Chapter 18 "Ruby's First Job" Ruby gets her first "job." This is just a one part story.

Kitty and Ruby were walking towards the general store. She had a list of items she needed. Normally she would wait until Saturday to get the items when she, Matt, and Ruby went, but unfortunately she couldn't wait until Saturday. Since it was during the week, Matt was working, so she had to bring Ruby with her. Ruby was a well behaved child, but it was still easier to do the shopping without having to worry about a four year old. When they went shopping as a family, both she and Matt kept an eye on Ruby.

Then an idea struck. If Matt was at the jail, maybe she could drop Ruby off and she could stay with Matt while Kitty did the shopping. It would only be fifteen minutes, twenty at the most. She just prayed that there wasn't an occupant in any of the jail cells. Kitty was pretty sure Matt would not take Ruby, if there was someone in one of the cells. There was only one way to find out. Kitty took Ruby's hand and crossed the street to the jail. Ruby knew exactly where they were going.

"Oh boy!" Ruby exclaimed. "Are we going to go and see daddy?"

"We'll have to see if he's there, and if it's okay to come in," said Kitty. "Now, you sit right here, and I'll check." Kitty put Ruby on one of the chairs outside the jail, and then walked inside.

Matt looked up when the door opened and was surprised to see Kitty there. When he didn't see Ruby, he started to panic. "What's wrong? Where's Ruby? Please tell me she's alright."

"Calm down, Cowboy. She's sitting outside and she's fine. I just wanted to make sure you didn't have any residents in jail," said Kitty. "I can see that you don't."

"So, what brings you here?" asked Matt.

"I have to go to the store and was wondering if Ruby could stay with you," said Kitty. "It will only be fifteen, maybe twenty minutes."

"Sure, things are pretty slow around here," said Matt. "Maybe I can find a "job" for her to do."

"Thank you so much," said Kitty, leaning up to kiss him.

It was at that moment they heard a little knock on the door and the voice of their daughter on the other side. "Hey! Didja forget about me?" her little voice yelled.

Matt and Kitty looked at each other and laughed. Kitty opened the door to find their daughter standing there with her hands on her hips and her rosebud lips pierced tightly together. She knew without a doubt that Ruby was blessed with her temper.

"No, sweetie. We didn't forget about you," said Kitty. "I had to make sure you could stay with daddy."

"Can I?" Ruby asked, her voice filled with hope.

"Yes, and he says he'll have a job for you," said Kitty as she and Ruby walked into the jail.

Ruby's eyes lit up at her momma's announcement. Doing a job for daddy sounded like fun. Even if there wasn't a job to do, she still got to be with her daddy. She usually did not get a chance to be with her daddy when he was at work. When he was at work, she and momma stayed home.

While Kitty was outside with Ruby, Matt hurriedly found a job for Ruby to do. Ruby was too little to do most of the work that was usually done around the jail. Then inspiration struck. He would put wanted posters and other papers on his desk and the table, and have her sort them. Matt knew that Ruby couldn't read, so he would have her put the papers with pictures in one pile and the papers without pictures in another pile. He figured that would keep her busy. When she left, he would organize them. Since it was so slow at the jail, it would give him something to do.

The door opened and Kitty and Ruby walked inside. "Hi daddy!" Ruby's cheerful voice exclaimed. "I'm here to do a job for you."

"Oh good," said Matt. "I have a very important job and I think you're just the right person to get it done."

Kitty saw the papers on Matt's desk and the table. She knew those papers weren't there a few minutes ago. She wondered what kind of job Matt had in mind for Ruby to do. She would wait and find out.

"What kind of job is it?" inquired Ruby.

"I have all these papers on my desk and the table. I need you to put them in two piles, one with pictures and one with no pictures," explained Matt. "Do you think you can do that?"

"I sure can, daddy," replied Ruby.

Kitty had to smile. Leave it to Matt to find a "job" that Ruby was looking forward to doing. "I should get going," she said. "I won't be long. Bye, Ruby."

"Bye momma," said Ruby, giving her momma a kiss on the cheek.

After Kitty left, Matt lifted Ruby on one of the chairs so she could put those papers in two piles. While she did that, Matt decided to sweep up around the jail. It had been at least a week since it was swept and it needed it. After about five minutes, Ruby finished.

"I'm done with the papers on the table, daddy," she said.

Matt came over to inspect her work. "Let's see how you did," said Matt. After seeing that Ruby had followed directions, Matt praised her for her work. She even had the papers facing the same way. "Wow, you did an excellent job. Are you ready to do the ones on my desk?"

Ruby's face lit up with pride. She was happy that daddy liked the job she did. "Yes," she said.

Matt lifted Ruby from the chair at the table and deposited her on his chair at his desk. "Alright, I need you to do the same job over here."

"No probwem, daddy," said Ruby and she got to work making two piles. After another five minutes, she finished. "All done, daddy!"

Once again Matt observed the work she did and was impressed. "I must say that you did another fine job." He lifted Ruby up from his seat. "You did such a good job that you deserve to be paid."

Matt reached into his vest pocket and pulled out some coins. There were a few pennies, a couple of nickels, a dime, and a quarter. He gave Ruby one of the nickels. Her eyes wide, Ruby took the nickel. At that moment, Kitty walked in. She could see two neat piles on the table and Matt's desk.

"Look what daddy give to me," said Ruby as she proudly showed her momma the nickel.

"Oh my, you must have done a really good job to earn that," said Kitty, admiring the nickel in her daughter's hand.

"I did! See!" said Ruby pointing to the piles she made.

"She was a very hard worker and did a very good job," Matt affirmed.

"When we get home, I'm gonna put this in my treasure box," said Ruby. She had a small wooden box on her chest of drawers that had some pennies in it.

"Were you able to get what you needed?" Matt asked Kitty.

"Yes," Kitty answered. "Thank you for letting Ruby stay with you, even if it did cost you a whole nickel."

Before Kitty and Ruby left, Matt gave both of his girls a kiss on the cheek and told them he would see them at home in a few hours. While he was further organizing the papers, Matt smiled at Kitty's statement. 'A nickel is nothing,' he thought. 'Spending time with my little gemstone is priceless.'

TBC