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Regan noted the sadness in the child’s face. “You’re a pretty good piece from home, honey. Does she know you’re out here by yourself?”
Felicity picked at the heads of the clover surrounding her and for a moment, Regan thought she wouldn’t answer. Finally, she glanced up. “Yes. She makes me come here when she gets company.”
Regan was confused. “What kind of company?”
“Men company. When they come at night, she makes me go in my room. She said they give her money so she can buy food.”
Regan held the girl’s gaze and tried not to jump to conclusions, but saw the seven-year-old version of herself reflected in Felicity’s hollow-eyed stare. Her heart broke, not only for the child, but for Colleen, too, if she was indeed prostituting herself to make ends meet. “Do you have to walk back by yourself or will she come and get you?”
“She comes and gets me.”
“Do you mind if I wait with you? I don’t like you being out here alone.”
“She won’t like that. I’m not supposed to tell anyone.”
“I’ll say I just rode up.”
“Don’t tell her I told you about the company.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
Receiving a barely discernible nod, Regan dismounted and sat by her side.
In the silence that followed, Regan let the cool breeze and the sight of the mountains still her anxiety. She wanted to ask questions, voice concerns, but mostly longed to share her own experiences growing up under similar circumstances, but held off because she continued to hope there was another explanation for what Colleen was doing.
A short while later, Colleen drove up in her ancient buggy and Regan and Felicity got to their feet. Colleen’s surprise at Regan’s presence quickly changed to irritation. “What are you doing here?” she asked Regan before turning to her daughter. “Get in the buggy,” she demanded. “The next time you go wandering off, I’ll take a strap to you.”
As the child complied, the slump in her shoulders made Regan want to take a strap to Colleen.
“Every time I turn around she’s wandered off,” Colleen explained and appeared uncomfortable. “Did she say why she was out here?”
“No. I just rode up. I was on my way to see Spring when I came across her.”
“Okay, good. I need to get her home.”
They drove off and a concerned Regan watched until the buggy with its frayed canopy and wobbly left wheel disappeared around a bend in the trees.
When Regan resumed her ride to Spring’s ranch she couldn’t stop thinking about Colleen and her daughter. Regan had never been a gossiper so whatever Colleen was doing or not was her own business, but witnessing the unhappy Felicity walking to the buggy weighed heavily. And apparently, it showed on her face. Spring was sitting out back when Regan arrived and the first thing her sister-in-law asked was, “What’s wrong?”
Regan sat down in an empty chair and poured some water into a tumbler from the pitcher in the center of the table. “I’m not sure.”
“Is it tied to my brother?”
“No. It’s about Colleen and her daughter, Felicity, and I need to ask you about something that we have to keep between us.”
Spring paused. “Okay. What’s the question?”
“Is Colleen a prostitute?”
Spring studied her for a long moment before replying, “Not that I know of, but what makes you ask?”
Regan told her about the encounter with Felicity.
Spring blew out a heavy breath. “We both know how tough that is, but life must be especially hard for Colleen if that’s what she’s doing.”
“I agree, but to yell at her daughter the way she had and accuse her of running off, when she was the reason Felicity was there, was uncalled for.”
“Maybe the child wasn’t telling you the truth.”
