Page 77 of Cowboy Bear's Hope

Hours?

It felt like a blur, the kind of haze that comes after the adrenaline fades and reality starts to sink in.

The sky outside the big picture window in her bedroom was a moody dark gray, heavy with clouds that seemed ready to burst at any moment.

I stared at them, absently wondering if snow would fall again tonight. Winter had a way of sneaking up on you out here, blanketing the world in quiet and cold.

Rosie shifted slightly in her bed, her tiny body curled against my side like she used to do when she was a toddler.

My sweet baby girl.

She was so worn out, her breaths soft and even, her lashes fluttering against her flushed cheeks as she dreamed.

I couldn’t blame her. She’d been through so much today.

My fingers moved gently through her soft hair, untangling the little knots she always seemed to collect during her wild adventures.

She’d been such a whirlwind lately, my Rosie, full of energy and curiosity that couldn’t be contained. But now, it all made sense.

The outbursts and her behavior at school.

My Rosie was special. She was other.

I was just so happy to have her back home, safe and sound. And I just couldn’t stop staring at her.

Penny and Jezebel had stayed with us for a while, but they left about twenty minutes or so ago. And I assumed the others followed them.

Dante was home. I could hear him ambling about the house downstairs, but I wasn’t ready to face him yet.

Not until I was satisfied Rosie was okay.

The fierce, protective love I felt for her swelled in my chest, so big it was hard to breathe around it.

The memories of the day flickered through my mind—her frightened eyes, her small hands gripping mine, the way her little body had changed right in front of me.

It was too much, too fast for any child, and yet here she was.

Safe. She’s home and she is whole.

For now, that was enough. I closed my eyes and said a prayer of thanks to whatever god might be listening. Rosie was my world, my heart, and I’d move mountains to keep her safe.

Outside, the wind picked up, rattling the bare branches of the trees, and sending a soft whistle through the cabin. A storm was definitely brewing.

And it wasn’t just outside.

It was inside me, too.

Fear, relief, love, all tangled together in a mess I couldn’t quite sort out yet.

But all that would keep.

I focused on Rosie, on her soft breaths and the way her small fingers clutched at my shirt even in sleep.

I made a vow right then. Whatever happened next, whatever challenges came our way, I’d be ready.

The brief conversation we’d had before she fell asleep played in my mind.

“Are you mad at me, Mama?” she’d asked.

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