schedule that day was really packed, and I was cutting the
prospects back to two, and had to focus. I didn't do it to be mean,
darlin', I was just doing the job your daddy pays me to do. I'm
sorry if you thought I was being mean."
Dixie sat up straighter in Cassie's arms,
and she loosened them a little bit. "But you were mean to my daddy
too..." she tossed and threw up her stubborn little chin.
"I was angry at him, and at you, because you
didn't tell him the whole truth did you?" Katie said sternly and
pinned her with an intense look.
Dixie dropped her eyes to her hands and
twisted them in her lap, then admitted, "No ma'am...I was mad
too."
"It's okay to be mad, sugar, but it's not okay to lie, ever. You understand?" After she nodded,
Katie continued, "If you lie, people will never know when to
believe you, or when you're telling the truth, got that?"
"Yeah," she said mildly then looked up at
Katie and said sincerely, "I'm sorry, Miss Katie...daddy was so sad
and worried when you left...I felt bad."
Tommy was worried about her? Sad that she
left? Sure he'd shown up in Dallas with those god awful roses, and
his weak ass apology, but she had no idea he'd been worried about
her. Why the hell would he be? She was a grown woman, and had
carted her horse around the country by herself for years. Katie
looked back at Dixie, then she opened her arms and said, "Come
here, baby."
Dixie scrambled out of Cassie's lap then
hesitantly crawled over to her and scooted into her lap, then slid
her skinny arms around Katie and squeezed. "I really am sorry, Miss
Katie...you still mad at me?"
Katie hugged her, then kissed her blond
curls. "No, we're good now, just don't chase cows anymore, deal?"
she told her with a watery chuckle, then added, "Or lie to your
daddy."
Looking up at her with watery blue eyes,
Dixie nodded then said, "Deal...no more chasing or lying...got it.
Now will you come back to the ranch? I hate seeing daddy sad, he
likes you a lot."
"I don't think that's a good idea, darlin'.
I'm probably gonna hang around Bowie with my sister. We have a
rodeo next weekend we've got to practice for, did she tell you?"
Katie asked her with a soft smile.
With a gasp, Dixie scrambled out of her lap
and stood up, with excitement dancing in her eyes. "Can I go watch
ya'll?"
"That's up to your daddy, you'll have to ask
him. Karlie and I are going to be practicing this week though, so
we can win the money," Katie told her with a grin, then asked, "How
long are you going to be here?"
"All week, probably...Karlie is going to
show me how to rope and ride better," she said then dropped her
eyes. "But I won't learn to rope, if you think I shouldn't," Dixie
offered contritely.
"I can focus on helping her, and between us,
we'll have you roping like a champ before the end of the week,"
Katie told her with a wink. "You can watch us practice too...and
take riding lessons from Cassie," she said looking over at the tall
blond who was leaning back on her arms watching them.
She nodded and grinned, then told Dixie, "I
have the perfect pony for you to ride, you'll love him. There'll be
other kids here during the lessons too, so you can make some new
friends."
Dixie squealed then threw her arms around
Katie and squeezed her neck. "Thank you, and I'm glad you're not
mad at me anymore...please don't be mad at daddy either...it was my
fault."
"That's a little more complicated,
sweetheart. Your daddy and I just don't see eye to eye on some
things, and I think it's better if we just face the fact that isn't
gonna change. But I'll be glad to see you, if you come to visit us
again out here, okay?"
"Yes, that would be great...when I'm not
going to school, that is," she said and looked down again.
"Of course, school comes first...but when
you're out on break, we'll be here and you're welcome to come
out."
Tilting her head to the side, Dixie studied
her for a minute then said,
prospects back to two, and had to focus. I didn't do it to be mean,
darlin', I was just doing the job your daddy pays me to do. I'm
sorry if you thought I was being mean."
Dixie sat up straighter in Cassie's arms,
and she loosened them a little bit. "But you were mean to my daddy
too..." she tossed and threw up her stubborn little chin.
"I was angry at him, and at you, because you
didn't tell him the whole truth did you?" Katie said sternly and
pinned her with an intense look.
Dixie dropped her eyes to her hands and
twisted them in her lap, then admitted, "No ma'am...I was mad
too."
"It's okay to be mad, sugar, but it's not okay to lie, ever. You understand?" After she nodded,
Katie continued, "If you lie, people will never know when to
believe you, or when you're telling the truth, got that?"
"Yeah," she said mildly then looked up at
Katie and said sincerely, "I'm sorry, Miss Katie...daddy was so sad
and worried when you left...I felt bad."
Tommy was worried about her? Sad that she
left? Sure he'd shown up in Dallas with those god awful roses, and
his weak ass apology, but she had no idea he'd been worried about
her. Why the hell would he be? She was a grown woman, and had
carted her horse around the country by herself for years. Katie
looked back at Dixie, then she opened her arms and said, "Come
here, baby."
Dixie scrambled out of Cassie's lap then
hesitantly crawled over to her and scooted into her lap, then slid
her skinny arms around Katie and squeezed. "I really am sorry, Miss
Katie...you still mad at me?"
Katie hugged her, then kissed her blond
curls. "No, we're good now, just don't chase cows anymore, deal?"
she told her with a watery chuckle, then added, "Or lie to your
daddy."
Looking up at her with watery blue eyes,
Dixie nodded then said, "Deal...no more chasing or lying...got it.
Now will you come back to the ranch? I hate seeing daddy sad, he
likes you a lot."
"I don't think that's a good idea, darlin'.
I'm probably gonna hang around Bowie with my sister. We have a
rodeo next weekend we've got to practice for, did she tell you?"
Katie asked her with a soft smile.
With a gasp, Dixie scrambled out of her lap
and stood up, with excitement dancing in her eyes. "Can I go watch
ya'll?"
"That's up to your daddy, you'll have to ask
him. Karlie and I are going to be practicing this week though, so
we can win the money," Katie told her with a grin, then asked, "How
long are you going to be here?"
"All week, probably...Karlie is going to
show me how to rope and ride better," she said then dropped her
eyes. "But I won't learn to rope, if you think I shouldn't," Dixie
offered contritely.
"I can focus on helping her, and between us,
we'll have you roping like a champ before the end of the week,"
Katie told her with a wink. "You can watch us practice too...and
take riding lessons from Cassie," she said looking over at the tall
blond who was leaning back on her arms watching them.
She nodded and grinned, then told Dixie, "I
have the perfect pony for you to ride, you'll love him. There'll be
other kids here during the lessons too, so you can make some new
friends."
Dixie squealed then threw her arms around
Katie and squeezed her neck. "Thank you, and I'm glad you're not
mad at me anymore...please don't be mad at daddy either...it was my
fault."
"That's a little more complicated,
sweetheart. Your daddy and I just don't see eye to eye on some
things, and I think it's better if we just face the fact that isn't
gonna change. But I'll be glad to see you, if you come to visit us
again out here, okay?"
"Yes, that would be great...when I'm not
going to school, that is," she said and looked down again.
"Of course, school comes first...but when
you're out on break, we'll be here and you're welcome to come
out."
Tilting her head to the side, Dixie studied
her for a minute then said,
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