapter and began reading, somehow needing to finish 'Gulliver's Travels' before their own travels were over. He knew they'd never be all together like this again and wanted to enjoy it while he could.
It didn't take long before the book was finished. Lou and Cody both were a little sad the story was over. Almost as if a part of their life together was now over as well.
But not being one to be down-in-the-mouth for too long, Cody started singing to cheer Lou up. He started with 'Oh, Susannah' and Lou joined along. When the song was over, Kid rode up to them. "Lou, you can sing!" Not able to hide his astonishment from his voice.
"Yeah. I used to sing Teresa to sleep all the time." She stated. 'There's lots of things I can do, Kid, you just never bothered to find out what they were.' She thought.
Cody quickly started a rendition of 'Home Sweet Home' and they all realized how eager they were to get home. Lou then sung a lullaby she had sung to Teresa when she was little. Not to be outdone, Jimmy sang a fitting verse from 'Wait for the Wagon':
Your lips are red as poppies,
Your hair so slick and neat,
All braided up with dahlias,
And hollyhocks so sweet.
It's ev'ry Sunday morning,
When I am by your side,
We'll jump into the wagon,
And all take a ride.
"Well I'll be…Jimmy can sing." Cody stated the obvious.
"Never had a need to, before now." Jimmy sneaked a glance at Lou and winked, grinning broadly.
Kid sang Aura Lee looking at Lou all the while.
Cody couldn't believe Kid had just done that. Lou just ignored him. As for Jimmy, well no one knew what he was thinking.
So Cody started up "Old Dan Tucker".
Jimmy then serenaded Lou with 'I Dream of Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair', but replaced Jeanie with Louise. Cody joined in, too. And finally Kid gave in and sang it. Lou was blushing by the end of the song. That's how they rode into the last relay station before Sweetwater.
They switched off the horses, glad to get their own back, and were soon on their way.
Breaking the silence Lou quietly sang 'In the Sweet By and By'. When she was done, she noticed Cody silently watching her.
"What?" She asked defensively.
"That's a church song." Cody said.
"I was raised by nuns for awhile, remember?"
"Okay. Then how about this one?" Cody whispered a song title in her ear.
"Oh, that's an easy one. And one of my favorite's, too."
So the pair sat in the back of the wagon singing 'Amazing Grace'. Lou had tears in her eyes when they finished.
They could just make out the Sweetwater waystation in the distance when Cody started singing 'Yankee Doodle'. Soon all four of them were singing, happy that they were finally home.
Rachel stood on the porch and yelled "Riders comin'."
Teaspoon soon came out and scratched his head. He looked at Rachel and asked, "Are they singing?"
"I think that's what they're doing."
"Musta found Cody, one of those voices sounds like a cat drownin'." Teaspoon remarked dryly.
Rachel slugged him playfully on the arm. "Be nice, ol' man."
Emma and the rest of the riders came out into the yard to meet their family.
Teaspoon was the first to speak up. "Nice to see ya'll made it back safe and sound. What on earth are you doing with a wagon?"
Jimmy, Lou, Cody and Kid all said, "It's a long story."
Jimmy hopped down from the buckboard and suggested they all go inside to hear the tale. Cody groaned in pain when he tried to get down and Jimmy gave him a hand. Lou was ready to hop off when Jimmy grabbed her and carried her inside.
"Jimmy are you going to carry me everywhere? The doc said it's okay for me to walk." She protested.
"Are you complaining, Lou?" Then he whispered in her ear, "I thought you liked it when I have my hands all over you."
She blushed and hid her face in Jimmy's chest. He entered the bunkhouse behind the others and laid Lou on his bunk. "Why don't you take my bunk, Lou. Can't have you climbing up top anymore, might get hurt."
"Thank you, Jimmy." She caressed his cheek and kissed him.
Teaspoon loudly cleared his throat, Noah and Buck elbowed each other, grinning.
Kid thought he was going to be sick. 'She'd have fought me tooth and nail if I'd have done that. Look what she did when I moved her things into Rachel's' He thought to himself. It was then that he realized she really loved Jimmy. He didn't know why it had taken him so long to see it. Yeah, they were getting married in a few days, but somehow Kid never let himself believe it was really and truly over between him and Lou. He quickly excused himself, mumbling something about taking care of the horses.
Teaspoon eyed Kid suspiciously, but said nothing. Cody noticed his hasty exit, too. Remembering the talk he had with Kid when he first woke up back in Willow Springs, he knew exactly what was bothering him. Cody vowed to talk to Teaspoon about the Kid to get his opinion on the matter.
Almost an hour later, Lou, Cody and Jimmy had finally finished the story of their adventure. Everyone congratulated Lou and Jimmy on their good news. Emma and Rachel each gave Lou a hug. The two women also had to check on Cody's wound as soon as they heard he had been shot.
Noah arched an eyebrow at Cody and couldn't help teasing, "Mr. and Mrs. Cody, huh?"
"I don't think we're ever gonna live that one down, Mr. Cody." Lou quipped.
"I do believe your right, Mrs. Cody." Cody replied back.
"Jimmy, you're alright with this?" Noah asked, pointing to Lou and Cody.
"As long as she answers to Mrs. Hickok after Saturday, why not?"
"Love sure does mysterious things." Noah said, amazed that Jimmy didn't seem the least bit bothered by Lou and Cody being 'married'. He'd seen a lot of changes in his friend in the past months since Jimmy and Lou had gotten together and he was glad for him. It was nice he wasn't as hot-headed as he used to be. Of course it made it all that much harder for Noah to get a rise out of him when things at the waystation got boring. Ah, well, there would always be Cody to tease. He was such an easy target.
Cody asked, "Is Ike out on a run?"
Teaspoon simply said, "No."
Buck spoke up. "He got married."
"Married?!" Lou and Cody said at the same time.
Buck explained about Ike and Emily and the circumstances of their hasty marriage. Lou heard the loneliness in Buck's voice and could tell he was missing having his best friend around. "So they're living out at the farm Emily's dad bought. Ike's still working for the Express, he just comes by when it's time for his run."
"Jimmy why didn't you tell us Ike got married?" Lou asked.
"Well I kind of forgot with all the excitement you and Cody caused."
"I really like Emily. Rachel, do you think it'd be okay if I went over and visited with her?" Lou inquired.
"I don't see why not. I'll go tell the Kid to hitch up the buckboard and we can go see her."
"Lou, honey, don't you think you need to get some rest for the baby?" Jimmy pleaded with her.
"Jimmy Hickok, you're starting to turn into an old mother hen! I rested the whole way back from Willow Springs in the back of that buckboard and if I want to go see Emily, I'll go see her. I'm pregnant, Jimmy, not an invalid!" Lou was really getting mad, but when she saw the wounded look on Jimmy's face she added, "I promise I'll be careful and I'll come back as soon as I start getting tired. Okay?"
"I'm just concerned, Lou, that's all. I don't want anything to happen to you." Jimmy confessed.
"Well, I feel like getting some shut-eye, even if you don't, Lou." Cody chimed in.
"Glad to see you're back to your old self, Mr. Cody." She teased
him.