Wishing On A Cowboy

Hunter couldn’t be Cindy’s dad. The girl must be between eight and eleven years old. She never could gage a person’s age. She’d lost one job for selling beer to minors. They appeared older than twenty-one. That was just one in a long line of mishaps she’d had since leaving home.

The Collin’s homestead. Now it was Hunters. It looked great, a one story farm house, white washed, recently. The steps to the porch now had handrails, probably for his mother. Three years wasn’t a terribly long time to be away, and yet it was long. Too long.

Hunter stood at the door holding it open watching her. “I think we should call Doc Owens. You’re limping something fierce.”

She gave him a fleeting smile and shook her head. “I’ll be fine.” The money in her pocket wouldn’t last very long. A doctor’s visit was out of the question.

Hunter grabbed her left elbow and she winced. He stopped walking with her and turned her toward him. “Are you going to say the pain in your arm is nothing?”

The concern in his eyes was too much. She quickly glanced at the wooden floor. If she cried, she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to stop. Stemming her feelings before they got out of hand had become second nature to her. She’d been holding in her pain, hoping to unleash it in her mother’s arms. Now that was impossible.

“Awe, Maggie. Let’s get you settled on the couch, sweetheart.”

Nodding she let him lead her to the couch. It was a new one. Black leather. His mother’s taste ran more feminine. She remembered teasing Hunter about all the doylies on the furniture. Now there wasn’t one in sight. She sat down with a groan and she groaned even louder when Hunter helped her put her feet up.

Little Jake tried to jump on the couch. Hunter lifted the dog up and it snuggled on her lap. Maggie smiled until she saw the disgruntled expression on Cindy’s face. “I’m sorry go ahead and take Jake if you want.”

Cindy peered over her shoulder then turn back leveling Maggie with a glower. “What I want? Wow, I don’t know if I’ve been asked that question before. Take the damn mutt I didn’t like him anyway.”

Maggie’s heart dropped. Cindy didn’t like her. Maybe Cindy had a point. Billy told her often enough that she wasn’t worth liking but somehow Cindy’s glower made her feel worse than anything Billy had said. “No, really take him.”

“Listen, lady I don’t want the damn dog. Let it rest.”

Hunter pulled Cindy into an embrace. He kissed the top of her head and whispered in her ear. Cindy nodded and left the house. Hunter watched Cindy leave. He hesitated before he turned back to face her.

“Hunter, I’m sorry. Obviously, I’ve upset everyone here. You can just drive me into town.”

“Maggie you are just as stubborn now as you were before you left.”

The back of her throat burned. She’d had her stubbornness beaten out of her. No, she wasn’t the same. “I just don’t want to cause any problems.”

Hunter nodded. He studied her, head to toe.

Averting her gaze, she didn’t want to see herself through his eyes. She already knew she was lacking. At least he hadn’t gloated or said I told you so.