It was the same woman who was arguing with the man the night before.
As soon as she saw Walker and Maggie, the woman scrambled to her feet, eyes wide.
It was then Maggie noticed the woman’s black eye.
It hadn’t been there last night.
Maggie forced out the words trapped in her mouth.“Are you okay?”
The woman ducked her head.“I’m fine.”
Maggie didn’t move.“You don’t look fine.Why are you out here in the woods?”
The woman shrugged and seemed to shrink into herself.“My boyfriend kicked me out of the truck.”
Maggie swallowed.“How long have you been out here?”
The woman dug her sneaker into the ground.“A few hours, I guess.I’m waiting for him to come back.He usually comes back after we get into a fight.”She stole a glance at Maggie.“This is the longest he’s ever left me.”
Maggie was horrified by the fact the woman had been kicked out and left behind.What kind of person would do that?
“My name is Maggie Sullivan, and this is my dog, Walker.”Maggie felt sympathy and anger at the same time.“I can take you into town if you want.”
The girl shook her head.“But he won’t find me if I leave.”
Maggie sighed heavily.“Maybe that’s a good thing.”
The woman’s face went red with shame.
Maggie cleared her throat.“Look, do you have any family you can stay with?”
The woman shook her head.“They don’t like Tony and won’t talk to me.”
Maggie bit the inside of her mouth.“Is Tony the guy that left you here?”
The woman nodded and glanced away.
“What’s your name?”Maggie asked quietly.
The woman looked at her and she dropped her eyes to the ground.“Cindy Miller.”
Maggie smiled and stuck out her hand.“Nice to meet you.”
Cindy eyed her outstretched hand and slowly took it.
Maggie glanced over her shoulder.“I’m just traveling through myself.Me and Walker are headed to Estes Park, Colorado.”
Cindy’s eyes went wide.“I’ve never been to Colorado.I’ve never really left the state of Arkansas.”
The girl’s family was in Arkansas.That was at least some information.She looked older than Maggie, with dark circles under her eyes and the bruise.Maggie suspected it was her circumstances that had aged her.
“You can’t just stay in the woods and wait for Tony to come back.What if he doesn’t?”Maggie studied her black eye.“Do you even want him to?”
Cindy sighed.“I have nowhere else to go.”
While they had been talking, Walker had been sniffing the ground like a pig on a mission to find a truffle.But he suddenly stopped and walked over to Cindy and sat down at her feet.He looked over his shoulder at Maggie and gave her sad puppy eyes.
Maggie felt sorry for the woman, but she had enough problems of her own without involving herself in someone else’s life.Besides, how could she help?
