I sure wouldn't

Seeing Eric give her his own once over she new she had been caught in doing the same thing and she can't help the little bit of color that crawled up her neck. But as fast as it came it went too and another smile was replaced on her face.

"If I thought that was your best than I sure wouldn't want to see you at your worst."

Humor dances in Stacy's eyes for a quick moment showing she was teasing him and rather enjoying it as well. Maybe there was something different about him and what she saw on the road was just a bad day. Time would tell if there was another softer side to this man.

Holding out her hand to Eric Stacy tilts her head a little into the moonlight just letting the rays wash over her. It was enough light to see but as the same time cast shadows that just seemed to accent everything in the right areas.

"I'm Stacy Cullen. New to the ranch, but so far loving it. It's nice to meet you."

Ashlee leans back in her chair and laughs again breathing in deep. Her side were starting to hurt but it just didn't seem to matter. There was to much fun going on to really care, even if it meant tomorrow being sore would be even worse.

"For an invalid you sure do know how to get around. I'll hand that to you. I've never broken anything but if I did I'm not to sure what I would do. I like being out and about to much to just sit."

Hearing Jeff call Uno Ashlee's eyes widen a little bit but a wave of releaf washes over her as Jade throws down the reverse and Jeff picks up. The game was still on, no one had one yet, though now she new that Dylan's draw four was coming her way not too.

"Yeah, good block Jade."

As Dylan blames her for the trouble being started Ashlee stops talking and just looks at him for a long moment. A grin toying at the side of her mouth as she tried her best to hide it. Not being able to hold it anymore the grin breaks forth as Ashlee gives a little wake to Dylan's shoulder.

"Me, start trouble. Look at this face, does it really look like I was capable of that?"

Ashlee gives a little bat of her eyes as she continues to look at Dylan. Ok maybe she had started it a little but it was still funny to pretend she hadn't. Looking back to the game she quick gives Dylan a glance followed by a wink and than plays a card.

Taking a sip of her drink and thinking for a long moment Katie ponders Con's question. She could give her normal I'm ok like she did everyone else but what was the point? Con new her better than that and it would be an insult to him. That was really something Katie didn't want to do. But how was she really feeling? That was a question Katie didn't even know the answer for sure.

"Oh, thats a loaded question I guess. I'm ok to an existent and than past that I'm stressed, tired, and just want everything to be ok again."

Katie lets out a long sigh as she picks up a fry and drags it through some ketchup. She new it would be a while till everything would be ok...if it ever would be. She didn't like thinking about it not being ok, and what would happened if Rick couldn't fix things. Katie new that if it was Jason's time than it was in God's will but still it was a hard thing to except.

"I just want him to be ok again ya know. Even if that meant being on the antidote for the rest of our lives I would be ok with that as long as Jason was ok."

A small tear formed in Katie's eye as it rolled down her cheek. She often wondered now if they had stayed on the antidote and not made Jason go off it, if things would be different. She couldn't blame herself and she new that but it was a what if she often though about anyways.

Not my best

Slightly startled by the female voice behind him, Eric turns, only to be met by the flashlight beam. He holds his hands out to the sides in submission and squints in the bright light until Stacy lowers it. His expression was one of wry amusement. No, he wouldn't want to be a real prowler around here - he'd be dead meat for sure.

If it had been a week prior, Stacy's comment about the ticket would have irritated him. But tonight it simply brings a sheepish grin to his lips, his nose scrunching a little as he cringes. "I suppose I deserved that," he muses ruefully. "As far as the sound of my walk goes, don't get too used to it. I like to change my rhythm every now and again just to throw people off." His eyes were the only thing that revealed he was teasing.

Studying Stacy for a moment, one of his eyebrows lifts a little. Had she just given him a once-over? Again, what would have been irritating not that long ago, now made him feel rather amused. She was going to be living here whether he liked it or not. She was a part of this ranch now, whether he liked it or not. And today... as the feeling of defeat continued to rise within him... it just wasn't worth the fight to try and be at odds. So she'd given him a ticket. Who cared? It had been his fault to begin with and she'd only been doing her job. Him trying to avoid her lately really was pretty childish now that he thought about it.

His mouth opens for an apology but instead, it seemed Stacy was pretty close to an apology herself. Folding his arms, he cocks his head, letting some moonlight below the brim of his hat. Purposefully giving her once-over, he makes it obvious that he's returning her own stare she'd given him. A low chuckle surfaces. "Yeah... I don't got a reason to want things awkward either."

Letting his arms fall so he could put his hands in his pockets, he shifts his weight a little. "I suppose a man ain't got a right to disrespect a woman - let alone a woman with authority." Let alone a woman who was attractive as she, though that was something he wouldn't dare voice. "I guess maybe we got started out on the wrong foot." His crooked grin returns. "But I think it was mostly my fault. You haven't exactly seen me at my best."


Looking to Ashlee, Dylan feigns shock that she would want to get back at him in the game. The twitch at the corner of his mouth evolves into almost a full grin before he hides it again and sends an elbow her way instead. "Be nice... I'm an invalid here, remember?"

"Invalid?!" Jade's jaw drops and she threatens to whack his ankle that sat up beside her.

Dylan automatically flinches, then throws her a smirk. "Watch it."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll..." He really wasn't in a position to be making threats at all. Swinging his gaze back over to Ashlee, he nods. "Or I'll sic this firecracker on you."

"UNO!" Jeff waves his single card in the air. "Does anybody care?"

Jade gasps and throws down a Reverse, which forces Jeff to draw cards instead of playing his last. "Blame it on Dylan. He's stirring up all the trouble."

"Me?!" He leans over and shoves Ashlee playfully with his shoulder. "It's all her, I'm telling ya."


Con smiles as Katie takes her arm, and he leads the way outside. He lets her pick where to go eat, and it doesn't take long to be sitting down and eating their lunch.

Munching on a frenchfry, and after some smalltalk about nothing very important, he cocks his head, just studying Katie. It was nice to spend some time with his "little sister." It seemed they rarely got to see each other anymore other than just saying hi at work. A benefit was her sensitivity to him not hearing well and he could always count on her speaking up and didn't get embarrassed when he had to have her repeat something.

Today though... this lunch was about her, not him. "So..." The thoughtfulness remains in his eyes. "How are you really doing, Kat?" He meant it... this whole thing with Jason had to be rough and he really did want to know how Katie was holding up under it all.