Willa's Story (Spurs, Wyoming)

Chapter 1

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Chapter 1

"Miss Willa!"

The small voice matched the small person who screamed my name from across the street. I had just walked out of my small, one bedroom apartment that I've been renting for about two weeks now. Living in Spurs, Wyoming which was about 200 miles from Cheyenne was a big change of scenery compared to California. And Nevada. Even Washington state.

Unfortunately growing up I moved around a lot due to my father serving in the United States Army. Only a year after I graduated college, he suffered a stroke and died. It left me all alone, my mother was never in the picture and my father had no other living relatives. The fact that I never stayed in one place long enough meant I was very unlucky in the friend game.

Hell, at 25 I never even had a boyfriend, or anything that ever went along with that sort of thing. Virgin all the way around. I've never been kissed, not by anyone. Not even on the cheek. My dad was protective, and took wonderful care of me but he wasn't a hugger and much less an affectionate person.

I couldn't really explain why I decided to move to this small town, especially in January when 30 degrees was considered a nice day out. But when I got here I couldn't deny that the mountains were breathtaking. The town itself was tiny, and only consisted of about 40 village residents and 86 living outside of the town. Half of that number worked for a large cattle ranch ten miles outside of town. The Hardin Ranch was talked about by many people and in just the two weeks I've lived here I've heard a lot about the owners while grabbing my morning coffee at the only diner around. I didn't consider myself to be an eavesdropper but I enjoyed falling into the background and people watching.

My father left me with a lot of money, allowing me to postpone finding a job in the near future. Instead, I was able to travel and sell my photographs to local wildlife magazines and even a few name brand western stores for advertisement. Right now I was working on a project for a business who sold heavy duty work wear for Men. I had an idea to shoot cattle in different weather elements. I was hoping this would be a place I can find it.

Turning my attention to the little voice who was still yelling my name, I smiled big and wide as I fell to my knees. Timmy Hughs was four years old and the funniest little cowboy I had ever met!

"Timmy!" I exclaimed as I caught him in a hug, giggling as his little arms wrapped tight around my neck. "How are you today?"

The babble began, he talked about tractors, his pony, his tractors again and I bit my lip from laughing at his adorable-ness.

His mother, Lacey approached with a wide smile on her pretty face. She wasn't any older than me, and proved to be one of the nicest people I had ever met. Dressed similar to me in western boots, jeans and a lined jacket, she held her swollen stomach in her mitten covered hand.

"Timmy took right off as soon as he saw you, Willa!" She grinned down at her boy before wrapping her arm around my side in a hug. It shocked me still how friendly she was.

Lacey worked at the diner where I had been stopping every morning since I moved here. I even spent New Years Day Dinner with her when she had to work the evening shift and had no one to watch Timmy. In return I had gotten a free chicken and biscuit meal. 

"He sure makes me feel special." I told her honestly as I tucked a few stray pieces of hair into my ball cap.

"What were you up to?" She asked as we began to walk.

"Needed some fresh air, and was hoping I could find something to photograph." I lifted my camera that I had strapped to my neck.

"You should ask Judd if you can photograph on his land!" Lacey exclaimed, "That would be perfect for your current project."