I edge Storm closer to Dusty and try and meet Mabel’s eyes. I open my mouth to speak but hear the sound of Colter’s whistle and the herd starts to move again. I slap Storms reins on my leg once again, urging them in the right direction.
I watch Mabel from the corner of my eye; her auburn hair is being blown backwards in the breeze. Sunrise creeps overthe horizon; day light fast approaching.
I see a cow run out to the side, but before I can urge Storm into a run, Mabel rushes past me on Dusty, pushing the steer back into formation of the herd. I let out a heated breath as she trots back over towards me.
“You haven’t lost it working in that office, Firefly,” I say, turning my head to face her.
“Please, don’t call me that.” She shoots at me yet again, however, with less venom than last time. She turns her head to face me. The pain still there in her eyes. I offer her a small smile.
“I’m sorry,” I say. I see her shoulders sag and her head bow.
“It’s okay.” She looks back at me and offers a pained smile.
I catch her eyes in line with mine. I know I should look away, but I can’t. I refuse to stop the eye contact, especially if she isn’t turning away either.
A shout turns her head away from mine, in line of where Ellie and Colter are. Ellie’s racing her horse towards a steer that’s come away from the herd. I watch Ellie guide the cow back in line with the others. Both me and Mabel letting out a cheer.
“Did ya see me? Did ya see me, Mama?” She shouts, from across the field.
Hold up.
Mama?
I look back towards Mabel with force; she has a proud smile across her face. Colter shouting encouragement to Ellie.
“Sure did, baby!” Mabel shouts back to her.
The realisation drops that’s why Ellie looks so much like Mabel. I feel like I’m just being bucked off my horse, and the air is being ripped clean from my lungs.
She isn’t her niece.
Ellie’s her daughter.
Fuck, it all makes sense now.
The sheepish way Colter looked at me. Mabel ushering her away.
Her name.
Holy shit, Mabel’s a mom.
I look down to her finger and see noring either. What happened whilst I was away?
Fifteen
Mabel
Watching the realisation on Mavericks face as Ellie calls me Mama almost breaks my heart all over again. The hurt in his eyes as I watch him look down to my ring finger, and then the relief when he sees it’s bare.
I trot over to my brother and tell him if he wants me to even slightly talk to him again, he needs to change positions with me, so I don’t get the questions that Maverick wants to ask me in this field, because I know what the questions are going to be.
The main one I imagine being;
Who is her dad?
****
Ten years ago;
