I drove straight to see Bella from the prison. I wasn’t due at the office until the afternoon. As soon as I drove along the dusty track to the house, my heart lifted. This felt like another part of Merced with the fresh California country air and luscious evergreen trees in plentitude. On Colt’s property, there was a stream running along the backside.
I pulled up and got out. The house was long and a single story. It was built in a triangular shape with high wood ceilings. From the front, it looked like an all-American summerhouse with a wraparound porch. I was a sucker for porches. I loved the place, and it was a far cry from the inner city walk-ups in Merced that smelled like pee from tenants pissing in the hall. Many of the places I had to visit on my rounds for social work had roaches crawling around. Some of the cases were super sad and broke my heart. I’d learned to cope over the years, but I never really found a way to numb it out totally.
I rapped my knuckles on the door a few times and waited. I heard an older lady’s gravely voice cry out down the hall, “Who is it? I’ll be right there. Is that you, Amber?”
The pitter-patter of little feet followed. “Amber. Amber! She’s here, Grandma!”
My heart burst open with love as a bright young girl with chestnut pigtails and yellow ribbons opened the door. Bella’s curly pigtails bounced as she turned her face to her grandma. Colt’s mother, Cheryl, wiped her hands on a tea towel.
“Excuse my hands, sweetheart. I was baking some chocolate chip cookies before you came. Come on in. You’re just in time to have some.” The pleasant, slim, silver-haired lady beckoned me through the hallway to the kitchen.
As I walked through, I admired the sense of family togetherness. Pictures of Colt in his younger years on horses were on the shelves along with photos of all of them together, picking in the fields. There was one of Colt swimming in a river, and even then, he looked fit and even more handsome. It must be hard to see their only child imprisoned.
“Guess what, Ms. Atwood? I got a gold star in school today. I helped my friend Mason lift something. I got the award for being helpful,” Bella beamed proudly.
Cheryl chuckled and gazed out the large kitchen window. “You sure did, and you sure are helpful around the house. Could you do Grandma a favor and check the mail for me? I think I left a letter or two in there from yesterday. You know, my memory is kind of foggy.”
“Silly Grandma,” Bella giggled. “I will check. Save some cookies for me!” She stampeded off to the front, giving us some time to talk.
Cheryl’s eyes were sparkly, bright, and kind. She was in her late sixties from what Colt had told me. All the farm work made her a strong and wily older lady.
“She’s doing great, little Bella. Growing every day. She misses her Mama. She sometimes cries at night. I go in and sit with her. Usually, a glass of milk and a lullaby puts her back to sleep. It was such a shame about her mother. I wish I hadn’t found her like that. Better me than Bella, though. How is my boy?”
“That must have been terrible. I hope you’re okay now. Colt is doing great. He looks healthy, and he sends his love. Are you ready for him to come back here?”
“Funny, but I’ve come to love it here again. It’s been a great sacrifice, but now I don’t see it that way. The workers come and go. It keeps me out of trouble, and I get to play a part in Bella growing up. I won’t know what to do with myself when I go home,” she commiserated as she looked out of the big kitchen window.
I gave her a winning smile. “Mrs. Winters, you are doing a fine job. I was going to ask since it will be a transition for Bella. I would recommend that you stay here, maybe for another week. Just so that Colt can get acclimatized to being back home and with the changes on the farm.”
She nodded and slid two cookies in front of me. “Would you like a cup of Joe?”
“No. I already had one before I left home. If I drink another, I will be bouncing off the walls.”
She flung the tea towel over her shoulder. “I know what you mean. I much prefer a cup of tea any day. I do think that’s a good idea to be here with Colt. He hasn’t seen Bella much at all. Prison timing and all that. He doesn’t even know what she’s like day to day. It’s going to be interesting for all of us.”
I nodded. “I’m sure Colt will slip right back into things,” I said cheerfully.
“I don’t know. I think young Bella is going to teach him a thing or two about how things work around here,” she said.
I giggled. “I’m sure she will. Do you think Colt will be able to cope with the changes here? Is there anything new at the farm I should inform him about?”
She sipped from her teacup, gazing out the window wistfully. “No. He will be just fine. There’s nothing too crazy going on here. Colt knows this land like the back of his hand. He ought to. He sowed the crops by hand some years when our machinery broke down.”
Colt placing his hands in the soil and bringing something to life sent a distinct shiver of desire down my spine. “Wow. He’s a real man’s man, isn’t he?”
“My boy is a cowboy, through and through.” She smiled. “He loves those horses. You should come with me to the stables, and I’ll show you them.”
Her warmth made me feel all gooey inside. Mrs. Winters was a mother anyone would love to have. I couldn’t help but feel at ease in Cheryl’s presence. I dipped my eyes to my purse, checking the time on my watch. I still had another half hour.
Cheryl caught my glance and flicked her hand at me. “Don’t worry, they won’t miss you so much. Have a little time to yourself, dear. You do a lot in your profession. It must be hard what you do, with all the stories I hear.”
“It can be rough some days, but it’s rewarding, too. I mean, I get to work with beautiful little girls like Bella.”
Speaking of the bright, bubbly little girl, she came rushing toward us as we stepped outside.
“Hey, you guys! Grandma, there wasn’t any mail. I checked and checked again.”
The corner of Cheryl’s mouth lifted into a wry smile. “Oh, thank you anyway, baby, for taking a look.”
Bella grabbed on to her grandma’s hand. I still had a job to do, so I asked Bella some questions as we trudged along the path.
“So, Bella, are you ready for your daddy to come home?”
She nodded her head enthusiastically. “I can’t wait. I want to tell him about my riding. I can ride Moonlight by myself. She loves me. Her coat is so shiny. And I look after all the chickens! I collect all the eggs.” A few chickens came gathering around Bella as if on cue as we closed in on the barn.
“They lay their eggs in the barn. We don’t cage them up. We want all animals to be free here!” She twirled around.
I nodded, impressed. “Free-range eggs. Very nice.”
Cheryl looked at me as if she’d forgotten something. “Would you like to take some fresh eggs with you, dear? We have plenty.”
I smiled. “If you can spare some eggs, I will take them off your hands.”
“Yes. Of course we can.” Cheryl patted my arm in reassurance.
I turned to Bella. “Do you love the horse as much as your father does?”
“Yes. He must be missing Moonlight. She’s his favorite. The dark one. I like Moonlight, too. ‘Cept she can be temperamental. I hope she remembers him. If she doesn’t like people, she will just buck them off.”