Apparently her reactions were upsetting him. Troubled conscience maybe?
"Oh, come on!" he burst out, "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."
"Yet you rode with him," Caroline felt compelled to point out. She then asked if the law was ever brought into it all.
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
"Well, I think that pretty generous of her, not sure what I would have done," Caroline stated.
"I did a lot of stupid things," he said after a minute.
"Yeah, you did. But haven't we all sometimes? I know I did some pretty awful stuff too. Worse than you I'm sure," Caroline sighed.
He met Caroline's eyes and mustered a grin. "But bein' friends with you ain't one of 'em."
She grinned right back, "Damn right! I am the highlight of yer sorry life and don't you forget it."
"Well, I think that pretty generous of her, not sure what I would have done," Caroline stated.
Brendan raised an eyebrow. "You would have given me what for and pressed charges." Caroline and Clara were similar in many ways, but once Caroline's temper was raised, it was hard to calm and there was no telling what would happen. Clara, on the other hand, might simmer down pretty quickly, but she never forgot -- as Brendan and Caroline were seeing.
Regardless of Caroline's view on Brendan's past -- which she wasn't afraid to voice -- she was still a good friend. But she had her own past, as well. "I know I did some pretty awful stuff too. Worse than you I'm sure," she sighed.
Brendan shook his head. "Ain't no way you done worse things than me." In the eyes of respectable society, Caroline might be lower than him, but just because her job entailed showing a little skin didn't mean she was worse than a cowhand who'd eagerly partaken in all vices available to young men in the west.
"I am the highlight of yer sorry life and don't you forget it."
"Oh, I won't forget it. I know you won't let me." He chuckled and relaxed in his chair, risking a glance back toward the kitchen to see if Clara was approaching so he could prepare for another verbal bashing from the new mother.
Brendan raised an eyebrow. "You would have given me what for and pressed charges."
"Would I? Not so sure, maybe I'd have taken justice into my own hand," Caroline smirked.
"I know I did some pretty awful stuff too. Worse than you I'm sure," she sighed. He didn't believe her though.
Brendan shook his head. "Ain't no way you done worse things than me."
He was wrong. For now she settled for, "I am the highlight of yer sorry life and don't you forget it."
"Oh, I won't forget it. I know you won't let me." He chuckled and relaxed in his chair.
Caroline was now determined to reveal to him something she had long kept secret. Why now? She wasn't sure but first she waited as Clara was now returning.
Clara carried a tray with all the couple had ordered, coffees and pie and a donut. She nodded to them both as she carefully set out each order in front of them.
"Anything else you would care for?" her voice was calm but with a hint of iciness.
"Nah, we're good, hun,"Caroline noticed it but was determined to ignore it. Far as she was concerned it was all in the past. Clara did not even wait to see if Brendan had a request but simply spun about and returned to the kitchen. Caroline could make out there was some conversation going on in there, but didn't recognize the other voice, female though.
It was time..........
"Brendan, I have to tell you something about me. You might think you know me but not really. You think I couldn't do anything all that wrong. Well, in that yer the one who is wrong. Before I tell you this though, gimme your word you won't ever tell anyone else what I'm gonna tell ya. I'm dead serious here," the look on her face mirrored the words.
Brendan perked up as Clara came back with the items he and Caroline had ordered, giving the waitress a grin. But she flat out ignored him after setting down his coffee and doughnut and swirled away back to the kitchen.
"I was just goin' to ask for some sugar..." Brendan harrumphed and crossed his arms. He didn't like being given the cold shoulder, and would almost have rather Clara insulted him because then he at least could have tried to verbally defend himself. But what could he do against silence?
He shrugged the encounter off as he dipped his doughnut in his coffee before taking a bite and pulling the cup closer to warm up his hands, but his attention was quickly arrested by Caroline's sudden change in demeanor. What was going on?
"I give you my word. Cross my heart." He hurriedly made a cross over his chest, glancing around at the other diners around them. "But...you sure you wanna do this...here?" He gestured around vaguely, leaning forward. If this was so serious, and so important to be kept quiet, why would Caroline want to reveal it in public? "We can finish here, then go somewhere else?"
Brendan was miffed he couldn't ask for sugar. Caroline rolled her eyes.
"Yeah you are kind of a sourpuss today," she teased.
However then the conversation took a more serious tone. So much so that Caroline suddenly had this urge to come clean with a long held dark secret of hers. He might not have realized it, but it was a telling admission how much she really did trust the man.
"I give you my word. Cross my heart." He hurriedly made a cross over his chest, glancing around at the other diners around them. "But...you sure you wanna do this...here?" He gestured around vaguely, leaning forward, "We can finish here, then go somewhere else?"
"Oh, I suppose so. I wasn't going to shout it out and hopefully you won't scream in horror when you hear it..." she glanced around, no one seemed to pay them any attention. Both were longtime town residents.
"But fine, let's finish up here. That pie is calling my name now anyways," and with that she took a big forkful of that bakery goodness.
***
It didn't take them long and they were done, just needed to pay the bill. Caroline waved to catch Clara's eye and then pointed down to their empty dishes and cups, an obvious signal they wanted to pay. Clara nodded but finished up with another customer first.
"I forgot...who's paying? If it's you, I'd advise a really big tip," Caroline grinned.
That coffee and doughnut sure had hit the spot. Brendan sat back in his chair, content to relax until Caroline finished up her slightly bigger piece of pie, but straightened when she motioned to Clara that they were ready to pay. Of course cheeky Caroline couldn't pass up a chance to tease him about his strained relationship with Clara.
"I'm payin'." Brendan rolled his eyes as he reached into his pocket. "I don't think a five dollar tip would help any. But I don't got five dollars, so we ain't gonna find out." He counted 25 out cents onto the table -- that should more than cover the price of the light food he and Caroline had eaten, then pursed his lips, muttered "What the hell?" and added a nickel, then five pennies.
"You think 40's enough to get in her good graces?" he said, shaking his head. This would be the most money he'd spent on anything in a long time.
Brendan assured her he was paying, Caroline settled for self-satisfied nod.
Brendan rolled his eyes as he reached into his pocket. "I don't think a five dollar tip would help any. But I don't got five dollars, so we ain't gonna find out." He counted 25 out cents onto the table -- that should more than cover the price of the light food he and Caroline had eaten, then pursed his lips, muttered "What the hell?" and added a nickel, then five pennies.
"You think 40's enough to get in her good graces?" he said, shaking his head.
Caroline just smirked, "Hon, I don't think a chest of gold would be enough for that. It's all in the past, live with it now. If she can't, then that's on her."
"Oh, oh, she's comin'"
Clara stopped at the table, once more focusing on the saloon girl not Brendan.
"How was everything?" she inquired.
"As always, hon, it was excellent," Caroline pointed down to the coins on the tabletop, "That cover it? If it does, keep the rest. Oh and someday, I'd love to see your...daughter when yer not busy. Bet she is a pretty little thing."
Clara did the mental math instantly and nodded, "It is satisfactory, yes, Miss Mundee. And yes, I would be delighted to present her to you sometime."
Then Clara glanced at Brendan, it was not a glare but it was no smile either, more like she was almost daring him to say something....anything.
Both Brendan and Caroline held the view that his situation with Clara was pretty much set in cement at this point. Regardless, Brendan had set out a decent amount of money which would hopefully sweeten Clara's day a little, if not her attitude toward them -- well, him.
Things seemed to be going well between Caroline and Clara -- Caroline even gained a promise of being introduced to Clara's new baby. And then Clara fixed Brendan with one of those looks that wasn't good and wasn't bad. It was...he didn't know what it was.
He stared back for a minute, trying to decipher what she wanted him to say. Or what she thought he would say. Finally he said with a smile, "That doughnut sure hit the spot, Mrs. Lutz. Thank you. And, uh, congratulations again on the baby. If she's even half as smart as you, you're gonna have a daughter to be proud of."
That was thanks and a compliment about both Clara and her food. She couldn't find fault with that, could she? Oh, she very well could. But would she?
Clara noticed he had paid the bill for their lunch and even added a tip. And then he followed up with one of those golden smiles of his as he spoke, "That doughnut sure hit the spot, Mrs. Lutz. Thank you. And, uh, congratulations again on the baby. If she's even half as smart as you, you're gonna have a daughter to be proud of."
"Her intelligence and the quality of it will have nothing to do with how proud I am of her. I am her mother and she is my daughter. But thank you," Clara retorted but at least the tone of her voice, while hardly warm, was not hostile.
Caroline now piped up, "Awww, he's just trying to be nice is all."
Clara now zeroed in on the saloon gal, "More likely his conscience is bothering him for witnessing an attempted murder and doing nothing about it."
"For which he tried to apologize," Caroline added.
"Go ahead then, trust him. I do not, I will not. When the marshal came out and approached me on it, I said nothing about him. He got away with it so I owe him nothing now," Clara was back to being angry. (Not that it took much with her.)
Caroline knew this would only get worse as it went on. Best to just get out while everything was at least reasonably civil. She placed one supportive hand on top of his and said, "We should be going. Remember, I got something important to tell ya."
"Good day, Miss Lutz," she closed with.
"Good day, Miss Mundee," and without giving Brendan a chance, she spun about and headed for the back kitchen.
Both women no doubt hoped the man would not attempt to - as the old saying went - flog a dead horse.
Brendan's conscience had nothing to do with his words to Clara. His conscience was clear as far as the shooting incident was concerned, and he would have told Clara that -- and indeed, had opened his mouth to -- when Caroline stuck up for him. Well, that was a surprise. It shouldn't have been. Caroline had proven herself again and again to be a true friend, and even if she could see Clara's point of view about the whole event, she at least shared Brendan's view that it was ridiculous not to move on.
Not that Caroline's intervention did any good. Clara's feathers were well and truly ruffled, and it didn't seem like there was anything either he or Caroline could do to smooth things over.
Brendan stared after Clara, his jaw jutting out a little in resentment, as she whisked herself back to the kitchen in high dudgeon. Maybe giving birth had put her in a bad mood, but why couldn't she just let this thing go? Actions made in the heat of the moment, as his had been when the incident happened, didn't define a person's whole character. And people could change. He sure had changed since then, but it didn't seem Clara had changed much.
He sighed and rose from the table, giving Caroline's hand a squeeze. "Lead the way." It was time to put the past behind him -- something Clara couldn't do -- and focus on the present, which was whatever earth-shattering news Caroline wanted to impart to him.