"Eh...sure, why not? Go ahead an' tell your side. Just maybe...put the gun away?"   Well, Clara figured she wouldn't be able to hit the man anyway like this, what with a whole horse in the way, and she did not shoot innocent animals. He also did have a nice smile. But she would not drop her guard completely, he still could be a varmint.  He worked for the Steelgraves didn't he?   "Fine, I will lower it but you step out so I can see you better and whatever you do - DO NOT - go for your gun or make a lunge for me," Clara agreed to his request but with certain stipulations.   Gun lowered, she then started her side of the story.   "I first met Billy and another jasper, ugly bald ruffian when I was swimming in the lake. I had thought, wrongly of course, I was enjoying myself in privacy.  I had my clothing and this Dragoon Colt piled up on shore. Along came those two ....well, I certainly cannot call them 'gentlemen'. They told me to get out of the water. I refused and told them such a thing was not proper. Billy admitted he had a desire to see me ...naked. Again I would not compromise myself in such a fashion and refused point blank. So he took all of my clothing and my Papa's gun - thinking it all a big joke, then they rode off and left me out there like that. So there .....that is your friend, Billy. Now you come along like I am supposed to be happy to see another Evergreen .....hooligan?"  

Leah smiled as she stepped inside.  “Profitable? Yes, beyond what I had hoped. We have the right away, but more important, we have a grant to help with expenses building the hospital from the governor himself.” She exclaimed, producing papers from her coat and handing them to Jonah. “However, there is already a snag.” She continued. “ It seams the good Judge Robertson is delaying with the need for something akin to a town hall meeting to discuss the trading of land. Of course, since the property for the right away is already deeded to the township, we could be on the outside looking in.”   “The contingency is the grant money and my own if necessary. Perhaps being a Steelgrave means the sanctimonious of Kalispell will oppose anything and everything I try to do here. That is except for my money, they’ll take that.” Being rebuffed by the judge had not sat well with her. But she was determined to provide the town with a first rate hospital. With or without the support of Kalispell's stuffed shirts.   Tag @Bongo

“Not much ta think on, really. Cain’t build til spring, but we kin plan how it’ll look, how may rooms an’ sech.” He said., his voice just above a whisper. “We had them plans already, I jest sortta finalized em fer us. Well, that an’ askin’ fer yer hand. Don’t believe I was all thet good at it, but then I ain’t sure how one’d be good at it either.”   “If the world weren’t blanketed in white out there I’d say we could ride out to our property. I like the sound’a thet, our property.” He was consumed with joy tempered with contentment. “Lovin’ you was the easiest thing ever Emeline.”   Tag @Bongo

"Yeah, I believed him," Brendan said shortly, peering at Clara over his horse's saddle. It seemed like maybe he had been wrong to believe Billy, though. But he couldn't think about that right now. He had to focus on not getting shot.   He felt his jaw drop as Clara stoutly defended her family's right to the farm. It almost made his head hurt. Who was he supposed to believe? Billy, who had showed every sign of being friendly but had let him come down here by himself? Or Clara, who was supposed to be friendly but was certainly not?   But she did offer to tell him the story from her point of view. Brendan didn't want to hear a sob story from a girl - he was sure it was a sob story - but she was the one with the gun.   "Eh...sure, why not? Go ahead an' tell your side. Just maybe...put the gun away?" He rose up on his toes so she could see all of his face over his horse's back, revealing a charming, pleading smile.

There was something about impending storms that made people suddenly decide that ailments they had suffered with for days, or even weeks suddenly needed attention, and Jonah had been kept busy the past few days.  Finally, though, this morning seemed to be a lull, and the doctor was getting a chance to catch up on paperwork and whatnot that was amazingly boring, so he almost relished the knock on the door.  Hopefully, it was a delivery, or someone bringing him payment, preferably actual money, and not Mrs' Sutton and her 'rheumatic elbow'.   When he opened the door, he was pleasantly surprised to see Leah there.  "Miss Steelegrave!  Please, come in!"  He stood back so she could enter the large house that served as the clinic, too.  "I'm glad to see you back safely.  I trust your trip was profitable?"   @Flip