The Cowboy Who Strolled Into Town

by Riley Moreno

  The water gushed down and the sound of it managed to drown out her own thoughts for a little while, but when she turned the faucet, silence reigned again and she was forced to step out into her own life. It wasn't that she was completely unhappy, for things could have been worse, but she had no direction in her life and every day was the same routine. She put on her clothes and went downstairs. Her father had already left. Since her mom had died the two of them had tried to be there for each other, but there was a hole in their relationship. It was hard to talk to him. He'd always been the withdrawn type and they'd never had the type of relationship where they talked about their feelings, and since her mom had died it seemed like a light in him had gone out. Jenna was only twenty-three but she had endured much hardship in her life. Losing her mom right after high school had changed her plans dramatically, as she had to stay at home and help her dad with the store rather than go to college and pursue her dreams. When she had been younger she'd always wanted to escape the small town, but events had meant that she was confined to the place in which she grew up, and had to suffer the envy of watching people move away and explore the world.

  She picked up her keys and her bag, and then walked out the door to her car. It was only a short drive to the store and the roads were so quiet that she could afford a few moments to let her mind coast. The front beams pierced the fog as the car swept along the road, past the same houses as every morning. She saw the same paperboy ride past, the same people jogging, and the same dogs being walked by their owners. It was like the town was autonomous and run by a machine. There was no excitement, no surprises. Every day was the same and Jenna wasn't sure how long she could stand it.

  The car crunched over gravel as she parked. It was still early, so the only cars in the parking lot were those of the people who worked at the stores. There were a few of them in a row. Her store, the general one, was the first. Next was the hardware store run by Mr. Johnson. He was a good man and had been a family friend for a long time, and had helped out a great deal after her mom died. Next to him was a cake shop owned by Emily Johns. She was a young girl, and had only opened up a few months ago but already had proved to be a popular addition, and Jenna loved her because she always brought in free samples of little delicacies, and the two of them had quickly become friends. Beyond that Jenna didn't really talk to the others.

  As she was walking up to the store she saw Mr. Johnson walk out of his store and set up a display of tools.

  “Morning,” she said, forcing a smile.

  “Hello Jenna, how are you today?”

  “I'm fine thank you, yourself?”

  “Oh you know, another day another dollar.”

  “Yeah, I know that feeling. Is Emily not here yet?” she asked, her brow creasing with a puzzled look. Usually Emily was there early.

  “Not that I've seen. I'm sure she'll be here soon. You know what she's like,” he said.

  “That's true, but she's not usually late,” Jenna replied. Emily was a little...absent-minded at times but she had a good heart so it was always easy to forgive her for her mistakes. She shrugged. “I see it's another nice day.”

  “Tell me about it. It's really bad for business.”

  “I'd have thought it'd be good for you, surely all those people would be sitting indoors thinking about all the improvements they could make to their house?”

  “I wish that were the case. No, this weather makes people sad and when people are sad they don't tend to want to go shopping, or at least they don't buy as much as they would otherwise. We need some sun but from what I've read it's not going to appear for a long while yet.”

  Just as Jenna was about to reply they heard the roar of a car engine and the screeching of tires as Emily pulled into the parking lot. She swerved awkwardly. Jenna and Mr. Johnson winced as Emily meandered through the parking lot and eventually settled in her parking space. The car jerked to a halt and Emily, looking bright as usual, hopped out. In the dull day she looked like an embodiment of the sun. She had platinum blonde hair, milky skin, and vivid lipstick. She and Jenna were quite the opposite pair, for Jenna was dark, with long black hair and chocolate eyes. Emily was taller and slimmer, while Jenna was about 5'4 with curves in all the right places, although she still hadn't gotten used to her hourglass figure. In high school she had been a late bloomer and had stayed awkward, until suddenly one day her body changed.

  “Hi!” Emily exclaimed as she pulled a big box out of the trunk of her car. Immediately Mr. Johnson went to help her. Emily thanked him.

  “More new cakes?” he asked.

  “Just a few things I'm trying. I'll get some samples to you later, don't worry,” Emily said.

  “You'd better, they always brighten up my day,” he said.

  Jenna watched them with wry amusement. It was clear that he had a lot of affection for her even though he was in his early 40s, although Jenna couldn't tell if it was romantic in nature or if he merely saw her as a surrogate daughter. When she'd brought it up Emily had brushed it aside and seemed flustered, and it seemed like the two of them had some sort of connection, but it never seemed to go beyond cute flirtation.

  “Are you alright? You seemed to come into the parking lot hard,” she said. Emily walked to her door and unlocked it, then opened it for Mr. Johnson to walk through.

  “Oh yes, I just thought I'd be late. I was up late last night watching a program about aliens that built the pyramids. It was really fascinating stuff. I couldn't believe all that stuff went on and I'd never heard it before! Why did they never teach that in schools?”

  “Em, you know that it's all a conspiracy theory right? It didn't actually happen like that.”

  “No, they had actual evidence and everything!” she said, utterly convinced that what she had seen had been the truth. Mr. Johnson came out, and Emily asked her opinion, which made Jenna smile again because it was clear that he wanted to agree with her, but simply couldn't.

  “I...ah...I think that we should be proud of our ancestors. Give a man the right tools and he can build anything. We don't need any aliens to help us,” he said. Emily looked a little disappointed.

  “Jenna, can I have your help in here for a second?” her father called, opening the door to the store. Jenna bid farewell to the others and walked in. “Can you sort out the meat that came in this morning? The delivery was early. It's out by the back,” he said, and then turned his back to her. In some ways it made her sad that her father treated her like a mere employee. There were a couple of people who worked in the evenings and at weekends, but for most of the time it was just the two of them manning the store. The business had been something started by her parents and she understood how difficult it must have been for her father to run it, for it was always a constant reminder of what he had lost, but he didn't let her have as much influence in running the store as her mother had enjoyed.

  Instead, she was usually doing menial jobs. Any time she asked to do something more important he told her that it would come in time but that she had to pay her dues first. She was still young, but she was impatient, and wanted to feel like she was making progress in at least one part of her life. With a weary sigh she went to the back and started sorting out the packs of meat. It had come in frozen and was still cold, so when she handled it the packets bit her skin. In the background she could hear her father rummage around. By now the store was officially open but it would be a while before any customers came in, and since it was a Monday morning they were only going to be a handful all day. Sometimes she hated when there was nothing to do, but there was nothing to do in town anyway so at least she was occupying her time.

  As soon as it was time for lunch Jenna stretched her arms and yawned. It had been a slow morning and they'd served maybe ten customers. Jenna had been working in the back, doing an inventory, which was one of the most mind-numbing jobs there was and always seemed futile since she had to do it multiple times in a week and it was always repetitive. She left her father standing at the counter eating a
sandwich; as he was loathe to leave the fort even to eat. Jenna couldn't get out of there fast enough. She went to the cake shop and saw Emily standing behind the counter, serving the customer a big slice of cake with a smile.

  “How's your morning been?” Jenna said as the customer left. The small bell rang as the door opened. Jenna took a seat. Emily turned around and cut a piece of cake, carrying it over to Jenna and sitting down with her.

  “Well Mrs. Abernathy came in and ordered some cupcakes for a tea party she's having this afternoon, and Janie came in to plan a birthday cake for her twins. She's not sure if she wants them to have one cake each or just one big cake between them but she was telling me that she's met someone.”

  “Really?” Jenna raised her eyebrows in surprise. It seemed impossible to meet somebody, so whenever it happened it was always a big deal.

  “Oh yeah, apparently a doctor.”

  “How did she meet a doctor here? Wait, it's not Dr. Glasspool is it?”

  “Oh no, no,” Emily said, scrunching up her face in disgust, “it was a doctor that was just passing through. His car broke down but he managed to get it to the gas station, and he waited there for the mechanic and the two of them got talking. That's how she says it happened anyway, and they hit it off, then on his way back he stopped off and told her that he couldn't stop thinking about her, and he's going to be coming down again this weekend, but apparently they've been speaking on the phone every night.”

  “Well, see, I'm happy for her but why can't something like that happen to me? No-one new ever comes into the store; I just see the same faces every time.”

  “I'm sure something will happen, but I know what you mean. I can't remember the last time I got excited about a guy.”

  “Well, at least you have someone who likes you even if it's not going to go anywhere.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Jenna took a bite of the decadent cake and rolled her eyes back in her head with delight.

  “This is amazing,” she said, trying not to let any crumbs fall out of her mouth.

  “Thanks! But what do you mean? What guy likes me?”

  “Mr. Johnson,” Jenna said, this time having to react and catch a few crumbs before they spilled to the floor.

  “Bill?!” Emily exclaimed, “he's sweet but he's just a friend,” she said, flushing crimson as she spoke.

  “Oh, so its Bill now, is it?” Jenna said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Emily slapped her arm, causing Jenna to have to stifle some laughter.

  “He's old enough to be my father!” Emily protested.

  “True, but you know he adores you, you can see that from the way he looks at you. He always lights up when you're around.”

  “I'm surprised he doesn't have a wife,” Emily said, clearly bashful about what Jenna was saying.

  “He did but she cheated on him and left him, I think she wanted something more glamorous than to live here. He's like the rest of us, just another lost soul left at home. Anyway, I'm only teasing really, but he's a good man, you could do a lot worse, and life is short. You might as well go for it if you want. I mean, I don't know how you feel about it but if you like him too then go for it, whatever works, right? Life's too short to worry about what other people think.”

  Emily had a thoughtful look on her face, but she didn't say any more about it, and Jenna wasn't going to press her.

  “What about you, do you ever hear from that guy you went on a date with?”

  “Mark?” Jenna asked, and Emily nodded. Mark had been someone she went to high school with who she had bumped into a year or so ago, and had gone on a date after he'd been quite insistent that he make up for the way he had treated her in high school.

  “He wasn't my type at all...he was living in the past. Kept talking about high school as though we were still in it. Not something I want. He tried calling me again afterwards but I said no. There are just no eligible men living around here. All the good ones are either taken or they left a long time ago,” she sighed as she took the final few bites of the cake. “At least I have this to fill the hole in my life though,” she added.

  “Maybe we should go and hang around the gas station, apparently that's where all the doctors go when they're in town,” Emily said, laughing. The two of them continued chatting for a little while as the lunch hour passed. Occasionally a customer came in and Emily served them, leaving Jenna alone with her thoughts. These lunchtime chats had become a staple of Jenna's day and she looked forward to them greatly. After high school she had lost touch with many of her friends. Most of her close ones had gone off to college while she had remained behind, and it wasn't that easy to meet new people, especially not when the population of the town seemed to dwindle every year.

  “You know something Emily,” Jenna said when the cake maker sat down, “you're my best friend.” It was an offhand comment that Jenna had simply been thinking about, and she wasn't prepared for the response she got. Emily's lower lip trembled and tears welled up in her eyes. She leaned forward and hugged Jenna tightly.

  “Oh my God Jenna, that's such a sweet thing to say,” she said, and clung so tightly to Jenna that Jenna wasn't sure whether she would ever let go. The bell rang again, and in walked Mr. Johnson. As they saw him the girls giggled and Emily slapped Jenna once more.

  “I'm going to get back to work,” Jenna said, winking at Emily as she excused herself. She smiled at Mr. Johnson and then walked back to the store in a daydream. She didn't know whether anything would come of the two of them, or if they were even romantically attracted to each other, but she felt good for at least giving them the chance of having some romance and excitement in her life, although it did remind her that her own life was barren. Without really concentrating as she was walking, she made her way back to the store, and when she opened the door she clattered into someone walking out. It was like walking into a brick wall. She staggered back, shaken at the sudden impact, and looked at the man. She tilted her head back to take in all of his form. He had to have been at least 6'4 and was packed with muscles upon muscles. A tight white t-shirt stretched across his broad torso and his hair was cut very short. But he had kind eyes, and a pleasant smile.

  “Oh my gosh ma'am, I'm so sorry,” he said in a smooth voice that had a hint of a twang to it. “Are you okay?” he said, placing one of his large hands on her arm to steady her. He looked at her earnestly and stepped out of the way of the door. He was so big that he took up the entirety of the door frame. Jenna had recovered from the impact but she was still shocked at this man. It was as though he had stepped out of her dreams, and there was something about his essence that was intoxicating. She looked away when she realized that she was staring at him too much, and finally stammered out a reply.

  “Yes I...I'm fine,” she said, “and I'm the one who should be apologizing. It was my fault, I wasn't paying attention. I didn't expect anyone to be here, it's a pretty slow day.”

  “Yeah, you work here? I just wanted to buy something but I couldn't see anyone inside. You want to watch that you know, anyone could walk in and take anything,” he said. Jenna furrowed her brow and pushed past him, looking worried. He followed her into the store.

  “Is anything wrong?” he asked.

  “Yeah, my father was here when I left. It's not like him to leave the counter unattended.” She called out his name and walked down the aisles, but he was nowhere to be found. She placed her hands on her hips.

  “Is there anything I can do?” the man asked. Jenna took a few moments to answer him.

  “No, he probably just stepped out back for a while. What can I get for you?” she asked.

  “Oh, it's okay, I can get the stuff for myself, you can go look for your father.”

  “It's fine, really, we've barely had any customers today so it'd be nice to talk to someone new.”

  “Well, in that case, can you lead the way to your eggs please,” he said. They fell into step with each other and Jenna's eyes boggled when she saw how many eggs he was
buying. He noticed her expression and chuckled.

  “Yeah, I need to keep up the diet. It's part of my regimen. Lots of chicken, eggs, rice. It's about as fun as it sounds.”

  “What are you, a bodybuilder or something?”

  “No, I'm a marine ma'am,” he said, and promptly pulled out his dog tags, a look of pride on his face. “I'm just back here in between tours.”

  “Oh, wow, that's impressive I've never had a marine before...in here I mean, um, I didn't even know there was one in the town. Have you always lived here?”

  “No, I moved around a lot when I was a kid and then straight after high school I went into the marines. Then I got deployed, and my mom moved out here while I was over there, so this is my first time here.”

  “I must have missed that...usually people don't move here, they only move away,” she said, laughing dryly.

  “Yeah, I haven't found that many things to do yet. I'm sure it has its charm though, most places do if you look in the right place.”

  “Maybe. I'm not sure about that with this place though, maybe it's just because I've lived here all my life but everywhere else seems better.”

  “So what's keeping you here?” he said. As they walked he gathered up various products, and their conversation was interspersed with him asking Jenna where certain things were. While they walked she continued to look around anxiously for her father, for there was still no sign of him.