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Post by Justus Gibbs on Oct 22, 2012 22:01:49 GMT -8
Justus thought for a moment then nodded. "Well, yer pretty good at persuadin'. Reckon I'll take ya up on that." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold ring that was engraved in a flora pattern and set with rubies. "Hold onta this 'til I pay ya back. It was my ma's...she passed when I was a youngin'."
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Post by vee3 on Oct 23, 2012 8:54:56 GMT -8
She shook her head and held up her hand. "I don't need that, Justus. That was yer mama's. You keep it because I have faith you'll keep your word, cowboys always do." She paused, brushing her hands along the cloth she had set in her lap. "I know what it's like to lose somebody, an' I'd be damned if I willingly gave up something I got from 'em, excuse my cussin'." She said softly, lifting her eyes to meet his gaze. |
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Post by Justus Gibbs on Oct 25, 2012 21:13:20 GMT -8
"I hadn't noticed," Justus replied, gratefully slipping the ring back into his pocket. She was charming, pretty and had a nice smile, he noted, and she knew about horses and wasn't all fancy and frilly. That all made him all the more determined to find some sort of work here.
"I'm sorry that ya lost someone close to ya," he commented. "I never did have a chance ta get ta know my ma, she died when I was a baby." He shrugged. "'Course, that means I can make whatever memories I want of her, like she would have been."
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Post by vee3 on Oct 26, 2012 0:23:12 GMT -8
Her gaze softened a tad. It was good to know that she wasn't the only one who had lost somebody but still, it wasn't something she'd wish on anybody, least of all the man that sat across the table from her. "I never knew my mama. Papa said she divorced him, left me with him, and fell into the arms of another man. He never heard from her again." She shrugged, glimpsing down at the table. She hadn't really thought of it much.
She wondered briefly if she should just change the topic then just decided to go for it. "How'd you get Mule? I think I told ya about how I got Tobie then again, maybe I'm just imagin' things again." She chuckled. "It happens a bit, more than I'd like to admit." She shrugged lightly, focusing her full attention on Justus. This was nice, the casualness of what they were doing, despite her previous fumbles out on the street. |
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Post by Justus Gibbs on Oct 31, 2012 16:52:27 GMT -8
"Mule?" Justus chuckled. "Rotten luck, I guess!" Then he shook his head. "Won 'im in a poker game a few years back. Owner didn't understand 'im, though. A much as I talk 'im down, I gotta say, he's my best buddy." He shrugged, a bit embarrassed. "Guess we're birds of a feather, Mule an' me...take it easy when ya can, then go all out when ya gotta!"
"As fer imaginin', nah, ya told me. Yer Pa gave 'im to ya...was good'a him...maybe his way'a helpin' look out for ya? After all, a good horse is important as food an' water out here."
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Post by vee3 on Nov 10, 2012 6:00:32 GMT -8
She hesitated and nodded slowly, biting her lip. "My horse an' I traveled all the way from North Carolina to get 'ere. 'fore that, I 'ad 'im 'bout three years. One nigh', bad men came to the farm and papa told me to come 'ere 'cause my uncle was 'ere but when I got 'ere, my uncle was gone. He'd sold off 'is ranch an' moved so I found work at the Campbell Ranch and did what I could to cope." She said softly, fiddling with the tail end of her jacket. She couldn't help but still feel worried.
Her eyes watered briefly and she shook her head, dispelling the would-be tears. "I kinda snapped at ya' earlier 'cause I've been goin' all this time with the hope he was still alive, but I haven't heard anything from 'im in a few months. Hope's all I got left, aside from my horse and my job." She chuckled softly, meeting his gaze for a moment. She mulled over her next words, choosing them carefully. "Life ain't meant to be easy and if it were, we wouldn't 'ave met, and you'd be freezin' your butt off in a stable with Mule and wonderin' when your next meal'd be and as for me, I'd probably keep stumblin' around, wonderin' what to do with myself." She flashed a mischievous grin, her pale gaze twinkling with mirth as she concluded her speech. |
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Post by Justus Gibbs on Nov 11, 2012 18:56:39 GMT -8
Justus felt a pang of sympathy for the girl, although his feelings for his pa were just the opposite from her...he prayed every day that the man was dead, or at least would never be heard from again. But he smiled at her last quip. "Well, I might starve, but that nag'a mine'll find somethin' ta eat." He grinned, then became more serious. "Give yer pa time, takes a while ta get mail out an' he's probably busy." He wanted to encourage her, communications was iffy at best and it wasn't unusual not to hear from someone for months. "An' if yer still wonderin' whatcher gonna do, I could use someone ta show me out ta th' Campbell place an' put in a good word fer my character." His grin widened as he made a goofy face.
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