Maddie was out working in the garden the next morning when she heard a vehicle pulling up out the front, Abeline stepping from the truck as she came around the side of the house. 'Good morning.'
'Morning.' She replied, noticing the dirt on the girls jeans. 'Garden keeping you busy?'
'Yeah, just a little. I really don't know what I'm doing, it's been so long since I've cared for a garden.'
'Well, I came over to see if you wanted to join me for some mushroom hunting but I can give you a hand with your garden for a little while, if you wish.'
Maddie's face lit up. 'Really? Oh, I'd so appreciate it.'
'Show me what you're doing then.'
'I'm just trying to tidy up still at the moment-' She explained as she led the way to the vegetable gardens out back. 'I've picked everything that has ripened so far, I thought that was a good place to start.'
Abeline nodded. 'Did you get much?'
'A lot of tomatoes, you wouldn't need any, would you?'
'Do you know how to can tomatoes?'
She shook her head. 'That was one thing that Mama didn't get to teach me.'
'If you have enough, I could show you how. That way you can preserve them and have them on hand when you need it for cooking,' Looking around the garden, she began to come up with a plan of what needed to be done. 'It's going to need a lot of work.'
'Time is one thing I ain't short of.' Maddie sighed as she pulled off her gardening gloves, shaking the dirt out of them. 'Now that my Dad is going to be out of town for a few weeks.'
She raised an eyebrow. 'Your here on your own?'
'Isn't the first time that I've been on my own for a long time-' She shrugged. 'His work takes him away a lot, he has to go where the work is. Not much I can do about it.'
Perhaps that was why Hoyt had rang her the night before to mention what he had about Maddie… 'Do you know how long he'll be gone for?'
'No, could be a couple weeks, could be a couple months. He's working for a shipping company, apparently it's really good pay…' Her voice trailed off and she turned away. 'I don't care about the pay, I just want him to be here with me. I miss him...'
Abeline's heart went out to the girl hearing that. 'I'm sure he'll be back soon.'
'Yeah, I hope so.'
'Well-' She took another look around the garden. 'It's going to take more than just one morning to fix this place up. How about you join me for some mushroom hunting and then this week I'll come over a few times to give you a hand here?'
'Oh, I don't want you to go to any trouble-'
'It's no trouble at all. Besides, mushroom hunting is better with a partner. You ever been mushroom hunting?'
Maddie shook her head as they walked back to the truck. 'Can't say that I have. I love mushrooms though, my Mama used to cook them up real nice with butter.'
'How about this? You help me find some mushrooms, you can join us for dinner.'
'Deal.'
'Hop in then.' Abeline smiled, the girl taking the passenger seat. She noticed that Maddie was moving rather stiffly, her smile replaced with a look of concern. 'You alright Maddie?'
'Yeah, just been doing too much the last few days.' She put her seatbelt on as the truck pulled out of the drive. 'Gardening helps you find muscles I never knew I had.'
She chuckled. 'That, and horseback riding. Do you ride?'
'I've never had the chance to learn.'
'Would you like to?'
'Oh, I can't expect you to go to all that trouble for me, you've done so much for me already-'
'Nonsense, you haven't heard me out yet.' She interrupted gently. 'We could use some extra help on the ranch, mucking stalls and such. If you're happy to muck a few stalls and clean some tack, in exchange my husband and I can teach you to ride.'
After a moment, Maddie nodded with a smile. 'As long as I can work in exchange for the lessons, that would be fine. I don't like to accept charity.'
'I get that, pride and all.' She glanced down at the girl with a smile. 'Your Mom teach you that?'
'Mmmhmm, that and cash on the barrel.'
'I haven't heard anyone use that expression in years.'
'My Mama used it all the time, she never liked to owe anyone anything.'
'That's a good policy to have, a lot harder to follow these days though.'
'Yeah, I know.' She sighed heavily. 'My Dad has been working so hard to put food on the table I've hardly seen him.'
'You and your dad close?'
'He's all I have, I just wish he didn't have to work so hard. Hopefully when he gets back we'll be able to spend some time together.'
'I know it can be hard when your father isn't around-' Abeline said after a moment. 'Cordell was out of town for almost a year, it really took a toll on Stella and August. Even though he's back now… Well, he's got a lot to catch up on.'
'Where's their Mom?'
'She was killed.' She replied. 'Emily died a few weeks before he left.'
'So in a way they lost both their parents…' Maddie mused softly. At least she still had her father, even though her mother was gone.
'Yeah.' She glanced back down at Maddie. 'You know, you're very empathetic and mature for your age.'
She smiled sadly. 'I take after my Mama, she had the biggest heart and kindest soul. Growing up, we didn't have much but she always tried to help others less fortunate then ourselves. I remember one time she took me to the animal shelter for volunteer day, when we left we had an extra addition to the family. There was a three legged cat that no one wanted to adopt, it was the only one left without a home at the end of the day. I guess I must have been convincing enough that we would give it a good home, since 'Furby' came home with us that day.'
Abeline chuckled. 'Furby?'
'I was seven, alright?' She laughed. 'It was the first name that came to mind. We had him for a couple years but one day he got out of the house and got hit by a car, and that was Furby gone. But-' She continued. 'My dad has promised to get me a kitten when he gets back, if he's happy for me to have a pet then I'm guessing that means we'll be staying here for awhile.'
'If you need any name suggestions, I can think of a few that would be much better then Furby.'
'Hey, don't pick on me too much, alright? I'll keep the offer in mind.'
They continued on in silence for a little while then Abeline turned the radio on. 'What music do you like to listen to?'
'Oh country is the only kind of music that is good.'
'Well, you are in luck because we have one of the best country radio channels in Texas right here.' She turned up the volume, the low tones of Alan Jackson's Little Bitty filling the truck.
'Oh I love this song.' Maddie exclaimed with a grin. 'Have a little love on a little honeymoon-'
Abeline smiled, joining in with the teen in singing the song. 'You got a little dish and you got a little spoon…'
'Something smells good-'
'Cordell, you're home early.' Abeline glanced up as he walked into the kitchen. 'Ah ah ah-' She protested as he went to snack on the baked mushrooms she'd just taken from the oven. 'those are for dinner.'
'Just one?'
She sighed, motioning for him to go ahead. 'Go on then.'
'Afternoon, Walker.' Maddie spoke up, stirring the butter in the pot on the stove.
'Hello Maddie, I didn't expect to see you here.'
'She's been helping with the mushroom harvest, so I invited her to stay for dinner.' Abeline explained. 'Stir it a little faster Maddie, we don't want it to burn.'
'What have you got there?' Cordell questioned, looking over the teens shoulder.
'More sauce for the mushrooms. My Mama used to do a good one, but this one is the best I've tasted-' She added in the cream, stirring it into the melted butter. 'Your Mama is a really good cook.'
'Thank you for saying that Maddie, at least someone around here appreciates my culinary efforts.'
'You know I love your food Mom-'
'Mmmhmmm. Why don't you go and get cleaned up? Dinner will be ready soon.'
'Ah, yes. That is probably a good idea…'
Maddie chuckled as the ranger left the room. 'Is he always like that?'
'That's Cordell.' She smiled, going over to the teen to check on the sauce. 'He never did get over the 'awkward' stage.' Dipping a spoon into the mix she tasted it. 'Not bad Maddie, you've got the makings of a fine cook yourself.'
'Well, at least it is edible, which is more than I can say of the food my father cooks. Is that all now?'
'I believe so. Reduce the heat down to one, it can finish simmering while the roast finishes cooking in the oven. While it does so-' She took off her apron, hanging it back up on its hook. 'There's a few gardening books I can show you that you can borrow if you wish.'
Abeline was drying dishes later that night, glancing over at Cordell as he sat at the bench, mulling over a glass of whisky. 'Something on your mind, son?'
'Ah, yeah…' He took a deep breath in, placing the glass down as she came over to sit with him. 'Last night, in the bust we caught Hoyt in, that wasn't the only person I knew who we arrested. Robert Adams, or Bruce Steinfield as his real identity, was also brought in.'
'Maddie's father?'
He nodded. 'I spoke to him briefly, after we had bought him in. There's something about him that just… doesn't feel right, apart from the fact that he outright lied to his daughter about everything.'
'Maddie told me he had to leave town for a job.'
'That's what he told her, she hasn't got any reason to question what he says. I get that he doesn't want to worry her, but something just doesn't seem right. I don't know…' He drank the last of his whisky in one swallow.
'You know, Hoyt rang me yesterday-' That caught his attention and he looked up at her. 'He asked if I would take her in like we did for him. I said I would, she's a great kid.'
'Yeah, not half as difficult as Stella.'
'How did her hearing go?'
'Fine, one hundred hours community service and suspension of her license.'
'No wonder she was so glum at dinner then.'
'You don't think I was too hard on her, do you-'
'Cordell-' She interrupted gently. 'She knew what she was doing was wrong and still did it anyway. If you keep bailing her out of trouble, she's only going to get into more and worse later on down the track.'
'Micki said almost the same thing earlier today.'
'Your new partner gives good advice.'
Cordell chuckled. 'I think James is enjoying watching the two of us trying to find our footing as a team just a little too much.'
It was Abeline's turn to laugh as she stood. 'It's getting late, I think I'm going to turn in. Night Sweetie.'
'Night Ma.'
After she had left the room he poured himself another shot of whiskey, swirling it around the glass as he thought. Something didn't seem right about this girl's father, not just the fact that he was lying to his daughter about where he was. Well, jail wasn't any place that a child would want their parent to be in but it was more then just that… Something just didn't feel right. You're overthinking again Walker. Besides, she ain't your responsibility.
Yep, she wasn't but even so, he couldn't help but be concerned for her. She was only fifteen after all, and even though it was legal for her to be on her own as such at her age, it still didn't sit right with him. A little bit more digging into both Bruce and Maddie's records was how he decided he would deal with it.
