"Good weather would be a blessing and most certainly a benefit to the continuation of construction. But, we get what Mother Nature gives, and it seems as though sometimes, she can be a bit cranky." Leah observed. Then she made a small sound as the hat was placed on her head, followed by the coat across her shoulders.

"Why thank you, kind sir." She acknowledged. "Your coat over mine, wonderful, but the drizzle is picking up so should our steps to reach the cafe before it decides to provide us with yet another cloudburst." Following that with a giggle as she grasped his hand, "Let's go!"

Taking the path of least mud, Jonah led the way across the street, seeking the shelter of the awnings and overhangs of the buildings along the way.  Fortunately, they made it unscathed to the cafe, and he opened the door for Leah, keeping a light grasp on her hand.  It was so soft and delicate, yet the grip was firm and confident, a reflection of its owner.

"I'd be as plump as a porcupine if I lived at a place like this!" he declared with a chuckle, taking in the warm, welcoming aromas.  "I don't think I could resist continual sampling!"

Mrs. Armentrout was a good cook, but she was only at the clinic early enough a couple days a week to cook a proper breakfast, and Jonah had learned not to be too fussy with what he ate.  Coming to a place like this was a treat.

"I suppose if I ate this way every day, though, I'd become jaded to it, and it wouldn't be special any more."  He looked up at her with a smile.  Good thing that theory didn't work with people!

"Jonah Danforth, really! Plump as a porcupine." She said feigning disdain. "Did you have a proper breakfast this morning, not just what you found in the kitchen, because I'll need you eating regularly." They took seats at one of the tables and waited for whomever was waiting tables, though this morning the Lickskillet was not busy.

"So, there is something I have to ask you, have meant to ask you for sometime now but, for whatever reason I have not." She began, and her delivery might well have sounded ominous to Doctor Danforth. To get right to the point, would you consider, possibly, courting me?"

The front bell tinkled it's tell tale announcement the diner had new customers, by now Constance was used to listening for it. They were not busy today so she was back in the kitchen, getting a bit of a cooking lesson from her employer, Clara Lutz.  The recipe was basic enough and she did not think it would be any too complicated to make someday should it come to it. Well, until that bell.

"Someone's here, I'll go check," she declared to Clara who nodded approval. Hiring the young woman really had helped her immensely in running the diner.

Constance saw a couple, well dressed too already seated at a table. Which was fine, customers were not expected to wait if there were open places. This was no fancy eastern restaurant. She approached them then smiled upon stopping short of the table.

"Good day! Can I help you?" she greeted them then pointed to the chalkboard menu on the sidewall, printed in the meticulously neat workmanship of Mrs. Lutz.

"Everything up there we currently have available, something else you can ask but I cannot guarantee it."

Wait, she did sort of recognize the man, he'd eaten here before though she did not place him by name. She was new enough to town there was a lot of citizenry she did not know.

"So, there is something I have to ask you, have meant to ask you for sometime now but, for whatever reason I have not."

"Oh, well, of course."  Jonah looked over at her, seeing how pretty she was, even though she looked so serious, but before he could speculate on what might be so dire, she spoke again.

"To get right to the point, would you consider, possibly, courting me?"

Well, that caught him completely off guard, not that he hadn't considered just that more than once in the past few months.  But it always came back to who he was...what he was, and that was a fraud!  Oh, he'd certainly changed his ways since coming to Kalispell, had been reading and studying, had avoided gambling and carousing, but that didn't change his past, and he was smart enough to know that it could very well catch up to him some day and he didn't want Leah involved with that.

He was saved from an immediate reply by the young waitress, coming to ask about their order, although he was still mulling over Leah's question. 

"Coffee, please, and...pancakes, eggs over medium..."  He suddenly wasn't that hungry, but they were here, so he had to order something!

"Oh yes, and I'll have toast and coffee." She ordered, then leaned forward with a smile on her face, "Jonah, you have remarked on many occasions about my abilities as a businesswoman, would you think that I would not look into the people who will be instrumental in this endeavor?" her voice, soft, quiet so that only they could hear what was being said. "I fear you underestimate me. And no, this request was not a joke."

He should have known...

Leah was no fool, and it was no surprise that, at least by the time that they'd become closer, if not from the beginning of the hospital planning, that she would be checking on him.

Of course, he had to wonder exactly how much she knew, but it was enough...and she was still here...

That relieved him of most of his concerns, and opened the path he'd really been looking for.

"And you're asking after what you know?"  There was going to be a lot of explaining, even if she didn't think she needed to hear it.  "Let's talk about this...after breakfast, somewhere more private, so when you feel like slugging me, you won't be making a scene!"

"Certainly, that can be arranged I'm sure." She said with an almost evil grin. "Jonah, what I know about you may not be everything, and it may only be on the surface of things, but what I know is more than enough. I know that from the outset when I needed a friend, you were there, when I needed to talk about this project of ours, I had you to confide in. When I needed a companion who did not judge, it was you. You have been there constantly. Is there more to know, probably, does it matter? No, it does not. What matters is what I know of you since we met here in Kalispell." She said. "There is no slugging to be done, no scene to be made, but there is breakfast to be had."

Constance realized she was probably interrupting their conversation but too late, she'd done her waitress bit and now awaited any possible orders.

"Coffee, please, and...pancakes, eggs over medium..."the man spoke up first.

Then the woman, ""Oh yes, and I'll have toast and coffee."

Constance didn't even write it down, both orders were simple enough to remember.

"Very well, I will bring you your coffees and get that order in. It shouldn't take long as we aren't currently busy," she wanted them to know.

And with that she left them to the conversation. Husband and wife? Her hunch was no. None of her business though.

***

A scant minute or two and she was back, as promised, with a tray with two steaming coffee cups and even cream if they wanted it.

"Here you go, folks. Cook is working on your breakfasts now," she gave her best customer service smile.

"Thank you, Miss..?"  It was only polite to know the young woman's name, and besides, she was a new resident here, and he should at least know everyone in passing.  And it was a way to stall!

"I'm Jonah Danforth, and this is Miss Leah Steelgrave.  She's been instrumental in the hospital becoming a reality, and that's something we really need here.  Are you enjoying working here?  And Kalispell as well.  I find it's a pleasant enough place, although it could use a little civilization..."  He grinned.  "Places like the Lickskillet and hospital are a start to that end."