Diamond S Ranch

40-The Dance

Elle, Gage and Garrett trudged on up to the house and waited. Jake hadn't singled Elle out but she was still wasn't so sure she was out of the woods yet and that thought was making her anxious. 

As they waited for Jake to come up, they were sitting at the kitchen table, where both Gage and Garrett had decided to help themselves to some leftover poundcake and ice cream. Elle watched in fascination as they each sliced a huge hunk of the poundcake and dropped it into a bowl. Then with the ice cream scoop they each scooped out like six or seven heaping scoops of vanilla ice cream, plopping it unceremoniously on top of the poundcake. They then sat down and like they didn't have a care in the world, they began to devour it.

"Want any?" They finally looked up and asked Elle.

First off, Elle thought to herself, she was way to nervous to eat and did not understand how in the world they could even think about that with Jake's "discussion" still looming over their heads. And second, she thought as she pulled the ice cream carton towards her and peered into the now very empty container...there was nothing left to eat.

"Any what? Air." She replied sarcastically, looking at the empty ice cream container. She then glanced over at one very sad scraggly thin piece of poundcake that lay slumped over on the cake plate. Why bother even leaving that for someone, she thought to herself, it hardly qualified as a piece it was so pitiful looking. She shook her head no. 

Suddenly Garrett jumped up ran to the kitchen. As he sat back down, he immediately squirted an insane amount of chocolate syrup all over the top. Oh joy, she thought as she watched in disgust as now Gage did the same to his poundcake and ice cream. She had no words.

While they buried their faces into their bowls of what now looked like brown goop. Elle pulled out her phone and texted Lillie. She caught her up as to what was happening, careful not to say to much. Just in case Jake or someone wanted to see her phone. She was giggling and exchanging laughing emojis with Lillie about the ranch hands running around with all that itching powder all over them when Jake came storming in. Zach, Kaison and Jordan came in right behind him.

The moment they saw Jake, Gage and Garrett stood up, shoving their phones into their pockets and started to leave attempting to make their exit look casual.  They had barely stood up when they felt the weight of Zach's hands land onto of each of their shoulders.

"I don't think so boys.  You two aren't going anywhere." Zach said as he helped them to sit back down. Like they really had a choice. 

Elle, seeing everyone was preoccupied with the twins, decided to try and make her getaway and started easing herself off the bench.

"Oh, no missy. You aren't going anywhere either." That came from Jordan as he came around behind Elle, standing just off her left shoulder.  She rolled her eyes as she repositioned herself back on the bench.

"Is there something funny that you would like share Elle?" Jake asked as he marched over to the side of the table where she was sitting. 

Elle shook her head and mumbled a quick, "no, sir" she did not want to draw any attention to herself if she could help it. 

"Because by my reckoning," Jake continued on as he looked down at her and the twins, "what's been going on around here the last hour or so, is far from funny." He finished standing over them with his arms crossed. 

As Jordan stood there beside the table, he scanned the contents, leaning over he picked up the ice cream carton, examining it.

"Hey, I was going to have some ice cream for dessert tonight. With my poundcake." He remarked as he glanced over at the now empty cake plate. "I guess I'm not having either now."