Brendan shrugged, his eyes twinkling a little. "I notice you didn't say no."
Caroline gave him that look but...
Before she could go on and actually say no, he exhaled loudly. "You want some coffee or somethin'? We could head to the diner, get out of the cold?"
"Yeah we could. Just to get out of the cold," she nodded then added, "And since you got an income now, I take it yer gonna pay for it?"
It was more a tease than anything. They turned about then and walked a bit more briskly until they got to the Lick Skillet. She paused, letting him open the door as a gentleman was supposed to though the argument could certainly be made she was not that much of a lady, least according to a sizeable percentage of the townsfolk.
"I heard Mrs. Lutz had her baby. A little girl," Caroline informed him. That was one thing she would never be able to have, a baby. It shouldn't have bothered her since she'd always said she was never going to get married but still, perhaps that was one big reason for her feeling that way. Well, that and her career. She could hardly sing and dance every night on stage while pregnant. Her boss, Fortner, would probably fire her.
Brendan felt in his pockets to make sure he actually had money with him, then grinned. "'Course I'll pay. It would be ungentlemanly of me not to." He was still a little rough around the edges, but he was doing much better at becoming a respectable citizen. He even noticed Caroline hanging back a little, then remembered to open the door for her.
They found an empty table and Brendan was just about to sit down when he realized that he had almost missed another opportunity to be a gentleman. He cleared his throat and pulled out a chair for Caroline, motioning to it with a flourish. After she had seated herself, he slid into a chair across from her and put his hat on the table.
"Who?" Brendan frowned for a minute until he realized who Caroline was talking about. "Ohhhh, Clara. Yeah, I guess she did have a baby." How come Clara could get a happy ending? "Anyway, what do you want? I'm gettin' coffee."
Brendan asserted he would pay for the coffee, nice to hear, not that Caroline couldn't afford it but it showed he was working on being that gentleman Caroline always knew he could be. He also opened the door to the diner and allowed her in first and then seated her too!
"I'm impressed," she smiled up to him as she sat.
They took a table in the far corner and, as was usual, Caroline noticed but completely ignored a few shocked glares from a couple of citizens seated at a table they passed by. She was so used to it. The woman leaned in to whisper something to her husband. As for Caroline she simply mentioned the young lady who ran the place, Mrs. Lutz, had given birth to a baby. The town of Kalispell was one bigger.
"Who?" Brendan frowned for a minute until he realized who Caroline was talking about. "Ohhhh, Clara. Yeah, I guess she did have a baby. Anyway, what do you want? I'm gettin' coffee."
"Yes, Clara. You should know who that is. I come here all the time to buy some bakery or donut to take back to the saloon. She's younger than us and she already has a kid now. Wish her luck."
She now leaned into Brendan to whisper, "Normally I don't eat here though as it spoils some folk's appetites" But she then smiled like she was perfectly fine with that outcome.
"As far as what I'll have though..........." she looked up at the chalkboard menu on the wall. "I think I'll have me the most expensive thing they got here, since I ain't payin'." She gave a devilish look toward Brendan.
Brendan didn't notice the stares and glares Caroline was getting, and if he had, he'd have assumed they were directed at him. He was more focused on what to order. He had a moment of internal panic, but decided to play along with Caroline's game, because she probably was just teasing. But even if she wasn't, he had the money to spend this once, seeing as there was nothing else for him to spend it on anymore.
He leaned closer, mimicking her body language. "Most expensive, huh? How 'bout a steak, then? Or a sirloin?" He knew from the butcher shop which cuts of meat were most expensive, and beef was always up there at the top.
"Or, if you want to be all fancy-like, you could see if they have hot chocolate." The dark drink was supposed to be real good, but it was a luxury most cowhands couldn't afford. If Caroline ordered some, he'd probably mooch from her cup so he could finally taste some.
Brendan leaned closer, mimicking her body language. "Most expensive, huh? How 'bout a steak, then? Or a sirloin?"
"Oh that's right, yer a meat expert now. I hope yer liking your job? You got a good boss?" Caroline wondered aloud.
She also was studying the chalkboard menu. They had a few good choices.
"Or, if you want to be all fancy-like, you could see if they have hot chocolate," he also suggested.
"Nah, think that'd be the hotel restaurant that would have that," she dismissed his thought on that topic real quick.
Just then Clara had emerged out from the kitchen and headed on over to their table once she spotted them. Clara and Caroline had a decent rapport despite Clara's disdain for the sort of women who hung out in saloons and whorehouses. But Caroline was a regular customer to buy bakery, mostly pies and seemed nice enough...for that sort. Caroline liked the girl simply because she was always polite in their conversations which were always without incident. Or unkind remarks.
"Good day to you both!" Clara by now had perfected her customer service smile, fake but not so noticeably fake, "You ready to order?"
"Hi there, Mrs. Lutz, congratulations on that baby of yers, heard it's a fine girl," Caroline beamed up at her.
"Oh thank you, she is. My husband and I are so happy about now," Clara was surprised the saloon girl even knew of that blessed event but pleasantly surprised.
"I am ready, not sure about this fella though. He's not the best at making up his mind sometimes," Caroline zinged Brendan teasingly.
Clara knew Brendan of course, they did not have a good relationship at all. Not since he had not cared a whit that his fellow Evergreen thugs had sniped at her while he engaged in idle conversation. She did know though he was no longer working at Evergreen but had taken a job at the butcher shop. She went there regularly to purchase meat for the diner. She always talked only business though and remained cold to him for each transaction. Wisely he had never tried to engage her in any social exchange.
Now though Clara said dryly, "Yes, I know all about this .........man."
"Yeah, Mr. Kaufman's a good boss. Strict, but fair." Brendan stretched his legs out underneath the table and sat back in his chair. Fairness was about the best thing you could look for in an employer, and Brendan had definitely found that in Mr. Kaufman. After the mercurial tempers of everyone at the Evergreen, the butcher shop almost seemed like a vacation. Except he missed getting to ride freely in the wide open spaces of Montana.
Brendan perked up when Clara came over to their table, but his smile quickly faded. There was no call for Clara to be quite so cold. True, they'd gotten off on the wrong foot, and he'd never been able to mend things between them since his attempt to apologize at the spring dance had gone awry, but he'd have thought she'd have gotten over it by now.
He flashed Clara his prize-winning smile, knowing it wouldn't do any good. She'd made up her mind about him long ago, but it never hurt to be polite, even though she'd been cold to him each time she came to the butcher shop. "Congratulations on your baby, Mrs. Lutz." It still felt odd to call her that.
"I'll take a cup of coffee and a doughnut, please. And for Miz Mundee?" Here he looked at Caroline.
Well, there was that handsome smile of his, a look Clara liked when she had once thought he was a decent sort of fellow. That ended when he was right there that awful day when his Evergreen friends tried to kill her. And did nothing about it. She did not return his smile now .
"Congratulations on your baby, Mrs. Lutz," he offered.
"Yes, it was fortunate I survived that day when I was almost murdered whilst talking to you...on my property," Clara pointed out giving him a hard glare, "Otherwise there would be no baby either."
Caroline blinked. What the hell?
"I'll take a cup of coffee and a doughnut, please. And for Miz Mundee?" Here he looked at Caroline.
"Ummm, tell ya what, I'd like a nice big slice a pie," Caroline smiled up at the brunette, "What are the choices?"
"I have apple and also blueberry today," Clara answered.
"Hmmm, I will go with apple then. Oh and a cup of coffee for me too, with milk or cream please?" Caroline decided.
"Yes, I have some cream. Be back very soon with your orders," Clara then headed back to the kitchen.
Caroline waited til the girl was out of earshot to turn and give Brendan a perplexed look.
"OK, what the hell was she goin' on about? I mean....murdered?" she simply could not figure out what that all meant.
Brendan had forgotten how scathing Clara's scorn could be. He exhaled and ran a hand through his hair as Clara retreated to the kitchen. Not retreating. Just pulling back to come up with more ammunition to attack him with, most likely.
Caroline seemed puzzled by the interaction, so Brendan prepared to lay out all the personal drama between him and Clara.
"She's overreactin'...kinda." He rested his forearms on the table and closed his eyes as he tried to remember back. It seemed so long ago now. "This was before you settled here," he started. "I was still workin' on the Evergreen. A new hand, actually. I rode out with Billy and Greer. Don't think you ever met Greer, but Billy was...he was my friend."
His throat tightened up for a minute, and he cleared it so it could keep speaking, avoiding Caroline's eyes. "They said the Redmonds were squatters the Steelgraves let stay on their property, and that the girl was friendly." Here he had to stop and chuckle at the absurdity and stupidity he'd displayed. "So, like the idiot I am, I rode down there and tried to talk to her. Things were goin' fine until someone shot at us. Well, at her."
He paused to glance up at Caroline. "It was just one shot. From a long ways off. Could'a just as easily hit me as her. Once I figured out the truth about everything I went back to where I'd left Billy and Greer. Billy'd meant the whole thing as a joke. Greer was the one who'd shot at her. I didn't like him much after that."
Caroline listened as Brendan explained what all this bitterness was at least on young Mrs. Lutz end. At first he stated it was a misunderstanding but even did not say it with conviction. Kinda? He started in then talking about he used to ride for the Evergreen ranch. Caroline despised that place, well mostly it's brutal owner, Mr. Steelgrave but many of his men were little more than gunmen, thugs. She never took Brendan for either. As for those other names, she had no idea. Like he said, she had not yet arrived in town.
The story grew much grimmer though. Hmmm, no one she had ever talked with or heard talking claimed the Redmond family were squatters. Besides if that came from Steelgrave, she trusted nothing that came out of his lying mouth. Then the core of the issue. One of his friends fired a shot at Clara? Tried to kill her? Who bushwhacks a woman, well more a girl in that case.
"It was just one shot. From a long ways off. Could'a just as easily hit me as her. Once I figured out the truth about everything I went back to where I'd left Billy and Greer. Billy'd meant the whole thing as a joke. Greer was the one who'd shot at her. I didn't like him much after that."
"Just one shot? So that made it alright? Fucking poor idea fer a joke," she frowned.
"Well, good to know you didn't like him much after that," those words dripped with sarcasm.
He seemed to have told her the gist of it so she sighed and sought out his gaze with a serious one of her own.
"Hell, I'm no saint...you know that much already. I've done some things I ain't proud of. So I ain't gonna judge you on this one. But geez, I sure can see why she still is mad at you," she shook her head.
"So did the law ever find out about this and do somethin' about it?" she certainly was curious though not hopeful, Steelgrave always seemed to get away with everything.
Although Brendan had tried to simplify the story to tell it to Caroline, maybe he'd simplified it a little too much. "Oh, come on!" he burst out, unable to take Caroline's sarcasm anymore. "I'm bein' charitable to Greer. He don't deserve it, though. The man almost got me killed that day, and he got himself and two other men killed. He was a good-for-nothin' skunk."
Clara then asked if the law had ever done anything about the incident, and Brendan shifted in his chair. "Well...not officially. It came up one time when Deputy Pike was around, but Clara didn't want to press charges. Could have turned out bad, but it didn't." Brendan pursed his lips. "I did a lot of stupid things," he said after a minute.
All the gloomy thinking he'd been doing had given him lots of time to mull over his past, and even his future, and he could see now everything he'd done clearly, whether it was stupid or not. It was strange being so self aware.
He met Caroline's eyes and mustered a grin. "But bein' friends with you ain't one of 'em."