"Nah, tryin' ta bring them fancy glasses wouldn't do too good," Justus agreed, "I don't mind drinkin' from a bottle." Although that was going to be interesting, since it had been a very long time since he'd had wine...he'd been, maybe eight, at his aunt and uncle's, and one of his cousins had goaded him into stealing a bottle from the cellar. Opening the thing had been a comedy of errors, and more than half had been sacrificed to the dirt. And all that for something Justus recalled as tasting like vinegar!
At least by now he'd had plenty of experience with hard liquor, so he was sure he could gag down wine without choking and upsetting Constance.
"So, what kind's this? There's red an' white, right? Though I don't know what makes one red an' one white." Wine was wine, right?
He seemed open to her suggestion about the wine.
"Nah, tryin' ta bring them fancy glasses wouldn't do too good," Justus agreed, "I don't mind drinkin' from a bottle."
Constance smiled, "Splendid! Let me get this cork then........I know drinking from the bottle is not very ladylike but then I'm thinking you don't really think me a lady anyhow...just some gal."
She almost said 'loose woman' but decided against it. Too strong, they were out here for fun.
As she tugged on the cork, fortunately it was not stuck in there, Justus asked, "So, what kind's this? There's red an' white, right? Though I don't know what makes one red an' one white."
"The color, silly," she chuckled but amplified,"Depends on the type of grape or berry or whatever they make it from. This, if you can believe it, is from Denmark, long trip from here to Europe. Oh what adventures it might have had getting here. Actually sure it was in a case and couldn't see a thing."
Pop! She set the cork aside, given the dark color of the bottle you could not tell if it was red or white but she knew anyhow, "It's made from cherries so it's a red wine. On the sweeter side. I am not enamored with the bitter sorts."
"The color, silly," she chuckled but amplified,"Depends on the type of grape or berry or whatever they make it from. This, if you can believe it, is from Denmark, long trip from here to Europe. Oh what adventures it might have had getting here. Actually sure it was in a case and couldn't see a thing."
"Oh, right, th' color..." Well, he'd figured that much, and really had no experience with grapes, so he didn't realize they came in two colors. At least he did know that Denmark was over in Europe, so that it had come a long way to get here, which, to his thinking, meant it must be pretty good. After all, who would spend all that money and effort for something that wasn't top-notch? "Don't suppose it had much chance ta complain 'bout th' trip." He grinned.
Pop! She set the cork aside, given the dark color of the bottle you could not tell if it was red or white but she knew anyhow, "It's made from cherries so it's a red wine. On the sweeter side. I am not enamored with the bitter sorts."
"Ah, of course." Cherry wine? He'd heard of dandelion wine, his Aunt Mildred kept some for 'medicinal purposes', but he'd not heard of cherry wine before. "Well, I do like cherries, so it might be all right! Well, unless we hafta be Denmarkish ta enjoy it?"
"Oh, right, th' color..."
"Well, yes and what it's made from - grapes, cherries, blackberries, even dandelions," Constance added.
"Don't suppose it had much chance ta complain 'bout th' trip." He grinned as he went along with her Danish joke.
"None of the rest of the bottles would listen anyhow," she quipped.
After popping the cork she informed him this was made from cherries so definitely a red.
"Well, I do like cherries, so it might be all right! Well, unless we hafta be Denmarkish ta enjoy it?" he joked.
"No, I've had it before and I don't have any Danish in me. My family came from Germany originally. Straub is a very common name back there, though my father would be angry with me for even saying that," Constance declared then took a glance once more at the bottle and put it to her mouth, then swallowed a healthy gulp of it before holding the bottle out to him.
"It's good, sweet but there's a bit of a kick to it," she announced, pleased with her decision to bring it along.
Justus took the bottle, first sniffing the contents before taking a swig. It was, indeed, sweet, and he nearly gagged on it, but managed to swallow. "Ummm...good," he sputtered, handing it back. "So, why'd yer pa get mad just 'cause ya use yet proper name?" He shrugged. "Far as I know, we're all just from Texas, but I think Ma might'a had some kin from North Carolina."
It was something he really hadn't thought about, and even though he knew some of his Pa's family in Texas, they didn't much talk about the past. Heck, he didn't even know his pa's folks, except that they had been from Tejas as well.
"Guess it don't matter so much as what we do with ourselves." He shrugged. "No sense in lettin' what they did make a lick fer what we're doin', right?"
"Ummm...good," he sputtered, handing it back.
Constance took the bottle and then sipped from it. She liked the strong hint of cherry to the liquor.
"So, why'd yer pa get mad just 'cause ya use yet proper name?" He shrugged. "Far as I know, we're all just from Texas, but I think Ma might'a had some kin from North Carolina."
"Southerners huh?" the midwest girl wasn't surprised, now as for his question about her pa.
"Well because I used the word 'common', he did not like to think of us as common, ordinary, he was most class conscious you see. Haughty..."
"Guess it don't matter so much as what we do with ourselves." He shrugged. "No sense in lettin' what they did make a lick fer what we're doin', right?"
"Yes, I could not agree more. It was my home but honestly now I have no desire to ever go back. Not that I would be welcomed with open arms anyhow. No, my life is here now. Hopefully I can make a good life in Kalispell."
"So do you have any long range goals? Or is it going to be cowpoke forever?" she inquired.
"Cowpoke ain't so bad." Justus took another swig, then set the bottle between them. "Really haven't given it much thought, I was just happy ta find an outfit that'd take me on." He shrugged. "Just want ta get settled in this first, maybe feel like I don't gotta look over my shoulder or worry what comes next."
Finally, he felt like he was far enough from his past, and in a good place with a good start, to take his time to figure out what his path was going to be.
"I like workin' in wood, buildin' railin's an'whatnot. Don't know as I'd mind tryin' my hand at buildin' furniture, an' I reckon Mr. Pike'd let me dabble when I'm not workin' th' cows. What about you? Gonna find some fat cattle baron an' live in a mansion?"
He seemed quite content with cow hand, very well, it was his life, his future, who was she to question it. However at least her curiosity about it was now answered.
"I see," Constance nodded. But he did have another side interest.
"I like workin' in wood, buildin' railin's an'whatnot. Don't know as I'd mind tryin' my hand at buildin' furniture, an' I reckon Mr. Pike'd let me dabble when I'm not workin' th' cows. What about you? Gonna find some fat cattle baron an' live in a mansion?"
"Like a carpenter.." she remarked then he closed with that last bit. Ouch!
"Gosh, you really don't think all that highly of me. I mean first a loose woman and now a money chaser. But to answer you, no, I have zero interest in anyone like that. I've been rich already as I said, it did not make for a happy life. I have no need of doing it again. I mean if by some lucky chance it comes, of course only a fool would turn it down but....." she shrugged.
"I just want to settle down in a place, Kalispell will do fine, and then be happy. As for all the details, well we don't know what our futures hold, do we?" she