Dragonlady

“Sara, who is that standing outside the shop?” I asked my little sister.

“I have no idea, Amy, you have been here longer than I have.” Okay, so I had been in Colorado Springs a little bit longer than my sister had but I had never seen this guy in town before. So I ran out of our store called The Angel’s Touch and tapped the guy on the shoulder.

“Hi, my name is Amy O’Connell. May I help you?”

“My name is Martin Vaher and I am looking for Ashley O’Connell. Would you know her?” Oh my gosh, what was Martin Vaher doing looking for me now after all these years.

“I might. What do you want with her?”

“Do you know her or not? I have no time to talk to someone that doesn’t know her.”

“Yes, I know her. I am Ashley O’Connell. Now what do you want with me?”

“Didn’t you just say your name was Amy?”

“Yes, I did. That is because that is who I am now. It has been forever since I have been called Ashley.”

“Well, I never thought you could become so cold as not to remember me.” I wasn’t going to tell him that I had remembered him, that my nights were spent of dreaming of him and my days taking care of our child and my shop, but I had to tell him that I did remember him.

“Of course I remember you. Who could forget a face like your’s? Why don’t you come into my store, there is someone I want you to meet.”

“Sara, this is Martin Vaher. He was an old friend of mine when I was in high school.”

“Actually, I was her boyfriend when she was in high school.”

My sister gave me a look as to ask if this was the father of my child. I gave her a glare to say don’t mention her.

“Mom, do you need any help with the store before I go and play with Tiffany?” my daughter asked.

“No, Lynne, go ahead and play with Tiffany.” I watched as a confused look came upon Martin’s face. Had he noticed that Lynne looked like him in ways? Was he about to demand to know whose child she was? We both watched as Lynne ran out to play with her friend Tiffany. I saw Martin look at me with anger and confusion in his eyes and started to walk away with a look to my sister saying you take care of him.

“Where in the world do you think you are going?”

“Away from you. This is my store so I can go anywhere I darn well please.”

“I am not done talking to you. I have many questions to ask you. For starters where is the father of that child?”

“That is none of your business. Now can we take this discussion somewhere else before more customers come?” I walked up the stairs and looked behind me to make sure Martin was following.

“I want to know whose child that is, Ashley, and don’t tell me it’s none of my darn business.”

“Well, it isn’t any of your business. You can’t just reenter my life and start demanding answers like I’m some kind of criminal.”

“Well, sorry for thinking that she looks like me in some ways. If she is mine, I would like to get to know her.”

“No, she is mine. You stayed away to long to have any right to claim her as your’s. I raised her this far without your help and I can continue raising her without your help. If that is all there is a lounge called Moonlight lounge you can stay at.”

“I just got hired at a ranch near by so I might be going there instead.”

“ A ranch near by you wouldn’t be talking about Heaven’s Gates, would you?”

“I might. Why would it matter to you?”

“I own that ranch. My brother must of hired you.”

“Well if it wasn’t your husband then I guess so.”

“For your information, I am not married. I don’t believe in happily ever after.”

“ That wasn’t so a few years ago. What happened to make you not believe in it?”

“I don’t think that’s any of your darn business. Can you leave now? I’m sure I’ll see you later when I get home.”

“What if I want to stay a little bit longer and bug you?”

“If you do I will find a reason to fire you, now leave please.”

“Still the temper mental lady I knew. You haven’t changed.” He started to walk away.

“Ashley, I plan on getting to know that little girl so don’t try to stop me.”