Memories come flooding back of all the times we would do this, looking longingly at each other. I bravely take a step forward, but she doesn’t move.
“How, how have you been?” She whispers out.
I look at her, slanting my eyes.
You know the answer, Firefly, fucking terrible without you.
“Okay, you?” I muster out instead.
“Okay.” She shrugs. I let out a breath.
“This is awkward,” I say, trying to cut the tension a bit.
“Just a little.” she laughs out.
Fuck, I’ve missed her laugh.
I take another step towards her and again she doesn’t move. “I’m sorry I took the job,” I mutter out, looking at her with deep sorrow.
She lets out a sigh, tension moving from her shoulders. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have been so cruel to you.” She looks up at me.
“No… no, you don’t get to apologise for that-” I start leaning towards her again, as if on impulse, before I hear a shout from behind me.
“Mama!” Ellie squeals from behind me, I turn to her and offer a wave.
“Mr Maverick, hello again.” She waves back, making her way over to us.
“Hi, Ellie, you done a great job this morning,” I say, kneeling back down to her eye level.
Looking at Ellie, I can’t believe I didn’t see that she was Mabel’s daughter before. She is a mini-Mabel through and through.
The mini-Mabel I always dreamed of.
Ellie blushes and goes shy. “Thank you,” she says.
Before I can say anything else, Mabel starts to move Ellie towards the barn door.
“Come, Ellie, Mr Maverick has work to do.” Mabel smiles at me. “Ohhhh,” Ellie whines which makes me laugh. Mabel as well.
Turning on her heel, Mabel walks back out of the barn door before turning her head towards my direction and lets out a soft wave.
Shit, what’s happened since this morning?
Is this a sign?
Does she want to carry onthat conversation?
Fuck, my head’s screwed.
Seventeen
Mabel
Reaching the porch with Ellie hot on my heels after this morning’s adventure, she won’t stop chewing my ears off about finally learning how to be a Cowboy. Or the start of one anyway.
I can’t help but smile down at my daughter as she carries on talking. I remember my first experience out with my daddy and Colter when I was about her age.
I suppose I drove my own mama mad with excitement, like how my daughter is doing to me now. I always thought there was no feeling like it; being free out in the fields,herding cattle from one place to another.
