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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 3048487" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter 164, "Revelations from crazy people", Saturday, March 25th, 1882, 11:45 PM Out on the porch, Ruby says to Jake, “Just when I was starting to get over your previous insults of the day, you say that. WHY would you embarrass me like that in front of Job? Saying I'm being sensitive? I'm getting blamed for something that isn't my fault. How is that being sensitive?" She walks back and forth and back and forth across the porch, waving her arms as she speaks. "I don't think I'm being appreciated around here. I bring in a hell of a lot more money than Helen Barker does, but yet SHE'S the one everyone is caring about.  So fine, no one cares what I think or how I feel, so I try to put it behind me, then I turn around and someone is saying I'M the reason we don't have an add in the paper and our business is going to suffer, because our BUSINESS MANAGER didn't take care of it! It's totally crap." Ruby points her finger at Jake, "And YOU," she turns her glaring eyes at Jake, "YOU insult me THREE TIMES today! I hope you have some good explanation because I just can't come up with any reasons on my own. We're supposed to be partners and partners don't make each other look bad." She stands in front of Jake and crosses her arms. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself??""What do I have to say for myself?" Jake tossed a card in his hat on the porch floor. "I AM sorry I hurt your feelings. I apologized this morning. What I said on the porch, I didn't mean it to come out that way. What I said IS true even if it came out wrong; You are NOT some emptied head saloon dancer and I never thought of you that way. Insulted? You stomped off before I had a chance to speak. Insulted! Not appreciated! I thought you would want me to help you look out for your investment in the saloon." Jake continues with his voice raised a bit. "If you don't want me to do that, fine. If I'm out of line, tell me." He then turns and pretends to speak to someone sitting next to him on the railing. "What is she doing in my saloon she says to me. Go throw her out she says to me." He turns back to Ruby. "What am I your bloody bouncer? I'll sell you my share of the saloon to you if that's how it is. I'll gladly work for you if that is how you want it. That is, if you think I'm good enough to run a table and bounce in YOUR saloon. Otherwise I'll just come in here every night and listen to you sing, of course if you'll let me in YOUR saloon." He flings the next card with some force, missing the hat by a wide margin. Jake now speaks rapidly and even louder. "No one cares about how you think? Apparently they do or they would have just ignored what ever misunderstanding there was. What? You can't believe there could have been a misunderstanding, you can't give your friends and partners a little slack if they make a mistake? Don't appreciated you? Everyone is trying to make this thing a success together, doing what they can to have it make money and grow. Everyone is behind YOUR plan to make it bigger and make changes. Give them a break; they are worried about losing business too. Not sensitive! They have been so afraid of hurting your feelings that they are coming to me with every problem because they don't want to make you upset. I have never put up with grief like this from any other woman I have ever been with. If I wasn't so blasted in love with you I wouldn't stand for this one minute longer." A card is thrown more forcefully and misses again. "I have half a mind to put you over my knee. A good explanation! Not likely! Woman, your antics make me behave like an idiot sometime. Not that I give a rat's tail what other people really think about me. Partners don't make each other look bad! I was talking to you in private or with another partner. Partners should be able to talk to one another and say things nobody else can say to them without them blowing their top like a volcano! Hermes, give me patience. Argh, some days you make me absolutely crazy. Like that 'saying what you have to say then walking off' thing. You've been doing that since we met. How in Hades am I supposed to figure out if you'll be cross because I followed you or all chafed up if I don't? Do you expect me to trail you around like one of your puppies? Speaking of puppies, one of those little monsters is chewing up my boots again!" He sends another card without even looking at the hat. "And another thing!" Ruby interrupts Jake before he can continue.“I make YOU crazy, you make ME crazy! You…” Ruby begins her response to Jake’s tirade when suddenly her anger is interrupted by her brain processing everything he said. She blinks, stares at Jake, blinks again, looks down at Mischief chewing on Jake’s boot and blinks again. “What did you say?”   He says, "You heard me, I have half a mind to put you over my knee and your dog is chewing my boot again!"Ruby leans down slowly and pulls Mischief off of Jake, cradling him in her arms. "Our dog. He's our dog." She stands and the corners of her full lips turn upward ever so slightly. "You might enjoy that Mr. Cook, putting me over your knee. But that's not the part I was asking about."  He states, "Oh, I suppose I insulted you a fourth time!" He flings another card up in the air.Ruby reaches out with her free hand and grabs the card before it begins its descent to the ground. She glances at it and a huge smile comes to her face. She reaches out her hand to Jake, holding the card out to him. "That depends. If you really meant it or not."  Jake sputters and his brows furrow. "Are you making fun of me? What is so funny?" He looks at the card."Funny? Not funny. A coincidence I guess." Jake again looks at the Queen of Hearts in his hand as Ruby shrugs. "Not making fun of you." Maybe he doesn't realize what he said? She puts Mischief on the ground and the two puppies scamper off together. Ruby just stands in front of Jake, silent and confused.   Jake waves the card at her, "I..." He looks again at the card and back to Ruby who is quiet and no longer smiling. "You..." He looks at the card again. "I... What just happened?"Ruby shakes her head. "I don't know. You flipped the card." She looks down, wishing the puppies were still there so she had an excuse to look away from Jake and it wasn't so obvious she was afraid to look at him. "I, uh, just thought I heard you say something. I guess I was wrong."  Jake is still breathing heavy from his ranting and he slides off the railing. "What are you talking about? You come out here and get me all riled up and then go meek as a lamb. If you mean this," he waves the card, "don't be insulted by me throwing it. I didn't know it was that particular card. I'm not throwing you away."Ruby stood there blinking at Jake. He doesn't realize he said it. The elation she had felt a moment ago slips away and tears start to well in her eyes. Her pouty lips start to tremble. "I.. I didn't think you were." She would normally flee the scene in embarrassment but since Jake had just yelled at her for doing that... No, she had no choice but to stay."Oh, blast it! Now what did I do?" Jake says rather loudly and makes a heavy sigh. He drops the rest of the deck into his hat. "Will you at least give me a hint?" He slides the queen half way into her dress just below the shoulder. "I have been trying so hard today to make things better but everything I do seems to come out wrong. Old Caleb used to tell me, 'Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity'. Can't you just help your poor old Jake out a little bit? Just call me stupid and tell me what's wrong?" He puts a curled finger under her chin. "Please?"Ruby shakes her head and tries to avoid Jake's gaze but she can't. Finally she looks into his eyes and she sputters, "I...I... Y-y-you said you were in love with me. I waited s-s-so long for you to s-s-say it but you don't even know you said it so how can you really m-m-mean it if you didn't mean to say it or y-y-ou don't even know y-y-ou did?" She looks away but grabs his belt buckle, "J-j-just forget it. It's not important right now.""Of course I am, how could you think otherwise?" Jake says it as it if was the most obvious thing in the universe. "Besides, how else would you explain me behaving like a blooming dimwitted dolt around you all the time?"Ruby looks back up at Jake with big eyes, "But you never said it, you said you didn't know what love was..." Ruby's emotions start swinging wildly in the other direction and even though there are still tears, her eyes start to shine. She tugs at his belt again. "I don't think you act like a dolt," she says cocking her head, "Well, most of the time..." A small smile starts to reappear on her lips.  Jake answers, "I would have gotten to it..." Inside, Nanuet admires the warming smile from Minerva before leaning in and returning the kisses, but to her lips instead. "Aww, you figured it out so easily!" he chuckles. "And what is this about your many admirers? Well at least I know I won the race" he quips. He pulls up a chair and sits down, I know it is rather late he says, but can I at least share a drink with my friends before I walk you home? I had some minor success during my stakeout and would like to share the information, but I am not sure what is going on with Ruby and Jake on the front porch. They didn't look too thrilled with each other when I came back, that is why I snuck in the back way." Nanuet pours himself a whiskey and slowly sips at the drink.  Minerva states, "Si, There always seems to be sparks flying between those two. But I am certain that they will kiss and make up soon and then you can tell us what you have learned." she returns his kiss. "Let's see what is keeping them, I know it is getting late and you have your sermon tomorrow." Nanuet gets up from the table and heads over to the front door. He knocks lightly to announce his presence before sticking his head out the doorway. "Whenever you two are finished doing whatever it is you are doing I have some information to share and a woman to escort home."   Jake turns and says, ”Err, ya we'll be right in…” Nanuet doesn't wait for a reply but heads back inside.He turns.  “So, Ruby, need to holler at me any more right now?" Jake asks a bit sheepishly.  Ruby smiles at Jake, and wipes the tears out of her eyes. "No, no more yelling." She pauses and bites at her lip. "But if you could get to it again really soon, well, that would make me very very happy. Maybe even forget about everything that happened today." Ruby leans forward and presses her body against Jake's, and kisses him slowly.   "Well don't forget about everything from today, a few good things happened besides figuring out that I love you." Jake picks her up, cradles her in his arms and brings them back inside the saloon.Nanuet sits back down at the table next to Minerva "So are they ready for the likes of me to attend your sermon tomorrow, rather than wait outside like I did the previous week?"   ""Well" Minerva says with a twinkle in her eye, "I am pretty sure that I will have their full attention. Tomorrow's sermon should be rather entertaining if not enlightening. Of Course I could just be digging my own grave with the Vigilance Committee. Which reminds me. I had a visit this evening from Mrs. King's son, Ashley. He says that his Madre convinced the Committee to support the festival! He's offered to have dinner with me later this week so that we can discuss the committee members. Perhaps it will help me to understand these people better. Being such a prominent part of the town he may know something about the people that we are looking for also."Nanuet answers, "Not sure that he hangs out with the sort of folks that we are looking for, but maybe he knows something. Of course it is certainly important to be friendly with the Vigilance Committee for someone in your position. We want them to see that you should be the permanent priestess and forget that business about looking for someone else."As Jake and Ruby are reentering the saloon the Barkers are departing, arm in arm. Helen has in her hands a small wrapped package which she hands to Jake and says, "Good to my word Mr. Cook, here is that replacement deck of cards that I promised you." Stanley makes eye contact with Ruby and says "Thank you again for inviting us back Miss. West."As Jake's hands are full, Ruby takes the cards from Helen. "Thank you for coming back and for the cookies," she says happily. She thinks before continuing, "We ALL appreciate it. See you next week!" The Barkers leave and Ruby looks at Jake with a silly smile. "What? Nothing can ruin my good mood now." She kisses Jake again and he notices her cheeks are flush and her eyes are twinkling. Her goofy grin won't leave her face.  Jake deposits her at the table where their friends are and goes to get the liquor.  Ruby sits on her feet at the table and says giddily, "So what are we talking about?"   "Well, You certainly look like you won that argument!, Senorita Ruby." Minerva teases. "I will stay for a drink but I really must go soon. I have a sermon to preach tomorrow and Nanuet has asked me to visit Kajika with him.Kate was just finishing up one of the simple songs she was playing as Jake deposited Ruby at the table with Minerva and Nanuet. She played through the rest of the tune, then went over to join them.   She catches the tail end of Minerva’s comment and says, "Surely you can give us an hour? It isn't really very late yet, you would still be home in plenty of time to get a good nights sleep for your sermon tomorrow.""Kate! You played so wonderfully tonight," Ruby smiles. "Now," she says, 'What does everyone want to drink? I feel like having some fun!" Ruby pours generous glasses of whiskey for Nanuet and Minerva and for herself and Jake Kentucky bourbons. "Kate?"  "Tea sounds good to me. I never really liked whiskey you know," she laughed. "I'm glad to see you smiling so much."  "Tea? Tea isn't any fun, Kate." Ruby starts to say something else but stops. "I'd make you some water for your tea but I might burn the kitchen down. I've been instructed to stay out," she giggles. "And thanks. I like smiling too." She glances at Jake quickly. "So, tea for Kate. Fun for everyone else. To fun!" she raises her glass. Ruby asks, "I wonder where Chester is? Jake why don't you deal us while we wait."  Kate says, "I think Chester has to work tonight, Ruby. One of the downsides of being a Marshall is working when everyone else is having fun. I'll get the tea when I'm ready for it."      "Oh, he didn't mention it this afternoon. He didn't say he couldn't make it. Oh well." Ruby shrugs, "More for us to drink.""This should be interesting, playing poker. Well Jake, I can lose back the money you snuck in my pocket the other night when I borrowed your suit, or was that Ruby? Either way... thanks. By the way, I got a bit of information hanging around the Palace and the Indian Head Saloon. Nothing too crazy, but first of all, Foote and a few others sleep over there, at the Indian Head. They are looking for weapons and mentioned 'hitting' someplace but are skittish because of the new Marshall poking around. Wonder if they are thinking of holding up the gunsmith? They also were talking about the Earps getting the better of Ringo, Johnny getting his butt kicked I believe they said."Kate says, "This Rudy Foote is supposed to be part of the Cowboy Gang, yes? They might have been talking about the Gunsmiths, or they might have been talking about the Lucky Lady. Either way, I'm glad our new Marshall's presence are putting a crimp in their plans. I wish we knew who else was sleeping there, we'd get a good idea of who a few of the Cowboys in town are. And the owners of the saloon must at least be sympathetic to them as well."Nanuet replies, "One other thing, they are not planning on acting till Ringo gets back. They said that he told them to just keep an eye on things. They didn't mention the Lucky Lady, but I suppose it could have been what they mentioned. I can stay watch for a while, till early morning at least if we think that is necessary."Ruby states, "Watch! We're supposed to be having fun. That can wait until tomorrow. Or I guess you could do it later? Well, it's up to you. Any other news we have to pass around? You know, so we can get the business out of the way." Ruby quickly drinks her bourbon, as does Jake. She refills for both of them.  Kate says, "No business from me, I would guess that's it for now.”</blockquote>

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