Post by Lovely on Jul 28, 2010 23:40:22 GMT -5
July 5, Year 1
Continued from Main Street: A penny for your thoughts
He looked up from the counter as she walked in, having heard her voice peal out down the walkway. "Well, now... do my eyes deceive or is it Annie Oakley herself? Oh, I'm sorry... Ciara... my mistake. Thought that big gun you had in your carriage next to you was something useful. Did he make it home alright?" Cody sneered, the chuckle barely withheld.
"Oh this day just gets better.." She muttered, half thinking she'd rather have Patrick in the shop than Cody. "Good day, Mr. Westgate." She motioned to the door.
"Turning away a paying customer? Shameful. Half a bag of buckshot would surely do your til a world of good. Business has been a little light, wouldn't you say?"
"Business has been fine, not that mine is any of yours." She looked at him, pointedly. "Now if you're buying something.. buy it... but your side comments to me are not required."
"This man botherin' you, Ci?" The random click and engage of the rifle was a noteworthy sound in any setting, but as it came from the storeroom behind her, Cody's eyes flared a little more than he tried to let show, seeing Chance aim from the doorway.
She held the smile in the best she could, silently singing of how she loved her brother at this moment. "Well now, I think he was going to buy some buckshot and be on his way.. weren't you?" She directed the last bit at Cody and waited with her arms folded and herself to the side, well out of Chance's way.
He scowled in a way only a Westgate could manage and tossed his coin down, waiting impatiently for change and his bag. "No need to get hostile... wasn't doin' nothin'," he pouted.
"Maybe you should go to some classes... teach you manners and your given tongue, Westgate. You weren't doing anything... and you're right. I'm sure you can be useful elsewhere and leave Ciara to her work."
She moved around to get Cody his change and put his coin into the till. She glanced at Chance and said nothing more at the moment.
Once the change was in hand, he put on an air of defiance, but walked out quickly to keep his bruised ego as intact as he could.
The rifle lowered and Chance stepped from the doorway, reaching an arm to his sister. "You alright? I've seen brighter smiles."
She looked at him, nodding her head, even as she curled into the protective circle of his arm. "Glad you're here." She said softly, resting her head against the front of his shoulder.
"Hey now... that's the one reserved for bad dreams and scary stories. You have a run in with a snake or something? Besides Cody, I mean?"
She shook her head, holding him tightly around the waist. "Bad few days is all.."
He kissed her head and looked at her with a frown. "What can I do to cheer you up?"
Ciara sighed and shrugged, there was really nothing to be done. She couldn't ask for what she wanted, and if she did ask, it was unlikely she'd get it. "Chance.." She started and then her voice faded away.
He heard the tide and ebb of her almost child-like voice. She wasn't often reserved like this. "What's wrong?" He cooed gently, rocking her a little as he rubbed her arm. He looked at the store and although it was empty at the moment, he offered to go to the back to talk privately. "Come on... penny for your thoughts?"
She closed her eyes, hoping that what she said, would be listened to and that he would not simply go 'big brother' about it. "Chance, have you ever.. liked someone, that maybe other people didn't.. or that they had a bad opinion of... but you saw something more there? Something others maybe weren't seeing?"
If ever something rang in his head that sounded like his own words in someone else's voice... she said exactly what he'd been pondering himself about Tess. He gave Ciara a curious look for a long moment, not sure what or who she was getting at. "Good book tells us we're supposed to, Ci... that's our salvation, you know. Although, I'm thinking I'm hearing something else in your asking... you got a new beau I need to know about?" He teased softly, not challengingly. He knew she was an age that many of the boys in town would pay attention, but he'd never really seen her pay attention in return. "It's not Cody, I hope," he warned, adding the challenge to his teasing. The way they fought, it was hard to tell at times.
"No.. it's not Cody." She made a face. "It's partly why I am not very fond of him lately..." She sighed, her dark eyes full of worry and confusion and a light he may have never seen shine from them. "I don't know.. I don't know.." She murmured softly. "Can't call someone a beau.. unless their courting you. I don't know if.. well if he'd be allowed to.. but I don't know of any men brave enough to come to our door, asking about me.." She gave her brother an affectionate glance. "They're all too scared of you boys... I'm going to end up a spinster.." She teased softly, half serious. "You know I have never had much use for boys, other than my brothers, and I adore each of you. But I do not wish to spend my whole life without.. a family, husband and children of my own." She blushed a deep rose color and glanced at him shyly.
Continued from Main Street: A penny for your thoughts
He looked up from the counter as she walked in, having heard her voice peal out down the walkway. "Well, now... do my eyes deceive or is it Annie Oakley herself? Oh, I'm sorry... Ciara... my mistake. Thought that big gun you had in your carriage next to you was something useful. Did he make it home alright?" Cody sneered, the chuckle barely withheld.
"Oh this day just gets better.." She muttered, half thinking she'd rather have Patrick in the shop than Cody. "Good day, Mr. Westgate." She motioned to the door.
"Turning away a paying customer? Shameful. Half a bag of buckshot would surely do your til a world of good. Business has been a little light, wouldn't you say?"
"Business has been fine, not that mine is any of yours." She looked at him, pointedly. "Now if you're buying something.. buy it... but your side comments to me are not required."
"This man botherin' you, Ci?" The random click and engage of the rifle was a noteworthy sound in any setting, but as it came from the storeroom behind her, Cody's eyes flared a little more than he tried to let show, seeing Chance aim from the doorway.
She held the smile in the best she could, silently singing of how she loved her brother at this moment. "Well now, I think he was going to buy some buckshot and be on his way.. weren't you?" She directed the last bit at Cody and waited with her arms folded and herself to the side, well out of Chance's way.
He scowled in a way only a Westgate could manage and tossed his coin down, waiting impatiently for change and his bag. "No need to get hostile... wasn't doin' nothin'," he pouted.
"Maybe you should go to some classes... teach you manners and your given tongue, Westgate. You weren't doing anything... and you're right. I'm sure you can be useful elsewhere and leave Ciara to her work."
She moved around to get Cody his change and put his coin into the till. She glanced at Chance and said nothing more at the moment.
Once the change was in hand, he put on an air of defiance, but walked out quickly to keep his bruised ego as intact as he could.
The rifle lowered and Chance stepped from the doorway, reaching an arm to his sister. "You alright? I've seen brighter smiles."
She looked at him, nodding her head, even as she curled into the protective circle of his arm. "Glad you're here." She said softly, resting her head against the front of his shoulder.
"Hey now... that's the one reserved for bad dreams and scary stories. You have a run in with a snake or something? Besides Cody, I mean?"
She shook her head, holding him tightly around the waist. "Bad few days is all.."
He kissed her head and looked at her with a frown. "What can I do to cheer you up?"
Ciara sighed and shrugged, there was really nothing to be done. She couldn't ask for what she wanted, and if she did ask, it was unlikely she'd get it. "Chance.." She started and then her voice faded away.
He heard the tide and ebb of her almost child-like voice. She wasn't often reserved like this. "What's wrong?" He cooed gently, rocking her a little as he rubbed her arm. He looked at the store and although it was empty at the moment, he offered to go to the back to talk privately. "Come on... penny for your thoughts?"
She closed her eyes, hoping that what she said, would be listened to and that he would not simply go 'big brother' about it. "Chance, have you ever.. liked someone, that maybe other people didn't.. or that they had a bad opinion of... but you saw something more there? Something others maybe weren't seeing?"
If ever something rang in his head that sounded like his own words in someone else's voice... she said exactly what he'd been pondering himself about Tess. He gave Ciara a curious look for a long moment, not sure what or who she was getting at. "Good book tells us we're supposed to, Ci... that's our salvation, you know. Although, I'm thinking I'm hearing something else in your asking... you got a new beau I need to know about?" He teased softly, not challengingly. He knew she was an age that many of the boys in town would pay attention, but he'd never really seen her pay attention in return. "It's not Cody, I hope," he warned, adding the challenge to his teasing. The way they fought, it was hard to tell at times.
"No.. it's not Cody." She made a face. "It's partly why I am not very fond of him lately..." She sighed, her dark eyes full of worry and confusion and a light he may have never seen shine from them. "I don't know.. I don't know.." She murmured softly. "Can't call someone a beau.. unless their courting you. I don't know if.. well if he'd be allowed to.. but I don't know of any men brave enough to come to our door, asking about me.." She gave her brother an affectionate glance. "They're all too scared of you boys... I'm going to end up a spinster.." She teased softly, half serious. "You know I have never had much use for boys, other than my brothers, and I adore each of you. But I do not wish to spend my whole life without.. a family, husband and children of my own." She blushed a deep rose color and glanced at him shyly.