asked, clearly trying to reel her back from her despairing thoughts. For all her mystery, Lolly understood people. She’d appeared nearly sixteen years ago with a wad of cash, landing in Phillips seemingly by accident. It didn’t take her long to decide to stay, especially after she met Big John. She rescued the dining car from the Burlington yard and set up the café within months. No one had ever pried from Lolly a smidgen about her past.
And she was still waiting for the ring.
She made delicious key lime pie, however. And offered free chili fries whenever the Custer County Buffaloes won a football game. Maggy and Nick and Cole had spent too many nights here, slurping chocolate shakes, fighting over fries, dreaming of their futures.
Back then she’d dreamed of being the queen of the Silver Buckle. The woman at Nick Noble’s side.
“Maggy?”
Maggy looked up. Lolly had her eyebrows raised in quiet humor. “Uh, no . . . no wolves. Not yet, thank God.”
“You let us know, okay?” John said. He didn’t look at her.
She didn’t look at him either but nodded. Clearly, John Kincaid still felt guilty, even after all these years, about firing her father after his many years of service on the Big K.
“How’s CJ?” John’s friend asked. “Going to enter the Custer rodeo this year?”
Maggy grinned. “Of course. He’s hoping to go to junior nationals.”
“I remember when Cole and Nick swept the team-roping championships. Those two could have been brothers the way they worked together. I thought for sure they’d go to Vegas for the nationals—”
“CJ’s a star,” Lolly said, glancing at the man. Maggy saw disapproval in her look. “He comes by his talent naturally. I’m sure he’ll win.”
“I hear Rafe took first this year in the national finals in Reno.”
“He’s riding in the PBA now.” Maggy shook her head. Why Rafe Noble wanted to throw his life away taking on a two-thousand-pound bull made her want to scream in frustration. Then again, Nick’s actions had affected them all in ways no one would have imagined.
There were times when she wanted to track Nick down and tell him exactly what his temper tantrum had cost his family. Or rather rewind time to the day he rode to the Big K on Pecos and charmed his way into her heart. She would have turned and run to her parents’ trailer instead of joining him for roundup. But although Nick Noble—rodeo star, football captain, and homecoming king—had left scars, the name still had the power to stop her in her tracks.
Nick . . . and Maggy Noble. Old habits caused her to fill in her name next to his. It didn’t help that it had been carved into too many cottonwoods on the Silver Buckle range.
And soon . . . St. John land.
Please, Lord, don’t let Nick come back.
“The forecast out of Sheridan says rain,” said John’s friend.
John grunted. Maggy sighed.
Lolly handed her a piece of pie and a fork. “How are your folks doing in Arizona, Maggy?”
“Mom got on full-time at the hospital. And Dad’s still doing maintenance at their trailer park. He likes it.” Maggy scooped a piece of pie into her mouth, hating the feel of Big John’s silence. She’d long forgiven him. These days, they all had their own set of problems. Still, old sins took an eternity to die in a small town. She thanked God every day that hers had never been discovered.
“You tell them hi from me,” Lolly said. She handed Maggy a Styrofoam container. “That’s for Cole.”
The door opened and Lolly said, “Howdy, Egger. What’s new?”
Egger Dugan sat down next to Maggy and plopped his dirty feed cap on the counter. Lolly set a cup of coffee in front of him and filled it.
He sipped it, then looked over at Maggy. She smiled in greeting. Egger had scared her as a teenager, and he still made her uncomfortable. Something about the way the chaw stuck in the crevasses of his teeth. Or those two hound dogs of his that chased everyone in and out of
And she was still waiting for the ring.
She made delicious key lime pie, however. And offered free chili fries whenever the Custer County Buffaloes won a football game. Maggy and Nick and Cole had spent too many nights here, slurping chocolate shakes, fighting over fries, dreaming of their futures.
Back then she’d dreamed of being the queen of the Silver Buckle. The woman at Nick Noble’s side.
“Maggy?”
Maggy looked up. Lolly had her eyebrows raised in quiet humor. “Uh, no . . . no wolves. Not yet, thank God.”
“You let us know, okay?” John said. He didn’t look at her.
She didn’t look at him either but nodded. Clearly, John Kincaid still felt guilty, even after all these years, about firing her father after his many years of service on the Big K.
“How’s CJ?” John’s friend asked. “Going to enter the Custer rodeo this year?”
Maggy grinned. “Of course. He’s hoping to go to junior nationals.”
“I remember when Cole and Nick swept the team-roping championships. Those two could have been brothers the way they worked together. I thought for sure they’d go to Vegas for the nationals—”
“CJ’s a star,” Lolly said, glancing at the man. Maggy saw disapproval in her look. “He comes by his talent naturally. I’m sure he’ll win.”
“I hear Rafe took first this year in the national finals in Reno.”
“He’s riding in the PBA now.” Maggy shook her head. Why Rafe Noble wanted to throw his life away taking on a two-thousand-pound bull made her want to scream in frustration. Then again, Nick’s actions had affected them all in ways no one would have imagined.
There were times when she wanted to track Nick down and tell him exactly what his temper tantrum had cost his family. Or rather rewind time to the day he rode to the Big K on Pecos and charmed his way into her heart. She would have turned and run to her parents’ trailer instead of joining him for roundup. But although Nick Noble—rodeo star, football captain, and homecoming king—had left scars, the name still had the power to stop her in her tracks.
Nick . . . and Maggy Noble. Old habits caused her to fill in her name next to his. It didn’t help that it had been carved into too many cottonwoods on the Silver Buckle range.
And soon . . . St. John land.
Please, Lord, don’t let Nick come back.
“The forecast out of Sheridan says rain,” said John’s friend.
John grunted. Maggy sighed.
Lolly handed her a piece of pie and a fork. “How are your folks doing in Arizona, Maggy?”
“Mom got on full-time at the hospital. And Dad’s still doing maintenance at their trailer park. He likes it.” Maggy scooped a piece of pie into her mouth, hating the feel of Big John’s silence. She’d long forgiven him. These days, they all had their own set of problems. Still, old sins took an eternity to die in a small town. She thanked God every day that hers had never been discovered.
“You tell them hi from me,” Lolly said. She handed Maggy a Styrofoam container. “That’s for Cole.”
The door opened and Lolly said, “Howdy, Egger. What’s new?”
Egger Dugan sat down next to Maggy and plopped his dirty feed cap on the counter. Lolly set a cup of coffee in front of him and filled it.
He sipped it, then looked over at Maggy. She smiled in greeting. Egger had scared her as a teenager, and he still made her uncomfortable. Something about the way the chaw stuck in the crevasses of his teeth. Or those two hound dogs of his that chased everyone in and out of
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