Wishing On A Cowboy

Chapter 2 part 2

 

“I’ve missed you is all. I used to have a huge crush on you surely you knew.”

Maggie studied his strong face. Had it been that way? She never gave it much credence. She remembered her mother telling her to tread gently with Hunter. The more she looked at his face the more she saw the truth of his statement. “I was a selfish girl. I didn’t take anyone else’s feeling into consideration when I left.” Regret filled her. “I had such big plans. I was going to be someone. I learned my lesson the hard way.”

Hunter tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “What would that be, Maggie? I can see what lessons were put upon you by. Oh hell, who was he?”

Swallowing hard, she tried to figure out where to start. “I had saved all my money and I thought my life would be so perfect if I could just reach a city where opportunities were everywhere. There is no such place, not that I found anyway. There were times I just prayed that God would see me though another day. Money went faster than I could have ever imagined and I found a job. I worked in retail. I barely had enough for rent. I had a place with three other girls. It was a small one-bedroom place. He was one of the bosses at the store. The manager actually. He took an interest in me. I was so stupid. I actually believed that he’d help me become a designer or a buyer and go to New York and Paris.”

Her hands trembled and Hunter took them between his gently rubbing them. “Go on.”

She nodded and waited until she had herself under control. “He moved me into a nicer apartment. We dated. Usually he’d just come over after work. He never stayed the night and I should have known. You know something Hunter, it’s easy to pretend you don’t see what the truth is. I got the best shifts and by then the rest of the employees knew and hated me for it.”

“For what?”

It broke her heart that he had to ask and it shattered when she answered. “I was having an affair with a married man. I demanded that he leave his wife and he set me straight with the back of his hand. He said he’d never let me go. I began to squirrel enough money away to leave. I talked him into buying me that car. I sold my soul for a car. Things got worse and I couldn’t go to work with the bruises. So you see, Hunter, I’m nothing and no body. I’m just a piece of trash he tried to turn into silver. I tarnished and no matter how hard I tried I never gleamed again.”

“Oh, Mags, I’m so sorry.” Hunter started to hug her but she pulled away.

“I don’t deserve your sympathy. I had it all coming. I thought myself better than others. I was trying to be something I wasn’t and I failed. Look at me, Hunter. I am ugly and pathetic and worthless. My mother died and I didn’t even know. How does that happen?” Tear flowed freely down her face. “It’s my problem. It’s for me to fix. As soon as I’m healed up I’ll be out of Cindy’s way. It’s really great that you’re adopting her. You are what a real man is and from what I’ve seen there aren’t many like you.”

you are welcome to friend me on facebook- kathleen tighe ball

my author page- kathleen ball romance has a fan of the week- I give away I free ebook each saturday- i have four published with one releasing on Feb 21.