Jimmy Hickok: Angel of Sweetwater

Dinner Time

They had been the firsts to walk into the cabin that they ate their meals in and Jimmy had a strong hold on her waist. Guiding her slightly shaking body without hesitance. Her adrenaline was running out and her tiredness was beginning to show again.

   "You alright, Bailey?" Emma voiced her concerns, going to meet them at the entry door.

"Yes, just been a long time since I slept that good and met such nice people." She lied easily, a flawless smile slipping onto her face.

"Dinners almost done, Jimmy will you round up the boys?" He took a worried glance at Bailey, before meeting her eyes and agreeing to these terms.

She walked over to Emma, her back hurting only slightly. "You need me to do anything, Miss?" She asked, her voice not near as rough as it was hours ago.

"I don't think so, but do me a favor, Bailey, and just call me Emma."

Bailey smiled. "I can do that.", she said before sliding delicately into a seat at the table, just as the other boys stampeded in.

After a few awkward seconds, the food was all served and Teaspoon began the conversations. "Lou, what was your run like today? Was the stream up above the gulley?"

Lou cleared her throat before responding, "No, it wasn't. I got through alright."

Teaspoon mumbled a, 'that's good', before digging back into his food.

Bailey shifted in her seat a little, her back painfully tightening every other minute. Her hand shook as she ate her food, slowly and carefully. Jimmy noticed these small things that worried her and slid a hand under the table, seeing as he was sitting beside her, and gently rested his hand on her fingers that were resting on her knee.

The other riders visibly noticed her relax a strenuous amount silently but no one dared voice their questions, except for one rider.

Cody glanced between the girl and Hickok, trying to debate on how they ever even came together. Finally, he couldn't help himself. "So Bailey," she instantly froze the spoon going to her mouth not moving. She instantly closed her mouth and put the spoon down, knowing she would have to talk. "How long you known Hickok?"

"Long time." She said softly. "A real long time."

"Where'd you meet him?" Kid asked, gaining courage. Jimmy was slowly turning a slight pink.

"In a barn. He came to borrow a horse, because some bullies were after him and-"

"Bullies? How old was he?"

"Oh I don't know, what we're you Jimmy, 7?" He nodded his head to confirm.

"I was seven you were five. I still don't know how you remember this so well." He said shaking his head with a small smile.

"Anyway, he borrowed my horse Bobby, took off and left me in the dust. Real gentleman right there." She laughed slightly, along with some of the riders. "He eventually came back, two days later, my horse and him dog tired and hungry as could be. Papa was out of town so I brought him into the house, gave him some food and he just never stopped coming around."

"Awe he's just an old romantic, aint he?" Emma gushed, to which Jimmy growled slightly at. "I aint!" He called and mumbled softly, "she had real good food."

The riders cracked up at that remark and Bailey rolled her eyes. "I was five!"

He shrugged, before Lou asked a question. "So how'd y'all get separated anyway?"

"Long story short, Papa wasn't too keen on Jimmy and I loved him, so he thought to get rid of him." Jimmy continued after she had faded out.

"And he would've killed me too, if that bullet had cut an inch closer. That's when you, as I remember, screamed like a banshee and rammed him into the wall." He chuckled under his breath.