Cowboy, Take Me Home

One

Sunrose Creek Daycare was as hectic as it always was this time of the morning.

Lucy was currently understaffed and overwhelmed with shrieking toddlers, including her own set of just toddling twins.

But would she have it any other way? Absolutely not.

This was her paradise.

Looking out the window to the view beyond, her spirits were instantly lifted by the hazy hills in the distance. Sunlight streamed in, illuminating the Re-elect Kallaghan for Sheriff sign posted proudly out by the drive.

Yep, that was her husband; the most handsome man in town, and there was no way he wasn't going to be re-elected. Not even with that snake deputy Kerny gunning for the position this year.

The thought made her smile to herself, however, because she knew her husband loved a good rivalry. Lord knew he was bored in the job most of the time, bored by his whole new way of life perhaps?

Lucy's smile dimmed, but just then she was distracted by little hands tugging on the hem of her apron.

"Miss Lucy, Miss Lucy! Travy pushed me down again!"

Tears promptly spurted out of big green eyes as the little girl scrunched up her freckled face and gave way fully to meltdown mode.

"Oh dear." Lucy squatted down in front of Mary-Lou, the vivacious redheaded girl. "What happened? Don't cry, pretty girl. Just a deep breath, okay? Can you do that for me, sweetie pie?"

The little girl was shuddering with the breadth of her tumultuous emotions, but she bravely nodded.

"Okay, now tell me what happened." Lucy urged, not unkindly.

"I was just playing with my dolly, and Travy t-took Caroline and when I told him to give her back he wouldn't give her back then I weached for her and-and-and he pushed me down!" Mary-Lou was wailing again by the end of this rather long-winded speech.

Lucy had to fight back a smile. Kids were just too cute when they were distraught over some deep matter such as this.

"Where is Travis? Sounds like my son is just beggin' for another grounding!"

This perked Mary-Lou up a bit. She sniffed, wiped her nose on the sleeve of her pink paisley dress, then pointed dramatically to the back playroom.

"Okay, go grab a juice box, sweetie. I'll be back to check on you in just a minute, okay?"

Mary-Lou nodded and skipped off to the kitchen, the trials from a moment ago already forgotten.

Such was the life of a six-year-old.

Smile fading, Lucy sighed as she made her way across the living room towards the back playroom.

Her adopted son Travis was such a little natural troublemaker. Now that he was eight, he was more mischievous than ever.

Mischievous was the politest word Lucy could find in her vocabulary for him.

On her way across the large farm living room, she swept up a few toys she didn't want anyone stepping on, depositing them safely into the toy chest, she extracted a piece of chalk from a toddler's nose, and replaced the baby's binky who was fussing in her crib, all while barely breaking stride.

"Travy?" Lucy knocked lightly on the open door to the playroom as she stepped inside.

The playroom was usually a disaster zone, but today it was in even more of a state of chaos than usual.