Cowboy Courage. Judy Duarte

about heading back to town.”

      “With or without your car?”

      For a moment she’d forgotten Kerri-Leigh had the Expedition. “Can you give me a ride to the nearest bus depot? That’s where your sister said she’d park my car.”

      “Sure,” Cole said. “But that’s in Clayton, twenty miles from here. I’ve got an appointment I need to take care of in Tannen. Can we make it later this evening?”

      “I’m in no hurry to get my car. But if you don’t mind taking me with you to Tannen, I have a few things to do myself.” She didn’t tell him about her plan to find Carla’s Crazy Curl. Or her intent to change her hairstyle.

      “Sure, you can ride with me. I’ll be a few hours, though. Do you think you can keep yourself busy in a backwoods community that long?”

      Laurie hid a grin and shrugged. “I’ll think of it as an adventure.”

      Cole chuckled. “I’ve got some chores to do around here. How about if we leave about noon?”

      “All right.” Laurie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and wondered what Cole would say when he saw what she planned to have done to her hair. But she supposed it really didn’t matter. It wasn’t as though she and Cole had any kind of real friendship. Besides, she wouldn’t be around much longer.

      She felt a brief moment of sadness, and tried to understand why. Did she mourn leaving a life of obscurity, or did she dread returning to face the problems of her past?

      “Beth!” Cole called. “Do you want to go out in the pasture with me?”

      The little girl came bounding back into the kitchen. “Is the lady going, too?”

      “Not into the pasture,” Cole said. “It’s muddy. But you can put on some old clothes and—”

      Beth slid up next to Laurie. “I’ll stay with the lady.”

      “Not without asking her permission,” he said.

      Big blue eyes, appearing larger through round lenses, pleaded for permission. “Can I stay with you, Laurie?”

      “Certainly.” Laurie glanced at Cole. “If it’s all right with your dad.”

      “It’s okay with me,” he said.

      Beth clapped her hands in excitement. “Maybe we can make cookies. I like to make cookies!”

      “Beth,” Cole admonished. “She doesn’t have to entertain you.”

      “Oh, on the contrary,” Laurie said with a broad smile. “I think Beth will do the entertaining.”

      “All right, then.” Cole turned toward the door. “I’ll be back in the time it takes to make a dozen cookies or answer a hundred questions—whichever comes first.”

      Laurie laughed. “Either option is fine with me.”

      “Or we can play,” Beth suggested. “I’ll get some toys.”

      Cole shook his head while reaching for the back-door knob. “I hope she doesn’t drive you crazy. She can play and talk for hours on end.”

      “I don’t mind at all,” Laurie said. All she needed to do was make a quick phone call to Aunt Caroline. Then she’d be happy to do whatever Beth wanted to do: play house, bake cookies or chat away for hours. She actually looked forward to spending time with the little girl.

      When Cole had gone outside, and Beth into her room for some dolls to help make cookies, Laurie picked up the telephone and dialed her aunt’s number.

      The maid answered the phone. “No, Mrs. Taylor isn’t at home. May I tell her who’s calling?”

      “It’s Lauren,” she said, a bit surprised the older woman hadn’t recognized her voice. “Tell her not to worry about me. I’m spending some time alone, and I’ll call her later.”

      Before the woman could answer, the phone line crackled with static.

      “Goodbye,” Laurie said, assuming her message had gone through. She hung up the telephone, just as Beth raced back into the room with an armload of baby dolls.

      “This is Mary,” Beth said, propping a dolly on the table. “And this is Susan. She has a cold.” Beth introduced each one. “Josie, Christie. And this one is Margo. She’s my favorite because Pammy gave her to me for my birthday.”

      “I’m pleased to meet you,” Laurie said, taking each small hand into hers.

      “Let’s play house,” Beth said. “I’ll be the mother.” Then she paused, eyes wide and enthusiastic. “Or do you want to be the mother? I’ll let you be her, if you want. Pammy lets me be the mommy a lot, so you can have the first turn, if you want. It’s okay, as long as one of us is. All dollies need a mommy.”

      “You can be the mother,” Laurie said, her voice catching. She swiped at her eye with the back of a hand. Dollies weren’t the only ones who needed a mommy.

      The morning passed in record time, with Beth enchanting Laurie with her precocious wit and insights.

      As they used forks to press peanut-butter-cookie dough onto a cookie sheet, Beth paused and grimaced. “My head hurts again.”

      Laurie glanced up. Tears welling in the little girl’s eyes convinced her the child’s complaint was real. “Again?”

      Beth nodded. “It hurts bad.”

      “Did you bump it?”

      Beth shook her head. “It just hurts sometimes.”

      Laurie glanced out the window. Cole wasn’t around to ask, but she wanted to give the child some relief. “Does your daddy know about the headaches?”

      Beth nodded, her lip quivering. “He gives me medicine, but it tastes yucky.”

      “What kind of medicine?”

      “The purple stuff.” Beth pointed toward the top of the refrigerator. “It’s up there.”

      When Laurie reached for the half-empty bottle, she read the label. Grape-flavored children’s non-aspirin pain reliever. As Beth began to whimper, Laurie checked the dosage. What would it hurt? She hated to see the girl in such obvious pain.

      Taking the small, plastic measuring cup that had been placed beside the bottle, Laurie poured the proper amount and gave it to Beth. For a moment, she worried that she might have overstepped her boundaries, but when Beth continued to whine, Laurie decided she hadn’t.