Epilogue

Kid sat in his favorite chair before the fire holding his new son. They had named him Buck after their Kiowa brother, for his help in bringing Lou back home to Kid and their children. Buck was touched by their gesture. Lou sat beside Kid, her eyes glowing with love as she took in the scene before her.

Across from them, on the settee, Buck sat holding his new son, Soaring Wren. When the Crosses had shown up at the K&L for a visit two weeks earlier, Kid and Lou were surprised to see that Cherokee was as heavily pregnant as Lou.

Buck had explained to them that Cherokee had shared the news of her own pregnancy when they were headed home seven months earlier.

Less than eight hours after Lou had given birth to Little Buck, Cherokee had gone into labor. Six hours after that, Cherokee had gifted her husband with Soaring Wren, making the two infants only one day apart in age.

"We're lucky men Buck." Kid commented as he gazed down at his son's sleeping face.

"Yes we are." Buck agreed, as taken with his new son, as Kid was with his.

"We're all lucky." Lou said. " We faced down another threat against our family and permanently ended it. Our family is intact and everyone is healthy and happy. Nothing else matters."

The End.