Cowboy, Stay with Me

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Cowboy Daddy

Lucy came downstairs ten minutes later only to freeze on her own front porch at the sight of a notorious black truck parked on her lawn.

Sean even managed to park like an arrogant jerk.

Growling softly to herself in frustration; this was just the person she wanted least to see right then, she nevertheless headed around the house in a resolute fashion.

She found Sean with Travis, in the small paddock she used for one on one lessons with the older kids.

Travis was on the petite side and was still struggling to saddle Old Smoky by himself.

Sean seemed to be on the case, however, helping Travis lift the miniature saddle up onto the pony, then encouraging him to cinch it up on his own and praising him when he did well.

Lucy climbed onto the bottom post of the fence, leaning her arms on the wooden top rail and resting her chin on her arms as she watched Sean give Travis a boost up onto Old Smoky.

She didn't remember giving Travis instructions to take Smoky for another ride, but she supposed there wasn't any particular harm in it, not with an adult present anyway.

But still...

She opened the gate to let herself in and they both looked over at her.

Old Smoky tossed his head of white and black hair and started towards her, hoping she might have a treat for him.

"Well, this is an unusual grooming technique." Lucy said, scratching Old Smoky lightly on the top of his head.

Smoky knew this to mean she didn't have anything for him so he turned and moseyed away, Travis dubiously in control of the reins.

Lucy sighed, folding her arms as she looked up at Sean. "Something tells me you had a little something to do with this?"

Sean grinned down at her unapologetically, hands in his jean's pockets. "Hey, don't blame me, kid's sweet talker."

"Uh-huh."

"Well, we got to talking and I told him about my rodeo days so he wanted me to give him a few riding pointers."

Lucy laughed aloud. "Your rodeo days? Sean, you rode in one rodeo, once! And my God, will you never let anyone forget it."

He huffed. "Whatever, got you to let me take you out, didn't it? And I got you to second base that night, as I recall. The whole injured cowboy routine worked wonders on you."

She slapped his arm lightly in mock dudgeon.

Travis just had to ride by right then, of course. "What's 'second base'?" He demanded loudly.

Lucy gave Sean a look that made him hold up his hands like she had a gun pointed at him.

"It's a baseball term, kid." He said, then fixed Lucy with a smug look.

"Oh, boring." Travis said, nudging Old Smoky to try to get him to go a little faster. Smoky continued to walk in a circle around the paddock, slowly, just as he'd been trained.

"Oh, it's not boring, I promise you, kid." Sean said, smiling down at Lucy in a manner that made her feel warm all over, inside and out.

She put her hand over her belly, completely out of subconscious reflex.

Lucy cleared her throat. "Yes, well, what're you doing here, anyway?" She demanded of Sean.

He chuckled, unperturbed. "Well, how do ya like that? Hospitality in the south has really declined over recent years."