The phone rang again, and she quickly answered.“Look, I said I have to go.Stop calling.”She had no patience for her family right now.
“I must have called at a bad time.”Daniel’s voice held a tinge of amusement.“Is everything okay?”
Maggie felt her face go red.“Daniel, I’m sorry.I thought you were my mom.”
Daniel chuckled.“She came by my parents’ house to see if you were there.The garage door was down so she didn’t see your car.Said something about you starting work Monday, which is tomorrow.”
Maggie shook her head.“Yeah, well that’s not going to happen.I think I can make it to Estes Park in a day.”She stood and arched her back.
“Well, don’t rush it.You should rest for another day before making the trip.Also make sure you look online and book your site.They tend to book up pretty fast.”
Maggie nodded.“That’s good to know.”She made a mental list of what she needed for the cooler climate so she could stop on the way and shop.
“How’s Walker?”
She smiled.“He’s good.He seems to be enjoying himself.I can tell his sight is failing.But his sense of smell and hearing is stellar.”
Walker looked up at her when she said his name.
“Dogs are resilent.When one sense decreases—or goes—the other senses compensate.He’s still got a lot of life in him.”
Maggie scratched his head.“I think so too.He seems to be enjoying our little adventure.”
She needed this trip more than she knew.
“Call me if you need anything or have questions.Be safe.”Daniel said softly.
“Always.And thanks again.”Maggie ended the call and gathered her things.She and Walker made their way back to their campsite.
Chapter25
“What do you think about staying another day?”Maggie asked Cindy over the campfire.
Cindy sat up straight in her chair and frowned.“For what?I thought you were eager to get to Estes Park?”
Maggie shrugged.“I don’t know.I mean this is supposed to be a road trip, and I feel like it’s going by too fast.I mean the journey is half the fun, right?”
Cindy gazed thoughtfully into the flames.“I wonder what Tony is doing?I bet he’s mad that I didn’t stay and wait for him.”
Maggie pressed her lips into a thin line.Tony was looking for Cindy.And when he found her it wasn’t going to be good.
“I was looking online to see what we could do tomorrow.I found this Old Cowtown Museum that has a historical re-created town, you know, like the old west.It’s about twenty acres.”
Cindy tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth.“What about Walker?We can’t just leave him behind?”
Maggie brightened.“They allow dogs, so he can come with us.I bet he’ll enjoy it too.What do you say?”
Cindy shifted in her seat.“I don’t know.I hate to keep letting you pay for stuff.I wish there was some way I could pay you back.”
Maggie smiled.“Come on, don’t you want to see a real-life cowboy town?Imagine what it was like living back then.No electricity, no cars, no drive throughs!”
This brought a smile from Cindy.“Santa brought me a cowboy hat one year.I was five and wore that hat everywhere.”Cindy relaxed in her seat with a far off look in her eyes as she thought about her past.“Christmases were the best at our house.We always had everyone over on Christmas morning.There were tons of food and presents.I could remember falling asleep in the middle of the pile of wrapping paper while the adults played cards.”
Maggie felt a twinge of envy as Cindy spoke about her memories.While she never lacked for anything, Christmases were always a ritual.She’d open her gifts on Christmas morning, followed by tidying up the house and removing all the wrapping paper for a photo that her mom would insist on right before dinner.Her mom loved posting pictures of the perfect Christmas filled with presents and perfectly set dining room table.
Maggie always felt like something was missing and always hoped the next Christmas would hold that Christmas magic she was looking for.
“I think you’re right.I think Walker would like to see the Cowtown Museum.”Her eyes widened.“I wonder if they have real horses.I bet Walker would love to see a horse.”
