Paper Work

Hope things for a long moment considering her options. Just watching Gunner for a long moment Hope can see a change in his eye.

"I can't promise anything Gunner, but I will see what I can do. Maybe at least I can get you out a day or two sooner."

Giving a smile Hope would do what she could for Gunner. Just getting a day or two would be a challange but if it ment at least helping than she would do it. That was better than nothing.

"I'll have to addmit though Bree is gonna miss you on her long over night shifts I bet."

Shaking her head and giving a grin again Ryan just rolls her eyes. Since she could remember Eli never wanted to bother anyone with till questions or requests it just wasnt in his style.

"Well, now I know and no you cant sleep on the floor, but you can sleep on my couch."

Staring to deal the cards out Ryan deals a little slower as Leo's name is braught up. It still hurt when she thought about him, and as much as she wished it wasnt over, she had to let him go. Ryan had found the one person she could see herself being with and all over something stupid it was gone. She didnt even know if they would get back together or not. Leo hadnt been to see her in day and his name was hardly said around her.

Looking up at her brother it was hard to hide her emotions no matter how strong on the outside she was to her brother her heart was always open.

"I...Yeah I think we are. I made a mistake and I cant go back and fix it. I dont blame Leo for walking away because what I did was wrong. Now I have to pay the price for it."

Catching on to the first part of what his brother said made Wes stop and think. His brother might be leaving soon? It made his heart thumb in his chest just thinking about have yet another one of the men away from the ranch.

"As far as I can tell everyone loves having you here."

Taking the paper from his jacket Wes hold it in his hand for a long moment. He'd receved it a few days ago and no one new about it yet. Though he had put some calls in to see about getting it reversed they hadnt been able to help him.

Holding it out to sparky to read he lets out a long sigh as another emotion flashed in his eye. He had planed on getting both his brother together first to talk to them about it but Mick had taken off and if Sparking was going to leave tomorrow he wanted him to know.

"I was hoping you would stick around longer to be another mad to protect our familys. I'm getting called to go back overseas. Cindy doesn't know yet, and to be honest now that I have a family of my own I am scared to death. I just want to know that everyone here to protected too so that way its one less thing I have to worry about."

Leaving?

Gunner grins a little, hoping that she was right. "Um... Hope?" He scans the room, making sure the doctors are far enough away. "You don't... think you could pull any strings and... get me out of here any sooner, do you?"


Eli ducks and cringes at Ryan's slap to his head. "Well! I didn't want to bother you. You've got enough on your mind."

He's quite a moment as she shuffles the cards and talks of going home. "Yeah, you know I wanna stick around long enough to see you drive."

Growing quiet, he sits thinking as she deals out their next hand. "Ryan..." He'd been intentional about avoiding this subject until now, but he wanted to ask. "You and Leo... done for good?"


Sparky tries to muster up a small laugh and he shakes his head. "Naw, no loose teeth, surprisingly enough." He brings a hand to his sore lip. "Reconsidering my options though. Eric's headed for Houston tomorrow..." He shrugs. "Might be worth a change in scenery for me. Get out of everyone's hair around here."

He shakes his head, moving on quickly. "Well, I'm glad Mick asked you to check on Rosetta - at least he's thinking of them now that he's sober. I just hope he didn't go to ride of a cliff somewhere, the idiot." He shrugs. "But the minute I go after him is the minute I get another punch to the mouth for caring."

Ding Bat

Giving a wide smile Hope already new about what went on with Gunner, and Bree last night. Bree had come to her yesterday morning about Gunners items he had and if she could barrow them. It had taken her a little while to think about it, but coming down to the conclusion that Gunner reacted good to Bree it would be ok and it seemed like it had helped Gunner alot. She was poud of him and was happy Bree could get through.

"Your very welcome Gunner. You have come a long way in a short amount of time, I am so proud of you."

Giving a smile and shifting her eyes just a little bit to watch the people that move back and forth around the room keeping en eye on everyday Hope turns her eyes back to Gunner again.

"Oh I am sure you will have a few more of those outings. If I know Bree she always has something new up her sleeve."

Shaking her head and reaching over the table to give him a backhanded slap to the head Ryan looks back at her brother.

"You ding bat why didnt you say something sooner? I would of let you stay at my place instead of staying at a hotel than just like I would now. I was to doped up to realizes you were staying in a hotel to start with."

Shaking her head and grinning Ryan reachs out and takes the cards from her brother. It was nice having him around. Some of her other friends shopped by from time to time to check on her but Leo she hadnt seen in a while and in a way is made her sad. So having he brother there all the time was a nice detraction.

"The dr. said they hope tomorrow or the day after they are going to let me go. I cant wait!! Not being able to drive is killing me, sitting here all day is even worse."

Stopping at the sound of his brothers voice Wes squints in the rising sunlight. Seeing his puffy lip and the split he cant help but let out a grunt.

"Looks like you got hit by the same truck Mick did."

The confustion that was growing on Wes face must have shown brighter than a bulb as without even asking Sparky let him know what was going on. Letting out a long sigh Wes shakes his head giving a whisper.

"Ohh...Mick."

Inside Wes' heart broke, he wish he had know and maybe talked with Mick a little longer. Thought he probably couldn't have said much maybe he brother could of used a friend.

"Nah, all he said to me was to take his extra car keys and check on Rosetta and BJ for him. Didnt knock any teeth loose in there did he?"

Wes new now was not the time for humor but he had to put in some kind or it just would be him.

Disappointment

Gunner shrugs, offering Hope a sheepish grin. "Well... that, and I'd rather have a session with you than the shrink they got here."

He looks down a moment before leaning forward on his elbows and picking at his fingernails. "Um... actually... I don't know..." Glancing up, there was much emotion behind his eyes, though he was better at controlling it today. "I guess... well, Bree was here last night and... I guess I realized that there was still something worth living for."

His grin comes back, just a small crooked one. "I got to think about something else for a while and... I don't know..." He shrugs. "I figure if I could have a good time for a couple hours then... maybe a few more of those and I wouldn't want to jump off a bridge again."

Gunner takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and keeping his eyes on Hope's. "I know they'll still want me here a few days but... I wanted to tell you that more than the others here who don't know me from a hill of beans. I thought you deserved the thanks more than they did."


Mick turns to Wes as he leaves, wanting to say thank you, but the words seem stuck. Sighing, he takes his bridle to Remington and finishes saddling up.


Sparky is wandering towards the dining hall when he sees Wes heading for the house. His lip was still swollen from the night before and it had obviously been split, but he'd survived.

"Wes... wait up." He wants to catch him before Wes spoke to Rosetta. "Look, um..." Hearing hoofbeats, he looks up quickly to see Mick trotting Remington away from the barn, heading towards the back path. He lifts his eyebrows. "Well... at least he's out of bed."

He sighs in disgust. "That idiot went and got himself drunk last night." Though his tone was irritated, there was disappointment in his eyes. "I don't know what happened... sounds like Dylan went and got himself missing, Jill convinced the cops not to let Mick get involved and he went off the deep end. Came home late, drunker than a skunk, yelled at Rosetta and BJ, socked me... Dan and I got him to the bunkhouse before he passed out and that was the last I saw of him until now. Did he say anything to you?"


Eli tosses his hand of cards down with a disgusted, "Gah! Who shuffled these anyway?" It was himself. But he needed someone to blame for the lousy luck in cards.

He glances to Ryan across the little table, one eyebrow quirked. "Okay, so that's five to two. I don't think I'm going to catch up by the time they let you out of here." He smirks and collects the cards to shuffle them again.

"Speaking of which, you got a floor I can sleep on at your place? I wanna hang around for a few more days, but the hotel has eaten a hole in my wallet."

Confustion

Still confused by his brother comments and the look in his eye Wes didnt know if it was fear he felt for his brother, or for the family maybe even both. It had been a long time since he had seen Mick like this.

Every inch of him wanted to stop Mick and see what was going on to make sure he was ok but over the years Wes had learned something important about his younger brother. When Mick wanted some time to just clear his head it was best to just let him.

"Ok, yeah I will do that. Just careful ok? And later I need to talk with you, when you have more time that is."

Giving the horse a gentile pat on the neck Wes turns to exits the small room still so confused about everything that was going on but maybe when he went to see Rosetta she would explain some things to him.

"You know I am always her for you brother if you need to talk!"

Leaving the barn Wes makes his way to the office first. Finding where they kept the spare keys He puts them in his pocket before making his way to the house to check on Rosetta and BJ.

Shaking his head and giving a small laugh at Jade's comment Dan gives her a little shove. Before putting his pitch fork down and streaching.

"Yeah, well I am better at teaching than learning myself. Its not always a bad thing to do it the hard way, just at the end of the day is when you really feel it."

Walking over to one of the horses and giving it a scratch behind the ears Dan thinks for a long moment before answering. He did have some free time later but was trying to hang out with Jade right now a good idea? He'd told Mick he only wanted friendship and that was true a ride couldn't hurt? It would give the horses some needed exercise before the winter season really sank in too.

"Yeah I think I have a little free time later we can go for a ride if you like."

Dan gave Jade a smile. It was nice to have a friend.

Following Gunner not to sure what this was about Hope is quiet hoping an explanation would come. Sitting down in a chair next to him Hope cocker her head a little at Gunner's comment.

"And what says I am not in the middle of something important when I was called?"

Giving a grin and a shake of her head Hope Gunner will know she really wasn't doing anything. There wasn't much work for her to do around the office on a consistent day something she wasn't use to.

"So your saying you called me here because you didnt want me getting bored and thats all?"

Keep busy

Mick looks up slowly from where he was untangling Remington's bridle. Meeting Wes' eyes, his own hold a dim look. Apparently news hadn't traveled too far yet. Mick couldn't remember everything... but he did know he'd been shouting outside... he remembered seeing Rosetta with BJ, who was crying, and he'd woken up in the bunkhouse, which meant he hadn't been allowed to spend the night in his own bed. That alone told him he'd done more damage than he cared to think about.

"Getting hit by a couple trucks woulda been better," he retorts dryly. "You wanna do me a favor, you go in the office, take the spare truck keys and put them somewhere I don't know about and don't tell me."

His tone was dead serious. "Then go check on Rosetta and BJ for me. I gotta go clear my head so I'll be back later."

He wraps up the reins and slings them over his shoulder before starting for the door. "After that, I got a lot of pieces to pick up."


Jade grins as Dan helps her with the pitchfork. "Back home at the riding stable, they were always getting after me for doing things the hard way... guess I just never learned." She scrunches up her nose and giggles. "At least I got you here to set me straight before I ruin my back."

She throws him a teasing look. "Will you have any time to go riding today?"


Gunner looks to the side quickly at Hope and a smile spreads on his face. "Well, Doctor Garrison, you made it!" He stands up, not giving her time to get settled, and leads her over to a little sitting area away from the others. Sinking down at the edge of an easy chair, he motions her to another chair or the couch.

He gives her a crooked grin. "I just wanted to make sure you still had enough work to keep you busy. Wouldn't want Reese thinking there wasn't enough for you to do."