Page 60 of Overdue for a Cowboy

“They were in their car seats in the back of Julie’s little compact car, but the guy who hit them was driving a semi-truck.” He choked as he rasped out his next words. “They never had a chance.”

A cry escaped Maisie’s lips. “Oh no,” she whispered again. “They all…died?”

Chevy pressed his lips together as he nodded then swiped at his cheek with the side of his arm. “It just about killed my little brother. He was beyond torn up, blaming himself because he hadn’t been there and blaming God for letting it happen. After the funeral, Ford and I went down to Fort Collins and brought him home. He didn’t speak the whole drive up the mountain, and I don’t think he ate or left his room for the first two weeks he was home. My grandma was the only one he’d talk to atfirst. Then the pastor came out a few times and did some grief counseling work with him. Eventually, he came out of his room and talked to all of us, but it was a rough summer and a hard couple of years for him.”

“How did I not know about this?”

“Nobody really knew. Julie didn’t have much family to speak of, and it all happened in Fort Collins. Dodge is a pretty private guy, and he didn’t want people to know, so we didn’t say anything. He’d always been a homebody anyway, so he mainly stuck around the ranch those first few years, throwing himself into physical labor during the day so he’d collapse exhausted into bed at night. I don’t think he even read much those first few years. It was a bad time for him.”

Maisie didn’t know what to say. She understood now why Dodge was so upset at the Lambert’s farm when she’d practically forced him to hold the baby. And why he’d gotten quiet after Jacob had stopped by with the offer of popsicles and a pet frog. And why he was reluctant to commit to a woman who had told him she wanted kids and a family.

Chevy wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and they leaned back together against the rungs of the swing. “I still don’t know if I just did the right thing by telling you, but it happened a long time ago, and you’re the first woman he’s been interested since then. The last few months, after that time we were at Ford and Elizabeth’s, he started mentioning you more often, then after your accident, he started talking about you all the time.”

“Oh my gosh. My accident.” She remembered the terrified look in his eyes when he’d found her in her car and the panicked way he’d carried her out of the ditch. “That explains why he was so upset.”

“And why there was no way he was leaving you that first weekend.”

“And why you and Ford brought him food and clean clothes.”

Chevy nodded. “We knew he had to have been reliving the accident with Julie and the kids, and we were all pretty worried about him. Dropping off food and clothes gave us a chance to make sure he ate and that he was okay. Duke was ready to come over and camp out on your sofa, just to keep an eye on Dodge and make sure he didn’t spin out.”

“But he didn’t.”

“No, he didn’t. Instead, I think he really fell for you. And that scared the hell out of him. He’s been running from any kind of commitment for so long now, I’m not sure he knows what to do now that he has a chance to be happy. But I really thought he could do it.” He squeezed her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Maisie. I was really pulling for you two. We all were. I want you to know we all think you’re a sweetheart, and the only reason I’m telling you all this is because I know how you are, and I didn’t want you thinking that the reason Dodge left was because of anything you did or didn’t do. I guess he’s just not ready.”

She stared at Chevy. “So, you’re telling me to just give up on him?”

He nodded. “I hate that I am, but yeah, I guess that’s what I’m saying. You deserve to be happy and to have someone who can give you everything you want. And I’m not sure Dodge can do that. Not right now, anyway.”

“You sound like Dodge. He’s been saying the same things.”

Chevy shrugged. “Maybe it’s time to listen.”

“But I’ve already waited for him for over a decade.”

“I know. And I love my brother. He’s a great guy. But you’re great too. And I just don’t want you to waste another decade waiting for someone that may not ever be able to give you what you deserve. I’m not sure he’lleverwant children, and I’ve seen how awesome you are with kids. He’s in a tough place, and I’m just saying that if he’s telling you that it’s over, it might be time to walk away.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Sunday morning, Dodge was in the bookmobile, ripping the flooring out and hurling the torn pieces out the camper door.

“Whoa there,” Duke’s voice came from inside the shop. “What did that piece of laminate ever do to you?”

“Sorry Gramps. I didn’t know you were out there.”

“You got a minute?” Duke asked. “I brought you a breakfast burrito.”

Dodge sighed and threw down the crowbar he’d been using. His stomach growled at the mention of food. He wasn’t sure when the last time was that he’d eaten. He hadn’t been hungry the night before—not after seeing Maisie and Pete having such a good time on their date. He’d dropped the burgers off with Ford then driven out to the lake to pitch rocks into the water for an hour before coming back to the shop and getting back to work on the bookmobile.

He stepped out of the camper and took the offered burrito from his grandfather.

Duke handed him a travel mug of coffee too before wandering over to the sofa. He looked down at the wrinkled blanket and arched an eyebrow. “You sleep out here last night?”

Dodge shrugged. “Not much. I was working on the camper most of the night then finally crashed out on the sofa for a few hours around two.”

Duke tossed the blanket over the back of the cushions before sitting down and patting the seat next to him. “Take a load off. Just while you eat.”

Dodge recognized his grandfather’s ‘let’s have a talk’ tone and facial expression. He sighed again as he slumped onto the sofa next to him. Duke studied the camper, giving Dodge a few minutes to wolf down the breakfast burrito.

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