They entered the tavern and Haverty selected a table and they all sat down as a pretty waitress with curly, chestnut brown hair and brown eyes appeared. "Long time no see, Brandon!" she said happily as she smiled at him. "How have you and Miles been doing?" she asked giving Haverty a quick look.

"We've been well, Sarah. How have you been?" Brandon asked her smiling.

"I'm doing much better now that I see your handsome face," she said flirtatiously, giving him a coquettish smile. "The place is just not the same when you're not around," she explained still smiling. "Well, I guess you're all here for dinner?" she asked as she looked around the table,  briefly acknowledging Celine before returning her gaze to Brandon.

"Yes, we are and we'll all have an ale while we wait," Brandon told her smiling up at her.

"Well, tonight we have chicken, pot roast and meatloaf. So, what would you like, handsome?" she asked Brandon.

"I'll take the chicken," he quickly answered.

"How about you, Miles? What would you like?" she asked Haverty who rubbed his beard a moment while thinking.

"I think I'll try the pot roast," he finally decided, giving her a smile.

"How about you?" she asked Celine as she gave her an appraising look, noticing the bruise on her jaw but not saying anything about it.

"I'll also have the chicken, thank you," Celine told her as the woman quickly returned her attention to Brandon.

"I'll go and bring the ales. Be right back, sexy," she said to Brandon as she swished her skirt and sauntered away.

She returned a few moments later and as she put Brandon's mug in front of him, Celine noticed how she bent down real low, intentionally showing him her cleavage and as he looked at it, Celine blushed at the woman's immodest behavior. "I can't believe that she did that!" she told herself, feeling embarrassed. "And he actually looked!" she observed completely mortified, never having seen people behave in such a way.

The woman placed Celine's and Haverty's mugs on the table while still giving Brandon flirtatious looks which he seemed to enjoy and Celine started to have a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Finally the woman left after winking at Brandon and Celine picked up her mug and drank half of it down in one chug as Brandon watched the woman walk away and Haverty sat back observing Celine's reaction to everything that had transpired.

Brandon finally turned around and picked up his mug, taking a sip as he looked at Celine who was looking down into her mug, avoiding his eyes and then he looked at Haverty who had a knowing look on his face. He gave Haverty a questioning gaze but the older man just smiled and took a sip of his ale.

"After we drop off Jackman tomorrow, what do you want to do with the coach, Sir?" Haverty asked, breaking the silence.

Brandon looked thoughtful for a moment. "I guess it'll come in handy for traveling around when the cold weather comes. So, let's send it to Central City where we can get it when we need it," he decided and took a sip of his ale as he looked at Celine who downed the rest of her ale, placing the empty mug on the table a little too loudly. "You're finished already?" he asked her in surprise.

"I was thirsty," she said in a matter of fact manner not looking at him as she started to feel a little strange but pleasantly so. "May I have another, please?" she asked, quickly glancing at him with a hopeful look and then looking away again just as quickly.

"Alright," he answered as he looked for Sarah and motioned for her to bring another mug. The woman nodded her head and blew him a kiss as Celine watched and the sinking feeling in her stomach worsened.

Sarah promptly returned with the mug, setting it on the table in front of Brandon, intentionally bending down low again and Celine was amazed that the woman's bosom didn't come tumbling out as she watched Brandon look appreciatively at the woman's exposed cleavage. Sarah slowly stood up and Brandon finally looked up at her pretty face. "Thank you, Sarah," he said giving the woman a big smile as he pushed the mug in front of Celine.

"Oh! It was for her," Sarah said giggling, giving Celine a quick glance before looking back at Brandon. "Just let me know when you need me," she said suggestively, placing her hand on his shoulder and giving him a smile.

"I will," he said returning the smile and they both looked at each other for a moment before another patron called for her.

"I'll be back in a moment," she promised him as she squeezed his shoulder and then sashayed away.

Celine picked up her mug and took a few big chugs, feeling a little upset after having watched the interaction between the two and she glanced at Haverty who gave her an apologetic look which she didn't understand so she looked out the window. "I guess that's the type of woman he finds attractive," she thought sadly as she took another gulp of her ale, stealing a look at Brandon who was watching Sarah across the room and she began to wish that she hadn't agreed to come. "Well, if that's what he likes, then fine," she told herself as she finished her ale, feeling pleasantly strange. "I'm just going to forget about him altogether and try to enjoy how I'm feeling," she decided as she put the mug down and sat back in her chair and glanced at Haverty who was watching her.

"I'll be right back," Brandon suddenly said and got up as Henry Draper came into the tavern and Celine watched him walk over to the man and begin speaking with him.

"Did you finish your ale already, Miss?" Havery asked, still looking at her apologetically. "You must really like it."

"Yes, I really like it a lot," she answered, realizing that she did actually like it. But, what she was really enjoying was the feeling it was giving her and not the taste. She watched how the other patrons lifted their mugs and motioned with it to Sarah when they wanted another so she did the same and it took a few moments before Sarah acknowledged her. But, when she finally did, she nodded to her.

"Most people drink it a tad slower, Miss," Haverty told her. "But, I guess under the circumstances it's understandable," he said before taking a sip from his mug.

Celine watched as Brandon left with Henry Draper and Sarah returned with her ale, placing it on the table as she turned to Haverty. "Everything alright, Miles? Do you need anything?" she asked and he shook his head. "The food should be ready soon," she told him and then she quickly glanced at Celine before walking away.

Celine picked up her mug of ale and looked down at the froth in it and then she lifted it to her mouth and drank down another big gulp. "I see why Pa likes this," she thought as she drank another gulp and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She looked out the window at the mountains and thought how pretty they were as she drank the last of her ale and set the mug down on the table. Then she felt that her bladder was full so she stood up, feeling a bit lightheaded as she swayed a little. "I'll be right back," she told Haverty, slurring her words a little.

"Okay, Miss," he answered as she left the table and began making her way through the tavern to the latrine.

Her feet felt a little heavy and she swayed a bit but she managed to make it there and empty her bladder before heading back to their table. As she was walking, she saw that Haverty was still sitting alone and she wondered where Brandon had gone."Oh, who cares where's he gone," she thought as she realized she was thinking about him again. "He likes that Sarah woman so what do I care," she told herself as she reached the table and sat down, noticing that another ale in front of her.

She picked up the mug and took a sip as Sarah arrived with their dinner, putting their plates down before them. "Tell Brandon that I'll bring his dinner when he gets back so it won't get cold," she told Haverty.

"I will, Sarah, and thank you," he replied and she smiled at him, ignoring Celine and then left.

Celine looked down at her plate of food and realized that she wasn't really hungry anymore. So, she continued to sip her ale and just picked at her food until Brandon returned. "Sorry about that," he said as he sat down. "Everything is set for tomorrow. We'll meet them about half way into the canyon," he explained before picking up his ale and taking a sip.

Sarah showed up almost immediately with his dinner and set it on the table bending over and showing him her bosoms again and Celine watched the woman as she watched Brandon looking at her breasts and then she gave him a smile when he finally met her gaze. "Would you like anything else?" she asked him suggestively as she batted her eyes at him.

"That's all for right now," he answered, smiling widely.

"Just let me know when you need me," she said and winked at him before she left to tend to her other customers.

Celine drank some more of her ale and then took a bite of a biscuit and setting the biscuit back down, she looked at Brandon who was busy eating. She sat there sipping her ale, watching him for a few moments, thinking about how handsome he was when he looked at her and his emerald eyes met her sapphire ones and she quickly looked away and downed the rest of her ale.

"I can see why Pa likes this stuff," she said as she lifted up her mug and started waving it around trying to get Sarah's attention.

"What? You've never had ale before?" Brandon asked her surprised.

"Nope," she answered as Sarah finally looked her way and nodded at her. "But, I like it," she told him as she set the mug down on the table and picked up her biscuit nibbled at it.

Brandon went back to eating, not realizing how drunk she was as she sat back in her chair and watched him while she waited for her ale. She glanced at Haverty who was looking at her with a concerned look on his face and she smiled and nodded her head at him as Sarah arrived with her ale. "Here you go," she said to Celine as she placed the mug on the table, speaking to her for the first time all evening.

"Thank you," Celine said as she picked up the mug and took a sip as Sarah gave her a calculating look before returning her attention to Brandon.

"How's the food? Do you like it?" she asked him as she placed her hand on his shoulder and leaned against him.

"Yes, it's very good," he answered as he looked up her, smiling.

"That's good," she answered and she got ready to say more when someone called for her. "We're starting to get busy. But, I'll come back when I can," she told him and winked at him again before leaving.

He went back to eating and Celine continued to drink and watch him until he looked up and saw that she was watching him and he smiled at her and she smiled back. Then he realized that she had barely touched her food. "You're not hungry?" he asked her surprised.

"Nope," she said as she took another gulp of her ale and continued to look at him.

"Well, you seem to be in a better mood," he commented as he went back to eating.

"Yep," she said as she picked up her mug and sipped it, looking at him. In her drunken state it occurred to her that she didn't care if he didn't like her she still liked him anyway.

She continued to watch him eating while she sipped her ale and he began to realize that every time he looked at her she was watching him and it made him happy so he smiled at her and she kept smiling back."She's definitely in a better mood," he thought. "And she keeps watching me and smiling at me. So, she must not be mad at me anymore," he realized happily as he finished eating.

He picked up his ale and finished it, raising up his mug so that Sarah would bring him another and after he had gotten her attention, he glanced at Haverty who was smiling and looking at Celine who, he realized, was still watching him. "Do you know how handsome you are?" she suddenly asked him as their eyes met and a thrill went through him when she said it and he chuckled and so did Haverty.

Both men watched her as she finished her ale, placing her mug softly on the table and then she leaned over towards Brandon. "I don't care if you don't like me," she told him drunkenly as he got ready to protest. "I"m still going to like you anyways," she confessed and smiled at him, happily shocking him as Haverty sat back quietly laughing.

"How much has she had to drink?" Brandon asked Haverty, realizing that she was drunk.

"She just finished her fifth one, Sir," he answered with his eyes sparkling.

"You drank five mugs of ale? And you've never drank before?" he asked her in surprise, a little concerned.

"I dunno," she answered as she smiled at him. "But, I like the stuff," she told him.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So, Celine has drank ale for the first time in her life and in her drunken state, she confessed her feelings to Brandon in spite of Sarah's flirting with him! Will Brandon also admit his feelings to Celine? Or will he keep the promise he made to her father? Will everything go smoothly when they deliver Jackman to the rebels? To find out the answers to these questions, please read on :)

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