Cowboy, Stay with Me

Chapter Nineteen: Boys

The next day, Lucy couldn't help but notice that Johnny was rather subdued and that he and Travis were avoiding each other rather than engaging in their usual good-natured bantering.

Johnny would get over it, she knew Johnny, his head was as tough as his heart.

It was Travis that she was worried about.

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At Sunrose Creek Ranch, breeding and selling Shetland ponies was one of their side occupations to raising American bison. They had a hundred acres of land for the bison to roam in, while a smaller portion of it was devoted to growing hay for the livestock.

They brought in a decent earning from leasing out some of their horses; retired roping and herding horses that were good for learning on. They also sold a modest amount of free range chicken eggs and pesticide-free vegetables at the local market.

The kids didn't care as much about vegetables as they did the ponies, however. On Thursdays, the older kids got to have mini riding lessons, which was usually the innocuous beginnings of many a horse career in the future. The first horse that she had ever been on as a little girl was one of these irresistible fuzzy ponies.

They came in different colors and slightly different sizes, builds, and temperaments. Lucy paired the pony up with the best child according to their personalities.

Travis had a little black and white paint with a mischievous temperament, who was also deeply sensitive and needed a fairly firm hand.

Usually Travis did well with stubborn Old Smoky, but today he seemed disinterested in his beloved pony.

After the session, while everyone else was inside having lunch, Lucy noticed that Travis was sitting by himself on the porch swing, quietly swinging and staring at his little Carhartt boots, which were untied.

Lucy smiled to herself and smoothed down her skirt before sitting next to him. "Hey, champ, how's it going? Don't you want soup and sandwiches? Grandma made her famous grilled triple cheese."

He shrugged. "Not hungry."

"Oh, I see." Lucy said. "Is it because of what happened yesterday with Johnny?" She asked quietly, after a while had gone by of just them swinging together in the afternoon sunshine.

He glanced up at her sharply. He had very clever, bright brown eyes. "Did your friend, the US Marshal guy, tell you what-what I said to Johnny?"

Lucy met his gaze very seriously then and shook her head. "Would you like to tell me what you said?"

"No, ma'am." Travis said stoutly. "It's not nice to say in front of a lady."

Her eyebrows shot up and she chuckled lightly. "Did Mr. Kallaghan tell you that, too?"

"Yeah, I like him. He let me pin his badge to my shirt."

"Did he now?"

"Uh-huh! Hey, Miss Lucy, is he your boyfriend?"

She couldn't help but smile down at the innocent curiosity shining out of his eyes. "No, Travy, honey, he's just an old friend."

"Oh." He nodded thoughtfully then hopped down off the swing. "Well, if you're still not married when I grow up, you should let me be your boyfriend, Miss Lucy, I'll look after you!" He blushed at having admitted this, then turned and ran into the house as fast as his legs would carry him.

Lucy was left sitting on the bench by herself, startled but quite tickled.

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