The Unexpected Partner

Chapter 10

Every day for the past three weeks, Claire had the same routine, very much to her avail. Schedules were the thing she loved most, after the people (and animals) in her life. She would wake up at ten in the morning, take care of her father, and then her animals. If she had time to read, she would. At three in the afternoon, she would head to the saloon and that was where she would be until one o'clock in the morning.

Her bed ridden father had no idea what was happening, he hadn't even noticed her chopped hair. He would just eat and sleep, feeling the same pain in his broken bones since the first day he was beaten. Claire had transformed her room into an outhouse and a washroom just for him, also much to her avail and the main reason why she had not been caught in her disguise. Not that her father could do much to change her mind now. She enjoyed working at A's Saloon and she enjoyed her secret cover. But she did tell her father that she was working, not at a saloon but with Liliann, making dresses.

"Time for work again," Claire told herself, putting her book down and grabbing her father's clothes that lay on the sofa. Before putting them on, she took a loaf of bread to her father's bedside in case he got hungry throughout the day. She noticed him sleeping as she smiled and left the bread, also making sure to fill his glass with water. "Goodbye, Papa," she whispered, smiling at him with a broken heart. How long until he starts feeling better? She wondered.

She went back to the sofa, grabbed the men's clothes and put them on. Before heading out the door, she smeared some coal on her face. The signature look. She laughed at her own actions, loving the idea that had duped people into believing she was a boy for three weeks now! Not that I had a choice, she thought, making herself feel better. She had to do it. Every time she got paid the $5, she would take $3 and put it in the bank box. Giving the gamblers money seemed to be working, they had not tried to come for her father. Yet.

After putting on her "costume," Claire headed out the front door of her cottage and towards the saloon on her beloved horse, Fancy. Once getting to town, she made her way to the double doors. While walking, she saw Liliann on the steps of the general store that was positioned across the street. She had talked to Liliann a week prior when she came to town, but that was when she was dressed as a woman with her hair in a bun, even Liliann wouldn't recognize her in men's clothes, with a fake beard on her face.

She chuckled at the sight of Liliann and Grant arguing as brother and sister do before heading into the saloon to start her day. Right when she walked in, her nose was hit with the smell of smoke and whiskey, along with the loud voice of Billy. "There you are!" She made a confused look as she walked to the bar.

"Hello, Billy," she said in a low voice.

Billy got out from behind the counter and walked to her, giving her a big hug. "There's my favorite barkeeper."

Claire stood there, feeling crushed by his bear hug. Was she blushing? No. These past three weeks, she had gotten used to Billy's touching and jokes. No longer affected by the man's gestures, she felt just like one of the men. But the same could not be said about Shane.

"No!" Claire disagreed, taking herself out from the hug. "You are the best barkeeper."

"Clark," Billy laughed, quickly changing the topic, "Before you get started, you have to tell old man Jimmy the joke you told me last night."

Claire grinned, knowing that in the past week the men in the saloon had gotten very used to her. Well... they have gotten used to Clark. Nonetheless, she had been getting better. She had been memorizing the drinks, by writing their name under their bottles. And by making jokes for Billy, she had become his own comedy act. Also, his own encyclopedia, since Billy did not know a single thing beyond drink names.

"What joke?" Claire asked, being dragged by Billy to a table filled with men. She had heard that old man Jimmy did not laugh at anyone's joke. "Wait! Are you sure I can talk to this man?"

"Yes, yes," Billy reassured her, as they both reached the table. There were four men, each had a glass of whiskey, and a cigar. The game of poker was being played.

"Jimmy," Billy said. "Our young barkeeper, Clark, wants to tell you a joke."

Jimmy looked in Billy's direction, slowly putting down his cigar. "Does it look like I want to hear a joke?" Old man Jimmy asked in a stern voice.

Claire swallowed the lump in her throat, I am going to die today. She looked in Billy's direction and then in Jimmy's. Jimmy was a big man. Over six feet tall and weighing as much as a giant; everyone in town was scared of him. He had the longest beard Claire had ever seen, and the biggest bulging eyes. He's going to eat us, darn you, Billy! Claire thought, smiling nervously at the man.

"Come on Clark," Billy laughed, patting Claire aggressively on the shoulder. "Tell him that joke about the cows."

Claire continued to smile nervously, not being able to open her mouth as Old man Jimmy glared at her with his bulging eyes.

After a long moment of silence, old man Jimmy said, "Let's hear your joke then."

"Come on," Billy said, patting her on the shoulder again.

I am going to break his arm, Claire told herself, feeling her shoulder get dislocated every time he hit her.

"Oh...all right...," She spoke nervously as the men looked at her in anticipation. She swallowed deeply before saying the joke, "How...how did the rancher know his cattle were following him without looking back?"

The room went silent as everyone began to listen to the joke. After a few minutes of silence, one of the saloon men asked, "How?"

She looked at Billy and then back at the men whose attention she had all gained. "He HERD them." The room stayed quiet as she continued, her mouth stumbling on the words, "Get it...he herd them. How a rancher has a herd of cattle."

Billy burst out into fits of laughter. As Billy continued to laugh, all the other men joined in. Are they laughing at my joke or at Billy's laugh? She wondered.

Out of nowhere, old man Jimmy also began to chuckle loudly, causing all the other men who were not laughing to follow his lead. In a matter of seconds everyone in the saloon had their mouth open and filled with laughter because of the rancher joke Claire, or Clark, had made.

Old man Jimmy, who had never laughed at anything, looked at Claire and in the middle of his laugh said, "I gotta give it to you boy, that sure was funny!" He continued to laugh and put out his hand for Clark to shake it.

While everyone was still laughing, a sound could be heard coming from the stairs. Shane had heard the loud noises all the way from the second floor and decided to see what the fuss was all about. He went down the stairs and as he reached the last squeaky step, everyone in the saloon turned their heads in his direction.

He stepped off the stairs and looked around to see that everyone had their eyes on him. But his eyes were focused on Clark. "What's so funny?" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"A reader lives a thousand lives before they die" (George R.R. Martin). 

Very true!