Page 21 of The Cowboy's Temporary Solution

"But when she and Brett split up... Well, everyone in town saw you go home together, Ranger. Penny McDaniels said youspent more than one night at Bernie's place. And you never denied it when Bernadine was telling the whole town you two were together."

"I told you and Dad we weren't," I remind her. "Gunner and Archer Dean knew. Bernie was going through a bad time, I wasn't about to humiliate her by calling her out, but I expected people knew me better than to think I'd be the cause of breakin' up a marriage.

"Hell, even Brett eventually came to understand that was just more of Bernie's drama."

I never was good at folding laundry. My stack isn't up to Mom's standards and she's refolding each towel I do as soon as I set it down.

We work in silence for the space of half a dozen kitchen towels. Hopefully, Mom's finally processing what I've been trying to tell her for a decade; she always believed the local rumor mill over my protests when it came to that fiasco.

Thought Bernadine had broken my heart by denying me my second chance at her when she and her husband decided to give it one more try.

Truth was, Bernie and I'd been seen drinking together down at O'Hare's. She'd been pouring her heart to me and I thought I was being a good friend. We'd ended up sharing a ride back to her place-- where I crashed on the sofa. Woke up with a stiff neck that lasted two days. Her neighbor saw me leaving the next morning-- and then Penny McDaniels watched the show unfold when Bernadine's then-estranged husband brought the kids back before I'd cleared out.

I was down to my skivvies because Bernie'd insisted on putting my clothes through the wash, since there'd been more than one spilled beer involved in our long night.

Things got heated, accusations were made, and Bernadine was all too happy to let Brett-- and the entire town-- believe we'd been having an affair.

Slow River's a small town, and my name gets attention when it's mentioned.

The story got out of hand, my reputation was being dragged through the mud in a place where a man's reputation still matters, and Bernie was too wrapped up in her own drama to give a fuck.

"You really think she's in love with me?"

Mom looks up from her side of the table, giving me a curious look.

"Bernadine?"

"Serenity."

A smile ghosts Mom's features before she looks back down at her folding.

"That girl would follow you through fire, Ranger. I like her. I don't want you to go breaking her heart."

"You think Bernie's in love with me?"

That question gets a terse noise as Ma sucks her teeth, setting the last of the wash cloths on top of the neat pile of hand towels, and considers her answer.

"I think Bernadine is a sweet girl who's prone to histrionics. She's a good mother and a good person who's looking for love. If she was the one you wanted, I'd have stood by your choice."

"Not an answer, Ma."

Mom grabs up a stack of her folding and gives me a shrug, telling me she knows she dodged the question and isn't planning on changing her answer.

"The fair opens tonight, you know. You should take Seri. Give her a chance to wear her new things."

"Can't, Mom."

I hold the door of the laundry room open so she can make her way through but she comes up short and gives me a curious look.

"Why not?"

"She left."

Mom's expression turns to confusion.

"Left?"

"Yeah Mom. Somebody told her I was in love with Bernie." I heave a hard sigh and follow Mom into the hall.

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