Maxwell Family Outting

He flicked the reins again, urging the horses into a steady rhythm as they rolled along the worn dirt road. The landscape stretched out before them, golden fields giving way to the distant shadow of the tree line. It was the kind of view he used to take for granted, but now, with Mina by his side, he found himself appreciating it a little more.

You’re not wrong about the garden idea, though. Wouldn’t hurt to start growin’ some of our own stock. Potatoes, onions, carrots—hell, we could get a decent crop goin’ if we put in the time. Less coin spent at the market, fewer trips out this way.

Leaning back, he exhaled slowly, letting the warm breeze wash over them. He didn’t say it, but he could tell something had shifted in her. Mina was growing—changing. She’d always had a fire in her, always been stubborn as a damn mule, but there was something else now. A restlessness. A curiosity about the world beyond the tavern walls.

He wasn’t blind to it. He’d known this day would come.

Y’know, kid, there ain’t a damn thing I regret about raisin’ you. Not a one. Just figured I’d say it, since you’re gettin’ all sentimental on me today.

It was gruff, a little rough around the edges, but there was an unmistakable honesty in it. Cooper had never been good at spilling his guts—never saw much use in it—but for Mina, he’d try.

Now, if you’re done makin’ me get all soft, let’s talk about what really matters—makin’ sure them biscuits are the good kind. And maybe we grab an extra tin, just in case. Y’know, for emergency purposes.

His smirk was barely there, but the way he tugged his cap down just a little lower told her all she needed to know.

@Wilhelmina