Clouds filled the sky and the last thing needed was rain. Pony was muttering about his luck as he had Jenny and the cart tied up by a pub. He was looking her over because part of strap that held the side pole had gotten worn and finally snapped. He couldn't even risk pulling it because the smallest accident would risk injury to her. 

His head turned as he saw a man coming up, a cabby. He didn't look like he was working and was taking a break. At least, Pony hoped so as he held out his hand to catch his attention. 

"Hey, friend. You work here, right? Can you suggest the closest place that might help me? I can't get my girl home without a replacement strap."He gestured to where a piece that attached her to the cart was hanging limp to the ground, a little dirt on it showed she had pulled it a foot or two before he could stop her to get her off the path.

Lou was whistling as he passed by the bar on his way to a nearby tavern for lunch when he noticed a man by the side of the road calling to him. When asked about a replacement strap, Lou stepped up and examined the break, then turned with his typical smile toward the stranger. "Lou Dendy, at your service!" he said cheerfully and vigorously shook the man's hand if he let him. "I've got an extra strap just like this one in my cab just a ways down the road, in the barn at my house. If you don't mind waiting, I'll go and fetch it now?"

"Thank you so much, I'm Pony McBride." When the man reached for his hand, Pony flinched and pulled back. He smiled apologetically though. "Sorry, I don't do well with being touched. But I am really grateful, you are too kind."He nodded quickly and gestured to the ground. "I won't move from here. Just tell me how much I owe ya."

Lou shook his head, turning back from his path, his smile still broad and friendly, "Oh, no, you needn't pay me, I just want to help." And so he did. He headed along the road, making sure to walk a bit faster than he usually would, and entered his barn, humming. Kip, his horse, whinnied with surprise at seeing him back only five minutes after he'd left her with her lunch, but he patted her on the nose and sang an old tune and she soon went back to munching on her hay as he fetched the strap. Returning to Pony McBride about seven minutes after he'd left, now holding the spare strap, he offered it to the man and tried to make some friendly conversation. "So, Mr. McBride, what does a good and honest man such as yourself do around Whitby?"

Pony was relieved when he returned and immediately went to work replacing it. He rose his brow at the man's phrasing and laughed but managed to not make it clear he was laughing at him. "Work. I travel a lot. I'm planning on moving on soon. I got a sister in town but.." He gestured with his hand that there was family trouble. "You got any sisters, my friend?"

Lou nodded. "My sisters and brothers all left town years ago," he remarked rather sadly. "I miss them, but they don't bother to write back when I send letters and the like so I haven't seen most of them in a while." If Mr. McBride let him, Lou helped fix on the strap- most jobs went faster with two hands- and he chattered on about his pets and the other strays he took in. At one point, he mentioned he was letting someone live with him, and at the slip of the tongue that the person was a woman and the two of them weren't involved in any way would probably raise curiosity in Mr. McBride, though Lou saw nothing the matter with it.

Pony was more than happy to accept his help and worked on the other side of Jenny to switch the pieces out. He listened fully to the other, "Ah, well if your family doesn't act like family then you don't need them. You seem like a nice man though I never judge people on first meeting. You never can tell a person's true self from a first meeting." He looked up as the man mentioned living with a woman though it wasn't in sin.

"Careful about that, you don't want people to start rumors, especially if you're innocent. My sister had a lot of rumors about her, but she deserved every one." He frowned in thought. "I swear, that woman. She's traveled with me for quite a while and I protected her from men because I wanted to make sure she was ready. She went out on her own and fell in love with the first man who said something nice to her, can you believe it? And just threw herself at him the first day they met! " He knew he shouldn't keep talking about it but sighed.

"I tried to reason with her, but she just takes it as me being possessive or keeping her down. Now she's a widow with babies and immediately moved onto another man, and doesn't think it's wrong. And I'm the bad guy. I tell you, some times I wish I separated from her and never heard from her again, I can't take all this even if she thinks it doesn't concern me." He looked at the man, "I love my sister, I do. But when they act so shameful and don't care, how am I supposed to feel? " He smiled slightly, "Sorry I am not going to get over that any time soon. I have to let it out and you seem like you have a good ear. Just.. don't let yourself get into that situation with this lady. As nice as she might seem, people usually put their best foot forward. I don't know how much people are aware of when they are dead, but I imagine they can still feel disappointment."

Lou listened well to Mr. McBride's story and shook his head at all the right parts. His warnings about Madeline went in one ear and out the other, though, as he always liked to assume the best in people and he believed Maddie really was a good person. Still, to assuage the fellow, he replied, "I will be careful," as he worked on the straps. Rain started to fall, little pitter-patters at first, and Lou found himself humming cheerfully, not much minding the rain. The worry crossed his mind that if he got too wet, he might catch a cold or worse, but he brushed it away as he was nearly done on this side and would be able to head along home soon to get his rain jacket and umbrella.

Pony felt better that this guy didn't turn on him like Karen or Pearl had. Leave it to them to fall onto thinking it's alright for a woman to just toss men aside. He sighed heavily and finished up the strapping before resting a hand on his hips. He immediately went into the cart to pull out a water resistant blanket to put over Jenny's back to help keep her from getting too wet and looked at the man.

"You really saved me there. Since you won't accept payment, let me get you something to eat or drink to warm you up before the rain gets to you? It's the least I can do.'

Considering how this was Lou's lunch break and he hadn't eaten yet, and the fact that the rain looked like it would only be getting heavier soon, he accepted the offer with a smile and a quick thank you. He headed into a near tavern with the man, still humming to himself cheerfully, and breathed in with satisfaction the smell of cooking meat and the scent of the fire in the mantel across the crowded room.