9 - Anxiety

The statement didn't frighten her the way it might have, Maisey realized, but something had occurred to her while they were out. "Brett," her voice was soft, "I am too scared to leave."

"Then don't." Brett said simply. "We're not chasing you away. Ned likes having you here, I like having you here and you need somewhere safe to be. What's safer than a small town like Blindloss: population 500 and most of those stick to their own property."

"I am a burden," Brett swerved to the side of the road and pulled to a stop. Belatedly he realized it was in front of the same gate where they had met.

"Maisey, from the day I met you I knew there was something you were running from: we took you in and Uncle Ned loves you like you were family. Uncle Ned is picky about family. I'm not asking you to be there for me, I'm not even asking you to stay for Ned. We will protect you like you're family," Brett caught and held her eyes, "we don't consider you a burden, we never have, you're the daughter he never had." he smirked, trying to lighten the mood, "besides if you left I'd have to eat Ned's cooking again." he sobered when it didn't work, "Maisey, whether you stay or go won't change that you're family. but it's only been a short time: stay and heal."

"What if I don't?" she whispered.

"Heal?" he shrugged, "you might not or it might take a long time: we'd still want you here where we can protect you. You'd still be family."

Maisey wanted to believe him but a part of her squirmed uncomfortably. Her only other choice was to leave and try again to find somewhere safe. She nodded almost imperceptibly, "Thank you." It blew her away that a random stranger she met on a dark road would continually come to her rescue.

Brett nodded, "No more talk of leaving then, make that room yours and make a life for yourself here," he pointed out the fields, "I can't promise you'll always love it but it's a safe place to heal and you can heal or not at your own speed." Maisey's smileless face as she glanced out the window told him she was still worried.

"You've got to stop staying home because I'm there, " she told him, "you had a life and friends before I came along, you need to get back to it."

"I will if you agree to stay," she could hear him smile as he said it.

"For now, " she said, "I don't think I have a choice." she muttered.

"I almost forgot" he pointed to a bag with a box in it on the seat, "Anna dropped you a gift while we were shopping." Maisey opened the bag, "I think she hopes it will help with your allergies so you can feel better about wandering around and not getting sick." under the box of N95 masks was a prescription allergy medication with the note that if she wanted to try an injection allergy shot that she just had to call and Anna would come handle it. "Seems like Ned and I aren't the only ones who want you to stay."

When they got back to the ranch Maisey unloaded groceries and disappeared into her room, closing the door. Brett fretted as he put cheese in the fridge, she'd never closed the door ever before, said it reminded her of when Luke locked her up. He was just wondering if he should knock when the door popped open and Maisey came out in some of her less nice clothes, and a mask in her hand, "Alright, if I'm staying you need to show me around." there was determination in her pale eyes.

"You sure?"

Maisey pulled the mask straps over her head and let the mask hang around her chin, "now or never," she said bravely, "if I let myself stew I'll think of the rudeness from Addie and all the ways being in public made me uncomfortable."

Brett watched her for any signs she was over doing it, satisfied he nodded and offered his arm, "well then let's get started." with a chuckle she pulled the mask up and took his arm.

He started the tour in the barns, showing her the calves and how they fed them with the bottles of milk, and the rig they'd set up for the bottles to have a ready supply anytime the calves were hungry. He left her holding a bottle for the smallest calf while he shoveled and put fresh hay in the stall. Full grown cows were in the next pens, she watched as he climbed in and felt their bellies and she realized these were cows ready to calf. Then they were outside again where he told her about each out building: the water tower, feed silo, equipment garage and shop, and the supply shop where they stored extra fence materials and other odds and ends. when she asked about the new fence posts he told her it was a bigger project than he had time for that afternoon so it would wait, explaining that fence repairs was just a continuous task. She returned to the house with promises he'd take her with him for the fencing the next day but he needed to change the bedding in the other stalls.

Antsy, and wanting to feel productive Maisey wandered around to the little garden by the swing. She knew enough to clear out weeds and debris but made a mental note to ask Ned what his wife had planted here and to search up information about gardening.

"Feeling better?" Andy's voice startled her out of thought sometime later, she didn't know how long. "Sorry," he chuckled, "it wasn't my intention to scare you."

"I didn't even hear your truck pull in," she admitted, "I was focused on what I was doing." He nodded, "Brett's in the barns if you're looking for him."

"Actually," he admitted, "I came to check up on you. a birdie... make that five, came in chirping about Brett being in town with a pretty blond that they'd never seen before and said--" he teased, "and said you were holding hands and he was doting on you like the wedding was next week!"

"That's a lot sooner than Brett thought they'd say." she admitted brushing hair out of her eyes and standing up. "It was rough, Doc, but Brett was great and talked me into sticking around. But I made him promise he can't mope about babysitting me."

Andy burst out laughing and Maisey noticed for the first time that the doctor had dimples. "Let me guess: Addie at the feedlot gave him and earful?" Maisey nodded, "Ignore her, Brett's not sweet on her but she's sure sweet on him, and every other cowboy who thought taking her out was a good idea. That's a young lady who needs to find a man who didn't grow up with her, she wants to be more but not many see her as anything more than a little sister. You've got dirt on your nose," he pointed, "and your forehead where you keep itching."

"Definitely time for a haircut," she grumbled, "should have done it a long time ago."

"I like it long," Andy told her, "it's pretty. You just need a good cowboy hat for chores and maybe a few hair ties so you can braid it back or something when you're working."

"Or maybe I could chop it short like Anna's" she said again.

"That would require a visit to Medicine Hat," Andy told her cautiously.

"Hat it is," she declared, "Are you staying for dinner Doc?"

"Are you socialized out?" he knew the answer by the look in her eyes and smiled when she wouldn't admit it, "I'll come for dinner another night, Anna has a chicken in the rotisserie and I've got to bring her potato salad or I won't get any." Maisey smiled tiredly. "While I approve of you starting to move beyond the house and into town don't push yourself too hard and especially don't get down on yourself. With everything you've been through I'm a little in awe of how well you're doing. I don't know many women that would have made it this far."

"I promise Doc," she smiled, "I'm going to head in and clean up before Brett and Ned get here. Thanks for stopping."

Andy went to the barns to see Brett before he left.