"Give me a minute to tell Nettie to add another place for dinner. You know how she gets when she isn't informed about such things. I swear I think she runs this place, her and that dam… um, darn wooden spoon."
"A wooden spoon will be the least of your worries if you're not in that office in five minutes," Gabe teased.
"Are you in trouble again?" Opal asked with a laugh as she rounded the corner from the dining room with a cup of coffee.
"No, but I'm glad you're up. We have a new girl. Crystal. Della is showing her to her room and she'll need help getting um… settled in. You'll know what I mean when you see her. Please make sure everyone welcomes her and tell the girls to have black dresses ready for morning."
"Black?"
"Yes, Crystal is burying her father in the morning and we'll attend the services. I won't have one of my girls dealing with that alone."
"Aw Jewel, you know I hate to get up early. I need my beauty sleep," Opal whined.
"And I know how you hate to sleep on your tummy, but that can be arranged," John warned, coming up behind the lovely dark haired beauty.
"Aren't you due back at the mine soon, Harrison? Humph, I don't know how I went from being my own boss to having more people ordering me around than I can count," Opal sniffed disdainfully as she rolled her eyes at her lover.
John laughed. "Someone seems to be in quite a hurry for me to leave this morning, which is odd since she's always so happy to see me," he drawled. "Has a certain little lady been misbehaving and hoping I don't find out?"
"Sorry I'm so grumpy this morning, Jewel," she apologized with a sigh of resignation. "Someone kept me up till just before dawn and even though I adore this overbearing, impossible man, I'm tired. Don't worry; I'll make sure everyone does their part. The Red Petticoat gems will be dressed in black and daintily dabbing their eyes at the appropriate time."
"Thank you," Jewel replied gratefully. "Now let me just…"
"John, would you let Nettie know we've hired another girl and ask her to set another place at the table for dinner?" Gabe asked. "Miss Jewel and I have an important meeting, don't we, honey?"
"Oh yes, that's right," Jewel agreed with a blush as Gabe took her hand and pulled her toward the door at the back of the room.
"Anything I can help with?" Opal asked with a wink.
John took the cup from her hand, swatted her smartly on the bottom and handed it back.
"No sense ruining your pretty dress," he explained. "And I'm sure Jewel can handle anything that pops up all on her own."
"I was only teasing," Opal called after John. Pouting, she rubbed her behind as she made her way upstairs.
***
Clem was up to her neck in bubbles, lovely, lovely bubbles that smelled of lavender. If she died right this moment it would be with a smile on her face. Never had she bathed in such luxury. Warm silky water caressed every nook and cranny of her body and she never wanted to get out.
Della had kindly offered to help her wash her hair and it was piled on top of Clem's head.
"You'll be shriveled as all get out if you don't get out of there pretty soon," Della warned with a sigh.
"I don't care," Clem purred. "I'll lie here till the water freezes over next winter," she insisted, sponging her leg. She liked the delicate, quiet girl and appreciated her assistance, but this was too delicious.
"You'll be singing a different tune if Nettie comes in here to hurry you along," Della advised with a grin.
"Who's Nettie?"
"Technically she's the cook, and the meals she serves will soon be putting curves on you in all the right places, but Nettie is much more than that. She's been with Miss Jewel since New Orleans and she wields a lot of power around here. Miss Jewel listens to her, in fact we all do. Of course, the fact that she would have no problem marching in here and smacking your wet ass with her big wooden spoon may have something to do with that," Della drawled, hiding her grin.
"You're joshing me," Clem gasped, sitting bolt upright in the huge tub.
"Not a bit. Nettie takes her role very seriously. She's sort of a… um… well like a Mama Bear protecting her cubs. You are now one of those cubs, like it or not. She doesn't suffer fools gladly although she's got a heart of gold. If you ever have a serious problem, Nettie's the one to see. Her advice almost never fails."
"I'll remember that," Clem replied, standing with a slight pout and taking the thick towel Della handed to her. "Is there anything else I need to know? What about Mr. Vasquez? What's his job around here?" she asked, patting herself dry.
"Gabe is Miss Jewel's partner, in more ways than one," Della answered with a wink. "Jewel is the beauty, charm and grace behind The Red Petticoat and Gabe is, well he's sort of the enforcer," she informed Clem after some thought. "He's a good man, fair and firm, but don't defy him or you may find yourself over his knee and from what I've been told it's very unpleasant."
"My goodness," Clem said, fanning her face as she collapsed onto a bench.
"I know," Della breathed conspiratorially as she began to comb the tangles out of Clem's hair.