Cowboy, Stay with Me

Chapter Twenty-Four: His Girl

Sean was standing with a glass of Kentucky bourbon in his hand, pretending to listen to the sheriff and his deputies ramble on and on about football.

Sean liked football as much as the next blue collar fella, it was kind of a requirement for living in the Bible Belt, but right then his mind was only on one thing.

Lucy was across the crowded room from him, surrounded by a group of women, from new mothers to finely aged grandmothers. Some of them had their smaller children with them; toddlers that were too shy to leave their mothers' skirts quite yet, and babies that weren't old enough to be left alone in a play pen.

Lucy was bouncing Rosalita, who was wearing a black headband with a bow today to match her adorable little black satin dress and two-tone booties.

Lucy was glowing as she held the chubby little girl, and the two were smiling and giggling together. Lucy had always had a magic way with kids; they instantly responded to her.

She made them feel safe, Sean could only suppose. She was such a naturally warm, nurturing, and protective person. She made Sean feel safe.

Sean knocked back some more of his bourbon as he continued to watch Lucy chatting and smiling with the others over Rosalita's fussy baby antics.

Rosalita kept reaching out to capture locks of Lucy's sunshine yellow hair.

Lucy had worn her hair partially clipped back today, with the ends gently curled. She was wearing a simple black shift dress with an empire cut bodice and waist line. Not that Sean knew what it was actually called, he just knew it flattered her figure and gave her a subtle hint of cleavage peeking up above the lace hemline.

She was also wearing her mother's pearl bracelet and matching earrings, as well as a simple pair of black heels.

Sean frowned slightly as he watched her reach for her glass of cranberry juice. She wasn't drinking any alcohol, of course, but he still had to worry about her in those shoes. And why wasn't she wearing a sweater or something?

Sean knocked back the rest of his bourbon as he contemplated the woman who may or may not be carrying his child.

###

"So...you and Sean...?"

Lucy rolled her eyes from behind Martha's head of plaited gray hair.

Lucy wheeled her aunt out of the house and down to the gravel drive where Harrison was pulling the truck around.

"Are taking it slow and just trying to be civil to one another. Don't get too excited, Auntie." Lucy told her bracingly.

Martha scoffed, twisting around in her chair to peer shrewdly up at Lucy. "The way you twos were cuddling back at the church was hardly what I'd call just 'civil', but I understand that you crazy you people these days have all these fancy modern notions of 'friends with benefits' and 'no strings attached' and all this rubbish you tell yourselves 'cause you're just plain too chicken to commit."

"Those are movies you've seen recently, Auntie."

"Oh, yeah! That Ashton Kutcher boy sure is cute!"

Harrison pulled up in their old Ford truck just then and hopped down to come collect Martha off Lucy's hands.

"Oh my!" Martha giggled as Harrison scooped her up out of the wheelchair. "My hero!"

Lucy stepped back, smiling as she watched Harrison bundle her aunt safely into the cab of his truck.

The two had been happily married for as long as Lucy could remember; going on thirty years now.