Cowgirls Don't Cry

As I held the corral gate open Kolt led Mayhem and his Palomino, Rose, into the fenced area to graze.

Alax was in the cabin unpacking her bags in her new room.

My old room.

As I latched the corral closed I felt Kolt’s eyes on me

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Turning around I watch his eyes, “I didn’t know how. That summer we had together was beautiful, but when it ended I was broken again.”

Anger grew in his eyes, “You still should have told me I had a daughter!”

“I know.”

He sighed, “She knows who I am?”

I nodded, “She’s always known. I used to show her pictures of us and she was always fascinated with you.”

He narrowed his eyes, “You mom told me you had married.”

I bit my lip, “Yeah, but he never had much to do with her.”

Kolt paced away, not looking at me, “But he raised her.”

He turned and glared, “He raised my daughter!”

“I know, and I’m so sorry!”

He walked closer to me, towering over my smaller height, “Sorry doesn’t cut it, Mahogany. You kept my daughter away from me.”

I felt a tear run from my eye, “I know.”

His eyes seemed to soften as he reached over and wiped the tear. Lifting my hand I circled his wrist.

And that’s when he noticed the bruises on my arm.

I moved fast, trying to cover them up with my sleeve, but he just pulled my arm closer.

He stared at the dark circles for a few minutes before lifting pained eyes, “He did this?”

I nodded.

“Did he touch our daughter?” he growled.

“Of course not!”

His eyes narrowed, “Why’d you marry him?”

I shrugged, “He was nice and caring. He didn’t seem to care that I was pregnant with another man’s baby.”

I touched a finger to one of the bruises, “Then he just snapped. He attacked me then went after Alax,” I looked up at Kolt, “I couldn’t let that happen.”

Kolt nodded, “Did you kill him?”

I shook my head, “Almost, but he’s still alive.”

Kolt dropped my arm and stepped back, “So what now?”

I looked over to the cabin, “I was hoping you could be part of our lives. She needs her father.”

“And what about you?”

I looked at him, “I need you too. I’ve deprived myself for so long that I don’t think I’ll survive without you for much longer.”

He was silent for a moment, which made me continue, “I love you, Kolt. I’ve loved you since we were too young to understand what any of it meant.”

He continued his silence.

“I know this is a lot to take in,” I began, “and I don’t expect anything, but I don’t know how much longer Alax and I can live without you.”

I fell as silent as he, worried that he would turn me down.

And I couldn’t blame him if he did, not after everything I’ve done to him.

As the silence continued more tears fell from my eyes.

When he reaches his arm out I didn’t move.

And when he laid his hand on my cheek my heart expanded.

“Come on now, you know cowgirls don’t cry.”

Laughing through my tears I threw my arms around him, holding him just as tightly as he was holding me.

“I love you, Red.”

“I love you too,” I sobbed into his neck.