Page 54 of Owned By The Cowboy
“Chicken dumplings,” Rosie tells her waitress, ignoring the interruption. “Chocolate milkshake.”
“I don’t like chocolate,” Nia says.
“Vanilla,” I add my two cents.
Nia glares at me, grumbling, “Fine.” I chuckle.
As we’re finishing up our hearty meal, my phone rings. Reggie’s name pops up on the screen.
“Hey,” I answer. “How’s the drive?”
“Terrible. Traffic. I’m going crazy here. How is Nia? Is she okay? Are we sure it’s just a sprain?”
I can hear the worry in her voice, the kind of panic only a mom can have when her kid’s hurt and she’s not there.
“She’s fine,” I tell her, watching Nia roll her eyes at her mom’s obvious freak-out. “X-ray showed just a sprain. Doctor says she’ll be good as new in a week.”
“Oh, thank God. Can I talk to her?”
I hand the phone to Nia. “Your mom wants to hear your voice.”
“Hi, Mama… Yes, I’m fine… No, it doesn’t hurt that much… Blayne’s been great… We’re at the diner… Him and Ms. Rosie made me eat real food.”
She grins at whatever Reggie says next.
“Yeah, he’s totally spoiling me… milkshake and everything… No, Mama, you don’t need to speed… We’re good.”
I can hear Reggie’s voice through the phone, asking rapid-fire questions mixed with rising relief.
“Mom, breathe,” Nia says, rolling her eyes. “I’m okay. Blayne’s being awesome as usual… What? Oh.” She looks at me with a weird expression. “She wants to talk to you again.”
I take the phone back. “Yeah?”
“Blayne, I…” Her voice cracks a little. “I can’t even tell you what it means that you were there for her. That she had someone who cares about her.”
“Of course, sweetheart.”
“I know, but… God, when the school called and said she was hurt, and I was hours away, I just… I panicked. And then I thought of you, and I knew she’d be okay.”
“She is okay. Tough as nails, this one.”
“She gets that from her grandma… Listen, we’re close now. Are you okay to stay with her until we get there?”
“Not going anywhere.”
She lets out a relieved sigh. “Thank you. Seriously. I owe you everything.”
“You don’t owe me shit, baby.”
“Yes, I do. You dropped everything for my daughter. That’s… that’s not nothing.”
“She’s a good kid.” I look up at Nia, and she’s grinning huge, watching me with big eyes. Fuck, I’m gonna get it. “I’ll see you when you get here,” I tell Reggie.
“See you soon, cowboy.”
She hangs up, and I’m left staring at my phone, trying to process what just happened.
“And now she’s crying,” Nia says.
