Cowboy Bring Me Back

2

It was nearing five-thirty and the stupid car that she hired to bring her to Agoura Hills, would only bring her as far as the diner so she just huffed and collected her stuff, and then she made her way into the Diner. It wasn't horribly busy. There were a few people milling about but what caught her eye was the three girls loomed up at the counter. They seemed nice enough, and though she's not really one to talk to strangers she gears herself up to get ready to approach them. 

Stevie gulped and collected her bags before going up to the girls at the counter, and one of them, the one with brown waves, gasped quietly. 

"Um excuse me, I was wondering if someone could take me to the Buckingham Ranch," Stevie says quietly.

"Yeah, this is Vinny, she's heading there right now." Kristen, or Kitty-Not that Stevie would remember-, the one with brown wavy hair pats Livinia's shoulder. 

"What do you need at the Buckingham Ranch?" Livinia questions as the woman behind the counter drops a plastic bag in front of her and three styrofoam cups.

"I um...I just need to. I need to talk to Mr. Buckingham is all." Stevie shakes her head.

It was then that Livinia looked at her and despite the woman being about forty years older than her, and she could see that by the faint wrinkles around her eyes that it was almost like looking in a mirror, and then the video from the night prior registered in her head and she knew she was looking at her mom and she didn't know how to feel about. 

"Lottie, I'm gonna need another Raspberry Iced Tea." Livinia sighs. 

"Oh, alright...that's another two-fifty." Lottie smiles from her perch behind the counter. 

Livinia pays her the money and then when the Raspberry Iced Tea is in her grasp she nods her head and Stevie follows her and Lola to the Jeep.

"I hope you don't mind, we have to drop Lola off first." She shrugs pointing to the redhead that had crawled into the backseat. 

"That's fine." Stevie nods.

***

The drive from Lola's house to the Buckingham Ranch was quiet and awkward and then they pull up to the familiar house and Stevie's heart leaps out of her chest. But then it flutters when she sees the toned and tan young man moving some hay with brown curls. He's shirtless just wearing a pair of jeans and his boots. He's tall like Lindsey and Stevie just wants to wrap her arms around him because that was her baby boy but she hated it because Karen was right, he wasn't her baby anymore.

Livinia climbs out of the car as does Stevie and when Colton sees her he stiffens.

"Who's this?" He calls as Livinia and Stevie walk towards him.

"I don't know, She just asked for directions and Kit volunteered me to drive her here, as I was coming here anyway." Livinia holds the food out to him. 

"Hey, Colton." Stevie smiles walking up to him.

"150 dollars." Colton spits.

"What?" Stevie asks.

"150 dollars. November 10, 1997 dad took me and Livvy to Nordstrom and he spent 150 dollars on some earrings and a candle. He made a homemade card and I signed it. We waited for you to come home for a week and all we got was a letter. A letter that I watched dad burn after he read it and he made up some bull shit excuse as to why you weren't coming back." Colton states grabbing the food and waltzing towards the house. 

Livinia could see the hurt cross Stevie's face and then she heard Cash bark and she gasped before turning around and loving all over the dog.

"LIV DID YOU BRING DINNER?" Lindsey calls from the barn.