Cowboy, Stay with Me

Chapter Ten: Her Home

The road to recovery the next morning was gruesome and grizzly. First, she stumbled into a hot shower, and just tried not to think too much. After she'd freshened up and managed to dress for the day, she shuffled her way slowly downstairs.

Breakfast, coffee, and painkillers were next on her recovery list.

Thank the good Lord that it was Saturday and she didn't have to run the daycare.

She found her female relatives predictably lying in wait to ambush her as soon as she entered the kitchen. Cassie had come over and her son Charlie was playing with Amanda's three kids out on the back porch.

It was a lovely spring day and they had opened all the windows to let in the refreshing breeze.

An apple pie was cooling on the windowsill and Lucy felt her appetite spark to life.

Flora set a plate of pancakes, homemade hash browns, bacon, and scrambled eggs down on the table and indicated that Lucy should tuck in.

Paula, Lucy's stepmother, smiled tentatively and placed a mug of coffee down at Lucy's elbow, then backed away. "Lucy, honey, we're all just so relieved that you're okay and that you're safe and sound with us."

The other four all nodded in fervent agreement.

"The shooting is all over the news!" Aunt Martha volunteered and Flora elbowed her with a reproving frown.

Lucy's hand trembled slightly as she poured a generous amount of maple syrup on her buttermilk pancakes.

Her two older sisters came over to hug her around the shoulders from behind before leaving her in peace for a while to eat.

When she had consumed as much as she possibly could and had gotten some coffee in her, she took a few painkillers and finally felt prepared to discuss what had happened.

Amanda was the one to speak first, clutching her own mug of coffee. "It's so awful, what's happened to Fenton. Everyone's in total shock and poor Mary-Lou is just devastated, of course."

Lucy bit on her lip as her sympathetic heart ached for Mary-Lou. Losing a loved one was the worst thing that could happen to a person.

"We've made her a pie and a few casseroles." Martha pointed out needlessly, gesturing at the glass dishware that cluttered the kitchen counters.

"Anyway, enough talk of gloomy stuff!" Martha suggested, shifting around in her wheelchair with an avid expression that Lucy didn't much care for. "You have to give us the scoop on you and Sean, Lucy! We've all just been dying to know!"

Grandma Flora rolled her eyes. "Well, some of us were dying, some of us were managing to endure in mildly agonized suspense."

Lucy laughed as she hugged her sturdy and ever-so-slightly plump grandmother.

Next, she turned to face her stepmother. "Morning, Paula. You didn't have to come all the way over here, it's seriously not that big a deal, guys." Lucy said, forcing a smile as she quickly hugged the young, gorgeous Latina woman. Paula was only a few years older than Sean, who was only a few years older than Lucy.

Paula clasped her firmly by the shoulders for a few moments as her golden-brown eyes swept over her. "Nonsense! We're very happy that you're safely home with us, Lucy. My goodness, how crazy this has all been! We're just so relieved you weren't hurt!"

Lucy forced another smile, easing back from her. "Thanks."

"You were lucky Sean was there to save you!" Martha piped in helpfully.