After Hector brought the wagon to a halt, some heavily bewhiskered old hide came up to greet them. Obviously another worker, bit long in the tooth if one asked her. But he seemed nice enough. He also had good news. Most of the ranch hands were gone but not Justus Gibbs. Constance was inwardly quite delighted. She would have hated to have traveled out this far for nothing.

The old geezer called out for her theatre date.......hopeful theatre date. Nothing was set in stone yet.

Sure enough Justus appeared, he looked like he'd been hard at work too. Maybe he'd be happy for a break from it?

"Miss Constance?"  He broke into a grin, not contemplating that he really wasn't in any shape to have a lady caller, what with being dirty and disheveled from the day's work.

"In the flesh," Constance gave a wide smile.

  "How are ya doin'?" he asked.

"Oh I'm fine. You're looking all fit and hale too," she answered.

" Hope I'm not bothering you by coming out like this? This young man kindly offered to give me a ride out. It would have quite a walk afterall," she declared.

"Do ya need somethin' ta drink?" Justus asked, watching with a bit of dismay as he was left alone with the pretty young woman.  "I can show ya around, show ya Mrs. Pike's horses, they're real fine animals."

He started toward the bunkhouse, where he could get them some water, and those cookies, although he wouldn't take Constance in there.  It was sort of a sacred space, meant for men, and certainly not fit for ladies, even if it was kept relatively neat and clean!

"So, how ya been?  We ain't had cause ta be in town much lately," he explained, "what with th' weather bein' so...wintery!"

The other two headed for the main ranch house so that left Constance and Justus by themselves. He did seem a bit...nervous which then worried the young lady a little too. Was coming out here a mistake? Maybe he was not planning on taking her to the theatre at all?

"Do ya need somethin' ta drink?" Justus asked, watching with a bit of dismay as he was left alone with the pretty young woman. "I can show ya around, show ya Mrs. Pike's horses, they're real fine animals."

"Well, I could do with a cup of coffee, black is fine. It was a rather brisk ride out here," she answered.

"Oh horses...I guess so, why not?", she then nodded, "Maybe show me the one you said I would be riding if you really are going to teach me how to ride?"

Alright, not too subtle but Constance figured with men, subtlety was something they were often oblivious of.

"So, how ya been? We ain't had cause ta be in town much lately," Justus explained, "what with th' weather bein' so...wintery!"

"I've been well. Had a cold for a week or so. Over it now. And kept busy at the diner, business is good," Constance answered as she made an effort to keep up with his long legged strides.

"Indeed, I always hated winter in Ohio, I hate it now even more in Montana," she fully admitted.

"Good ta hear yer feelin' better."  As he opened the door to the bunkhouse, he had a bit of a dilemma...it would be rude to leave her standing out on the porch, but the place wasn't really suited to a lady.

In the end, he defaulted to asking her in.  "Wait here," he murmured just inside the door, "an' stay quiet, there's men from th' night crew sleepin'."

Indeed, soft snoring could be heard from the back of the large room, men who had just come in from the range after chasing cows for hours!

He poured them both some coffee, then handed a mug to her.  "There ya go.  Do ya want a blanket or somethin' ta wrap around yer shoulders?"  Even he was starting to notice the chill now that he wasn't working.

"This winter wasn't so bad.  I heard th' snow was bad last year, had a blizzard that destroyed a town up th' road...Whitefish.  Real bad dealin's."

"Wait here," he murmured just inside the door, "an' stay quiet, there's men from th' night crew sleepin'."

Constance went wide eyed, "Oh gosh, of course." Then she sidled in with a bit of trepidation. Yes, this was solid male territory, nothing she was used to.

He poured them both some coffee, then handed a mug to her. "There ya go. Do ya want a blanket or somethin' ta wrap around yer shoulders?"

She cupped both hands around the mug, "Thank you. And no blanket needed, this coat is warm and I'm out of the wind now too."

"You might want to put something else on though, do you own a sweater or something?"

He talked about the much worse winter they had the year before she arrived.

"Glad I missed it then, how on earth does a snowstorm destroy a whole town?"

Great, now she had something else to worry about besides nasty Indians and outlaws and such.

"Way I heard it," Justus explained as he grabbed a coat and put it on before grabbing his coffee and heading for the big barn, "it snowed so much some'a th' roofs caved in, then an fire finished th' job.  Glad I was in Texas last year!"

With a chuckle, he opened the main door to the barn to let in light, then stepped in, finding the aroma of fresh hay and horses inviting.  "Reckon I'll show ya Mule first.  He's in th' stall here.  Mule, ya got company!"

At the sound of Justus' voice, there was a nicker from the back of the stall, where a door led to an outside paddock.  A brown and white pinto, as tall and lanky as his owner, ambled over and stuck his head over the stall door.

"Hey there.  This here's Constance, she wants ta meet ya."  Reaching up, he rubbed the horse's forehead, then pulled a mint from his pocket that he handed to Constance.  "Here, just put this on yer palm, keep it flat."

"Way I heard it," Justus explained as he grabbed a coat and put it on before grabbing his coffee and heading for the big barn, "it snowed so much some'a th' roofs caved in, then an fire finished th' job. Glad I was in Texas last year!"

"Good heavens! And I am glad I was in Ohio then too," Constance thought that was both strange and dreadful.

They went to the barn, Constance sipping from her hot coffee. She had to admit, the diner made better coffee but she would never say anything and besides it was warming to the body.

With a chuckle, he opened the main door to the barn to let in light, then stepped in, finding the aroma of fresh hay and horses inviting. "Reckon I'll show ya Mule first. He's in th' stall here. Mule, ya got company!"

Constance did not find the smells inviting, not at all but troopered on, "Hope I'm not disturbing Mule." She smiled.

A brown and white pinto  ambled over and stuck his head over the stall door.

"He doesn't look at all like a mule to me," she actually thought the mare was a rather striking horse, not that she was any expert on horses.

"Hey there. This here's Constance, she wants ta meet ya." Reaching up, he rubbed the horse's forehead, then pulled a mint from his pocket that he handed to Constance. "Here, just put this on yer palm, keep it flat."

The city girl had kept her distance thus far, a bit intimidated though she would not admit such a thing until Justus turned to give her that candy. She had to commit then, though she only had one free hand. Should be enough, she held out her hand palm up and let him place it there.

"Oh sure, you give this friend of yours candy but no candy for me?" she teased with a twinkle in her eye, "I am jealous, Muley. That and how do I compete with that beautiful face of yours? Plus you got four legs and all I have is two."

She extended her palm toward the horse slowly and with some apprehension but at least it was not shaking.

"Ah, see, but yer graceful, an' Mule ain't none'a that."  Justus chuckled, placing a hand lightly at her waist to encourage her, although he wouldn't push her.  "An' he ain't much fer talkin' to!"

At the proffered treat, Mule's ears perked forward as he sniffed Constance's hand, then picked up the candy, his soft lips brushing her hand.  As he munched the mint, he tossed his head, then curled his lip up, smacking his lips!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XBFTmAIm7xo

"Oh, that means he likes ya!" Justus declared, then reached in his pocket for another mint.  "I think ya deserve a treat, too."  He held the mint to her on his open palm.

"Ah, see, but yer graceful, an' Mule ain't none'a that." Justus chuckled, placing a hand lightly at her waist to encourage her, although he wouldn't push her. "An' he ain't much fer talkin' to!"

Constance noticed the hand but did not mind in the slightest, "Graceful am I? I don't know about that." She gave the slightest shrug then concentrated on watching the horse. It noticed the mint alright. Here goes. Constance was just a bit nervous.

At the proffered treat, Mule's ears perked forward as he sniffed Constance's hand, then picked up the candy, his soft lips brushing her hand. As he munched the mint, he tossed his head, then curled his lip up, smacking his lips!

"Huzzah, he liked it," Constance grinned.

"Oh, that means he likes ya!" Justus declared, then reached in his pocket for another mint. "I think ya deserve a treat, too." He held the mint to her on his open palm.

She glanced at it, then up to him, looking up at him with a dubious expression.

"Do you think I am going to touch that mint after you've been working in a barn all day and have not washed your hands? Not on your life, Justus. I'm not a horse, I'm a lady," she then gave him a playful nudge.

"Let Muley have it, those are little mints and he is a big animal."