Page 12 of A Fighting Chance
“What’s wrong?” I ask, surprised by his unease.
“Just jumpy in my old age, hun, nothing to worry about,” he says.
His statement puzzles me a bit, but I decide not to dwell on it. I step inside the barn and see he’s examining a hoof of one of the cows.
“Oh, hey again,” a voice calls from behind me.
I note that it’s Dean and without turning, I greet him and watch him step to my grandfather’s side. He’s watching Paw with extreme interest, undoubtedly trying to learn everything he can. My grandfather is a genius with animals.
“I just want to visit Maribelle, if that’s all right?” I say, looking around in the pins near me. I know which one is hers, assuming they haven’t moved her since the last time I was here—which was also nearly two years ago.
Damn, that long?
I look back at Paw expectantly and he smiles.
“Of course, honey. You know where she is,” he says.
I walk over to her pin and open the door, stepping inside with care. I reach my hand out to rub her head and she pushes into me. I don’t care what anyone says, cows are smart. I whisper greetings to her. Maribelle is light brown all over except for a small white patch on her forehead. Her big dark brown eyes melt me as I rub her head and pet her. Then, I notice something moving behind her. A small figure. I move her to the side and a small calf appears just out of reach.
What?!
“Paw!” I yell.
“Yeah?” he yells back.
“Is Maribelle a momma?!” I ask, barely able to contain my excitement or surprise.
He laughs and says, “She sure is, honey. She sure is.”
I stare at the calf in shock. She’s a spitting image of her momma—same coloring, same eyes.
“What’s her name?” I ask, trying hard to bury my hurt. I can’t believe no one bothered to tell me.
“Don’t have a name,” he yells. After a brief pause, he adds, “How about you give her one?”
I feel a rush of excitement in my chest. I bend down and gently rub the calf between the eyes and back around its ears. She is so sweet. Too sweet. I study her for a moment and she licks my hand and nuzzles me a bit. “How about Lucy?” I yell over the pin gate at my grandfather.
“That’s a fine name, honey,” he says. “That’s a fine name, indeed.” Paw has a habit of saying everything twice, as if to really convince you of what he’s saying.
I turn my attention back to Lucy and give her and momma Maribelle big smiles before stepping backward out of the pin. I lock it and step farther back, unable to take my eyes off them over the gate. One more step is my doom as my back meets something. What, I don’t know, but it moves—wobbles, really. I hear someone cuss under their breath and then I begin to tumble. Certain I’m going to fall for a second time in the same day, I feel hands on my body. Warm hands. Big, sturdy hands. On my hips. I cover them with mine instinctively and turn to see who’s caught me, both to thank them and apologize at the same time.
“Oh my gosh, I’m sorry. Thank you,” I blurt out.
My eyes meet those of Gentry Bodine. His face is close—too close. Mere inches from mine.
He quickly removes his hands from my waist and clears his throat. “Don’t worry about it,” he says, and continues walking away from me.
“Hey, wait,” I call to him, unsure why or what I’m going to say.
“Yes, ma’am, did you need something else?” he asks.
The comment feels so formal, I’m not sure how to respond. I walk a couple of steps forward to catch up with him and motion in the general direction he’s walking. “May I walk with you just for a few minutes?” I ask.
He looks surprised by my request. “Okay, but I’m just headed to the house to get lunch,” he says, motioning over his shoulder with his thumb like a hitchhiker.
“That’s fine. I just want to clarify a few things,” I say.
He turns back, and we proceed to walk out of the barn side-by-side. “Clarify a few things?” he asks.