"You should be flattered, I guess," he said with a grin. "Not every southerner takes to people the same way Arabella does."
"Flattered maybe? More disappointed I guess. That you hold it against Yankees...for a war you folk started and lost," Caroline shrugged, "But I don't wanna argue with you. We're supposed to be enjoying this day."
She also made it a point to stress to the young man she was not going to be the sort of gal who simply hopped into bed with him because he made nice with her. Or, god forbid, offered her money. In fact if he knew what was good for him, he wouldn't try that especially. She made her views crystal clear.
He looked away quickly. "Oh, I didn't reckon you did," he said hastily.
"Good!"
He cleared his throat and looked back at her. "You like horses?"
"Well, I never met any personally but yeah from a distance I think they're magnificent animals. But I'm a city girl, I never rode one in my life. Hell, I never even sat on one. Just stagecoaches and buggies," she answered him honestly.
"Bet you like 'em, bein' a cowpoke n'all," she smiled up at him.
Brendan rolled his eyes at Caroline's statement about the war, but decided that if she could let it go, he should, too. She was right. They were here to enjoy themselves. And maybe she was right about him and other southerners holding grudges, but he wasn't going to admit that to her.
"Yeah, I like horses." Brendan grinned at this understatement and then had an idea. He'd intended his question to be merely conversational, but maybe he could turn it into something more than that. Caroline's statement that she had never ridden a horse was the perfect opportunity to test just how far he could go with her.
"Would you, uh, would you want to ride one now? Mine's trained real good and won't buck or nothin'." He gestured back to where they had started walking, where his horse waited placidly at the hitching post. They were a good ways off from his horse now, and had in fact almost walked the length of main street. "I'll walk alongside and hold the reins so's he can't run off with you."
"Yeah, I like horses."
"Well, I'm shocked to hear it," Caroline grinned.
He apparently brought up that subject because he had a plan too.
"Would you, uh, would you want to ride one now? Mine's trained real good and won't buck or nothin'."
"Now?" she blinked.
He gestured back to where they had started walking, where his horse waited placidly at the hitching post, "I'll walk alongside and hold the reins so's he can't run off with you."
"Oh no thank ya, Brendan. Not that it isn't a nice enough offer but I'm wearin' one of my best dresses and I ain't about to risk gettin' dirty ridin' or even worse maybe fallin' off your horse. I also just painted my nails too," she then raised one hand in front of his face showing the brightly decorated fingernails she was obviously proud of.
Just then two middle aged women walked by them going the other direction, they were of course properly clad in long dresses down to their shoes, no low neckline such as Caroline's, and certainly no make up or painted nails. Their heads were covered too with the expected bonnets.
"Trash!" one of them muttered but she definitely made it loud enough for her target to hear.
Caroline turned her head and sneered, "Fuck you!"
The ladies went wide-eyed in horror and hurried past, whispering to each other. Caroline re-focused on Brendan then, "It's always the same any town I go to, I get used to it."The last part was a lie, she never got used to it. She just never let anyone see that it had any effect.
"My horse ain't dirty!" Brendan protested. "And my saddle ain't neither!" His protests were stopped by the sight of Caroline's nails. "Well, those are some fine-lookin' nails, I s'pose."
He was trying to come up with a counter-argument as two well-dressed women walked by and insulted Caroline. She responded with a quick and cutting retort that shocked the ladies. Brendan was slightly surprised, too, not at the particular wording, but at Caroline's readiness to curse at the women out in public.
He let out a whistle and put his hands on his hips, impressed by her spunk, flashing her a grin. "They sure looked right horrified, didn't they? Surprised they even knew that word." It seemed she was used to being treated that way, however, which might explain her ready reply to the women.
He thought for a moment, then pushed his hat back on his forehead and looked at Caroline again. "Bein' on a horse makes you above everybody else. What say we get you up on my horse so them ladies and everyone in town can see how pretty you look in this dress?"
She didn't say his horse or his saddle was dirty...though in all honesty she doubted they were recently washed clean either. Folks didn't do either of those things, leastwise that she knew of. He missed the crucial part of her refusal though it seemed. Least he recognized her fingernails point.
"If I fall off the horse and land on the street, you sayin' the street ain't dirty either? This here is a nice dress I'm wearing I will have you know," Caroline retorted good naturedly.
That was followed by a short and sweet but decidedly unpleasant encounter with two local ladies. Caroline didn't take any prisoners in her snapbacks.
He let out a whistle and put his hands on his hips, impressed by her spunk, flashing her a grin. "They sure looked right horrified, didn't they? Surprised they even knew that word."
"They're lucky I don't have a few drinks in me, I woulda decked the one right onta the boardwalk," Caroline declared. It was hard to tell if that was just talk or an actual possibility.
"Leastwise you ain't shocked," she chuckled.
The handsome cowpoke pushed his hat back on his forehead and looked at Caroline again. "Bein' on a horse makes you above everybody else. What say we get you up on my horse so them ladies and everyone in town can see how pretty you look in this dress?"
"Oh nice try but nope, already gave ya my answer. Besides, I'd be up there grippin' those reins and looking all nervous and that's not the image I wanna give folks," she didn't budge.
Or just maybe she did?
"Maybe another time. I will make a point of wearing my oldest dress where it wouldn't matter if it got dirty or torn or whatever," she offered.
Brendan didn't have to glance at the street to know it was dirty. Hell, it was made of dirt. Caroline did have a point. "It sure is a nice dress, and it sure does look nice on you." He flashed her a smile, determined not to be disappointed by her refusal.
"They're lucky I don't have a few drinks in me, I woulda decked the one right onta the boardwalk."
He hid a grin. "Sure you would." His tone was just as ambiguous as hers. He wasn't sure that she would actually take a swing at her assailants, but he wasn't going to tell her that.
"All right, all right, I give up," he chuckled. But what was this? She might try another time? "Does that mean you want me to come back and escort you again? 'Cause I'd sure like to."
He agreed it was a nice dress and complimented her for which she nodded and smiled. She loved compliments about her wardrobe. That moment was interrupted though by a sour one as the two women and her had a verbal run in. Caroline assured him had she some liquid fortification she would have punched them out. He didn't sound like he believed her though. Then he'd never seen her in action. Over the years she had had plenty of run ins.
"All right, all right, I give up," he chuckled, "Does that mean you want me to come back and escort you again? 'Cause I'd sure like to."
"Yeah, well I don't figure you can miss work every day but on occasion if you are in town, you are more than welcome to accompany me on my stroll. Yer right pleasant company," she nodded.
"But if you come in some Sunday, we ain't open. I could dress down from this sort of outfit to something more everyday and shabby and then I'd be willin' to sit on your horse or go for a ride or something like that," she offered.
Caroline was right; Brendan couldn't get away from work every single day to come escort her on her walk. But he could on Sundays, maybe. Certainly not every Sunday or the other hands would think he'd got religion or something like that. But every once in a while, sure.
He nodded. "I'd like that. Sundays might be easier for me to get away. Well...until then, Miss Mundee." He swung himself up on his horse and looked down at her for a second before raising one finger up to the brim of his hat as though he was going to tip it. The thought crossed his mind that he should have kissed her hand or something like that, but he didn't.
He wheeled his horse around, flashed Caroline one last smile, and headed back for Evergreen.