Claire McEwen - Reunited With The Cowboy

Grandma must have heard, because she paused, her face set and stern. “Chin up,” she said softly. “You can do this. It’s time to stop hiding.”

Maya wasn’t sure about that last sentence. Hiding had served her pretty well for over a decade.

But her grandmother had been so devoted over the years, traveling to see Maya wherever she was. The very least Maya could do was meet her book club friends.

Grandma took Maya by the hand. Wrapped in her soft grip, Maya trailed into the living room behind her, feeling like the lost kid she’d been when Grandma had taken her out of foster care and given her a home.

Once inside the doorway, Grandma released her hand and Maya stepped forward on her own power. She was instantly met with a chorus of “There she is!” and one “Oh my goodness, what happened to you?”

Maybe she should have showered first.

Heart thrumming an uncomfortable bass in her chest, Maya broke through the wall of exclamations. “I’ve been out hiking the past couple of days.” She looked around the room, recognizing most of the women sitting on Lillian’s comfortable sofas but feeling suddenly shy about greeting them. “Hello.”

Grandma gave Maya’s shoulder a quick, bracing squeeze. “Maya was out tracking mountain lions.”

“Why in the world would you want to do that?” A woman in a red sweaterdress, her platinum hair coiled in a perfectly styled chignon, raised her penciled eyebrows.

Grandma gestured in the elegant woman’s direction. “This is Monique Lawrence. She owns Monique’s Miracles. It’s a wonderful salon.”

Not that Maya spent any time at salons. But Grandma was forever hopeful.

“Nice to meet you, Monique,” Maya said.

Monique gave her a beautifully manicured wave. “So nice to finally meet you.”

“Maya!” Mrs. Axel, Maya’s former teacher, heaved herself out of Grandma’s coziest armchair. “How wonderful to see you!”

Maya went to Mrs. Axel and hugged her gingerly, trying to keep her dusty clothes away from the other woman’s flowered cardigan sweater. Mrs. Axel had always been small, but she felt frail now, and that one change drove home all the other changes Maya must have missed while avoiding Shelter Creek. Changes that Grandma had experienced, without her, because Maya had been too scared to face her past. She cleared the lump of guilt in her throat. “It’s great to see you too.”

Mrs. Axel held her at arm’s length, her pale blue eyes swimming with tears. “Look at you, all grown-up.”

“Grown-up and absolutely beautiful!” The exclamation came from Kathy Wallace, Grandma’s next-door neighbor, who’d babysat Maya and been on hand for every one of life’s occasions, from dance recitals to holiday meals. “It’s amazing to see you again,” Kathy said, reaching out her arms. “The photos your grandmother shares with me just haven’t done you justice.”

Maya hugged her, blinking back the sting of her own tears. Ever since she’d left, all of her thoughts of Shelter Creek were about what she’d been trying to avoid. Not about people like Kathy, who’d invested so much in her as a child. Who’d believed in her as she was growing up.

“I’m sorry that I haven’t been in touch,” she managed to say. “It’s so good to see you, Kathy.”

When they pulled apart, Kathy’s cheeks were pink and she dabbed at her eyes. “Now, let’s not get all weepy. I wasn’t trying to make you feel guilty. It’s just wonderful to see you again. It’s been so many years, I thought... Well, never mind what I thought. It’s just so good to have you home.”

Maya tried to tamp down the emotion threatening to overwhelm her. “I know it’s been a long time. But Grandma was always so great about coming to see me, I guess I never needed to come home.” It was a weak lie and as soon as it was out, Maya felt like an idiot. “But I should have,” she corrected.

“Well, you’ve always given me a reason to have an adventure somewhere new,” Grandma chimed in, kind as ever. “There are benefits to having a granddaughter who won’t settle down.” Grandma gave Maya a glass of white wine and a quick kiss on the cheek. “Still, it’s very nice to have you home.”

“It sure is.” Annie Brooks rose from where she’d been sitting in the far corner, by Grandma’s piano. Annie had been a close friend of Grandma’s since the two of them were rivals for Miss Shelter Creek Rodeo, back when they were in high school. Now she came forward and clasped both of Maya’s hands in her own. “Welcome home, Maya.”

“Thank you.” Annie’s face was the same, with just a bit more weathering from all the time she’d spent out on her ranch. Her hair had more salt than pepper, but her warm smile hadn’t changed. “It’s so nice to see you again.”

Annie just nodded, gave Maya’s hands one more gentle squeeze and then retreated to her seat. She never was a person to express her emotions in words, but Maya had always loved her. Annie had taught her to ride horses, had encouraged her passion for the outdoors and had shown her an example of what a strong woman in a nontraditional job was like.

Maya took a sip of wine to soothe the roughness in her throat and perched carefully on the arm of the sofa next to where Grandma sat down. Hopefully her dusty clothes wouldn’t do too much damage.

“How was your hike, dear?” Kathy asked. “Did you see any lions?”

“I saw one in a tree, early yesterday morning. I got a few photos, actually. And I set up several motion-sensitive cameras in the area. Hopefully I’ll catch some more photos with that.”

“Did you hear that?” Mrs. Axel waved her wineglass at the group. “I was her teacher, you know. And third grade was a big year for studying animal habitats.”

Maya laughed. Mrs. Axel had been a great teacher, taking the kids on nature walks and getting them excited about the local flora and fauna. “It’s true. Grandma, next time you get mad at me for chasing lions, you can blame Mrs. Axel.”

“You should call me Priscilla.” Mrs. Axel poured herself a generous refill of wine. “And I’m proud to play a part in your pursuit of lions.”

“Well, then when she gets bit by one, I’ll know who’s responsible.” Grandma sighed. “Maya, when you became a biology major, I assumed you’d end up teaching at a university or working in a laboratory. Not crashing through the woods, searching for predators.”

“I like the woods,” Maya said. “And predators.”

“You always loved animals,” Kathy added. “Remember, Lillian, when she found those abandoned baby raccoons? And tried to raise them herself?”

“Oh my goodness, I’d forgotten.” Grandma giggled. “And remember when she tried to pet an otter in the Russian River?”

“Oh no.” Maya put her free hand up in protest. “Do we have to talk about that?”

“Oh yes, we do,” Kathy said with a chortle. “That thing chased you all the way up onto the beach.”

“I never knew otters had fangs like that,” Grandma added. “I thought it was going to bite you for sure.”

“So did I.” Maya was laughing too. She’d been so silly, thinking somehow that just because she loved animals, they’d all want to be her friends. Grandma had probably let her watch Snow White too many times.

“You know, a lot of locals aren’t happy to have so many mountain lions around here these days.” The speaker was a severe-looking woman with dark hair pulled back in a tight bun and purple reading glasses perched on her nose. “I’m Eva Rosen, by the way. We haven’t met. I’m pretty new to Shelter Creek. I own an art gallery in town.”

Maya smiled at her, grateful for the change of subject, even if it wasn’t a happy topic. “Good to meet you.” It was so strange to think of art galleries in Shelter Creek. But she’d noticed several as she drove through town.