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Post by Sojourner on Apr 28, 2009 19:27:21 GMT -8
Jake rode with a loose rein, Blaze having figured out that all they were doing was following along after Elizabeth and quite content to do so since it required very little effort on her part. He watched as Elle reached into her dress when she percieved that someone was behind her. It was a surprise to him that she would have a gun and the knowledge of how to use it, but a good thing nontheless. At least she had some way of looking out for herself. Her stiff pose warned him that she might well take a shot at him unless she recognized him, but just as he opened his mouth to identify himself, he glimpsed the smile of recognition and release of tension that proved she had figured it out for herself.
Her words hardly warranted a response from him. Little about his expression changed, and he certainly remained as relaxed as ever. Marriage wasn't something that was on his mind at the moment, and so it was no embarassment to him that she might hint he was sweet on her. Honest to truth though, he looked upon her more as a sister than anything else. She was beautiful, but he was not one of those in pursuit of her. "I am hardly sneaking," he assured her. "If I were, Blaze would be walking on the side of the road, where the ground is not so hard and her hooves would made hardly a sound." It was helpful of course that she was unshod, being tough enough not to need iron shoes. "I merely chose to keep my peace because I guessed you'd be more'n a little annoyed to have me comin' after you."
It was odd that she addressed him solely as sheriff. She had known him long before that simply as Jake. He addressed her as 'Miss Emerson' in public to maintain proper accord, but would likely call her Elle if the need arose just now. As they made progress back toward the Iron Star, Jake looked out into the darkness surrounding him. He had a healthy respect for the night and the dangers it posed. There were all sorts of things that were difficult to see without the light of day to unveil them, and sight was the sense that they as humans used the most. Blaze on the other hand had sharper smell and hearing. She could easily alert them if something was amiss, but aside from a few inquiring flickers of her ears, she remained relaxed and quiet.
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Post by beth on Apr 28, 2009 20:01:10 GMT -8
"Well I never know what to think of all of you guys that drool over me and want me to become some kind of quiet and scared to leave the house kind of wife. Who says one of you wouldn't just grab me and take me away on some horse against my will to get married?" She looked over her shoulder at him. "Then again I suppose you wouldn't do that right, Jake? You out of all people would know better than to do such a thing."
She fiddled with the trim on her dress a little. The lacy trim that she felt obligated to have on it because it was feminine and would keep people thinking that maybe there was a softer side to her. "Of course you're one of the better guys around here. Although I find you annoying and sometimes down right irritating when you're acting so down right official and trying to boss me around."
"Like right now you're kind of fun to have around. Even if you are still thinking less of my gender. Not all of us are defenseless little girls running for some man to protect us." She then got lost in thought and her lips stopped moving, but she continued on a walking. It was Blake walking behind her that brought her back from her wandering mind.
"You know, I was rather fond of you when we were both younger. Then again I suppose the feelings weren't mutual. It's different for you I would assume with you being the older one of us." She blushed ever so slightly out of some sort of habit. It was then that Elle started to see the outline of the ranch and everything that it was and wasn't. "Somehow I think that if I ever did marry it would have to be to someone that doesn't mind living on a ranch and helping out at least a little."
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Post by Sojourner on Apr 28, 2009 20:42:51 GMT -8
"No one expects you to become frightened to leave the house," Jake responded. His tone was smooth and patient as ever. "It would be rather a pity, actually. Women here are expected to know themselves, to know their men, to know their work. They work just as hard as we do, but in different ways. As to being spirited away on a horse, I suppose that's what I'm here to prevent, hmm?" Her continued jibes as to whether he wanted to marry her, by force or otherwise, were consistently dismissed. Any comment he made would only feed into it.
He twined his fingers through Blaze's unruly black mane idly as she spoke disparagingly of the annoyance he caused her and how it didn't make sense to protect women all of the time when they were perfectly capable of watching out for themselves. Somehow, with his two colt pistols, four magazines of bullets, three knives, and his mare, he felt himself better prepared and better capable of taking on any threat. "Do you find it so offensive that we should value you so? Few men would admit as much aloud, but there is such a great deal that women are depended upon for -- beyond having children. It would be unwise for us to allow you to walk into potential danger alone and thus risk losing you."
Her comments on their childhood on their childhood were becoming somewhat uncomfortable, but he did not reveal this outwardly. "Don't be so hasty to assume that I am not fond of you, Elle," he intervened. "I wouldn't be here if I weren't fond of you." Of course, there was being fond of someone, and then there was being in love with them. These, at least in his perception, were two vastly different things. "Naturally you'd want to marry someone to help out on the ranch. It would essentially be his job to run the operation, after your father died." It was unheard of to have a woman running a ranch entirely on her own.
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Post by beth on Apr 28, 2009 21:03:45 GMT -8
"I suppose you're right, but I don't find having all the ranch hands feeling obligated to keep a watch of over me almost every waking hour because something might happen to me. That includes when I'm on the grounds of the ranch. I even suspect that they've been taking me to the saloon just so the rest of you can watch over me for awhile and they can relax even the slightest bit."
She fiddled with her lace a little more. It was at least good for fiddling she thought to herself. "It's almost like if I get the smallest cut you're all going to be running to my side and taking care of me. Or at least it seems that way enough of the time. Then again," she said as she looked over her shoulder at him. "You don't seem to be as willing to fight over me with the others as the other guys are. I can't believe that almost all of them want me."
"Now, I can see why maybe the guys at the ranch would want me all to themselves. Some of them might have seen a thing or two to catch their interest and keep it by mistake. I also understand that if I married any of them they would want to take over the main ownership of the ranch, but I don't know if I would want it that way. Why can't a woman be the main owner and run the place without having to be downplayed by some man?"
As they neared the ranch given the topic of conversation she shortened and slowed her stride. Besides she noted that it would look better if Jake caught up with her a little. "I'm just tired of feeling like I'm second rate just because of my gender. Do we really need a chaperon or ten, if not more, every where we go?"
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Post by Sojourner on Apr 29, 2009 17:30:59 GMT -8
"I'll keep in mind not to give a d**n the next time I see you take a tumble off a fresh horse or somethin'," Jake responded as she went on to express her dislike for being fussed over. Usually he wouldn't swear in such a fashion in front of a lady, but he knew her well enough to be fairly certain that she wouldn't take any offense. Despite the fact that he had spoken with little emotion to color the words, he had been joking. His was a very dry sense of humor.
Listening to her go on about how the men scuffled over her and how it didn't make any sense that a woman couldn't run her own ranching operation, Jake drew a long weary sigh. "You can hardly expect for me to reframe society to suit you, Elle. A woman wouldn't have any place roping and branding calves and driving steers to auction. Men can respect women for what they do, and for the role they play... but we cannot respect a woman who attempts to fill our role."
Blaze was soon walking alongside Elizabeth as they neared the ranch, rather than behind her. Jake allowed for the silence between them to stretch on into the darkness, listening to the crickets hum and the frogs sing in the distance. The temperature out was pleasant. There was a slight chill, but only enough to make one want to get out and move.
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Post by beth on Apr 30, 2009 10:26:31 GMT -8
She laughed at how he phased his "joke." It was nice to have someone that was actually real around her instead of censoring everything. Even her father censored a lot of what he said when he could remember to. It was a thing she supposed, the men felt like the women couldn't handle a swear here or there.
"I'm not saying I'd fire anyone so that I could do it," she replied as she turned to look at him. "I'm just saying that I wouldn't mind going out on a ride with the guys from time to time and not be treated like some kind of crazy tourist. I wouldn't mind helping out with that part of the operation some."
"Besides what would happen if for some reason something happened with my animals and I was the one that could get to them first? Shouldn't I know how to deal with at least some situations to some extent on my own? Like when I sneak out at night and visit the horse because I have trouble sleeping on the warmer nights."
They were getting really close to the ranch now. She could see her parents inside the house talking, most likely about the horses. "Well I guess it's almost time for us to go our own ways unless you want to come in and visit." As much as she liked him as a partial ally she hoped he didn't decide to visit. If he did there was a chance that what happened at the saloon would come up and she didn't want that.
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Post by Sojourner on May 3, 2009 18:14:24 GMT -8
"I'm not going to take it upon myself to say what exactly you should and should not do," Jake said, becoming somewhat bothered by her constant questioning. It really wasn't going to get her much of anywhere. It was not as though he as sheriff was going to reform the town's laws to make women equal to men in every way. "I am not your husband or guardian, and I will not tell you what to do in any of these respects, but I do mantain the right to advise you as sheriff, and remove you from situations that I feel to be dangerous."
Seeing the illuminated ranch house lights up ahead was something of a relief for Jake at this point. There was only so much of Elle's persistance that he was entirely willing to take. Once they had stepped past the Iron Star's sign, he halted Blaze. "I'd best be on my way," he said in response to her invitation inside. "I'll stay here until you're safely inside." She wasn't likely to appreciate this extra effort on his part, but he would do it nontheless. He didn't expect any thanks, judging by her current temper.
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Post by beth on May 3, 2009 18:36:45 GMT -8
"I guess that's the safe way of making sure that a girl doesn't use your words to her advantage. Can't really blame you in some ways Jake, but you can't always be on duty can you?" Elle really did understand, but in a way she felt like no one liked talking to her. It was almost like the whole town had decided that she was crazy. She couldn't stand being treated the way they all did.
"Yeah, I understand. You have other things to go take care of and check up on. Thanks for the company and the time Jake. You do a job looking after all of us." She then started to walk the rest of the way to the ranch house where she was sure her parents would be happy to see that she was home nice and safe. She turned around to face Jake momentarily. "Take care!"
Sure Elle could be a pain, but she cared about the people around her even if they didn't think she did. Jake was no different in her mind than her father. She liked him even if he didn't know it. She then turned back towards the house and made her way to the porch. There she opened the door and headed inside. She then turned and waved at Jake from inside the house.
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