Josie got up in a cheerful mood. She was blessed with good Irish genes. She
could hold her liquor with the best of them; and she'd only been
incapacitated from liquor once, thanks to Jesse, who had taught her an
invaluable lesson; never drink more than you can hold.
Downstairs, Josie found everything quiet and in order. She made a mental note to thank Inez. Josie had barely made it to her room last night. She prayed that the boys had been in as bad a shape as she had, just in case she'd made a fool of herself. It was while she was searching for Inez that she found Buck asleep in the storeroom. She left him there and went to brew a pot of coffee.
Vin was the first to stumble in. Josie smiled at him, while Vin mumbled something about her being the devil before he fell into a chair, resting his head on the table. Josie quietly set a cup beside Vin then went to open the door to the storeroom, so the coffee's aroma might awaken Buck.
It was in the saloon that Chris found Vin, One look at him with his head on the table told Chris Vin was in no better shape than himself. As soon as Josie spotted Chris in the doorway, she shoved a cup in his head and steered him into a chair next to Vin.
Buck had also just stumbled into the room when a young girl dressed in boy's clothes stormed into the saloon.
"Chris, you've gotta come quick! I think JD is dying!" she cried loudly.
"Please don't yell," Vin muttered weakly. "Don't even talk."
"Casey, he just drank too much," Buck grumbled as he sank into a chair.
Chris groaned, but started to rise. Josie stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll go check," she said softly. "If it's serious, I'll send her back to get you." Josie turned to the girl. "Lead the way."
Casey stared at her a moment before turning and running out of the building. Josie followed Casey to the jail, where JD must have gone instead of his room at the boardinghouse.
"I'm dying, I swear it," JD whispered.
Josie almost laughed but the frightened look on Casey's face prevented her from doing so.
"JD, have you never imbibed too much liquor before?" Josie asked in a soft soothing voice, surprised by the kid's sincerity.
"Sure I have," JD whispered. "But it's never made me ill."
"Then you've never overindulged. This is usually what happens when you do so. Chris, Buck, and Vin aren't feeling much better."
"Why are you okay?" JD demanded suspiciously.
"JD, never challenge an Irishman to a whiskey drinking contest," Josie replied with a laugh. "Sorry," she stated when JD winced.
"JD Dunne, am I to understand that you're not dying! You just drank too much! How could you scare me like that?" Casey yelled as she stood suddenly. JD's head, which had been in her lap, hit the floor and JD groaned loudly. Casey proceeded to storm out of the jail, slamming the door behind her.
Josie helped JD off the floor. "Come to the saloon with me. Commiserating with your friends should make you feel better."
And she was right. Once JD saw he wasn't the only one who felt like he'd been run over by the morning stage, he began to feel a bit better.
As Ezra rode into town, he immediately had the feeling that something wasn't quite right, only he wasn't certain what that something was. He had just passed the jail when he realized he had yet to see one of the four remaining members of the seven in town. He debated between investigating this novelty and getting a drink at the saloon. He was incredibly parched from the long ride from Eagle Bend, and so the saloon won out. Inside, Ezra was surprised to find the answers to his puzzlement before him. All four were occupying one table. Buck was sitting slouched down in the chair, his long legs stretched out before him. His hat was pulled down over his face in attempt to block out the glare of the morning sun coming in through the front windows. Ezra couldn't determine Vin's exact condition for Vin's face was nose first on the table. JD's complexion was as white as a sheet. But he seemed to enjoy the fact that he wasn't alone in his condition if the smile he acquired every time he looked around him was any indication. Chris was the only one who appeared not to be suffering the effects of overconsumption. If it hadn't been for his blood shot eyes and the way Chris winced every time someone shuffled their boots against the wood floor, Ezra would have assumed Chris hadn't spent the previous evening with the other three. It was after Ezra had inspected his four friends that he noticed Josie sitting alone at the bar. She gave him a half smile and waved in greeting. Ezra took note that she had obviously not enjoyed herself as much as the men had.
"What, by chance, befell you gentleman last evening?" Ezra asked, stepping into the saloon with his saddlepack draped over his shoulder.
"Your partner," Vin groaned.
Ezra swung his gaze back to Josie. "Since Miss McCloud appears to be the only individual who did not overindulge in liquor, I will assume, Mr. Tanner, you are not trying to malign her character, but merely jesting," Ezra said as he flung his saddlepack on the bar next to Josie.
"He's not," Chris growled as he winced at the THUD of Ezra's saddlepack connecting with the wooden bar top.
Ezra looked down at Josie and smiled at the absurdity of their insinuations. Josie shrugged her shoulders and innocently smiled back.
"Miss Josie challenged the kid here that she could outdrink him and outplay him at poker. Incidentally, has anyone seen my pocket watch?" Buck asked as he fumbled in his pockets, looking for the missing timepiece.
"Yeah. Josie won it off you last night," Vin mumbled against wood, having never lifted his head up off the table.
"Hey! JD was the one who challenged me by assuming because I am female, I can do neither. No one asked the three of you to try to keep up. And I am not to blame because the three of you lack both the skills to play cards or the ability to handle your liquor," Josie protested loudly. Chris sent her a searing look; not only because of her truthful words, but also because of the volume she'd used to speak them. Her reply was to stick her tongue out at him.
Chris paused, stunned that a look that had sent many a man running for cover had absolutely no effect on this smidgen of a girl. His frown slowly formed into a smile when he realized Josie wasn't afraid of him, but quickly turned into a wince as Ezra's laughter reverberated off the walls.
Ezra couldn't help the laughter that escaped him. And when he saw its effect on his three friends, he laughed even harder. The absolute absurdity of the knowledge that a little thing like Josie McCloud could outdrink four grown men, three of whom where hardened gunslingers. It was hilarious.
Mary stepped into the entrance of the saloon. She paused as she fully took in the scene before her. Buck, JD, Vin, and Chris were sitting at a nearby table, very obviously feeling the ill effects of too much liquor. Ezra was standing to the right of Chris, clutching his abdomen because he was laughing so hard. And the four men sitting looked ready to murder him. Mary glanced around and finally spotted Josie sitting at the bar, a rather sheepish look encompassing her face.
"Josie," she called, gaining the entire room's attention. "You received a letter." Josie jumped up and approached Mary, who was holding the letter out in front of her.
"That was very kind of you to deliver it. Thank you, Mary," Josie said as she took the letter from Mary. Josie was quite surprised to already be receiving mail, and she wondered whom it could be from. Then as she glanced down at the letter, she recognized the handwriting and instantly knew whom it was from and that it had been mailed on the same day she'd left Rock Creek. "If you will please excuse me," she said softly to the room in general, hoping her voice didn't betray the distress she was suddenly feeling. And without waiting for a reply, Josie went straight to her room and didn't come back down again that day.
"Where was the letter from?" Chris asked Mary, trying to sound only mildly curious.
"It was postmarked from Abilene," Mary replied before she left the saloon and returned to the Clarion.
Downstairs, Josie found everything quiet and in order. She made a mental note to thank Inez. Josie had barely made it to her room last night. She prayed that the boys had been in as bad a shape as she had, just in case she'd made a fool of herself. It was while she was searching for Inez that she found Buck asleep in the storeroom. She left him there and went to brew a pot of coffee.
Vin was the first to stumble in. Josie smiled at him, while Vin mumbled something about her being the devil before he fell into a chair, resting his head on the table. Josie quietly set a cup beside Vin then went to open the door to the storeroom, so the coffee's aroma might awaken Buck.
It was in the saloon that Chris found Vin, One look at him with his head on the table told Chris Vin was in no better shape than himself. As soon as Josie spotted Chris in the doorway, she shoved a cup in his head and steered him into a chair next to Vin.
Buck had also just stumbled into the room when a young girl dressed in boy's clothes stormed into the saloon.
"Chris, you've gotta come quick! I think JD is dying!" she cried loudly.
"Please don't yell," Vin muttered weakly. "Don't even talk."
"Casey, he just drank too much," Buck grumbled as he sank into a chair.
Chris groaned, but started to rise. Josie stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll go check," she said softly. "If it's serious, I'll send her back to get you." Josie turned to the girl. "Lead the way."
Casey stared at her a moment before turning and running out of the building. Josie followed Casey to the jail, where JD must have gone instead of his room at the boardinghouse.
"I'm dying, I swear it," JD whispered.
Josie almost laughed but the frightened look on Casey's face prevented her from doing so.
"JD, have you never imbibed too much liquor before?" Josie asked in a soft soothing voice, surprised by the kid's sincerity.
"Sure I have," JD whispered. "But it's never made me ill."
"Then you've never overindulged. This is usually what happens when you do so. Chris, Buck, and Vin aren't feeling much better."
"Why are you okay?" JD demanded suspiciously.
"JD, never challenge an Irishman to a whiskey drinking contest," Josie replied with a laugh. "Sorry," she stated when JD winced.
"JD Dunne, am I to understand that you're not dying! You just drank too much! How could you scare me like that?" Casey yelled as she stood suddenly. JD's head, which had been in her lap, hit the floor and JD groaned loudly. Casey proceeded to storm out of the jail, slamming the door behind her.
Josie helped JD off the floor. "Come to the saloon with me. Commiserating with your friends should make you feel better."
And she was right. Once JD saw he wasn't the only one who felt like he'd been run over by the morning stage, he began to feel a bit better.
As Ezra rode into town, he immediately had the feeling that something wasn't quite right, only he wasn't certain what that something was. He had just passed the jail when he realized he had yet to see one of the four remaining members of the seven in town. He debated between investigating this novelty and getting a drink at the saloon. He was incredibly parched from the long ride from Eagle Bend, and so the saloon won out. Inside, Ezra was surprised to find the answers to his puzzlement before him. All four were occupying one table. Buck was sitting slouched down in the chair, his long legs stretched out before him. His hat was pulled down over his face in attempt to block out the glare of the morning sun coming in through the front windows. Ezra couldn't determine Vin's exact condition for Vin's face was nose first on the table. JD's complexion was as white as a sheet. But he seemed to enjoy the fact that he wasn't alone in his condition if the smile he acquired every time he looked around him was any indication. Chris was the only one who appeared not to be suffering the effects of overconsumption. If it hadn't been for his blood shot eyes and the way Chris winced every time someone shuffled their boots against the wood floor, Ezra would have assumed Chris hadn't spent the previous evening with the other three. It was after Ezra had inspected his four friends that he noticed Josie sitting alone at the bar. She gave him a half smile and waved in greeting. Ezra took note that she had obviously not enjoyed herself as much as the men had.
"What, by chance, befell you gentleman last evening?" Ezra asked, stepping into the saloon with his saddlepack draped over his shoulder.
"Your partner," Vin groaned.
Ezra swung his gaze back to Josie. "Since Miss McCloud appears to be the only individual who did not overindulge in liquor, I will assume, Mr. Tanner, you are not trying to malign her character, but merely jesting," Ezra said as he flung his saddlepack on the bar next to Josie.
"He's not," Chris growled as he winced at the THUD of Ezra's saddlepack connecting with the wooden bar top.
Ezra looked down at Josie and smiled at the absurdity of their insinuations. Josie shrugged her shoulders and innocently smiled back.
"Miss Josie challenged the kid here that she could outdrink him and outplay him at poker. Incidentally, has anyone seen my pocket watch?" Buck asked as he fumbled in his pockets, looking for the missing timepiece.
"Yeah. Josie won it off you last night," Vin mumbled against wood, having never lifted his head up off the table.
"Hey! JD was the one who challenged me by assuming because I am female, I can do neither. No one asked the three of you to try to keep up. And I am not to blame because the three of you lack both the skills to play cards or the ability to handle your liquor," Josie protested loudly. Chris sent her a searing look; not only because of her truthful words, but also because of the volume she'd used to speak them. Her reply was to stick her tongue out at him.
Chris paused, stunned that a look that had sent many a man running for cover had absolutely no effect on this smidgen of a girl. His frown slowly formed into a smile when he realized Josie wasn't afraid of him, but quickly turned into a wince as Ezra's laughter reverberated off the walls.
Ezra couldn't help the laughter that escaped him. And when he saw its effect on his three friends, he laughed even harder. The absolute absurdity of the knowledge that a little thing like Josie McCloud could outdrink four grown men, three of whom where hardened gunslingers. It was hilarious.
Mary stepped into the entrance of the saloon. She paused as she fully took in the scene before her. Buck, JD, Vin, and Chris were sitting at a nearby table, very obviously feeling the ill effects of too much liquor. Ezra was standing to the right of Chris, clutching his abdomen because he was laughing so hard. And the four men sitting looked ready to murder him. Mary glanced around and finally spotted Josie sitting at the bar, a rather sheepish look encompassing her face.
"Josie," she called, gaining the entire room's attention. "You received a letter." Josie jumped up and approached Mary, who was holding the letter out in front of her.
"That was very kind of you to deliver it. Thank you, Mary," Josie said as she took the letter from Mary. Josie was quite surprised to already be receiving mail, and she wondered whom it could be from. Then as she glanced down at the letter, she recognized the handwriting and instantly knew whom it was from and that it had been mailed on the same day she'd left Rock Creek. "If you will please excuse me," she said softly to the room in general, hoping her voice didn't betray the distress she was suddenly feeling. And without waiting for a reply, Josie went straight to her room and didn't come back down again that day.
"Where was the letter from?" Chris asked Mary, trying to sound only mildly curious.
"It was postmarked from Abilene," Mary replied before she left the saloon and returned to the Clarion.