oom: barlow estate (2)

[scurlock]

He sleeps well enough, curled on his side (after he manages to fall asleep, of course, nerves in his belly twisting at him for a while after the drink and conversation) and wakes with the first sounds of someone moving around the bunkhouse.

It's Jim.

Doc gives the older hand a few minutes of head start before he hauls himself out of bed and begins getting ready for the day. He notices that Jim, and the rest of the boys, all wear their guns, so once he's dressed himself, he settles his at his hip.

It's not dawn, yet, not by a longshot, when he makes his way over to the stables and barn in order to check on his horse - and see if Jim wants a hand in getting things taken care of. Might as well offer, after all.

"Hey, Jim...don't forget t'mind your hat," he mentions, quietly, as he enters the barn. His own is hanging around his neck by the cord, where he'll keep it out of reach of the horse as best he can. "You need a hand with anything?"

Comments

[ikissdhimbck]

But the person who peaks out from around Cortez's proud muzzle isn't Jim.

Not even remotely.

Blue eyes peer around the paint at 'Jay.'

"He's gettin' his coffee," she states, simply.

A beat, as she carefully watches him enter the barn.

"Why would he need to mind his hat?"

[scurlock]

He stops where he is.

"Miss Barlow."

It's a greeting, and maybe a hint of surprise in his tone as well.

He doesn't move from the doorway, but he does smile a little.

"My horse has got a thing for playin' with hats," he offers, quietly. "Jim found that out the hard way last night 'fore I warned him, he mentioned that he wanted to remember it come this mornin'."

[ikissdhimbck]

She doesn't laugh outright, but he'll be able to see it sparkling in her eyes.

"This is your horse, then?" she asks, stroking Cortez's neck.

[scurlock]

He nods, once.

"Yes ma'am," he confirms. "His name's 'Cortez'."

(He can see that laugh threatening in her eyes, and it warms his heart a little bit.)

[ikissdhimbck]

"Cortez?"

She studies the young paint.

"Like the explorer?"

The horse seems rather calm and docile at the moment, snorting softly as Katherine pays attention to his soft ears.

[scurlock]

"Like the explorer, that's right."

Jay leans lightly against the doorframe.

"You're up awful early," he says quietly. "You come out here every morning to check on the horses?"

[ikissdhimbck]

"Since I was twelve," she nods, offering Cortez a small treat. "I help Jim out.

"Have to come out early, though. 'Fore breakfast, when they'll be needin' me in the kitchen."

She glances out the door then, to check on the sky. Still some time.

[scurlock]

"That's awful kind of you," he tells her. "How old are you now, if you don't mind me askin', Miss Barlow?"

He's making a mental list of things he needs to take care of prior to dawn. It won't take long to saddle up for the day, not when he can do it in a hurry in a matter of minutes.

(Sometimes they just didn't have time.)

[ikissdhimbck]

She straightens her shoulders on instinct, combing her hair behind her ears as she turns to look at him.

"I'm fifteen, sir," she says quietly, respectfully.


...Trying to come off older.

[scurlock]

"Just fifteen? Huh...I pegged you for older, myself."

He knows.

(He did the same thing too, years ago.)

[ikissdhimbck]

She smiles for real this time.

It's the first genuine smile she's given him, but she is quick to duck her head from his eyes.

[scurlock]

He glances towards the house.

"I'm gonna go get myself a cup of coffee," he tells her. "If you'll excuse me, Miss Barlow?"

[ikissdhimbck]

She again looks out toward the early, early morning sky, and nods.

"Of course."

And then she turns her attention back to the horses.

[scurlock]

Jay nods his head, once, before he turns and heads for the house to get himself a cup of coffee.

He won't be in there long, however. Barlow said he needed to be ready by dawn, and he will be.

[ikissdhimbck]

He passes Jim on the way to the house.

The older man glances from Jay, to the stables, to Jay again.

And then, with a grunt, he keeps on moving.

[scurlock]

He refrains from 'mind your hat'.

(He also figures that Katherine will tell him anyway.)


The thought does make him smirk.

[ikissdhimbck]

(Oh, she will. Much to the older man's chagrin, and reluctant amusement.)

Inside, Jay will find the coffee still hot and steaming in the kitchen. Henry is already up and moving about the room, along with the petite woman from yesterday, pots and things banging and rattling as they begin preparations for breakfast.

Henry is a genial sort of fellow, and is glad for some conversation with another gentleman, as 'Jay' fetches his coffee.

[scurlock]

He does make a few moments of conversation with Henry while he drinks his cup of coffee - black, not bothering with milk or sugar this morning.

The fact that Jay's even still on the property should answer any doubts the man has about how the conversation the night prior went.

Eventually, after finishing that cup of coffee, he heads back out for the stables to see if Jim needs a hand and to start getting his horse ready.

[ikissdhimbck]

Once he returns to the stables, he'll find that young Miss Barlow is gone, and Jim is taking an examination of each stall, checking on the feed and watering the young miss had taken care of.

His eyes glance up when Jay enters the barn, but he only shrugs when the boy asks if he can help out, telling him to get his own horse taken care of.

(His hat is hanging from the leather band around his neck.)

"You and the boss have a nice chat last night?" he asks, voice not betraying a hint of emotion, or a hint of how he knew about said chat.

[scurlock]

"Ah, yessir. Cleared a few things up that needed clearin'."

He goes to where he stored his tack last night to fetch the comb and hoofpick from his saddle bags, so that he can brush down the animal's coat prior to saddling him up and also check his hooves for any rocks or debris stuck in.

[ikissdhimbck]

"What else would you have expected? The boss just invited the new boy in for drinks with his two heads of estate, 'cuz he likes 'im?"

He arches an eyebrow at Jay, but his tone isn't overly harsh or cruel.

"Boss knows how to watch out for his affairs. And for what he misses, he got the rest of us all to keep an eye open."

And, on that note...

"You have a nice chat with Miss Barlow?" he mutters, voice low, as he leans against the wall near Jay, arms crossed.

[scurlock]

He glances up, at that question.

"I just came out t'ask if y'needed help and she said you'd gone in to fetch your coffee. Never got no farther in than the doorway," he nods his head in the direction. "She asked 'bout Cortez and I told her 'bout him, then I headed in t'fetch my own."

A beat.

"I ain't gonna try t'pull nothin'. I ain't stupid."

[ikissdhimbck]

He watches his face for a moment, before snorting a soft laugh, shaking his head.

"No, I don't think you is," he mutters, amusement clear in his voice. "And it's damned near impossible to avoid her, especially out here.

"She's of the curious sort, too, I think y'might have noticed. But--"

And he leans in, then, expression becoming a bit serious.

"I'd still caution you t'be careful. Lots of us 'round here love that girl to bits. Stupid or not, you're gonna have eyes on you everywhere you go."

[scurlock]

He nods. "I'm well 'ware of that," he says. "I honestly don't expect nothin' less," he admits.

They're loyal to her father which means that they're loyal to her. It's not hard to see how that could become a problem if he got too close to her. He'll keep his distance...and it's not like he's in love with this girl.

She's just a girl.

"She is awful curious," he continues. "Smart, though. Figured out I'd named him for the explorer 'fore I even had to mention it."

[ikissdhimbck]

Jim nods, and there is a genuine smile on his face.

"She and her daddy love their books somethin' fierce," he remarks, straightening and moving back to his work. "Says she's gonna teach, just as soon as she's done with scoolin'."

The conversation steadily works its way back to stable matters, as Jim watches him finish with his own horse and asks his help with a few others.

Dawn is creeping over the horizon, and others are joining them in the stables now.