Betting on Hope

by Debra Clopton

  The longing for children had been clear and undeniable when she’d talked about the young, pregnant girl. He’d heard it, seen the longing in her eyes, and known instinctively that she had plans to have lots of babies.

  She’d be a fantastic mother. The care she took with her advice and the heartfelt way she talked about Jenna and about those who wrote her spoke of a heart that was made to nurture and cherish others. It was one of the many beauties about her that drew him.

  Maggie was out of his league.

  Did that stop him from wanting her?

  Nothing could do that. But knowing what was good for her was another story and he knew he wasn’t it.

  A few days later he was working with a new colt when Maggie drove up to the barn. His gut tightened up. Strictly business, cowboy. He was no good for Maggie and he couldn’t let himself forget that.

  The passenger side door opened and a petite, obviously very pregnant, young girl stepped out, startling Tru. This must be the girl Maggie had helped. She was a tiny little thing, almost as round as she was tall.

  Riding over to the rail, he reined in his colt, who fought him a little before settling down. Not before the girl stepped back, a protective hand on her stomach and an expression that dared the colt to come closer.

  Tru liked the kid instantly. She was small but she was tough.

  “It’s okay, he’s just fresh and not used to me riding him too much. He’s not coming over the rail.”

  “That’s good to know.” She looked up at him, more wariness in her eyes toward him than the colt.

  “I’m Tru Monahan,” he said, hoping to ease the girl’s apprehension.

  “I’m Jenna,” she said simply, not supplying a last name, he noticed.

  “We’re on our way to lunch at the Bull Barn, but I wanted to show Jenna the horses, if you don’t mind,” said Maggie. “Like me, she’s never had the opportunity to be around them before.”

  “That’s great.” He wondered if Maggie realized the growth she’d made since she’d arrived. Less than three weeks and she was showing horses to a pregnant girl when she would hardly go near the horse on her own on day one.

  If nothing else came of her time here he was glad of that.

  “Take your time. And if you want to see some young colts, drive down the lane.” He nodded, indicating the road behind him. “They’re down that way. I’ve been meaning to take you down there, Maggie, but just haven’t made it yet. You’ll both enjoy seeing them.”

  Maggie smiled and it nearly knocked his boots out of the stirrups. His heart clenched.

  “Thanks, I’ll do that.”

  “He’s beautiful,” Jenna said, stepping up to the rail and holding her hand through it. Obviously, she’d decided to trust the colt.

  “Yeah, he’s going to be as good as he is beautiful. He has a great bloodline.”

  “And that matters a lot, doesn’t it? In horses,” Jenna said, looking up at him her expression bland.

  “Yeah, it does.” Tru saw a flicker of pain—something—cross through the kid’s eyes and then she blinked it away and it was gone behind that bland façade.

  “We’re going to go visit Stardust, then we’ll go see the colts,” Maggie said, barely looking at him before heading into the barn.

  He watched them go, wanting more than anything to fix the rift gaping wide between them.

  Instead he went back to working with the colt.

  Soon, he heard laughter and that made him wonder what was so funny. They were having a good time. He realized he hadn’t heard Maggie laugh in a while. The kiss, the stupid toe-curling kiss had been the cause of that. And he realized suddenly that he missed her laugher.

  “Great, Tru,” he muttered. Just great.

  They waved after a little while, getting into Maggie’s little sky-blue car and headed down the lane in a puff of dust. Intent on pacing his colt, he couldn’t spare his hands, so he just jerked his head in acknowledgment.

  And almost got tossed when he lost his concentration to watch them drive away.

  They’d enjoy the colts.

  He’d found himself wishing he’d already taken Maggie down there. He’d have liked to see her reaction the first time she saw all of them. Fifty colts of varying ages all together in one beautiful pasture was a sight to see.

  Then again, that was one of the reasons he’d probably, subconsciously, chosen not to take her down there. Seeing the way her eyes would light up right now would just make his life a little harder. He was having trouble enough keeping his distance.

  When they finally came back down the lane and headed toward town, he was sorry they hadn’t stopped.

  Then again, he’d see Maggie that evening. Maybe they’d go see the colts.

  Then again, maybe they wouldn’t.

  18

  “You’re sure you’re feeling okay?” Maggie asked, glancing over at Jenna when she stopped at the end of the lane to the Four of Hearts Ranch. The poor girl looked like she could give birth any second and Maggie was a little nervous. “I can go ahead and take you to the hospital.”

  Jenna laughed. “I wish. Believe it or not I’m still two weeks away from my due date. Peg says she thinks I’ll go right up to the date or maybe past it.”

  “Okay, then, hang on, little mamma, let’s ride.” Maggie teased her, turning the car in the direction of Wishing Springs. It felt good changing up her routine. Doing something for Jenna while putting everything else out of her thoughts. She was sick of worrying about Tru or fearing when the next letter would arrive that might expose her.

  Jenna laughed. “You’re in a good mood.”

  “Hey, I have you in the car with me again, and we’re not rushing to the hospital. I feel great.”

  Maggie’s heart was so heavy for the teenager; she was determined to make this a fun outing for her. She was not going to think about how strained the atmosphere was between her and Tru. Today was about Jenna and she planned to do everything she could to make the kid feel less alone.

  Sure, Lana and Peg were there for Jenna, but what would happen to her once the baby was born? Where would she go?

  These were questions that plagued Maggie when she’d walked out of her own mother’s apartment as a teenage runaway. It had been such a terrible feeling, leaving with only a small duffle bag of clothes, her toothbrush, and her small red Bible that she’d gotten at school from some men who’d visited. “I wish you’d never been born.” Her mother’s slurred words clung to her as she’d roamed the streets looking for her way. All the things her mother had said over the years echoed in her mind during the nights she’d lived on the street alone. She empathized with Jenna more than anyone could know.

  A couple of minutes later she parked in front of the Bull Barn, and Jenna looked slightly uncomfortable as they stopped.

  “It’s a great place,” Maggie assured her. “This is where I did the interview with Tru.”

  They’d talked a little about that interview and why she was here the day they’d first met on the side of the road. Of course, Jenna had heard about it like everyone else.

  “There are just a lot of people here.”

  Maggie heard the hesitancy in her voice. “Yes, there are, but it’s okay. You’ve met some of them on game night. Come on, you can help me remember names. Not that I’m writing names other than Tru’s in my column, but I need to know them. And if you’re going to stay in Wishing Springs after you have the baby, these will be your friends and neighbors too.”

  Jenna took a deep breath. But “Yeah,” was all she said as she followed Maggie inside.

  The place was packed. People called out to her. Doobie and Doonie were sitting with Doc over in the corner and they all waved her over.

  “How’s the hand?” Doc asked. “Have you been taking your medicine like I told you?”

  From the corner booth someone grunted. “Doc, you old coot, you’ve been at it again I hear.”

  Maggie looked at the woman. She was a large woman with the look of a marine s
ergeant unhappy with his troops. Her severe bun on the top of her head stretched her features tight and broad shoulders stretched even tighter inside the medical scrubs she wore.

  “Now Bertha, don’t get all riled up,” Doc snapped. “You were off that day. This girl needed medical attention for her dog bite and I provided it.”

  Bertha tilted her head to the side and surveyed Maggie. “Hope you don’t get rabies. Or swine flu,” she grunted.

  Maggie wasn’t sure if the drill-sergeant-like lady was joking or serious. Her expression was dour.

  “Stick that arm out here and let us look,” Doobie or Doonie said.

  She did. Why not? She’d stopped wearing the bandage on her hand after the third day. It was fine. “See, no blood or guts hanging out. I’m fine.”

  Bertha harrumphed.

  Doc shot Bertha a scowl, punched his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose and studied her hand. “Looks good. You’re officially released from my care.”

  The nurse snorted and shot him a dour look over the rims of her glasses.

  “Thanks,” Maggie said and hoped Doc didn’t think she was going to be coming to him on a regular basis.

  “Did that pig climb up into your lap while you were in there?” Nurse Bertha looked over the top of her glasses.

  “Pig?” Jenna asked.

  Maggie chuckled. “Yes, I’ll tell you all about it. Y’all, this is Jenna.”

  Bertha looked at her. “Are you at Peg’s place?”

  Jenna nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “You’re in good hands, more than I can say for some,” she drawled, shooting one more glare at Maggie. “Peg knows how to take care of a woman. And I’m quite certain you aren’t going to have no pig climb up on the birthing table with you. Just be sure Doc’s not near you at delivery time. You are not a cow.”

  Maggie wanted to chuckle. Yes, the pig had been annoying and unexpected, but it did make for some funny copy.

  “Clover didn’t do any harm,” Doc defended. “She’s just curious, that’s all. And at least I wasn’t eating lunch for three hours on end like you’re known to do or taking a day off like you do every other day.”

  Bertha shifted her considerable shoulders back and glared at Doc. “I eat lunch for one hour and my days in the clinic are dictated by the county, and you good and well know it.”

  Whoa, time for a subject change.

  “Doonie and Doobie, y’all are dressed identically today. What happened? Makes it really hard to figure out who is who.”

  That got laughs from everyone sitting around the café.

  “Some days we’re just on the same wavelength,” said one of them.

  “That’s right,” said the other.

  “Yeah,” Big Shorty snorted from across the room where he was filling a coffee cup. “Just happened to be on the day of the town council meeting.”

  “Yup,” a cowboy from the table beside Maggie agreed. “For some reason they always tend to have those moments on a day of mayoral duties.” He hiked a brow.

  Jenna looked as confused as Maggie felt. “So who is who?”

  “I’m Doobie, the good lookin’ one. That’s my brother, see, he’s the ugly one with the big nose. Did you ever see a honker like that?”

  Laughter erupted through the room. Maggie sighed. Jenna was grinning, but the look in her eyes said she thought she might have entered the funny farm.

  “Okay, that was rude. So, back to my question. Did you go to the meeting?” she asked Doobie, really wanting to know what the deal was.

  “Me, nah, I’m not much on the meetings.” He grinned. “Hey, you coming to the Thanksgiving in July festival this weekend?”

  “I am. I wouldn’t miss it. I need fodder for my column. Are you going to give me something good to write about?”

  “We’ll do our best,” Doonie answered, instead of Doobie. “As the mayor, I’d like to thank you for mentioning it in your column last week. We’ve had a lot of calls down at the city office.”

  “Very glad to be of service.” Maggie winked and then smiling, led Jenna to the table Big Shorty had indicated for them to take.

  “They’re funny,” Jenna said, leaning slightly toward Maggie.

  “They’re mischievous.” Maggie thought they were a hoot.

  A few others around the room called out to her and she waved and answered their questions. She was surprised to remember most of their names, but there were others whose faces were only familiar. It would come. That was one thing about small town life—eventually she would learn their names, because there weren’t really all that many of them.

  She was pleased when Clara Lyn, Reba, and their friend Pebble walked in. The ladies worked the room like they’d just walked into a family reunion, stopping at each table along their way. When they reached Maggie and Jenna, they pulled up an extra chair and squeezed around the four-top.

  “Well, hi there, Jenna,” Clara Lyn said as she took the chair beside the teen. She gave Jenna a quick hug as Reba and Pebble greeted her.

  “So have you picked the parents of your baby yet?” Reba asked with kindness.

  Jenna toyed with her napkin and shook her head. “It’s a hard thing to decide. I met with six couples this week. And they all seem like nice people. Any kid would feel lucky to have any of them for parents.” Her eyes were sad. “A kid deserves to have good parents.”

  The wistfulness in her voice tore at Maggie and she was certain from the looks that passed between the others that they’d had the same reaction.

  The hurt grew in Maggie’s heart for Jenna.

  The teen pushed her shoulders back. “It was okay. I’ve narrowed it down to three of them. I’m gonna have more meetings with them next week. I don’t want to get their hopes up, but this is the most important decision I’m gonna ever make and it’s for my baby. So they’ll have to come back. And they know in the end I might not pick any of them.” She took a drink of her iced tea and her gaze shifted to the table. “I might decide to look for a different couple.”

  Or raise your baby yourself. Maggie wished, but with Jenna having no family support, it was impossible for the poor girl to even think it was a possibility. And Maggie knew it. Hated it with all her heart, but knew that was the reality.

  Tru felt his pride swell for Maggie as she rode into the arena behind him. Morning mist hung in the air after an overnight heavy rain, making the humidity as thick as butter. And the tension even thicker.

  Maggie had progressed a long way from where she’d been when she’d walked into the barn that first day.

  He admired her, and yet he was struggling to maintain his distance.

  He’d never experienced anything like that kiss.

  It had scorched through him like a page on fire, burning up every memory of every kiss he’d ever had before it.

  The fact that his respect for her grew with every moment only made it harder to keep his distance. He was drawn to the way she dedicated herself to becoming a good rider so that her readers could see that goals could be achieved. Even if that meant he would win the bet. He loved it. Loved knowing in the long run she wanted her readers to be the winner in this deal.

  How could he not respect that? How could he not find that attractive?

  Maggie Hope had heart. And he wanted a part of it.

  But that was impossible.

  It had been five days since he’d learned he was sterile. Five days since he’d learned that he had nothing to offer Maggie. If he pursued the overpowering emotions he could have for her, it would only be out of selfishness on his part. While she, on the other hand, was being selfless. She deserved more than he could offer her.

  But that didn’t stop him from wanting her. And it was about to drive him crazy.

  His life had become a wreck of a mess and it was killing him.

  “So what is this?” Maggie asked as she rode Stardust into the covered arena and pulled up alongside him.

  It was going to be a hard morning.

  “This is a
mechanical flag system.” A cable stretched across the arena with a small flag attached to it. “The flag represents a calf. It will move from one side to the other, mimicking a calf that wants to dodge you and Stardust and get back to the herd. It will move casually at first. I control the speed with my remote. And as you progress, I’ll increase its movement, allowing you to learn to adjust to the seat while Stardust pivots and cuts. I’ll show you.”

  He took his position, the flag started moving, and Hazy Rey played cat and mouse with the flag, doing a back and forth that required the horse to dig its front feet low and stir up dust.

  “It’s fun when you get the hang of it. Now it’s your turn.”

  “So now is the time that I start getting tossed out of the saddle?”

  He frowned at his inability to not get distracted by everything about Maggie. “Hey, I thought we’d made it past all of that. Think positive. Do what we’ve been working on and let Stardust do his thing. He’s experienced.”

  She inhaled deeply, making the big pink rose printed on her white tank top rise and fall—Tru forced himself not to get distracted by that flower.

  Maggie stared at the flag. “Okay, then let’s do this.”

  He agreed, needing something to do other than stand there looking at her.

  He got the flag going and she and Stardust started working. Maggie started out looking good. Tru realized he was holding his breath—when Stardust planted his feet then switched the other direction, the switch-up caught Maggie by surprise. When the horse dove one way, she went the other.

  Fear surged through him as he watched Maggie sail from the saddle. She hit the dirt with a thud. He was out of his saddle and kneeling beside her almost instantly. He’d done it now. She was never going to trust him. Every fear she’d had from the beginning of this bad idea had just come true.

  “Are you hurt?” he asked, taking her arm.

  She looked at him, brows scrunched together and determination in her eyes, but no pain. Relief overtook panic.

  “I’m fine.” She stood up. He assisted her, but she didn’t need him. Not even dusting off her rear, she strode to Stardust and grabbed the reins. “I’ll do better next time.”