Cowboy's Vow To Protect. Carla Cassidy

It was imperative that she find a place to live and a job as soon as possible. The rent on her trailer was paid up through the next two months. She was hoping that within that time she’d get an opportunity to rent a truck and move her furniture and other items to her new place.

      She read a little and then by around two o’clock she wandered the cabin restlessly. Since it was Saturday she wondered if Flint might come earlier than he had yesterday.

      She hoped so. She liked talking to him. She also liked looking at his handsome, tanned and slightly weathered face. He carried with him the scent of the outdoors, of sunshine and wind along with a hint of a fresh-scented cologne.

      Part of the reason she liked talking to him was that when she was engaged in conversation she had no time to think about what had happened or how messed up her life had become.

      The silence pressed in around her as the minutes and then hours ticked by. She made herself dinner and then at a few minutes after five, she heard the sound of an approaching vehicle. She looked out the window to make sure it was him, and then she flung open the door and stepped out onto the half-finished porch deck.

      “Hi, cowboy,” she said when he got out of his truck.

      A slow grin curved his lips. “Well, hello to you.”

      “Did you have a good day?” she asked as he pulled his red toolbox out of the bed of his pickup.

      “I had a fine day. What about you?” He bent over and set the toolbox next to where he would be working to lay the rest of the deck. When he straightened to look at her, she thought she heard a soft groan escape his lips. He cleared his throat and his smile widened. “You look well rested.”

      “Having a bed to sleep in is way better than a hay-covered floor in a hot barn. Would you like me to make you a cup of coffee?”

      “That sounds good, but you know you don’t have to wait on me, Maddy.”

      “It’s just a cup of coffee, Flint, not a five-course meal,” she teased.

      “I wouldn’t like a five-course meal...it takes too long to get to the meat and potatoes.”

      She laughed. “I’ll be right back with the coffee.”

      When she returned outside with the hot drink she was pleased to see that he had set up the lawn chair for her. He took the cup from her and her heart fluttered just a little bit when their fingers touched. Jeez, what was wrong with her?

      She sat in the chair and watched him take a sip of the coffee. “I was hoping to hear something about my car today, but I didn’t.”

      “When I spoke to Larry he told me he had a few cars ahead of yours. I’m sure they’ll get to it sometime on Monday.” He took another drink of the coffee and then set the cup down in the grass.

      “I don’t want to take advantage of your kindness for too long,” she replied.

      Once again that slow smile curved his lips. “Does it look like you’re bothering me?”

      “No.” Why did his smile shoot a burst of warmth through her? She had assumed after what had happened to her she’d never feel that kind of way about a man again. “Still, as soon as my car is ready I promise I’ll be out of your hair.”

      “Whenever.” He carried several boards next to the deck and began to lay them in place. “Is Maddy your given name?” he asked.

      “My given name is Madison,” she replied.

      “Madison. That’s pretty. Why don’t you use it instead of Maddy?”

      Madison...she liked the way her name sounded falling from his lips. Nobody ever called her that, but she’d always thought of herself as Madison. “I don’t know. My father always called me Maddy and so that’s how everyone knew me.”

      “If you don’t mind then I’d like to call you Madison.”

      She smiled and another sweet warmth blossomed inside her. “I would like that.”

      She watched as he began to hammer down the boards. She hadn’t been outside more than ten minutes when the nausea began. Oh no, not again. She tried to ignore it. Then she tried to breathe through it, but neither of those techniques helped.

      She jumped up and ran into the house and made it to the bathroom just in time to throw up. She threw up two more times and then the nausea slowly passed. She waited a couple of minutes to see if it would return, but it didn’t. Once again she rinsed her mouth and then brushed her teeth.

      When she opened the bathroom door Flint stood on the other side. Concern darkened his eyes and a grim determination tightened his features.

      “Madison, you need to see a doctor,” he said. “It’s obvious something is wrong with you.”

      “I’m fine,” she replied. She pushed past him and into the living room area.

      “You aren’t fine,” he replied firmly. “You’re sick and you need to see a doctor,” he repeated.

      “Really, it’s okay, Flint. I’m okay.” She definitely didn’t want to be having this conversation.

      “If you don’t want to see a doctor in town then maybe I can get Dr. Washington to come out here to see you.”

      “Please, just leave it alone, Flint.” Desperation filled her. She turned and started to walk away from him.

      “I can’t leave it alone,” he replied. “Madison, you’ve thrown up two evenings in a row. Something is obviously wrong and right now you’re under my care.”

      She whirled around to face him once again. “I’m not sick... I’m... I’m pregnant.” The minute the words left her lips she crumbled onto the sofa and began to cry.