nothing.better.to.do (open)

[beth]

Elle woke up early in the morning to find things how they usually were. Breakfast had been ready on the table and the men went out to mind the ranch. So she decided to go out onto the porch and watch the men do their work, it was the least she could do. Besides, she had been cutting it close on the trouble front for awhile and decided she's keep a rather low profile.

She found her way to her favorite chair, a rocking chair that was given to her by her parents. Elle sat down and watched the guys as they did their work. In particular she watched Matt, the foreman, as well as she could. He was her favorite to watch when she decided to watch the guys because he was easier to focus in on for some reason.

Matt in her mind was best described as the guy on the ranch that most girls would want to marry if given the chance, but Elle wasn't ready to jump on that bandwagon just yet. He was good looking though she had to admit, but sometimes his personality turned her off of him. Plus she also felt like she knew a lot about him, which made him rather boring to her most of the time.

So there she sat in her dress with her favorite hat, a hat that she had bought from a passerby when she was about eighteen. That way she was prepared no matter how sunny the day would get to be. She grew tired after awhile, but knew there wasn't much else to do that somewhat interested her. Elle decided to stay there and wish that she could join the guys as they went about their work.

[luke]

Luke wandered around for a good long while after leaving the spring and eventually came about a ranch. He approached it ever so slowly. There was no need to startle anyone. He watched as the workers did their daily routine. Then he noticed a female figure watching from the porch.

He dismounted his girl, Candace, and decided to go the rest of the way on foot. Such people that worked on ranches usually didn't think much of a horse going by their windows, but a grown man was another thing. He knelt down and made his way around the horse making sure to lenghten the reigns to allow Candace to follow comfortabley behind him.

Soon he found his way up to the side of the porch that the female was sitting on and snuck up on her. He didn't plan to harm her in any way, especially now that he saw her up close. She was a beauty, a beauty that was watching the workers. Not only that but she seemed to watch one in particular, the one that was mostly likely the foreman he assumed.

Luke leaned up against the side of the house and the siding made a slight sound. He was sure that the girl could hear it. "It's alright," Luke said in a soft whisper. "I do not mean to cause you any harm miss. I am just admiring the view."

[beth]

Elle heard someone and a horse coming up along side the house towards the porch and got a bit anxious. Then she heard him whispering softly to her. The guy's voice seemed calm and told her to remain calm, so she went back to relaxing. In her mind he was doing what he told her he was doing and that wasn't a threat to her in any way. Besides admiring the view in her mind meant that he was admiring her and she loved having admirers.

"Admire the view all you want," she whispered back to him. "Just don't touch or those guys out there won't mind answering my screams for help." She smiled at the thought that this stranger would now make sure not to lay a finger on her unless he was evil or a complete and utter idiot.

Elle then reached into the skirt of her dress and grabbed a hold of the handgun. She knew he would see that she had something and that would keep most people at bay, especially strangers that didn't want any trouble. Just the same she knew he would think twice about anything that he was thinking of doing or saying.

[luke]

Luke noticed that the lady didn't turn to take peek at who was behind her. He thought that was rather brave and trusting given how close he was to her as compared to the ranch hands. She was going to let him enjoy his view or at least to some respect. She made clear that he was only safe as long as he stayed where he was, which was fine by him. He wasn't looking for any sort of trouble. After all he didn't harm women.

It was when he noticed her grab something that she had hidden in her dress that he realized she wasn't like the other ladies around. "Well you are a different kind of lady." His words stayed soft and calm even though he felt a little anxious within. He had never experienced a lady with a gun to know if they were generally good shots or not and he wasn't about ready to find out.

"In all fairness, you have nothing to worry about. I have just learned of this town's presence and trying to discover a little about it. I protect you ladies and children when given the chance and oppurtunity to. Besides you are far too beautiful to even consider harming."

[beth]

It was when the guy told her that she was a different kind of lady that Elle knew he had seen her grab the handgun. The statement only made her smirk in pleasure that she now seemed to have the upper hand. Just the same she was curious as to who this guy was, especially when he said he had just became aware of the town's presence. So she slowly turned so that she could see him.

He looked mysterious, but rather harmless from where she was seated. The young man was around her age she figured. He had dirty blond hair and the nicest blue eyes she had seen rather up close in a while. The mask threw her off though. Was it hiding scars or just there to try to hide his identity? Then again maybe it was just to give him more character. Anyway she looked at it and figured that he probably looked better without it.

"You look rather good yourself. Is the mask really needed?" She stared at him and realized that he really wasn't much of a threat. He seemed to just be a young guy that had ended up in a role that he wouldn't be if at least somethings in his life had been different.

It was then that she hoped that Matt and the guys didn't notice what was going on. She knew however that there was a good chance that they had already done just that. Just the same she treated it as if they hadn't. "It is nice to meet you, no matter what your story is."

[luke]

"Like wise," he told her as he thought about her question about his mask. "I'd rather keep it on. You never know who's really around." Luke hoped that she didn't ask any questions, but knew that was highly unlikely considering that she wasn't like most other ladies.

[beth]

Elle found herself feeling a little on edge all of a sudden. He seemed like a nice guy and she felt bad, but she had had enough drama as of late. She couldn't help but wonder who might be after him for whatever reason there might be. "Yes, you never know. Maybe you should not be here."

"I have just been through a lot and have had enough drama for awhile. Plus, I would not want anything to happen to you. You seem like a really nice guy." Elle frowned, she really felt bad for him. She was probably the first person he had kind of befriended in a while and here she was telling him that he should probably get lost and forget that she even exists.

Just the same she couldn't help but remember what had happened with Josiah. She didn't want to have to shoot anyone again in her whole life unless they were utter scum. Elle really hated the idea of shooting, but knew she had to keep a gun on her for her own protection.

[luke]

Luke sensed that the lady really wanted him to leave, but he didn't feel that perhaps that was really needed. "Miss, I am not afraid of being in harm's way. Just the same like anyone that does roughly the same as I do, I have had some run ins with some people in the past. I guarantee you though that you can not bring about anything I can not handle."

He figured that this lady as outgoing as she was couldn't be that much of a problem for him. After all she was just a lady, and she didn't seem to be married. Or could a lady be married and still be somewhat flirtatious with him?

[beth]

The guy got the part about Miss right, and Elle smiled at him for such. "Sir, I do not think you understand who you are talking with. Otherwise, you would of just turned and left already. May I just tell you though that I had to shoot a man in order to secure my safety. I really wouldn't want to find myself in that position again."

She gave him a stern look, like she was being completely and utterly honest. "He was a nice guy that I had befriended that was a gunslinger." Elle then started to turn to sit properly in the chair again. "As you can understand, I would prefer if you just leave and stay far away from me."

[luke]

Luke found himself kind of taken a back by what she had to say. Clearly she wasn't all that bad with guns and firing them. She did have a conscience though, which he greatly appreciated even if it did make her want to chase him away. He understood the gunslinger way of life more than he wished upon anyone even her. There were indeed guys out there some good but most bad that would use anything against their enemies to get even with them. He usually tried to stay clear of guys like that, and stay out of their way.

"I appreciate your honesty Miss, but I hardly doubt it will be much of a problem with me. I am not even sure if anyone is looking for me at all. I have not stepped on that many toes though, so I hardly doubt it Miss." Luke thought for a moment about her and her situation, and wondered why by all means she seemed to be alone while the guys were out managing the ranch. Anyone could of well enough have came up behind her and done whatever to her they had wanted to.

"Perhaps Miss," he said as he cleared his throat a little. "If you are that worried you should have someone looking out for your safety. I mean, you are kind of lucky that it was me that came about you today and not someone with vengeance."

[beth]

Elle listened to his first speech without much thought. That mask had convinced her otherwise, especially when he had told her he preferred that it remained on. To her that meant that he didn't want too many people seeing him with if off if it could be helped. Then as he went into his second speech she thought she'd never get rid of him. He seemed to want to make her his new assignment or job.

She thought for a moment before she started in on her own speech. "Sir, I could not hire you even if I wanted to. I have no say on how the household money is spent. However, I can tell you one thing. I hardly doubt my father would pay to have someone babysit me. He would much sooner watch over me himself if he was too worried."

Then the last statement from his speech had settled in and she wrapped her mind around it. It worried her a good bit. Indeed she had been lucky and perhaps a bit too trusting when she wasn't constantly thinking about what had happened with Josiah. "Do you really think I have to be that worried?" Her voice wavered as she asked him. At that, the sound of her own voice scared her.

[luke]

"Miss, if I have to be honest I have to say yes. Perhaps though you could help me get a better idea of who you have had to deal with. Maybe then I could give you a better idea how much harm you could possibly be in." He looked at her with a sincere look. "Knowing the kind that usually puts people in that situation though, I doubt you are safe."

"As far as payment Miss, you do not have to worry about that at the moment. It is a pleasure to watch you." Luke then felt a warmth trying to emerge just below the skin around his cheeks. He fought it off out of necessity. His feelings for such a beautiful girl had to be kept at bay. "I would hate to see anyone put in danger because of money, especially in a case like this."

[beth]

"Josiah referred to him as Tuscon. I don't know all that much more than that. Well, other than that he is colder than anyone else I have ever met." Elle then wondered if she was scaring him out of watching after her. The more she thought about it the more she realized that she was even more in danger than she had previously thought and imagined.

It was then she wished that she would think more about things before she said them out loud. Then again, did he know something about this Tuscon? Or even worse, had he ever dealt with him before? She started to worry quite a bit. Was she safe at all? Could this young man protect her or was he in over his head?

[luke]

Luke heard her say the name of the man that was only spoken about in muffled whispers amongst gunslingers. She was right by what he had heard, Tuscon had a reputation of being down right cold. As cold as ice as a good number of people would say. He was the one guy the gunslingers he knew warned you to stay away from, and yet this lady had found herself tangled in his web.

He sensed her tense up with fear. The normal eye wouldn't probably have noticed, but he had studied people and their changes in behavior rather closely over the years in order to help better protect himself. Instantly he knew he had to calm her down. Otherwise she might just have became hysterical.

"I am at your service Miss. You will be just fine. Although you should know that your life by all means comes before mine. As part of our arrangement I will die for you if needed Miss. Of course I have never been in the position where that was really necessary."

[beth]

His words seemed to calm her fears a little, but not her guilt. She didn't want anyone to have to die for her. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that. "Since you are going to be protecting me under such an agreement, I would like you to call me Elle in private. Besides, I do not love being called Miss repeatedly. I hope that does not bother you."

"Do you like being called Sir or should I call you something else in private as well?" She looked him over and thought about how he was so willing to protect her with his life. He must of liked her she decided. Why else would a guy be so willing to protect her and possibly die for her?