Page 66 of Wounded Cowboy
Kelsey greeted him at the door. Her eyes widened at the sight of the takeout tray and its Yummy Cowboy logo.“You didn’t have to!” she exclaimed.
“But Iwantedto.” Spring grinned at her.“Summer and Brock send their love… and one of Brock’s huckleberry pies. He wanted to give you a send-off with a Montana dessert.”
Tears welled up in her eyes.“I’m going to miss everyone so much.”
A lump suddenly appeared in Spring’s throat. He swallowed hard.“And my family’s going to miss you, too.”
The atmosphere was bittersweet when they all sat down to their last dinner together a few minutes later. The pot pies steamed on their plates, the crusts golden and flaky.
As they all dug in, the girls bombarded Kelsey with questions about Los Angeles. Each innocent query felt like a barbed porcupine quill driving deep into Spring’s flesh.
“Are you going to be a movie star’s nanny?” Abby asked with wide-eyed wonder.
“I don’t think so,” Kelsey said.“I signed up with an agency, so I don’t know where I’ll be working yet. I hope it’s a nice family, like yours.”
“Are you going to live next door to Disneyland?” April asked.
Kelsey shook her head.“Not really. I’ll be living in Sherman Oaks. That’s about an hour-and-a-half drive north of Disneyland, but it’s only a half-hour away from Santa Monica Beach. And it’s just down the road from Universal Studios and a bunch of film and TV studios, including DreamWorks.”
“Wow!” the girls chorused.
As they continued peppering Kelsey with questions, Spring sat in silence, his appetite gone and his heart shriveling with each of Kelsey’s excited answers about what her new life was going to be like.
He nodded and forced himself to smile when it felt appropriate, but inside, he was screaming.
It took every ounce of his will not to get down on his knees and beg her to stay.
“Can we come visit you, Ms. Kelsey?” April asked when the pot pies had disappeared, leaving only a few crumbs of flaky pastry behind.
“I want to go to Disneyland and meet the princesses!” Abby declared.
Before Kelsey could answer, Spring intervened.
“Girls,” he said, making his tone firm yet gentle,“Kelsey is going to be very busy taking care of another family in Los Angeles. We can’t just invite ourselves over for a visit.”
“Of course you can!” Kelsey insisted, ignoring Spring’s warning look.“You’realwayswelcome to visit me. The agency told me that to start with, I’ll just be filling in on short-term jobs. I’ll get time off between assignments. I’d love to show you around my new home.”
Spring forced himself to smile.“That’s a generous offer. I’ll think about it. But for now, we have one of Uncle Brock’s huckleberry pies to enjoy for dessert. Who wants ice cream with their pie?”
∞∞∞
When bedtime rolled around, Spring’s heart ached at the sight of Kelsey hugging April and Abby goodbye. Tears streamed down their faces, and he felt like a monster for not asking Kelsey to stay.
It’s for the best, he told himself, for what felt like the thousandth time this week.
Her cheeks shone with tears as she straightened up and turned away with a last goodbye and a promise to email them photos of her new apartment.
He walked Kelsey to his porch, shutting the front door behind him.
“Be careful on the drive down to L.A.,” he rasped, and raised his hand to her wet cheek.“It’s a long way to go.”
“I’m giving myself four days to get there,” she told him.“I have a hotel room booked in Ogden, Utah, for tomorrow night. I’ll be in Las Vegas for two nights, so I can take a break from driving and see The Strip. I should reach L.A. by early afternoon on Tuesday.”
Spring gathered her into his arms and bent his head. His lips met hers in a long, tender parting kiss.
When they finally pulled apart, Spring’s eyes were stinging with tears.
Kelsey sniffled and wiped at her overflowing eyes.“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to make this a sad thing.”
