Page 80 of Claimed By the Cowboys
“All right, coming right up!” Emmy chuckled, ponytail bouncing on her way back to the kitchen.
I had just finished munching the last of the extra pickled jalapenos off my plate when the reindeer bells on the diner door jingled loudly overhead.
Dakota shuffled into the diner with a quick wave to Emmy, Evelyn, and Judd before he made his way to our booth in the back corner.
“Can we go feed the ducks?” Maisie blurted as soon as Dakota was within earshot.
He looked to me, searching for any indication of my answer before he gave a response.
“If Daddy Kota wants to take you down to the pond while we wait for Papa Monty, you can go.” I gave a little shiver, the air-conditioning strong on my bare arms and shoulders. That was always the way in the dead of summer—too hot to wear any other layers outside for any amount of time in that heat, but said layers were necessary for the strong air-conditioning everyone ran during the season to combat the oppressive heat and humidity.
“Plus,” I added, a little sheepishly. “I haven’t gotten my ice cream yet. I just finished my chili dog.”
Dakota let out a laugh, then took in the sight of me rubbing my bare arms before swinging his car keys around his finger.
“I tell you what, Maisie Rae. I’m going to run to the truck to grab one of my sweatshirts, then you and I can take a walk down to the pond to goseethe ducks. I don’t think they need any more feeding today,” he chuckled warmly.
“Yeah! I wanna go see the ducks!” Maisie clapped excitedly.
“Be right back, pretty girl.” Dakota beamed, leaning down to peck a kiss on my lips before he hightailed it out to his truck.
“Make sure you don’t step in the water this time, otherwise we’re going to have to wash all the pond muckies off your light-up sneakers again,” I giggled, helping to fix the plastic barrettes that had come loose in Maisie’s hair as we waited for Dakota to return.
“Mama,”she said in her tiny chime-like voice, and my heart threatened to overflow.
Maisie had called meMamaa few times now since that first day with the drawing, but each time made my heart swell a little more.
“Yes, Maisie-Rae?” I responded sweetly.
“When can I take the baby to see the duckies?” she asked, laying a hand on my stomach tentatively.
It was almost enough to make me break down and sob tears of joy right there in the diner.
“Soon, sweet pea, very soon.” I tucked one of her flaxen curls behind her ear and placed a kiss on her little button nose.
The jingle bells sounded again, and Dakota returned with an oversized worn gray hoodie bearing the Blackwood Ranch logo emblazoned across the chest.
“All right, time for you and me to go visit with some ducks!” Kota proclaimed, dropping the hooded sweatshirt into my lap before sweeping Maisie up and into his arms as she squealed with delight.
“See you two in a bit!” I called after them before wriggling into the huge hoodie, settling into its comforting softness.Dakota’s rain on warm mineral earth smell wrapped around me like a hug. Emmy arrived with my sundae almost as soon as the pair had made it out of the door.
“How are things going with the farrier’s son?” I teased Emmy while I dipped the long-handled spoon into the tall glass of ice cream, hot fudge, and whipped cream before me.
“Not goin’ nowhere anymore. Three terrible comic book movies I’ve sat through at the movie theater now, and not even so much as a peck on the cheek for a good night.” Emmy rolled her green eyes and shook her head gravely, the very picture of the pretty tomboy girl-next-door in her short denim cutoffs and cropped diner T-shirt. The farrier’s boy might have thought she’d be too hot to handle, even if Emmy was sweet as pie.
“I know everyone says that good things come to those who wait, but damn it, Piper, I am notthatpatient,” she added with a laugh, tossing her chestnut brown ponytail over one shoulder.
“I’m telling you, just hold on. Focus on being yourself, and good things will fall into your lap.” I gave her a knowing look with a pat to my belly, well hidden by the baggy sweatshirt, and pointed my ice cream spoon at her meaningfully. “It sounds corny as hell, but I’m telling you—things happen for a reason!” I tossed my spoon into the empty sundae glass as a sudden ice cream headache struck me.
“Oooh, brain freeze!” I yelped and pulled my scrunchy out of my hair, letting it fall around my shoulders as I shook off the sensation.
“Doling out wisdom even as your brain gets frozen out, like a true friend.” Emmy snorted a laugh at me and my wild hair and crazy expression.
“You should be so lucky!” I stuck my tongue out at her before we were giggling like a pair of high school girls.
Just as I was about to get ahold of myself enough to extend Emmy an invitation to watch some truly terrible reality TV onthe couch in our pajamas sometime in the next week, the jingle bells rang out again, interrupting my train of thought.
I turned toward the sound of the bells, assuming it would be Montana, fresh from his visit to town hall about the building permits he’d been looking into, ready for a cup of coffee while he waited with me for Dakota and Maisie to return.
