Colorado Woman (The Hansen Women)

by Coburn, C. C.

  Maggie doubted the town had looked this good even in its heyday.

  Annie had organized everything pertaining to the barbeque weekend to the nth degree, from barbeque teams and purveyors, to trash cans and their collection, security, stalls selling all manner of food and drink, not just barbeque—and all purchased using concession tickets sold at central locations on Main Street. Every resident of the town was contributing in some way, even wheelchair–bound Mrs. Graves, who’d declared she would sit in the tent and sell barbeque tickets all day long.

  The older siblings of Maggie’s school kids were going to run a couple of lemonade stands and soft–drink stations.

  By Thursday evening, everything was ready to go. But where was Mac?

  Chapter Nineteen

  Looks like I can’t make it until Saturday, sweetheart,” he said that night when he called. “I’m sorry, but we’ve had some problems here. But I promise I’ll come find you the minute I roll into town.”

  Maggie was disappointed. She’d wanted Mac to see the town all gussied up and before Main Street was crowded with people. Tomorrow morning the barbeque would start in earnest and Main Street would be a zoo.

  “That’s okay,” she said, trying to sound upbeat. “It can’t be helped. I think you’ll notice a huge difference around here when you get back.”

  “So Pixie was telling Flynn.”

  Pixie had arrived home several days earlier full of her experience with the PR firm in Nashville. She’d made some valuable contacts and was considering where her journalism major could take her. Maggie noticed she’d peppered her conversations with Flynn’s name, and had smiled and wondered if Pixie was aware of it.

  “Will Flynn be flying back with you?” she asked.

  “Yup, he needs to stay until the end here. It’s a shame, as he wanted to document the weekend.”

  “Your friends are proving a huge hit with the public. They’re being so patient with everyone. I’d die if people mobbed me like that!”

  She could hear the smile in Mac’s voice. “But you’re basically shy, Maggie. They’re all used to the spotlight.”

  It was true, Maggie was wary of strangers. And valued her privacy. “I can hear you yawning,” she said. “So I’ll let you go.”

  “Thanks, sweetheart, the two–hour time difference means it’s nearly midnight here and we have early starts. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Sweet dreams.”

  Friday, the first day of the barbeque dawned sunny and clear—a typical Rocky Mountain summer’s day.

  As predicted, the town was bursting with people from near and far.

  Maggie ran into at least half the residents of Spruce Lake who’d made the trip over the mountains to her valley, including Mayor Frank Farquar.

  “Well, little lady,” he said as he chewed a cigar, “I have to say I’m impressed with what you folk have achieved here. In fact, I’m so impressed, the lady wife and I are thinking of moving to Coldwater.”

  “But you and Edna are mainstays of Spruce Lake!” Maggie said.

  “Gittin’ too crowded for us, and since the wife sold her florist’s business she’s been at a loose end.”

  “I’ve met the guy who took over—or at least his delivery man. Not nice.”

  “So everybody’s bin tellin’ me every opportunity they git. She’s thinkin’ of openin’ up here. And I need a new challenge. I hear your mayor is movin’ back east to be near his daughters. Maybe I’ll stand for election to his job.”

  Frank had sure been a mover and shaker in Spruce Lake and had helped save the Victorian district from destruction by developers. But Spruce Lake was a very different town from Coldwater.

  “Have you consulted Louella about this proposed move over the mountains?” she asked. Louella was Frank’s pet pig and he treated her like she was his precious child. His spoiling Louella had caused some problems between him and Edna. Maggie was relieved Louella hadn’t come along to the barbeque. Lord only knew what havoc she might cause—particularly is she heard the piglets that took part in the pig races, squealing.

  Maggie could see it now, she’d storm the stands, scattering people everywhere and join the tiny piglets in their race around their mini–track—possibly squashing a few in her haste to get to the feed trough first!

  Frank pulled out his cigar, examined it and stuck it back in his mouth. “Lou’s a bit restricted in Spruce Lake. Every time she wanders off down Main Street, that Becky O’Malley slaps a fine on her.”

  “I heard Lou only ends up in court when she’d done something wrong. Becky is a very fair judge.”

  “Hmmm,” Frank grunted, obviously in disagreement. “Well, speak of the devil,” he said, spying Becky and her family. “I better go and make sure the lady judge isn’t plannin’ on moving over here. And if she aint, then I’ll be lookin’ for a nice ranch outside of town. “Now,” he said, looking around. “Who organized all this? I’m thinkin’ of makin’ them my campaign manager.”

  Maggie was happy to introduce Frank to Annie and left them talking while she went off to get something to eat.

  True to his word, Adam O’Malley and the Spruce Lake Fire Department had set up a stand. She ordered a brisket sandwich, and a beer, and ate and drank them under the trees down by the river, needing to get away from the crush of people.

  Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and Maggie was starting to hope this could become an annual event again.

  “Having fun?” Pixie asked, sitting down beside her with Ruff who settled at Maggie’s feet. Pixie was chewing on an enormous turkey leg. The sight of it turned Maggie’s stomach.

  “Can you keep that thing away from me? I feel sick just looking at it,” she said.

  Pixie peeled the rest of the turkey off the leg and fed it to Ruff.

  “Happy with the way things are going?”

  “Sure am. I never thought it would be this big. This popular. I just hope everyone doesn’t run out of food.”

  “Don’t worry about it, sis. That’s Annie’s department. You just have to get enrollments. How’s that workin’ for you?”

  Maggie smiled and looked at her sister. “Really well. We’ve been swamped with inquiries, and Maisie and Jen have been taking more people through the school today.”

  “Cool! Oh, I meant to tell you,” she said, getting to her feet. “Flynn called. He and Mac will be here in the morning, in plenty of time for the concert. So that’s good, eh? I’m off to get a funnel cake; want one?”

  Unfortunately, Flynn arrived on Saturday morning without Mac but assured Maggie he’d be there sometime later in the day.

  “I hope so!” she said. “He is, after all, the star attraction of the concert this evening.

  The day wore on. Maggie pulled out her cell phone and checked it for what had to be the twentieth time. Still no sign of Mac, no texts from him either. Where could he be? The afternoon acts would soon be leaving the stage, to be replaced with Mac and his country singing friends.

  She wished for the thousandth time that he was here to join in the fun, see what Coldwater had to offer, meet some more locals—and so many people who lived outside of town she hadn’t seen in ages.

  A Zydeco tune started up on the stage and Adam O’Malley caught Maggie by the hand and led her to the makeshift dance floor. Maggie loved to dance, but there were so few opportunities. The festival was really hopping, everyone was having a great time by the looks of it.

  But, as the sun set behind the mountains, Maggie couldn’t help feeling melancholy. Mac had promised to be here but he hadn’t shown. Was this his way of standing her up? Maybe he’d had second thoughts about them after her revelation she couldn’t have children? Maybe he’d reconsidered their age difference? Maybe he’d met someone else?

  Maggie shook her head in disgust with herself. She had so little confidence, even after all these years, that she could imagine such things. A dozen times, she’d worried that Mac had been caught in an accident. Why else would he not show?

  Needing to be al
one, she turned away from the dance floor and headed to the lemonade stand. She was about to order a drink when the emcee announced the next act.

  “And now, ladies and gentlemen, all the way from Nashville, Tennessee, the latest country music star, Jake McKade!”

  The crowd went wild and Maggie spun around. Mac was here and he hadn’t sought her out? For some stupid reason that cut deep. Don’t be stupid! she admonished herself. He’s got more important things to worry about than you!

  Mac strode onto the stage and strummed a couple of notes. The crowd went wild. He acknowledged them with a small bow, nodded to his backing group and started to sing.

  “Colorado Woman, you’ve been on my mind…”

  The crowd, obviously recognizing this as a new composition roared their approval as Mac strode to the front of the stage. “Can’t get your sweet face out of my mind. You’re my Colorado woman. So beautiful, sweet lips like wine, you’re so fine...”

  Maggie’s breath caught in her throat as she realized Mac was singing about her. As if in a trance, she started walking towards the stage, the crowd in front of her parting, people nudging each other as they recognized her. But Maggie only had eyes for Mac.

  His face lit up as he spotted her. He winked and Maggie’s knees nearly gave out under her, but still she kept walking towards the stage, halting only when she finally stood in front of him.

  Mac gazed down at her as he finished the song and pulled his guitar over his head, handing it off to a band member.

  The crowd went wild as he’d sung the last note, then wolf–whistled as he’d jumped down off the stage and walked right up to her to catch both her hands in his and lift them to his mouth and kiss them.

  Then he released her hand dug into his pocket and dropped to one knee, opening the tiny box as he did so.

  Maggie fought tears as the sound of the crowd crashed like waves around her. Mac was proposing? In front of everyone? Making a spectacle of what to her should be the most private of moments. She couldn’t help thinking, Was this some sort of publicity stunt?

  She glanced up. Through the blur of unshed tears, she was blinded by cameras flashing, could see the television cameras that were recording the concert moving closer, the crowd cheering and banging on whatever came to hand.

  She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, couldn’t stop the tears that burned behind her eyes.

  She glanced down at Mac. His smile seemed to mock her. This was nothing more than a publicity stunt to promote his latest record? A stunt that placed her, Maggie Hansen, private citizen, at center stage. Right where she never wanted to be.

  The flashbulbs reached a crescendo, blinding her. The roar of the crowd deafened her.

  Maggie did the only thing she could: she turned and ran.

  Chapter Twenty

  She pushed her way through the crowds lining the front of the stage, lights flashing in her eyes. Miraculously, the crowd parted and finally she was free of the crush of people and out where she could breathe fresh air.

  Blindly, she glanced around, getting her bearings. She’d parked her truck four streets back from Main. She needed to get to it, hide in its vast, safe interior. Get out of town, away from the flashbulbs, cameras and people. Away from Mac.

  She could hear Mac’s voice somewhere behind her calling her name. Soon the crowd took up the chant, “Maggie! Maggie!”

  Thankfully, darkness had fallen, making it hard for anyone to follow her easily as she cut down a lane between buildings on Main Street, then through the side yards of houses lining the streets between her and safety.

  She brushed away the tears that coursed down her cheeks. How could Mac humiliate her in such a way? She sobbed with relief as she spotted her truck and hauled herself up into it. Thankfully, the streets were deserted, everyone having been drawn to the concert playing on Main Street.

  She pulled the door closed and locked it, stuck the key into the ignition and pulled out of her parking spot, heading for home.

  Mac watched as Maggie’s taillights disappeared down the street. He’d tried to catch her, but she'd been too fast for him. He bent over, hands on knees, trying to catch his breath. Then stood up to his full height.

  He needed to get to Maggie, find out what had upset her. He’d thought she’d be so happy at his proposing to her.

  Sure, he hadn’t meant it to be so public, but that dammed three–carat rock had been burning a hole in his pocket for the last two weeks. And when he’d spotted Maggie looking more beautiful than ever, making her way towards the stage, it was almost more than he could do to stop himself from leaping down from the stage right there and then, in the middle of the song, and kissing her senseless.

  Had her feelings for him changed over the past couple of weeks? He needed to know and needed to know, right now!

  Only he didn’t have transportation.

  He was nearly run down as another truck roared down the street and headed out of town. He needed to find his limo and get on out to Maggie’s place and find out what’d upset her so much.

  Maggie turned in at the gate to the ranch and crossed the cattle grid. She floored it down the driveway towards the cabin, leapt out of the truck and raced up the front steps into the house.

  How she wished Gramps was home instead of back in town; she could do with a strong shoulder to cry on. Instead, she made her way up the stairs, stripped off and stepped under the shower, turning it on full blast and standing under it, letting her tears flow freely.

  She gulped in deep breaths as she cried, reliving the horror of the flash bulbs snapping in her face, seemingly thousands of them, all trained on her. What was Mac thinking? Did he care so little for her feelings, that he’d make such a spectacle of her?

  “Sis?”

  Maggie let out a great sob. Trust her little sister to come to her.

  “I’m comin’ in, okay?” Pixie called.

  Maggie heard the toilet lid go down as Pixie sat on it and said, “Can I get you anything?”

  “A ticket to Antarctica?”

  “At least you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”

  “I’m serious! I want to get as far away from here and Mac McKade as I can. I feel so… violated!”

  “I’m sure he didn’t mean it to happen that way.”

  Maggie swished aside the curtain and reached for a towel, tucked it around herself and stepped out of the shower. She wrapped another towel around her head. “And what other way could it possibly have happened, do you think? I was a pawn in a publicity stunt! I never want to speak to him again.”

  Maggie strode out of the bathroom and down the hallway into her bedroom. She wanted to slam the door shut, shut out the world, but she knew Pixie would be hot on her heels.

  Her sister made herself comfortable on Maggie’s bed, while Maggie dried off and changed into her night gown.

  “You’re going to bed?”

  “What else am I going to do? I have nothing more to do with my life than to hide beneath the covers until you get me that ticket to the end of the world.”

  “Now you’re being dramatic.”

  “I’m hurt, Pix. So hurt. I just want to hide from the world and, right now, my bed feels like the only safe place in it.”

  “I thought it was pretty cool, the way he announced his love for you to the world.”

  “Yeah, to the world, ” Maggie said, shooing her over so she could climb into bed. “Not to me.”

  “I loved the song,” Pixie said, pulling back the covers and climbing under them with Maggie.

  “Do you mind! I changed these sheets this morning and now you’re all dirty and dusty from dancing.”

  “I promise to stay on this side of the bed, so it’ll only be half dirty.”

  “Gee, thanks,” Maggie said and pulled the covers over her head and turned on her side, facing away from Pixie.

  “He really loves you. I could hear that in the words. And when he saw you walking towards him, I’m pretty sure I heard a catch in his voice.”
<
br />   Maggie had noticed that too, but she wasn’t about to admit it to Pixie.

  “Are you asleep?” Pixie asked after several moments of silence.

  “No. But I wish you’d go away. I want to have a pity–party and you’re not invited.”

  “Do you love him?”

  Maggie bit her lip. She thought she had. But not now. Not now that he’d made such a fool of her. How would anyone in the community ever respect her again?

  “I guess the answer is, yes.”

  “How do you figure that?”

  “Because you didn’t say, no. Silence is always a positive.”

  Maggie rolled over and glared at her. “What a load of psycho–babble. Now, please leave.”

  “Not before I’ve checked the room for sharp instruments.”

  “Oh, please. Just go!”

  The sound of a car’s tires on the gravel driveway came through the open window.

  “That better be your grandfather. Tell him I’ve gone to bed and I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Pixie leapt out of bed and leaned out the window. “It’s not Gramps, it’s a stretch limo!”

  “Shut up and pull your head in that window!”

  “It’s Mac!” Pixie said, as Maggie heard a car door slam.

  She groaned and snuggled deeper under the covers. “Please Pix, for once in your life respect my right to privacy. Don’t let him in. I don’t want to talk to him. Now, or ever.”

  “Okay. But I think you’re crazy. I saw the size of that rock and it was seriously huuuge!”

  “Get. Out!” Maggie growled and rolled over.

  She heard Mac’s knock. Heard Pixie tripping down the stairs, opening the door and saying, “She doesn’t want to see you.”

  Maggie couldn’t hear what Mac said, his voice was too deep and muffled.

  “I’d invite you in, but it would be more than my life was worth,” Pixie said. “I think you should give her a day… or better still, a century, to get over it and try again then.”

  More murmuring from Mac.

  Maggie would have loved to know his reason for making such a spectacle, would have loved to vent her anger on Mac, but she knew she’d only burst into tears and she didn’t want to show any weakness to him. Didn’t want to let him know how fragile her heart was.