ikissdhimbck | OOM: Green Lake, Fourth of July

"I see," Mrs. Tennyson is the first to speak, her tone sing-songy.

"Isn't that interesting now?" says Mrs. Parker to Mrs. Smart.

"Such fine goals," Mrs. Teager interjects with a knowing smirk.

"Such a happy turn of events, then, that you happen to know Miss Barlow."

There's a great silent exchange of looks between the women; one can probably see the wheels literally turning.

Doc can.

Way to shoot yourself in the foot, you idiot.

For the briefest of seconds, he feels nervous as all hell, and it's not a good sense of butterflies, either. It's that kind of nervous he gets when he hears a hammer get cocked back, or heavy boots on a wooden walkway, or when the fire crackles just like a torch.

Then he pushes it aside.

He clears his throat, lightly, and innocently, to get his voice back.

"Probably settle up near San Francisco," he continues. "With the immigrant population and all comin' over from the East, they've a need for English teachers."

"My, San Francisco?" Mrs. Parker repeats.

"So far away," Mrs. Tennyson clucks.

Katherine is walking back through the crowds of people, sans her basket of peaches, when she finally spots Doc a few yards off.

...And then the company he's in, which causes her to draw in a sharp breath.

She beelines it to the group on the lawn, a sweet smile masking the inner-apprehension she actually feels. When she catches Doc's eye, she gives him a very apologetic look.

"Good morning, Mrs. Tennyson; Smart; Teager; Parker," she says politely, curtsying.

"I see you ladies are enjoying the fine company of our visitor this morning."

If he didn't already think she looked a bit like an angel, her arriving at just the right moment to rescue him from the flock of questioners seals the deal, somewhat.

But Doc's very polite.

"We were just talkin' about my time in New York and where I'm headed after visitin' here," he says. "And a bit about teachin' and such," he smiles at the ladies and nods at them. "But it's these ladies who are the fine company."

Not as fine as Miss Katherine, but he's not going to say that.

"Is that so?" Katherine smiles at him, silent laughter shining in her eyes.

"To be honest, I'm sorry I missed that. But if you're enjoying yourself so, I can leave you five to continue your discussion in peace?"

If Katherine wasn't such a proper lady, one might think that was a wicked smirk on her face.

Katherine is a very proper lady, so that is not a wicked smirk on her face. Of course it's not.

"I'm certain that we'll get much more time to chat, and I wouldn't want to take over the whole conversation," he replies, as he turns to the ladies. "If you'll excuse me?"

He's quite certain that he'll be the subject of conversation once he's gone.

That's a very good estimation, Doc.

"How very gracious of you," Mrs. Parker nods, granting Doc leave of their company. "We'll be sure to speak more later, indeed."

The other women titter their goodbyes as well, their eyes darting back and forth between Doc and Katherine as the two move on.

Freedom, Doc. How does it taste?

"I'm so terribly sorry," Katherine says, but she can't keep the chuckle from her voice.

"But I did warn you."

"You did."

It wasn't that bad.

"Though I do think I should apologize if they start askin' you questions," he adds. "But hopefully they won't be too insistent."

Freedom tastes wonderful.

"Everythin' alright with the Mayor?"

She arches a brow slightly. "Anything I should be forewarned about?"

She manages to look equal parts embarrassed and proud at his question, a smile lighting her face before she ducks her head.

"Oh yes, everything is fine. There's just been a bit of a change with the contests, is all."

"Well I may have set 'em off 'bout my intentions," Doc says. "You know how they can get when you've got a 'fine young man' and a beautiful young woman like yourself in one town together..."

He looks down at the ground a moment, hiding the smile, before he glances back over at her.

"Well as long as you still get the chance to beat 'em all," he adds. "Then we won't have no trouble."

He's teasing. Maybe.

Katherine's cheeks blaze at Doc's words, and she's sure she must look as red as a cardinal as she drops her eyes away from him.

"Y-yes, I suppose I do," she manages after some time, clearing her throat quietly. "I'll be sure to prepare myself for that.

She imagines her face must still be pink by the time his teasing words finally prompt her to meet his eyes again.

"That seems to be just the thing. It seems there have been some complaints from the competition..." She can't help but laugh before continuing. "They've withdrawn spiced peaches from the contests, and have decided to grant mine their own unique ribbon."

Again she looks equal parts proud and embarrassed.

"Well then I suppose you're just that much better than the rest of 'em," he says proudly. "And that's a good thing."

Doc nods a bit as if to confirm that fact.

Miss Katherine's spiced peaches blow away the competition, there's no question about it.

"So I suppose I should offer my congratulations," he continues.

He's doing nothing for the heat in her cheeks right now.

"No, we have some fine cooks in town," she shakes her head dismissively. "Ms. Lewis makes divine spiced peaches."

Even if hers are, inarguably, better.

"And you have to have Mrs. Etherton's cobbler. I won't let you get away without trying it."

The fact that Katherine herself has a bit of a sweet tooth shines through in her enthusiasm as she speaks.

Doc gives her a bit of a look as he narrows his eyes, dropping his voice to just so she can hear.

"If I didn't know any better, Miss Katherine, I would dare suggest you were tryin' to get me to eat more."

A beat.

"Even if I could stand to, perhaps." He chuckles a bit, so she knows he's teasing her.

Somehow, she manages to hold back the burst of laughter that was threatening to break through. A smirk is all that can be seen of it as she leans towards him conspiratorially.

"Am I that transparent?" she jokes quietly, in the same soft tone Doc had used on her. "Don't tell me the sound of peach cobbler doesn't entice you."

She might have gone on a bit more if not for the small boy that came barreling into her legs at that point. Masterfully, she managed not to fall. One might think this has happened before.

"Oh, James, you scared the livin' daylights out of me," she gasps, her hand at the young boy's shoulder, his face buried in her skirts. He was no more than six years of age, at best.

"Mffh hdrrr gfllje frjrms."

She puts her fingertips under the boy's chin and directs his face up toward her own. "Try that one more time."

"Jack won't let me at the maypole."

His voice is tiny, and very, very forlorn.

Doc on instinct is ready to steady her if she were to fall, hand close to her shoulder just in case, but once she doesn't he lightly rests his hands in his pockets, eyes on the young boy who's holding tightly to her skirts.

Especially when he sounds so very sad about his situation.

"Well then perhaps we'll have to go have a talk with young Master Jack about that," he says, as he squats down to get to eye level with the boy and offers him a hand.

"And who might you be, son?"

It doesn't matter than he's not much older than six, if six at all. Doc's always looked at his students (or any children, for that matter) as young gentlemen in training.

There's a tender little smile on Katherine's face as she watches Doc interact with her young student. Some might call it adoration.

James' eyes grow wide when he realizes he has garnered the attention of someone other that Miss Katherine, and he clings to her skirts a little tighter.

"James," comes his timid reply.

"Like a gentleman, James," Katherine reminds him gently.

"James Hartly Cawthright," he tries again, a little louder. "Pleasure t'make yur acquaintance."

He's still hiding in the folds of Katherine's dress, just slightly.

"An honor to meet you, Mister Cawthright," Doc says, with a bit of a nod and an easy smile, before he introduces himself as Mr. Scurlock, and stands up again. He glances at Katherine and smiles.

"This is one of your fine young gentlemen, I assume," he adds.

She smiles back at him.

"Indeed he is."

She dips her chin to her chest so she can peer at the boy again.

"You know there's only so many ribbons go 'round that pole, James."

"He pwomised I could! And Tilly said I could too, a-and Linda, too!" came James' reply, and his voice was getting more frantic with each passing moment.

"All right, all right. Let's see about it, then," she soothes patiently before looking back up at Doc.

"If you would excuse me for a moment, it seems I need to have a talk with my students. I shouldn't be long."

Doc smiles a little, and then nods his head towards the gathered students.

"Right behind you," he offers, and he follows behind her a step as she and young James head over to the crowd of children around the previous mentioned maypole.

It reminds him so much of his boys, and he can't help but smile at the sight and the memory.

She looks over her shoulder at Doc as James leads her along by the hand, and smiles. She's not sure why, but she's glad for the company right now.

"Aw, Miss Katherine, don't let him!"

"James, you tattle!"

It seems like every student has something they feel they have to say, and have to say right now. Eventually, Katherine has to clap her hands to get their attention.

"Boys! Girls!" she scolds. "Mind your manners! Jack, why won't you let your brother participate with the rest of you?"

"He's too little, Miss Katherine!" came the reply from a boy who looked to be in the vicinity of thirteen years of age. "He doesn't know how to do it right!"

"He trips, Miss Katherine," offers Linda, a beautiful little redheaded girl, who looks to be about ten. "And he can't keep up with the rest of us."

"Yes I can!"

"No, you can't!"

"Enough!" Katherine warns, though her voice is still sweet and patient.

"James isn't the only one, Miss Katherine!" another young boy points out, as if that's going to make their reasoning better. "MaryAnne is too slow, too! She's sitting out!"

Off in the grass in a pretty little yellow dress sits another six-year-old, dried tears streaking down her chubby face.

"No, children. That is quite enough of that," Katherine says, her voice serious as she goes and retrieves little MaryAnne. She holds her in her arms, at her hip. "Either you all play or none of you do."

No funeral procession could ever rival the wails emitted from the children at those words.

Doc watches the exchange between the students before he understands the problem, and it's a welcome change. Where she has to deal with children who won't play with each other, he remembers trying to get his boys to stop imitating The Kid in the muddy streets of New York City.

This is definitely a welcome change.

"Now I don't see why we can't all work together so that everyone gets a chance, to play," he offers, before he nods at Katherine. "If perhaps both Miss Katherine and myself helped both of your fellow students, then everyone would get to play?"

A great hush falls upon the small crowd as all the children look up at Doc, obviously trying to work out who he is and where he has come from. The boys look wary, but the girls... well, the girls look something else entirely.

Katherine has to bite her lip to keep from laughing before she turns to Doc and nods, seeing that their minds are working toward the same outcome.

"Why don't MaryAnne and I take... this pink ribbon, here," Katherine says, setting the small girl back down in front of her and threading the pale pink line through her fat little fingers. "And James, what if Doc--I mean, Mr. Scurlock--helped you along with your ribbon, too?"

James ran to a green ribbon--it was obvious he had already picked it out earlier--and gave Doc a timid, little speculative look.

"How does that sound, children? Would you like to see your teacher and her friend make themselves dizzy?"

This warrants laughter from the older girls and boys, and a happy medium is finally found. Katherine mouths a 'Thank You' to Doc as singing and laughter once again works its way back into the group of young ones.

Doc grins at Katherine and nods, as if to say 'No Problem', before he moves to join the boy at the green ribbon he's selected.

He takes a moment to lean down, hand on James' shoulder as he whispers.

"Excellent choice, Master James," he says. "Green is my favorite color, you know."

A smile.

"And we'll show them how to properly go 'bout the maypole, won't we," he adds, almost in a conspiratorial tone, in an effort to boost the boy's confidence.

To watch the smile spread from ear-to-ear on her young student's face as Doc crouches next to him, makes Katherine's heart flutter a bit. She finds it hard to take her eyes off of the man as all the children take their time getting into place. So she doesn't.

She's whispering into MaryAnne's ear, eyes on Doc's profile, when everyone is finally ready to go.

Yeah, she's a little smitten.

"On your mark!" cries one of her boys. She sets her hands on MaryAnne's waist, encouraging her to, above all else, have fun.

"Get set!"

"GO!"

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