Taking On The Cowboy

Part 12 - Chapter Eleven

Tara flicked through a fashion magazine as she waited for her turn to see the fracture specialist and get her arm checked. It was like looking into a world she'd once been part of but had forgotten existed. She'd got so caught up in the drama of the ranch that city life seemed very far away. A five page spread on Fall suits served as a reminder that she needed to check her e mail for responses to the CVs she'd submitted.

She placed the magazine back on the stack on the table and glanced around the waiting room, trying to work out who had been here before her and who had arrived since. Her heart went out to the frazzled looking mother trying to keep a wriggling child entertained. The little girl looked about three or four years old and was sporting a cast the same colour as Tara's on her own arm. Tara gave the mother a sympathetic look and when she received an encouraging smile she got up from her chair and approached the pair, kneeling down in front of the little girl.

"Hello, you have the same colour cast as me." She held up her own arm for the little girl to see. The little girl looked at her with big eyes.

"My name is Tara. What's your name?"

"Shawnee." she said in a soft voice.

"That's a pretty name. How did you hurt your arm Shawnee? I fell off a horse."

"I fell off a horse too!" the little girl said much more confidently. Her mother laughed.

"No you didn't. You fell off a chair."

"Chair horse." Shawnee exclaimed.

Both Tara and the girl's mother laughed.

"Shawnee Pratchett?" all three of them turned as the little girl's name was called out from the front of the room.

Shawnee's mother took her good hand and they walked off towards the Doctor who had called her name. Tara started to make her way back to her seat and nearly collided with a familiar candy striper.

"Sorry." the girl said coldly before moving away.

"Carley?" Tara asked, surprised at her unfriendly manner.

"Yes?" the girl folded her arms in front of herself.

"What's the matter?"

"You never called my mom."

"It's only been a week."

"How long were you planning to leave it?'

"I was going to call, I swear." Tara stepped closer to Carley.

"Whatever." Carley pivoted on her heals and walked away.

Damn. She'd not given any thought to how Carley might be feeling, waiting for her new cousin to call. She'd go and see Ruth at the bakery after her check-up.

The Doctor was impressed with how she was healing but warned her to keep resting.

The Delaney bakery, Cinnamon, lived up to its name. Tara could smell good things the moment she opened the door. There was a queue, indicating the food was likely to taste as good as it smelled. Tara selected a cinnamon scroll from the self-service cabinet and ordered a cappuccino at the counter.

"Is Ruth in?" she asked the young woman at the counter.

"She's out back. If you want to take a seat I'll let her know you're here. Who shall I say wants her?"

"Tara Delaney."

"Family! That's nice."

Tara hoped she was right. She took a seat against the bright red back wall of the coffee shop, not wanting to be centre stage. From here she could see Cinnamon was the perfect mix of style and comfort. It seemed to be a hit with all walks of life - teenagers to old timers gathered around the tables, even a gaggle of tourists along the bench that lined the window. The scroll was everything it had promised her nose it would be, soft, buttery and warm, spicy and sweet.