Love Unexpected

Chapter 5

"Which one do you think will be good for both riding and working or do I need to get two different pairs." Halyn, who had awoken early the next day and made the journey to town asked the attendant who had introduced herself as Patsy earlier on. The woman who appeared to be in her early forties came off as the friendly kind but that assumption she had gone by was soon changed.

"Ohh darla, you can just get those brown ones, it's good for both." She uttered in a thick western accent pointing to the boots with the nail file in her hand.

"Okay then, I'll take those ma'am." Halyn grabbed the pair of shoes and brought them to the counter.

"Ma'am? I'm too young for that dearie, just call me Patsy, anyways where'd you say you from?" The woman who prided herself on sticking her nose in everyone’s business asked with a quizzical look on her face.

"Umm New York." Halyn gingerly intoned with a polite smile plastered to hide the fact that she was getting a little bit annoyed by being subjected to a probe by a stranger. The one thing that irked her was nosy people.... especially the kind that had no regard for boundaries.

"Oooo the big apple, you must be the one Jesse and the boys been talkin’ about, Hailey right." She set her file down, giving her all her attention now.

"Umm no, it's Halyn, ca..can you bag them fast for me, I'm kinda in a hurry." She pointed out hoping the woman would take a hint at her sense of urgency.

Patsy did, but was slow with her actions leaving Halyn to muse to herself. The fact that she was already a topic of discussion for people in town left a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. The last thing she wanted was to become the centre of attention since nothing good ever came from it. This was supposed to be her escape from it all, her fresh start but it seems she just couldn't catch her breath.

"You okay there hon, you seem pensive." She asked coming back to sit after grabbing the pair of shoes.

"I'm fine." The city girl quickly plastered a tight smile on her face masking the anxiety that had lodged in her heart.

"Anyways, as I was saying, it was a shame what happened to the owner of the ranch you staying at, he was such a good and kind soul, you know not a....."

Halyn had at some point managed to tune out whatever the chatty woman was droning on about till the words “owner of the ranch” resonated in her mind. Her bent head snapped up to the woman who had garnered her full interest and attention now. In as much as Halyn refused to accept it, deep down in her heart, the death of her father had very much reopened old wounds that had never healed. She told herself she could care less but the scars lingered on. Curious to hear what the chatterbox had to crone on about, Halyn indulged her.

"Emm what happened to him, I mean the owner of the ranch." She coolly asked swallowing the sudden lump that had lodged in her throat.

"I don't want to come across as a gossip but Mr Harjo, God rest his soul, he was..." She drew closer, whispering in hush tones with her eyes veering off to the door for a second.

"Pasty!!!!!" A male voice sharply boomed from behind, interrupting before the woman could divulge the rest of her words.

"Mind your darn business woman." The hefty man who seemed to be in his late forties appeared from behind her, his bald head shaking disapprovingly at the woman.

Pasty turned, an argument rising on her tongue to defend herself about not doing anything wrong, further arguing she was just being kind to update “the newcomer” on the happenings in town. Halyn stood there bearing witness to the exchange between the two but then her racing mind was a million miles away spinning with a thousand and one questions.