Her Hill Country Cowboy

“Oh. Hi.” She seemed surprised to see him standing there. “I—well—this is embarrassing, but I’ve already locked myself out of my cabin.”

“Hang on. I’ll get you another key.” Seth should have invited her inside, but it wasn’t happening while she had the dog with her. He slipped down the short hallway to the office, where he fetched a duplicate key.

On his return trip, his grandmother stopped him in the kitchen and handed him a tray covered with an oversize checkered napkin. “Here’s Christina’s supper. Tell her to come on over for breakfast in the morning, seven sharp.”

Seth ground his teeth. Good thing the kids rarely came downstairs before seven thirty. “You planning on having her eat with us every meal?”

“Of course not. Just till she settles in and has a chance to pick up some groceries for herself.”

Lips in a twist, Seth dropped the key onto the tray and continued to the back door. He nudged it open with his hip. “My grandmother sent this tray for you. The key’s right here.”

“Thanks. Sorry to cause so much trouble.” One hand on the dog’s head, Christina looked ready to jump out of her skin.

Seth figured he’d kick himself later, but his kindlier instincts kicked in. Nice to realize he still had a few. “Would you feel better if I walked you back to the cabin?”

“Please don’t bother. You already think little enough of me.” Her throat shifted. She reached for the tray. “I’ll just—”

“No, wait.” Rats, all he needed was to go soft over a woman in distress. Looked like his own supper would be getting cold. “The path can be tricky after dark, especially before all the vapor lights power up. I’ll make sure you get back safely.”

“You really don’t mind?”

Seth harrumphed. “Need to make sure the pasture gates got latched. Might as well see you to your cabin on the way.”

Christina looked at him sideways as if she didn’t quite believe him, but a little of her apprehension seemed to have lifted. They started down the path together, Seth carrying the tray and making sure to walk on the opposite side from her dog. No sense giving Christina the idea he’d softened his stance on the animal’s presence. Because he hadn’t and he wouldn’t.

The ranch had two staff cabins, located on the far side of the main house and secluded from the guest cabins. They had to walk past the garage and a couple of outbuildings, then through a copse of trees, and Christina kept her hand on the dog’s shoulder the whole way. Seth still hadn’t been told what her disability was that required a service animal, but if it caused this much anxiety, he could see why the shadowy trek to her cabin might be a problem.

All the more reason she didn’t belong on the ranch. He hoped it wouldn’t take long for his grandmother to come to the same conclusion, as well.

* * *

Christina was glad the cabin’s porch light operated on a sensor. The sun hadn’t quite set when she’d gone out earlier on a walk with Gracie. Stupidly, she hadn’t thought to take her key and discovered too late that the door locked automatically. She’d really, really hoped it would be Mrs. Peterson who answered her knock. Seeing Seth on the other side of the screen door had sent her misgivings soaring. How would she endure working here when his dislike was so palpable?

Except he was being pretty nice at the moment, and it didn’t help her nerves one bit now that she knew he was single. Mrs. Peterson hadn’t said much about Seth’s wife except that they’d separated and soon afterward she’d become ill and passed away.

He set the tray of food on one of the retro-style red metal porch chairs, then picked up the key and unlocked her door. “There you go. Need anything else?”

“I should be fine now. Thank you so much.”

“Oh, uh, breakfast at the house at seven. Omi’s orders.” He even smiled a tiny bit when he said it.

“Omi. What a cute name.” Tray in hand, Christina stood in the doorway. “Does it have special meaning?”

“It’s a German-family thing. My great-great-grandparents emigrated from Germany and settled in the Fredericksburg area.”

“I came through Fredericksburg on my way to Juniper Bluff. Looks like a fun town to visit.”

“Yeah.” Seth shifted, the need to escape evident in his darting eyes.

“Well. Thanks again.” Christina nodded toward the tray, then smiled up at him. “And thank your grandmother for the meal.”

He tipped an imaginary hat before retreating down the steps and disappearing into the trees.

With darkness rapidly closing in around the cabin, Christina once again succumbed to doubts. Until last night at the motel, she hadn’t been alone overnight since before the automobile accident. The whole time she’d been in the hospital, her mother hadn’t left her side except to shower, change clothes and eat. Not that Christina had been aware the first few weeks while she’d lain in a coma, but later, as she recovered, her father had confirmed her suspicions.

Then five months in a rehabilitation hospital, where Christina had a talkative teenage roommate for the first several weeks, then a nosy grandmotherly type for the remainder of her stay. The past year and a half, she’d lived at home with her parents. And Gracie, of course. Christina blessed the day the service dog had come into her life. Gracie’s training included sensing Christina’s agitation whenever memories of the accident intruded or something else triggered an anxiety attack. A nudge with a wet nose would remind Christina to breathe again and to focus on the present, not the unchangeable past or the uncertain future.

Like now. As Christina sat at the small table in the kitchenette, Gracie’s soft whine alerted her to the fact that she’d scarcely eaten half of the delicious meal Mrs. Peterson had sent over. She tore off a piece of ham and offered it to the dog, who happily gobbled it down.

Concentrating on the tasty supper and Mrs. Peterson’s kindness helped Christina put the stress of the day behind her. After washing the dishes and stacking them on the tray to return in the morning, she unpacked a few things and arranged her daily medications in the bathroom medicine cabinet. She didn’t like having to depend on prescription meds and prayed the day would come when all these drugs for depression, anxiety and migraines would no longer be necessary.

She swallowed her nighttime pills, then changed into her pajamas and propped herself up in bed with the novel she’d brought along. Gracie hopped up beside her and snuggled in close, laying her head on Christina’s knee.

Before Christina had read two pages, her cell phone rang. Recognizing the chime she’d assigned to her mother, she snatched the phone off the nightstand. “Hi, Mom.”

“I’ve been waiting to hear from you.” Her mother couldn’t disguise a note of worry. “Where are you? Did you get there okay?”

“All tucked into my cozy little cabin. A day late, but I’m safely here.”

“I was worried after you called from the motel last night. You sounded so frazzled.”

“I told you, it was just travel stress. You were right—I had no business trying to drive straight through in one day.”

“Well, I’m glad you had sense enough to stop for the night and get some rest.” Mom sighed through the phone. “Honey, are you sure you’re doing the right thing?”

Gracie crept closer and nuzzled Christina’s arm. Her expressive eyes seemed to say, You’re fine. I’m here. Just breathe.

“Mom, I told you, I need to do this. Yes, it’s going to be hard, but I’ve got to start depending on myself again.”

“But you could have done so right here in Little Rock, with Dad and me close by if you needed us.”

Christina combed her fingers through Gracie’s thick coat and sought the words to help her mother understand. “I love you, Mom. And I can never, ever thank you and Dad enough for how you’ve been there for me every step of the way. But if I’d stayed in Little Rock, it would be too easy to fall back on your support when any little thing went wrong.”

“Is that such a bad thing?”

“No, of course not. But I wouldn’t be getting better. I need to get stronger, Mom.” Tears pricked Christina’s eyes. “And I need you to help me by giving me the space to do it.”

Her mother grew silent for a moment. “Are you telling me not to call? Not even to find out how you’re doing?”

Swallowing hard, Christina squeezed her eyes shut. “Just for a while, okay? I promise I’ll call you in a few days, after I’ve had a chance to learn my new job and...” She started to say, see if this is going to work, but that would only play into her mother’s concerns, not to mention feed her own.

“Chrissy...”

“I’m really tired, Mom, and I’ll be getting an early start in the morning, so I need to go.” Christina forced a smile into her voice. “Give Dad a hug for me. Love you both. Bye!”

She clicked off before her mother could wheedle another minute or two of conversation out of her. It was barely past eight, but two days on the road had taken their toll. After slipping on a robe and slippers and tucking the cabin key securely into her pocket, she took Gracie outside for one more trip before lights-out.

As she looked up into the night sky, a gasp caught in her throat. Never in her life had she seen so many stars! The words of a psalm bloomed in her thoughts and swelled her heart: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.