Home Sweet Home - A Red Dead Redemption II story

Mingling

Ruth had finally been able to speak with Arthur, turns out he was busy working with Hosea at Emerald Ranch and was occupied until the late night.

They cleared up any misinformation and concluded there was no bad blood and they moved passed it together.

"Would ya do me a favour, Miss Bucker?" He asked.

"Of course."

Arthur glanced at Bill, who was still sleeping at almost noon. He walked over and Ruth followed.

"Would ya make him do some work around here?" He insisted.

Ruth looked at Arthur then down at Bill.

"You want me to wake him?"

She knelt down next to him.

"How do I..?" She whispered in an unsure tone.

Arthur gave Bill a kick to the shin.

"Get up, ya lazy bastard!"

Bill was spooked by the kick, angry at first until he saw Ruth kneeling right in front of him.

"Mr. Morgan says you oughta help out 'round camp.. so get up buddy, we got work to do."

Arthur pointed at Bill.

"And no complaining." He told him.

Bill sat up with a disgruntled sigh.

Ruth rose to her feet.

"I'll meet ya over by the chuck wagon. Don't take to long."

"I'll leave ya to it." Arthur told them as he made his way off.

Bill was still a bit confused from his sleepiness, but he quickly snapped out of it and met up with Ruth.

"Don't understand why I need to help ya.. I do plenty around here.." He grumbled.

Ruth gave him a doubtful glance as she handed him a coffee.

He took it with a nod to say thanks.

"Think of it as repayment then.. I mean, you did burn me last night." She lifted her skirt slightly to show him her darkened skin.

Bill grimaced. "You're right.. I'm still real sorry about that."

Ruth dismissed it. "It's fine. Just, help me today and we call it even."

"Alright. What're we starting with?"

"Well, after you finish your coffee we oughta fetch some water from the river."

Bill took a sip of the coffee, he made a repulsed face and quickly dumped it while Ruth wasn't looking.

He set the cup down on the wooden table next to the wagon and Ruth looked at it.

"You're done already? Remind me to get you a bigger cup next time." She joked.

"That's.. not necessary." He replied.

"Anyway, let's go." She grabbed two buckets and a stick to fashion a shoulder yoke, then did it again for Bill.

The trek to the river was fairly lengthy but not too long, it was enough to make a lack of conversation apparent.

Once they got to the river Ruth walked in with her shoes and all, unafraid to get her clothes wet, she filled the buckets.

"You coming in to fill your buckets?" She asked Bill.

"I oughta take my boots off." He protested.

"And you were calling me a baby last night." She huffed, walking out of the water with her buckets to take his.