JACK FELL DOWN

by Sidney McCabe

© 2000

Standard disclaimer

The girls in the corner huddled together and giggled. They pointed at the tall, lanky young man standing at the ticket counter, dressed head to toe in dusty leather and denim, his wide-brimmed hat pushed to the back of his head. From behind the counter, the station master's wife noted their interest and clucked her tongue disapprovingly. He was handsome, but far too old for them, and Elsa certainly didn't know what this world was coming to with girls making eyes at young men.
"Thank you very much for your help, ma'am."
Elsa smiled at him. He had a grin like her boy Henry: wide and sweet.
"That's quite all right, dear. Are you here for business or pleasure?"
The Kid slung his satchel over his shoulder. "Pleasure mostly, ma'am, and a little bit of business, I guess."
"Well, you enjoy this fine city of ours while you're here."
"Will do." He tipped his hat and walked past the giggling girls, winking saucily at them as he went.

When he walked out onto the porch, he stopped in his tracks. The height of the buildings -- the noises -- the crowds of people -- the smell of food from the street vendors. It was like nothing he'd ever imagined, and suddenly he felt helpless. How the hell was he supposed to find Lou and Jimmy in a city like this? It sure wasn't the type of place where you could walk into the local saloon or dry goods store and ask if anyone had seen any strangers passing through. Obviously he should have thought this through a
little better before taking it upon himself to hop on the first coach out of Sweetwater.

Hotels. He would start with the hotels around the train station. It couldn't hurt and it just might help. But first he had to find himself a horse. Kid's eyes narrowed as he watched passersby. None of them were riding. Some were being toted along in carriages, but most walked. The only riders he saw were men in blue uniforms with sticks in their belt loops. This just wasn't turning out the way he'd planned. He'd imagined riding into town, asking the first person he met if they'd seen a small woman and a tall man ride in together, and then charging up in time to sweep Lou into his arms and whisk her away to dinner in a nice restaurant.

It didn't look as if it would be shaping up that way. To make matters more difficult, Manhattan seemed to have a hotel on every street corner. He narrowed it down by keeping away from the fancier ones. Each time he asked for reservations under McCloud or Hickok. Each hotel checked dutifully, but no one was able to help him. By dusk he had grown desperate. He had stopped only once, to eat an overpriced sandwich around lunchtime, and he was nearly dead on his feet.

'If there's a God,' he thought, as he dragged his feet up the steps of the Blenheim Hotel on 12th Street, 'this will be the place.' But the hotel had no rooms under the names McCloud or Hickok. The man looked sympathetically at the Kid. "Sir, would you care to sit down for a moment and rest?"
'Sir'. That took him by surprise. But he thanked the man and sank down into an overstuffed chair that was positioned by the large picture window at the front of the hotel. As he did, he couldn't help feeling he had made a mistake: the chair was so soft and comfortable, and he was so tired and achy, that he could easily fall asleep right there, right then. If he could just close his eyes...just for a minute...
"Kid? Kid, wake up."
"In a minute, Rachel...I'm just 'bout to get up..."
Laughter. Kid popped one eye open and found himself staring straight into the warmest, most adoring, most familiar brown eyes in the world. He sat bolt upright in the chair. "Lou?"
Lou cracked a broad grin. "What in the sam hill are you doin' here, Kid? Not that I care. C'mere, you big lug." She threw her arms about his neck and kissed him delightedly on the cheek.
In response Kid stood up and gathered her into his arms. "Boy, am I glad to see you. I've been lookin' all over this infernal city, and I am dog-tired."
"Oh, Kid, I'm so glad you're here! Come on, I'll take you up to our room."
"Wait, wait, wait -- *our* room?" Kid looked at her skeptically. If she and Jimmy were playing husband and wife...
Lou rolled her eyes. "Yes, *ours*," she answered. "Mine and Jack's."
"You mean you found her?" He was pleased.
"Yes, just a couple of days ago." Lou took Kid by the hand and led him up the stairs, to the room on the third floor she shared with Jack. As they walked she told him the story briefly, promising him a more detailed explanation after he'd had a bit of rest. "I just don't know if those two will ever get sorted out," she was telling him as they walked down the hallway.

"Give 'em time, Lou."
"How *much* time, that's what I wanna know, Kid. They ain't got much more left to --"
Lou had opened the door, and the sight they beheld made them both stop short, their mouths falling open. Jimmy and Jack were sitting together in the windowseat. Jack was perched on Jimmy's lap, their legs were criss-crossed, their foreheads touching, as Jack ran her fingers over the collar of Jimmy's shirt, and Jimmy held her tightly within his arms. They were murmuring softly to each other, gentle smiles on their faces. When Lou
and Kid entered, they both looked up, startled.
"Oh, my Lord," whispered Lou.
"Kid?" Jack's smile was radiant. She left Jimmy and went to Kid, hugging him. "What on earth are you doing here? It's so good to see you!"
"Yeah...you, too, Jack." Kid squeezed her close, staring at Lou, puzzled. Jimmy was grinning at him sheepishly.

When Jack had released Kid, she regarded them all with bright eyes. "Did you have a lovely time, Lou? Did you enjoy the city?"
"Um, yeah, I sure did, Jack."
An awkward silence followed; awkward, at least, on Kid and Lou's part.
Jimmy and Jack seemed only too at ease. "Shall we have dinner?" ventured Jack. "We've got all night and nearly all of tomorrow. Let's make a night of it."
"You said your boat left first thing in the mornin'," Jimmy accused teasingly.
"Did I?" Jack turned to him with a laugh. "Oh, yes, well, I was just trying to be rid of you."
This was all too sudden for Lou to cope with. Her head was spinning at the abrupt change in circumstances. She sat down on the bed and stared at Kid, shaking her head.
"We'll leave you ladies to get ready for dinner." Jimmy went to the door and motioned for Kid to follow him. When they had gone, Lou and Jack stared at each other. "This is quite a change from when I left this mornin'," Lou said needlessly. Jack crossed the room and dropped to her knees before Lou, beaming up into her friend's face. "It's been the loveliest afternoon of my life, Lou. After you left, Jimmy came, and we argued, and then we sort of *stopped* arguing, and suddenly...suddenly it was *so* lovely."
Lou seized her friend's hand in hers and said, "If you're happy, I'm happy, too. This is exactly what I wished for you and Jimmy, and I knew that if you would just give yourselves the chance it would all work out all right."
"You were absolutely right, Lou. How can I ever thank you?"
"Stay, Jack. Come back to Sweetwater with us, give yourself the chance you and Jimmy deserve. Don't go to England."
Jack pulled away. "I can't. Please don't ask me to, Lou. I *have* to go back."
"I don't understand. Now that you and Jimmy have reached an understandin' --"
"Lou, I have to go back. If nothing else, I have to make it up to my mum and dad. I love Jimmy. I love all of you. But I owe this to them."
"How will you two manage? Jack, it'll be months and months before you see him again."
"I know. But I have to go back. If Jimmy's feelings were to change, it would kill me, Lou, but who's to say they couldn't change if I were right here by his side?"
"You know they wouldn't."
"I'm not the first woman he's loved," Jack replied lightly.
Lou did not miss her meaning. She put her hand on Jack's shoulder. "You're the only woman he's loved this much."
Jack winced, blinking back tears. "God, being grown up is a right pain, isn't it? What I wouldn't give for a little adventure right about now. Tracking down thieves is far more appealing than feeling the way I do right now."
"You think that now," teased Lou, "but what were you thinkin' when Jimmy planted a big ol' kiss on you?"
Jack burst out laughing. "I was thinking a bit differently, I admit!"
When they had sobered, Lou said, "I just worry, Jack. Say you're gone a year. So many things will happen in a year. You know there's talk of war by summertime. Kid and I will be married. The Express is sure to be shut down. Maybe you'll never come back."
Jack had no answer for that. She knew she could make no guarantees.

Chapter 1 ¤ Chapter 2 ¤ Chapter 3 ¤ Chapter 4 ¤ Chapter 5 ¤ Chapter 6 ¤ Chapter 7 ¤ Chapter 8 ¤ Chapter 9 ¤ Chapter 10 ¤ Chapter 11 ¤ Chapter 12 ¤ Chapter 13 ¤ Chapter 14 ¤ Chapter 15 ¤ Chapter 16 ¤ Chapter 17 ¤ Chapter 18 ¤ Chapter 19 ¤ Chapter 20 ¤ Chapter 21 ¤ Epilogue ¤

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