Diamond S Ranch

23-Lines and Lies

Things did finally quiet down at the Diamond S Ranch after that really long weekend. Jake wasn't the only one relieved either.  Everyone seemed to be on their best behavior, even the twins were respectful and Elle really tried to not cause trouble. Though it didn't really take long before it seemed to find her or rather....she found it.

She had already been up doing her chores for the day, it was Saturday and Lillie was coming over soon.  They had plans and she didn't want to spend all day doing chores, though really unless she was in trouble, she rarely had to spend the full day doing chores.  She came running in through the kitchen, Rosie on her heels, when Jake called out to her.  She slid to a stop, her boats grinding against the planked hardwood floors.  She whirled around to find Jake, Zach, Kaison and James sitting down at the table, all four apparently taking a break from the cold and nursing their hot cups of coffee.

"Good morning, Elle." Jake greeted his tone pleasant.

"Uh, good morning." She said her eyes darting from one face to the other trying to figure out what was going on. She didn't have to wait long.

"Elle, once you have completed your chores this morning you need to go upstairs and clean your room and bathroom.  Then I need you to go into the study and write hundred times 'I will clean up my bedroom and my bathroom everyday' and leave it my office when you are finished.

  "But....but, why?" Elle asked, well really it more whining.

"Because I just saw your room Elleana and once again, you have left it in a mess. Your bed was unmade, towels on the floor in the bathroom.  This isn't the first time, or second, or tenth, I might add.  You have been told over and over again. So, now you can take some time to write a reminder and maybe this will help to remember." He explained as he placed the cup up to his lips, breathing in the warm aroma of the earthly tones of black coffee, savoring it's hints of dark chocolate.  He found it not only very smooth but soothing.

"But Lillie's coming over." Elle continued to whine.

"She can wait for you to finish." He nonchalantly responded.

"It's not fair." She snapped.

"You keep arguing with me and I will start adding to them." He warned, his eyes narrowing, though his voice stayed calm.

Elle huffed, "Why can't I just do later?" She pushed.

"Elle?" Kaison warned, his voice low as he attempted to get her to stop and think before she ended up having to write even more sentences.

She ignored him and continued on, "I'm just saying, why can't I just do it later tonight?" Her whining and frustration increasing. "It's not like it really matters when I do it." She explained, or rather argued.

"Fine," Jake said as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, his quiet moment quickly fading.  Elle's heart leaped for a split second, till he finished the rest of his sentence, "one hundred and fifty."

"What!?" She almost shouted, "No, wait, you can't do that!" She cried.

"I can and will." He flatly stated.

"That's not fair. You're not being fair." She cried. "I'm not going to do it." She mumbled as she stood there crossing her arms, glaring.  She may have thought she hadn't she had said that last part loud enough for Jake to hear...she was incorrect.

His eyebrows shot up to his forehead and all four were now staring at her obviously surprised by her latest declaration.  He wasn't the only one that heard her say that.

"You want to try that again, young lady?" Jake asked, his chin dropping, his gaze now firmly locked onto hers. "Because now it's two hundred."

"Jake! No!" Elle cried out, stomping her foot as she looked to Zach and Kaison and even to James.  They just shrugged their shoulders and shook their heads as they watched the stand off.  They knew who was going to win, they just wondered how far she would take it till she realized it wasn't going to be her.