Cowboy Bring Me Back

4

The next morning when Stevie made her way down the stairs at nine in the morning there were two children arguing in front of the fridge. Stevie just rolled her eyes and walked behind them putting a hand on each of their hips and mustering all of her strength to push them aside. 

"What is going on?" She asks.

"Nothing." Colton spits.

"It's obviously something." Stevie crosses her arms.

"I was going to go to the diner for breakfast because Colton and Daddy are supposed to be fixing the fences. And I really don't want to cook." Livinia states.

"But dad and I aren't fixing the fences because it's raining out and I don't even know where dad is. But I told her I'd cook and I only know how to cook eggs." Colton growls.

"But I HATE eggs." She whines.

"Well, what do you want?" Stevie questions.

"Pancakes." She points to the box on the counter. 

"Alright, go...go sit...Colton what do you want for breakfast." Stevie looks at him.

"I want eggs." He states.

"Fine...Cheese Omelette or veggie scramble." Stevie looks at him.

"What?" Colton asks.

"I'll cook you breakfast. I'm your mother, it's my job to cook for you and make you happy. I don't mind cooking both. I'll probably eat the eggs over pancakes but I know your dad'll eat the pancakes so I don't mind cooking both, but I need to know what type of egg I'm cooking for you. I can do Omelettes with Veggies and Cheese or a Veggie Scramble which is the same thing except it's scrambled with the eggs not sitting inside of them. Or a fried egg." Stevie explains.

"Omelette." Colton looks down sheepishly.

"Alright. I'll make Omelette's and pancakes for breakfast." Stevie explains expertly moving around the kitchen.

Stevie listens in as Livinia tries to whisper to Colton but she doesn't do a very good job at it.

"She like...knows where everything is." 

"Well, she lived here for years. What do you think they did to get us, use a Turkey Baster." Colton expresses.

"Well...I mean. I don't know, I don't know her." Livinia replies.

"Stephanie Nicks, age 66, born May 26th, 1948. I was born in Phoenix Arizona moved to Los Angeles after I graduated college. I have a degree in Speech Communication and Psychology. I was addicted to cocaine from 1976-1981. Then I got addicted to Klonopin, a prescribed Anxiety drug that said take as needed which is a load of utter shit, And I was on that from oh...1982-1992 stole ten years off of my life. And once I got clean from the Klonopin I knew I needed a change so I came here to Agoura Hills. It was only forty-five minutes away from my house and the atmosphere here is so totally different than that in Los Angeles. While here I was renting the other house that backs up to this property with the gorgeous pool. But I decided to go on a private horseback trail ride my first day here. Where I met this arrogant ranch owner who told me if I wasn't at his Equestrian Center by nine in the morning I was shit outta luck. And NO ONE tells Stevie Nicks what to do. So before I even knew his name I smacked him across the face. But he was so fucking hot it was stupid and I ended up running into him quite a lot, and then he took me up to the ridge where a relationship was born." Stevie explains pouring the pancake batter on the griddle. 

"Dad?" Livinia asks.

"Yes. Your father. I was only supposed to be here for six months, and when I left we tried to make a long-distance relationship work because I was recording an album, but your father and I lived two different lives. I had to be in the city for work and he couldn't. He's very much a rancher and he didn't have the property in Santa Monica or the animals and he didn't know what to do with himself so we parted ways and it made me so sick. I would puke every time I thought about him and I fell into utter depression. I didn't get out of bed for weeks. I wore the same damn thing. Then I found out that I was pregnant and I was so scared. So fucking scared because the child I had conceived in the 70s with another man didn't have a brain. I had to have an abortion or I had to deliver a brainless baby who would only live for an hour at most. So I had the abortion because I couldn't put myself through that pain. So when I found out that Colton was developing in the right way, I came back here and I moved in. I wanted him to be a little girl so badly because that's what the baby I had in the seventies was. But he wasn't and despite me wishing for a baby girl to the best of my ability it didn't matter because when he was born and they placed him on my chest and I got to hold him and kiss him and I got to look him over and he was perfect it was the best day of my life. Four years later when I found out I was pregnant again I was ecstatic because I was having another baby with a man I love with all my heart and your father knew what I was having but I didn't. And when the doctors announced that it was a little girl, I think I probably curled in on myself and you, Livinia, because I was so thrilled. And when I walked away I sobbed for days. But I knew that it was no way to raise you both because Colton suffered when it was just him." Stevie explains.

"What do you mean I suffered?" Colton asks as she places a plate in front of him, he was sitting at the island.

"I went on tour when you oh...I don't know a year almost two after you were born so you were just a toddler but you were..." She pauses and flips the pancakes before walking over to the hutch where she pulls a plaid book out. Once she gives the pancakes to Livinia, she opens the book and continues what she was saying. "You were a mama's boy. " 

The picture that she shows him is of Colton as a toddler in her arms burrowed into her neck a giant smile playing on his face. It was his baby book, and Colton had not once looked at the book, not even thinking it was anything important because it was in the kitchen of all places. 

"When I came home your dad told me how inconsolable you were for days and you were so sad when I left on tour after Livinia was born, and I didn't want to do that again, I didn't want to hurt you like that. Show up for a couple of years and then be gone again. My grandfather was like that I hated it, and I know my father hated it as well. So I thought it would be better for you two if I didn't...and I know I probably hurt you worse by doing that but I didn't know how to go about doing it any differently." Stevie explains. 

Lindsey who had heard the whole exchange from the other side of the back patio waited until she said her peace before pressing in. 

"I smell pancakes." He smiles.

"Woah, Woah, no....you're dripping. I do not want you dripping on the floors, take your stuff off and drop it on the floor before you even step any further." Stevie demands.

"But Steph..." He whines.

"Lindsey." She repeats. 

He just growls and slides off his boots and shrugs off his coat and shakes his hair out. 

"Much better. Here." She turns and hands him a plate 

"Where were you, daddy?" Livinia questions.

"I was with Apple." He replies.

"How is she?" Colton asks. He still had a giant love for the horses.

"Well...Colt, it's a COLT!" Lindsey says as everyone erupts in cheers. And Stevie laughs throwing her arms around Lindsey's neck. 

He returns the hug just as tightly and then they break apart when they see their kids looking at them curiously.

"Right um..." Stevie straightens out her bathrobe and goes back to the cooktop where she was making her own omelet. 

"So are we Gelding him?" Colton asks.

"We are, but not until he's old enough, I geld every Stallion that's born except for the couple that I use to breed at the center. Anyway Liv, I'd give Snow another day she looks exhausted." Lindsey explains.

"Well, I can't ride when it's like this anyway." She points to the pouring rain outside.

"So if Bruce and Penelope are gone, how many horses do you have here on the property and what are their names?" Stevie asks.

"Well, Snow's here. But she's Liv's. A pure white mare, she's gorgeous. We have Lucky, she's just an extra. Penelope's foal. There's Toby which is Colt's workhorse, and my workhorse is named Blake. He's Bluebelle's foal. Then there's Prince. Colt's riding horse. Apple's only here because I don't keep pregnant mares at the center." 

"You named your horse Prince?" Stevie asks turning her attention to her son. 

"I got him when I was twelve and I named him after the greatest musician of all time....Mom more?" Colt states.

"You want another one?" Stevie asks.

"Yes please." He hands his plate back.

"Alright, I'll make you another one. But I'm hurt...you think Prince is the greatest musician of all time." She fakes a pout.

"I don't think we've actually listened to you sing in years." Colt shakes his head.

"Well, I know Prince...he wrote a song with me," Stevie smirks working on a second omelet.