My Montana Man

Chapter Three

I walked in the back door and into the kitchen. Norma was doing dishes at the sink with Cole. Deciding that I don't want a confrontation with either of them, I try to sneak past and make a get away up the stairs.

Unfortunately the old house doesn't agree with my plan and the floor creaks in protest. Norma spins around on her heel and spots me just as I get to the doorway.

"Aspen!" She cries. "I was so worried about you." She runs, nearly tripping, and gives me a huge hug followed by a kiss on the top of my head.

I look over Norma's shoulder as she hugs me at Cole who is leaning on the edge of the sink looking at us with a smile on his face that was somewhere between smugness and adoration. Norma finally lets go and with her arms out holds both of my shoulders looking at me with a motherly love that seems so unfamiliar to me.

I look over to Cole who has a goofy grin on his face obviously enjoying the moment.

At this point Travis enters the kitchen and is enveloped in a hug from Norma. She whispers something in his ear that I can't hear and I can't see her lips so I don't know what she's saying.

"All is forgiven then?" Norma says and I nod my head in agreement.

"You never truly got introduced to these two men. This is Travis," Norma says gesturing to Travis. "He is nineteen years old and lives in the ranch hand house right over there." She continues pointing through the living room window to another house about five hundred feet away.

Norma holds Cole close to her side and says, "This is Cole, he is seventeen years old and also lives in the ranch hand house but only in the summer. Tucker lives in the house along with the boys to keep them in order since he is twenty two years old and likes to boss them around." At that last comment a wave of chuckles goes through the kitchen.

I look at the three of them. Norma looking at each of the boys in some sort of motherly love. I feel like an outsider in this home. I shouldn't be here to get in between this close bond that they all share. I put my hands in the pockets of my worn out, ripped, and ratty jeans.

I haven't bought new clothes in such a long time. This is partly because I hate shopping and because I never spent enough time in one home for the foster parents to notice my shaggy clothes. Maybe they thought that I bought them that way but I never understood buying clothes that were purposely made to wear out faster.

Norma turned her gaze towards me looking me over. It was making me uncomfortable. Did I have some mud on my shirt from my recent escapade into the woods? I looked my self over checking to make sure that it wasn't the case. By this point Travis and Cole were looking between me and Norma probably wondering why she was staring at me.

Norma spoke slowly speeding up as she went. "I think that Aspen and I are going to go into town to go shopping. No offense darling but those threads that you call jeans are becoming thin enough to thread through a needle."

A feeling of dread went through me. My eyes went slightly wide. I hated shopping. There was no way that I was going to go shopping with a lady I barely knew no matter how bad I needed new clothes.

"No thank you," I quickly said. "I'm good with what I've got."

"Are all your clothes like that sweetheart?" Norma asked.

I didn't want to lie to her but I didn't want to tell her the truth. I opted for the sinful solution.

"No ma'am, " I said short and sweet.

Norma caught on to my lie and said, "You're lying. We're gonna go to town to get clothes and perhaps shoes for this lovely gal here. You guys stay here and help Billy with your chores."