A Cowboy In Love
Chapter 13

-Well, tomorrow I'll take you girls for another ride.

-Thank you very much Rodrigo. Said the girls in unison.

They entered the house and were immediately greeted by Grisell with a tray of lemonade and biscuits.

-Hi grandma, we're thirsty.

-They came back very soon. Has Jack given poor Rodrigo a job?

-No. Well, he came to where we were looking for him because there was a cow that was having trouble calving or something like that.

-I understand, tomorrow is another day. Here, I'll make you a lemonade, while lunch is ready.

-Thank you very much Mrs. Grisell.

-But was the ride good or not?

-Of course it was, Rodrigo is an excellent guide. Melisa exclaimed fascinated.

-Girl, you seem to like him a lot.

-More than I should, we've barely been here two days and you're already drooling over him.

You're so old-fashioned Megan. I remind you that at the airport you told me that if a cowboy wanted to have an affair with me to take advantage of it. -Yeah, but not to fall in love.

-No one said I was in love. -You could just call it a fling!

-A fling where you'll surely come out in love.

-Well, girls, stop arguing, there's nothing wrong with Melissa falling in love, Megan. -What problems do you have with love?

-None, grandma.

-None? You better tell your grandmother everything Megan.

How could she be spared from having to remember something so sad for her.

-It's a very long story, Grandma, and a very sad one. I don't think this is the time to talk about it.

-Tell me what happened.

-Well... She sighed and began to tell him. -Some years ago I had met a man, he was too simple for my parents' taste.

-So he wasn't rich. Grisell told her.

-Yes, exactly! He was the one who repaired dad's car, he made me curious because he was a man who worked to earn a living and help his family, he was different from the boys my mother used to match me with. He was very easy to talk to, he made me laugh and we were ourselves without having to pretend anything. We started sneaking out and well we fell in love, mum and dad found out and that wasn't the worst of it, they found out I had slept with him. They were so furious, poor Michell got fired immediately and dad made him not get a job anywhere else.

Said the young woman on the verge of tears....

-For God's sake, did your father do something like that?

-He did, Grandma. I never saw him again, I didn't know where to call him. Then I found out from a conversation he had with mom that dad had arranged for him to leave town. They were so insensitive that they didn't care that he had to abandon his family for the simple fact that he had fallen in love with me and because my parents were snobs. I suffered so much grandma, I had fallen in love with him and he had to leave his family because of me.

-I'm so sorry Megan, your parents thought they were doing what was best for you but how wrong they were.

-Dad said I was too young to know it was love, they were furious when they took me to the doctor to make sure I hadn't done something crazy. She said tearfully.

-I was there to support you Mrs. Grisell. Her friend put an arm around her shoulders.

-But that's no reason to think that love is painful, my child.

-I don't know, grandmother. I don't want to hurt anyone, and I don't want anyone to hurt me.

-I understand, but sometimes these things happen and it's natural. Don't be afraid to fall in love again.

-Maybe, Grandma! She wiped her tears and took a sip of lemonade.

-I'm sure that young man has made a life for himself and is doing very well, don't feel guilty about what happened.

-I hope so, Grandma!

Now that she had told her grandmother her story she felt much better, she didn't like the idea of having to hide something like that from her.

-Well, the confidences are over, go upstairs and freshen up and come downstairs for lunch.

-All right! they both said.

-And then what do you think of Jack?

-What do you mean by that?

-Don't answer with another question. And you know what I'm talking about, you're up to something!

-We're not having an affair, you're seeing things that aren't Mel, stop it.

-I don't believe that, I feel like there's chemistry between you two. He said laughing.

-You're crazy, there's absolutely nothing between us.

-Come on, confess, what if you kissed?

-Yes, well yes, there was a kiss. But not the kiss you can imagine, he's a savage, that man stole my kiss, that brute.

-I knew it! Well I didn't think he stole your kiss, I thought it was mutual. That means he likes you.

-Of course not, well I don't know. I think he did it because I had insulted him and it was a punishment.

-And what a punishment! I'd like to be punished like that. She said hugging herself.

-It was no big deal Mel, a stolen kiss without any hint of passion.

-Well, I think he likes you, and I'm sure he enjoys that kiss.

-I doubt it! And in the end I don't care if he likes me or not, I don't like him.

-You're lying, you knew it all along, if you like him.

-Yes, he's attractive, but that's as far as it goes, he's not a monument of a man.

-He's not a monument! But he's a macho Megan for God's sake.

-I don't want to talk about him anymore. Let's go downstairs for lunch.

It was a very hot afternoon, the sun was at its peak, the little breeze that was felt was sandy and hot Megan was sitting on the porch of the house on a swing sofa, she felt that she had sand under her blouse and she was a little tired with that suffocating heat, they had been four days at the ranch and not a single day had passed that Jack had not bothered her, of course she had not spoken to him to avoid having to give him reasons to kiss her so that he would get tired of bothering her.

Melisa on the other hand had abandoned her and spent most of the time with Rodrigo, they had gone riding a few days before and invited her but Megan declined her invitation, she suspected that her friend wanted to be alone with her cowboy, maybe something positive would come out of that romance. Her plan to stay at the ranch for a week still stood, and her grandmother was still determined to stay so there was nothing else she could do but visit her frequently.

-If you're looking to cool off here, you're not going to get it! Megan gasped at the sound of Jack's voice, she was so deep in thought she didn't see it coming.

-Well, I guess that's my business.

-If that's true, you're welcome to parboil here. The house is much cooler.

-As if you cared about my welfare.

-I'm interested in the welfare of everyone who's on my ranch.

Well, just because you're a jerk to her doesn't mean you don't really care about the people on the ranch.

-She's got some good in her, at least. She hadn't turned to look at him since she heard him speak, until she felt the weight on the couch and saw him sit down next to her. -Why are you looking at me like that?

-Maybe because he sat next to me and I want to be alone.

-I'm tired Megan, I want to sit down for a while.

-Then I'll go. She made a gesture to get up.

-Wait, it doesn't have to be like this.

-What do you mean?

-This arguing all the time.

-If memory serves me correctly, you're the one who's always bothering me.

-Well, I think it's funny, you get angry so easily.

-I don't replace it funny.

-I know that. You're very grumpy Megan for such a young girl, your friend has more fun than you.

But well, first he called her vapid and now she's a bore that it took to satisfy that man. And why the hell was she thinking about that? She couldn't care less about satisfying his demands.