Page 49 of Second Chance With a Cowboy

“No thanks are necessary, Miss Berniece,” Chevy said.

“Oh now, call me Berny. Everybody does.”

“All right, Miss Berny. Would you like me to take Babydoll back to the barn for you?”

“Oh, that would be wonderful,” Berny told him. “Her stall is the first one on the right. And I’d be much obliged if you filled her water bucket and dumped a half a bale of hay into her trough, while you’re in there.”

“I’d be happy to,” Chevy said, leading the cow toward the barn.

After all the carrots, apples, alfalfa cubes, and geraniums she’d eaten, Leni wasn’t sure how hungry the cow was going to be for hay.

She and Berniece made small talk about the weather and the recent thunderstorm and how great it was because they really needed the moisture. Leni had almost forgotten how talking about the much-needed moisture was a staple in any Colorado conversation.

“Now, I want to give you kids a reward,” Berny told them when Chevy came back from the barn.

“Oh, there’s no need for that,” Leni told her.

“Don’t sass me,” the older woman said, taking two five-dollar bills from her apron pocket and handing them each one. “Now, I want you two to buy yourselves some ice cream. On me. And Babydoll.”

Leni started to protest, but Chevy dropped his arm around her shoulder. “We certainly will, Miss Berny. We’ll stop at the Tastee Freez on the way home.”

“Oh, they have the best chocolate and vanilla twist cones,” Berny said.

“Would you like to come with us?” Chevy asked, grinning as he waved his five-dollar bill. “I’ve got enough for two cones.”

Berny stared at him for a moment then an impish grin crossed her face. “You know, I think I will. I usually take a daily walk into town anyway, but I haven’t had a handsome fella invite me out for an ice cream in a long time.”

Chevy held out his elbow. “Then let’s go.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Did she really walk into town and get ice cream with you?” Mack asked later that night.

He’d made good on his promise and brought sub sandwiches over for supper, even getting a couple for Chevy and himself after Lorna invited them both to stay and eat with them.

Leni knew her sister well enough to know that after they ate, Lorna was going to talk them into staying to play cards or a board game. She loved a good game night.

“She sure did,” Leni told him. “Apparently, the woman makes a point to walk two miles a day, so the walk into town was nothing for her. I think she’s in better shape than I am. But we had a great time visiting with her while we sat outside the Tastee Freez and ate our ice cream.”

“We even got to have ice cream too,” Max said, waving around his small ham and cheese sub. “Elizabeth took us to meet them there after the liba-rary.”

“And then we insisted on giving her a ride home,” Lorna said. “While Chevy and Leni walked back to the house.”

“And I got to see the cow,” Max told him. “I wanted to bring her an ice cream too, but Mom said no.”

Leni ruffled her nephew’s head. “Don’t worry, buddy. That cow had already had plenty of treats today.”

“Wow,” Mack said. “I’d like to meet this Berny. She sounds impressive. And it sounds like quite a day. I’d like to contribute to the conversation, but I spent most of my day mending fence with Ford, and he’s not much of a talker.”

“No, he is not,” Chevy agreed. “But he will talk if he’s got something to say.”

“Tell us about you,” Lorna said, leaning toward Mack. “What was your life like in Texas?”

Mack waved a hand in front of him. “Nah. My life was boring. Never found a cow in my yard. Maybe because we never had any flowers for them to eat. Texas is hot and dry, and that’s about all there is to tell.” He nodded toward the knee scooter. “How’s your leg feeling? You gettin’ around on that thing okay?”

“Oh yeah. I still crash into things, but it’s so much easier than crutches. And Chevy also brought me a walker from one of his knitting group gals to use around the house, so other than feeling like a ninety-year-old woman, I’m doing great.”

“Don’t worry. You don’t look a day over eighty-three.”

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