A Wayward Heart (Chapter 9)
And so the trip begins.....
Eva grabbed a pair of blue jean overalls out of the closet and pink tank top out of the drawer. If it was going to be a long ride, then she was going to be as comfortable as possible. She pulled her hair back into a high ponytail. To finish off the ensemble she slipped on a pink ball cap with the words "Princess" embroidered in rhinestones. She pulled her ponytail through the hole in the back If her friends could see her now they wouldn't recognizer her. This was far from her designer labels. She missed her pricey clothes and longed to put on something from Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan or Michael Kors.
However, there was something to be said about comfort. Eva grabbed a pair of brown Skechers lace-up boots out of the closet and quickly put them on tying them as she gathered up more stuff. She threw her cell phone, sunglasses, makeup, and hairbrush into her purse. A minute later, she was walking out the door with her purse and backpack in tow.
Ben tapped his watch impatiently as she walked towards the truck. "Sorry, I'm coming," she said handing him the backpack and he tossed it into the bed of the truck before hopping in the driver seat. She got in the passenger seat and looked around. Maddie was sound asleep in her carseat in the back seat. There was no sign of Garrett. "Where's Garrett?"
"He's following us in another truck." Ben began to pull out of the driveway pulling the cattle trailer behind. She looked into the side mirror and that was when she saw the other truck. He looked over at her. "Seat belt please. I don't need a ticket."
She rolled her eyes as she clicked the seat belt into place. "Yes, dad," she said sarcastically. He laughed as he turned the radio on softly. "Why Mr. Cooper, do you have a sense of humor after all?"
"I have a great sense of humor. Let's see, I laughed at you falling in manure, falling in the water, and when you did palpations on the heifer."
"That wasn't funny," she protested. He looked at her out the corner of his eye and smiled. "Okay, okay, it was a little funny." Every time he smiled, it sent shivers down Eva's spine and warmth filled her heart. She didn't understand these feelings and was in no mood to explore them now.
Ben stared at the road and drove in silence for a few minutes. He looked deep in thought as though something was on his mind. "Eva, can I ask you a question?"
She was a little hesitant. "Ummm....yeah, sure."
"How do you go from a vivacious four-year-old that loves the ranch and animals, to-" he stopped mid-question in fear he might offend her.
"To a high-maintenance harlot?" she finished for him.
"Well...yeah," he said hesitantly.
"I don't know. I developed early in life, so when I got in middle school, I became pretty popular with the boys. And since I went to private school, these boys were wealthier than average boys their age. So to get my attention, they would buy me extravagant gifts. As I got older, the gifts became more expensive. I guess I just grew accustomed to it. Even today, I can go into a bar and guys propel themselves and money at me. It was nothing for a guy to drop a couple of G's on me in one night. You get used to it." She stared out the window, a little ashamed.
"But you went to college and got a degree. I have seen the pictures. You graduated with honors in both high school and college. So wouldn't you feel better if you earned the things you got?" he asked not taking his eyes off the road.
"Probably. I didn't really mind my lifestyle until recently. Did Papa tell you about my college professor?" Ben shook his head. "Well, he was married. It started out as just harmless flirtation, but quickly grew into more. Later I found out he was married. Which, didn't bother me too much because he was always buying me expensive jewelry and taking me on lavish trips across the world. Then one day I saw her and his three kids. The youngest was only a few months old. I actually felt bad that I was taking away from his family," she said, her voice starting to break towards the end. She was surprised when she felt Ben's hand on top of hers.
"That shows that you truly are not happy with the way you live your life and you want to change. And in the week you have been here, I can see that you have already changed so much."
She pulled her hand away. "I don't get you. One minute you are a total ass and the next you so sweet and vice versa. Yesterday you told me to trust you, but how can I trust you when I haven't really seen anything I can trust."
"Okay, what do you want to know?" he asked. He felt he owed her that much. She just shared a huge part of herself with him.
She looked back at Madison who was still sound asleep. "Where is Maddie's mom?"
He was silent for several minutes. She didn't think he was going to answer, but finally he spoke. "Her name is Tiffany and one day she woke up and decided she didn't want to do it anymore so she left. Maddie was only two months old. We haven't seen her since and Maddie will be three in September. You want to know why I am so hard on you?" Eva shook her head cautiously. "She was a lot like you, Eva. She was high maintenance. She cared more about herself than others. I knew that she wouldn't stick around."
Eva felt a sharp pain in her stomach. "Is this how he really sees me?" she thought to herself. "Were you married?" she asked him.
"Nope, it started off as a one night stand. Then five months later, she showed up at my door announcing she was pregnant and had nowhere to go. So naturally, I am not going to let the mother of my child be stuck out in the cold. She moved in, and against my better judgment, I fell for her. We even talked about getting married."
"Please don't be offended by this next question, but do you even-" He cut her off.
"Yes, I know she is mine. We did a DNA test after she was born. Besides look at her, she is the spitting image of me. Except she has Tiffany's curly hair." He paused. "I have a confession to make. Another reason I am so hard on you is because I see the way you use to be as a kid and it reminds me of Maddie, and I am afraid that one day she'll decide ranch life is not for her and she will choose the wrong path."
Eva felt a prick at her heart. She know he didn't mean anything by it against her personally, but it still hurt. He was just a father concerned about his daughter, just like her father. "Ben, Maddie's not me. The ranch is her home. The ranch was never my home. It was grandma's and grandpa's house-a fun place to visit, but not a home. Plus she has you. You will keep her grounded. But you also have to understand, she won't be perfect by any means and she will make mistakes. But you have to trust she will always find her way back to what is right."
Ben looked at her with appreciation and she knew something had changed between them. They reached a whole new level of understanding and friendship. "By the way, did I mention I am loving the new get up."
"Get up? What the hell is a get up?" she mocked.
He chuckled. "You're clothes. I especially love the hat. It fits you, not in a bad way so don't get offended." He quickly added the last part.
"No offense taken."
"Good." He stared back at the road.
Eva sat there in silence trying to process everything. After hearing the story and his concerns, she couldn't blame Ben for the way he has treated her. Tiffany had made him jaded. She actually felt bad for him and it was no longer a game to seduce him. Now all she wanted was get to know him and become his friend.
However, there was something to be said about comfort. Eva grabbed a pair of brown Skechers lace-up boots out of the closet and quickly put them on tying them as she gathered up more stuff. She threw her cell phone, sunglasses, makeup, and hairbrush into her purse. A minute later, she was walking out the door with her purse and backpack in tow.
Ben tapped his watch impatiently as she walked towards the truck. "Sorry, I'm coming," she said handing him the backpack and he tossed it into the bed of the truck before hopping in the driver seat. She got in the passenger seat and looked around. Maddie was sound asleep in her carseat in the back seat. There was no sign of Garrett. "Where's Garrett?"
"He's following us in another truck." Ben began to pull out of the driveway pulling the cattle trailer behind. She looked into the side mirror and that was when she saw the other truck. He looked over at her. "Seat belt please. I don't need a ticket."
She rolled her eyes as she clicked the seat belt into place. "Yes, dad," she said sarcastically. He laughed as he turned the radio on softly. "Why Mr. Cooper, do you have a sense of humor after all?"
"I have a great sense of humor. Let's see, I laughed at you falling in manure, falling in the water, and when you did palpations on the heifer."
"That wasn't funny," she protested. He looked at her out the corner of his eye and smiled. "Okay, okay, it was a little funny." Every time he smiled, it sent shivers down Eva's spine and warmth filled her heart. She didn't understand these feelings and was in no mood to explore them now.
Ben stared at the road and drove in silence for a few minutes. He looked deep in thought as though something was on his mind. "Eva, can I ask you a question?"
She was a little hesitant. "Ummm....yeah, sure."
"How do you go from a vivacious four-year-old that loves the ranch and animals, to-" he stopped mid-question in fear he might offend her.
"To a high-maintenance harlot?" she finished for him.
"Well...yeah," he said hesitantly.
"I don't know. I developed early in life, so when I got in middle school, I became pretty popular with the boys. And since I went to private school, these boys were wealthier than average boys their age. So to get my attention, they would buy me extravagant gifts. As I got older, the gifts became more expensive. I guess I just grew accustomed to it. Even today, I can go into a bar and guys propel themselves and money at me. It was nothing for a guy to drop a couple of G's on me in one night. You get used to it." She stared out the window, a little ashamed.
"But you went to college and got a degree. I have seen the pictures. You graduated with honors in both high school and college. So wouldn't you feel better if you earned the things you got?" he asked not taking his eyes off the road.
"Probably. I didn't really mind my lifestyle until recently. Did Papa tell you about my college professor?" Ben shook his head. "Well, he was married. It started out as just harmless flirtation, but quickly grew into more. Later I found out he was married. Which, didn't bother me too much because he was always buying me expensive jewelry and taking me on lavish trips across the world. Then one day I saw her and his three kids. The youngest was only a few months old. I actually felt bad that I was taking away from his family," she said, her voice starting to break towards the end. She was surprised when she felt Ben's hand on top of hers.
"That shows that you truly are not happy with the way you live your life and you want to change. And in the week you have been here, I can see that you have already changed so much."
She pulled her hand away. "I don't get you. One minute you are a total ass and the next you so sweet and vice versa. Yesterday you told me to trust you, but how can I trust you when I haven't really seen anything I can trust."
"Okay, what do you want to know?" he asked. He felt he owed her that much. She just shared a huge part of herself with him.
She looked back at Madison who was still sound asleep. "Where is Maddie's mom?"
He was silent for several minutes. She didn't think he was going to answer, but finally he spoke. "Her name is Tiffany and one day she woke up and decided she didn't want to do it anymore so she left. Maddie was only two months old. We haven't seen her since and Maddie will be three in September. You want to know why I am so hard on you?" Eva shook her head cautiously. "She was a lot like you, Eva. She was high maintenance. She cared more about herself than others. I knew that she wouldn't stick around."
Eva felt a sharp pain in her stomach. "Is this how he really sees me?" she thought to herself. "Were you married?" she asked him.
"Nope, it started off as a one night stand. Then five months later, she showed up at my door announcing she was pregnant and had nowhere to go. So naturally, I am not going to let the mother of my child be stuck out in the cold. She moved in, and against my better judgment, I fell for her. We even talked about getting married."
"Please don't be offended by this next question, but do you even-" He cut her off.
"Yes, I know she is mine. We did a DNA test after she was born. Besides look at her, she is the spitting image of me. Except she has Tiffany's curly hair." He paused. "I have a confession to make. Another reason I am so hard on you is because I see the way you use to be as a kid and it reminds me of Maddie, and I am afraid that one day she'll decide ranch life is not for her and she will choose the wrong path."
Eva felt a prick at her heart. She know he didn't mean anything by it against her personally, but it still hurt. He was just a father concerned about his daughter, just like her father. "Ben, Maddie's not me. The ranch is her home. The ranch was never my home. It was grandma's and grandpa's house-a fun place to visit, but not a home. Plus she has you. You will keep her grounded. But you also have to understand, she won't be perfect by any means and she will make mistakes. But you have to trust she will always find her way back to what is right."
Ben looked at her with appreciation and she knew something had changed between them. They reached a whole new level of understanding and friendship. "By the way, did I mention I am loving the new get up."
"Get up? What the hell is a get up?" she mocked.
He chuckled. "You're clothes. I especially love the hat. It fits you, not in a bad way so don't get offended." He quickly added the last part.
"No offense taken."
"Good." He stared back at the road.
Eva sat there in silence trying to process everything. After hearing the story and his concerns, she couldn't blame Ben for the way he has treated her. Tiffany had made him jaded. She actually felt bad for him and it was no longer a game to seduce him. Now all she wanted was get to know him and become his friend.
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