Lou turned away from Jimmy as her cheeks colored again... 'How stupid can I be!' She hobbled into the bunkhouse wishing she could disappear instead. She pulled out two chairs at the table, nearly fallin' into one. She propped up her ankle and was relieved to see that it wasn't swelling. 'That's somethin' at least. I acted like such a...'

The door opened and Jimmy walked in. He was dryin' his hair with a towel... his shirt tied around his waist and the top button of his pants still undone. Lou kept her head down tryin' not to look at him.
"What's the matter Lou?"

"Nothin'-"

"Nothing? You just disappeared... I was worried."
He tossed his towel onto his bunk and looked down at her.

Lou continued to stare at her ankle and poke at the tender skin. He still undone. Lou kept her head down tryin' not to look at him. Lou continued to stare at her ankle and poke at the tender skin. He walked closer and Lou cringed, too close... he was way too close for her comfort, "I tripped... hurt my ankle."

"Why don't you sit on Cody's bunk and I'll take a look at it."

Lou scooted back on Cody's bunk, keepin' her eyes on the floor. She could hear the scraping on the floor as Jimmy pulled a chair over.

Jimmy laughed, "Well - put your foot up here."

She hesitated and Jimmy picked her leg up and set her ankle on the chair between his legs. As he took her foot in his hands Louise grabbed onto the sheets next to her body. Jimmy looked up as her nervous laughter caught his attention. "Leave it to you to be ticklish Lou."

Lou wanted to tell him it had nothing to do with being ticklish.

Any lingering pain she felt disappeared as his thumb touched the in-step of her foot. Slowly his right hand moved over her ankle, moving across each inch of skin in careful examination. Louise looked over at the wall, afraid to watch what he was doin'. Turnin' her leg a bit to the side, his fingertips danced along the length of her foot, gentle pressure sending waves of relief and sensation through her. Her shoulders sagged and she leaned back against the pillow.

He watched her face carefully. Each time he touched a different part of her ankle or foot her expression would change. Now, as he trailed his fingers down the tops of her toes she almost laughed.

"What's so funny Lou?" a half smile of his own flared in reaction to her.

"Mmm..." Lou's lips parted slightly as his thumb rubbed against the arch of her foot, "It feeeeels so good."

His breathing changed at the sound of her voice, warm and languid in tone and feeling. It flowed over him, drawing him into her world. "You like that, huh?"

Lou's eyes slid shut and she nodded. His left hand never left her foot, instead carryin' on the blissful torture he had begun. His right hand pulled the cuff of her pant leg up to her knee and then moved back to her ankle.

Two fingers circled her ankle with room to spare and continued to slide along her calf, her soft skin driving him to distraction. He felt her muscles tense under his touch as his fingers rubbed across the back of her leg. Jimmy leaned forward, watchin' her face, seein' pleasure fall across her sweet features.

He was playin' a dangerous game - they both knew it - but neither cared. Jimmy leaned closer and felt her toes brush against his stomach. For a moment he was lost in the intimate touch.

Her eyes flew open and stared into his, "What are we doin' Jimmy?"

His infectious grin caught her up in its magic,"Doin'? Nothin'...yet." Eyes, darker in the dim light of the bunkhouse, held a promise that made her breath stop in her throat. His right hand cupped the back of her knee and he moved closer, leaning over her legs.

"Hey y'all!" Cody stopped dead in his tracks as the two riders froze in their places. "Whoo wee! What do we have here?" Lou pulled her foot out of Jimmy's hand and sat up on the bunk, bumping her head on one of the posts. Cody stared at one and then the other, "Hot damn Hickok - looks like I interrupted you two-"

"It ain't none of your business Cody, drop it."
Jimmy looked over at Lou - she looked like a cornered rabbit, tryin' to squeeze through the wall behind her. He wanted nothing more than to shield her from the embarassment he knew was heavy on her mind.

Cody pulled a chair around and straddled it, resting his elbows on the back. "I'm only havin' a bit of fun, looks like Lou was havin' fun too-" He continued to chuckle as Lou scooted off the bunk and padded ouside in her bare feet.

Grabbin' Cody by his shirt collar Jimmy hauled him up to face him. "Can't you take a hint!? I said drop it!"

Immediately contrite, Cody tried to save himself a world of hurt, "Sorry Hickok, no harm intended... it'sjust that you and Louise-" Silenced by a look, Cody shrugged his shoulders.

Jimmy dropped him back into the chair and started out after Louise.