Aurora's Cowboy Daddy. Melinda Barron

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СКАЧАТЬ let her gaze roam over the absolutely beautiful countryside that spread out around her. Things here were just stunning, and that included the cowboy sitting next to her in the UTV. He’d given her a lesson on how to drive it before he’d started for the cabins.

      “There will be a UTV there for you to drive back up,” he said over the sound of the wind whipping around them. She’d forgotten how much wind there was in this part of Texas. She put her hands on her hair to hold it down as they went past a line of trees and the cabins came into view. They were in a square, three facing each other on either side. In the middle was a circle with several large trees and what looked to be a picnic bench, and was it her imagination or was there a swimming pool there? As they drew closer she saw that’s exactly what it was. Off to the left was a garage with a car parked next to it.

      “That’s Mercy’s car,” Holt said. “She and Nina, our only occupant at this time, are at the grocery store right now. I called her to let her know we were on the way. She said to put you in cabin three, and she’d come to see you when they got back.”

      “Thanks.” Then realizing she’d given a one-word answer she said, “I mean, thank you very much for bringing me down here.”

      He chuckled and patted her knee. “Good job. You have a beautiful voice. You need to use it more often.”

      No one had ever said anything like that to her. In fact she could count on both hands the number of times people had said something nice about her. Unless it was the correctional officers who had thanked her for being a quiet and well-behaved inmate—even though she was a murderer.

      Holt parked the UTV near the cabin marked three. He got out and hurried toward her side, but she was already out and trying to get her hair into line.

      “Never get out of a vehicle without my help,” he said. “You have to let me use my cowboy manners.”

      “Okay,” she said. She wasn’t sure what to add to that one-word answer. Was he going to be the sort of demanding boss that made her toe the line? Even though she was out of prison she was used to doing what she was told. But she wasn’t sure she liked the idea of being ordered around.

      She glanced at the houses, but hesitated before she started toward number three. Would he get on to her for checking it out without permission? Like a good little girl waiting for instructions she stayed near the UTV while he gathered her overnight bag from where he’d secured it to the back of the vehicle.

      When he was back he indicated she should walk down the path before him. She got to the door and reached for the knob on the screen door.

      “What are you doing?” he asked. He didn’t sound angry, just inquisitive. She wondered if there was a right or wrong answer to this question.

      “I was going to, um, open the door?”

      “With a man around?”

      Aurora stared up at him. “What does that even mean?”

      “It means ladies wait for men to open the door, house door or car door.” He pulled back the screen and turned the knob on the inner door.

      “No lock?” she asked.

      “I asked Mercy to leave it open,” he said. “Go ahead.”

      After being told off for trying to get out of the UTV on her own, and trying to open the door on her own, Aurora had waited for a command to enter, despite the fact the door was open. The inside of the cabin was light, and seemed airy.

      “Each one has two bedrooms,” he said. “There is a master bedroom and a second one with a set of bunk-beds and a twin bed for ladies who have children. There are also two bathrooms, one attached to the master and another next to the second bedroom. There is a fully stocked kitchen. When ladies arrive, the den mother takes them to the store so they can stock up on what they want to cook. Each lady is given a hundred dollars a week for food, which is mostly meats, dairy products, and such. We keep the kitchens stocked with the basics. Doing that will be your job.”

      Aurora nodded before she said, “I can do that. What else will I have to do?” She didn’t want to tell him she wasn’t much of a cook.

      “The ladies will come to you with any issues they have,” he said. “Deal with them the best you can, and if they have questions you can’t answer, you come to me.

      “If someone shows up here that is not supposed to be here you call me immediately.” He stepped in front of her. “If you can’t get me you call one of my brothers. That is crucial. If our guests have someone after them, and they are found out and the person comes here, it could spell disaster.”

      He didn’t have to remind her of that. She’d taken a life over that disaster. Because of that she also had a man after her, who if he found her would, as he’d said in court, torture her and take off her head. She must have had a terrified look on her face because he gently touched her arm and said, “Are you all right?”

      Tell him, tell him, tell him, a voice inside her head screamed. But another voice said, if you do, you won’t get this job, and you desperately need it.

      “Fine,” she said. When he cocked his head and raised one eyebrow, she said, “Fine, I mean I’m fine.”

      “How many fines is that?” he asked. There was a twinkle in his eyes. “We’re going to have to start counting.” He walked toward the back door. “There is a lake just behind that copse of trees. Its depth depends on the amount of rain we’ve had. But it makes a nice place to sit at night and enjoy the evening air.”

      “Sounds wonderful,” Aurora said with a sigh. “Except for the bugs.”

      Holt laughed. “We spray for bugs. Speaking of bugs, there are animals that live out here.”

      “Um, what sort?”

      “There are coyotes, of course. Snakes, opossums. We have a problem with mice, which is why we have three cats that patrol the area. There are also roadrunners that help with the snakes. Just don’t kill anything you see. If you’re concerned, call us.”

      “I can do that,” she said.

      “There is one other thing,” he said. “In the event that someone who is not supposed to be here is here, there is a shotgun in your unit. I feel insensitive to ask, but do you know how to shoot?”

      “It’s been a while, but yes,” she said.

      “We have a shooting range set up not far from here and I’ll take you out there one day.” He opened the back door and Aurora stepped onto the deck. “We want it to be peaceful here for families who have faced trauma,” he said after he’d joined her.

      “It is,” she said. She imagined sitting on the deck with a glass of iced tea and a book. “May I ask a question?”

      “Of course.”

      “You said there was only one cabin filled right now. How many are usually filled?”

      “It depends on law enforcement,” he said. “If a lady needs to hide, and they think she is a good match, they call us and we go pick her up. We collected our one occupant today, when we picked up the horse. She has two children with her, a three-year-old, СКАЧАТЬ