Jason and Joshua were working in the Office Tent. It was raining so hard outside that the top of the tent sagged from the weight of the water. The floor was two to three inches deep in mud. Jeremy had already left for home.
Jason had never seen Jeremy so happy. Although he worried about him taking on so much responsibility after Candy's mother died, Jeremy seemed to thrive on it. And now that Candy was about to have a baby of their own, he was walking on air. At least Benjamin Pruitt had arrived to help, and the money he brought from the settlement of Mrs. Pruitt's estate provided a home for all of them. Not to mention the small lease payment from the farm and house that arrived monthly.
Joshua was sitting at a makeshift desk reading a letter and smiling. As Jason walked over to the stove to pour himself a cup of coffee he got a small whiff of the perfume that was obviously sprayed on the letter Josh was reading. As he walked back to his chair after pouring his coffee Jason grabbed the envelope from the corner of Josh's desk. "San Francisco?" he asked "Valerie?"
Josh looked up and responded "No, I haven't heard from her in a while."
"Ah." was Jason's only response. He knew better than to push Josh over his love life, it seldom ended peacefully.
Jason sat back down and took a sip of his coffee and made a disgusted face. "Ack, this tastes like it was made out of the mud from the floor!" he declared.
Josh sat up and turned to face his brother "It's been raining so hard that no one has been able to get into town for supplies".
Jason stood and walked to the opening of the tent to discard the liquid in the cup. "It's barely raining right now. I think I'll head into town to get some fresh supplies"
"Ben will have closed up by now."
Jason's eyes widened and his brows arched up "Well then. Lottie's it is." He declared grinning as he put on his rain slicker and hat "You coming Josh?"
Joshua put the letter back in the envelope and slid it into the small drawer of the desk. "Sure." he said with a huge smile "Why not?"
After putting on their rain gear the two headed toward Seattle's Town Square and Lottie's.
They entered a not surprisingly packed Lottie's Saloon and headed toward an open spot at the bar.
"LOTTIE" Jason all but bellowed.
"SIR did, your mother not teach you any manners?" came a strangely familiar voice from behind him. "You march in here, trailing mud everywhere, and then DEMAND service?"
Jason spun around and stared wide eyed at the woman addressing him.
"You will get served when it is your turn and not a minute sooner,"
Jason squinted his eyes "Lulu? Lulu Bright?' he asked her.
"Well, look at that" Lulu continued to address him. "You CAN speak in a civilized manner."