The Cowboy's Unexpected Family

“Dad—” Jack took a step after him but then stopped and turned wide eyes to Mia. “What do we do?”

Mia shrugged. “I have no clue,” she said. “None.”

Sandra could feel Lucy’s eyes on her, shrewd and knowing, and she braced herself for the question to come. “Mom,” Lucy finally asked. “Do you…do you have feelings for Walter?”

“Would that be so wrong?”

Lucy’s jaw dropped. “Ah…yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s Walter, Mom.”

“Lucy—” Jack sighed.

“He helped you with Ben, a favor for which you seem very ungrateful,” Sandra chided her, and Lucy shut her mouth. But Lucy couldn’t keep quiet for long.

“Okay…he seems to be trying—”

“He is trying,” Jack said. “Pretty damn hard.”

Lucy stared at Sandra, reluctant to give Walter an inch despite his clearly deserving it. “But what about Dad?”

“He’s been gone five years,” Sandra said, choosing once again not to tell her daughters the truth about her marriage. “I am lonely.”

“For Walter?”

“For a friend,” Sandra clarified. “And I think Walter could use one too.”

“Very noble, Mom,” Lucy said.

Oh, thought Sandra, you have no idea. “If you’re going to be snide, I’d rather not talk to you about this.”

Lucy appealed to her sister. “Mia. Come on, you can’t think this is a good idea.”

Mia took a deep breath. “I do, actually. Walter…Walter’s made a lot of mistakes and he’s paid for every one of them. He was good to me when you all were gone. He…he was family.”

Sandra smiled at Mia, proud of her baby.

“Jack?” Lucy asked, still searching for support.

“I’m worried about his drinking,” Jack said. “And Sandra, he’s not very good with friendship. I’d hate to see you get hurt.”

“You’re talking about me as if I’m a child,” Sandra said

“But…” Obviously Lucy still couldn’t understand this. “What does this mean? You’re staying? Like…indefinitely?”

Sandra lifted her chin, ready to get to the bottom of Lucy’s web of lies and secrets. “It would seem I don’t have a home to go to in Los Angeles.”

“What are you talking about?” Mia asked.

Sandra arched an eyebrow. “Ask your sister.”

Lucy stood up in her pale yellow dress, a ray of sunshine with a gloomy face. “I…I have something I need to tell you guys.”

It wasn’t easy. It was, in fact, exactly as hard as she’d imagined it would be. She told her family how she’s failed and she couldn’t look at them, instead staring at her feet, the grout between the stones on the floor.

And every truth she told, every lie she reversed, it felt like she was cutting off an arm.

When she was done she finally looked at her sister. Her mother. And to her sick satisfaction, they were reacting exactly the way she’d thought they would. Mia was horrified and Mom was worried—which made Lucy feel guilty.

“Twenty thousand dollars?” Mia asked. “That’s your debt?”

After Lucy nodded, Mia whistled.

“What about all the gold and gems from your studio?” Sandra asked. “That has to be worth some money.”

“I sold it to make payroll before laying off my employees.” Mom sat like a rag doll in her seat. “That’s…that’s why I was looking into selling the condo.”

“You were going to sell the condo without telling Mom?” Mia asked. “Are you crazy?”

“A little,” Lucy answered honestly. “But I just wanted to see what I could get. I wouldn’t have sold it without talking about it with Mom.”

“You sure about that?” asked her sister who knew her so well, even in those moments she wasn’t herself.

“Honestly? No. I’m sorry. I’ve been turned inside out. I didn’t want anyone to worry. I didn’t want anyone to be ashamed—”

“Ashamed!” Mia cried and glanced sideways at Mom. “How in the world could we be ashamed of you?”

“Because I blew it? Because I was too stupid—”

Sandra stood up and grabbed Lucy by the arms, jerking her into her own. A crushing hug. “No one talks about my daughter that way,” she whispered.

“But I was, Mom.” She sighed. “I was just so stupid.”

“Stop, please, Lucy. You weren’t stupid. Everyone makes mistakes.”

“Twenty thousand dollar ones?” Lucy asked while her mother wiped tears off Lucy’s cheeks that she hadn’t exactly been aware of crying.

“Well…” Sandra smiled. “You always were an overachiever.”

Lucy smiled and hot new tears seeped over her eyelashes. “Do we need to sell the condo?” Sandra asked.

“It’s either that or I declare bankruptcy.”

“Then we can sell. You were right. I never liked Los Angeles.”

“So, you’re…you’re just going to stay here?” Lucy asked.

“It is my home,” Sandra said proudly. “When Mia and Jack move into their house, I’ll take over the cottage again.”

“And take care of Walter?” Lucy asked, not able to hide her disappointment.

“He’s doing that on his own, it seems. But someday there might be children on this ranch again.” Sandra looked at Mia and Jack. Jack’s blush was about the sweetest thing Lucy had ever seen and very telling.

“I…ah…I need to go check on Dad,” Jack said and quickly skedaddled out of the room.