Forever's Affection (Forever In Luck Series Book 3) Page 12

  Jules looked over her shoulder at Junie. It was obvious she would be selecting her words carefully. “Umm, well, I suspect this individual is functionally illiterate.”

  Whoa, his body felt like it had been tasered. Wait a minute here, the full affect hitting him. Looking up in alarm, he said, “You mean—he glanced at Junie again—like not able to…” Not wanting to say it out loud, he pretended to be writing with an imaginary pen and reading with an imaginary book.

  Jules nodded. “Yes, you’re understanding me correctly. This individual is most likely unable to understand or complete an application of any sort, let alone follow simple directions incorporating those skills when left to their own devices in the job field. This person may not even know how to make change, add or subtract, or understand the buttons on a cash register, relegating them to the most menial of tasks in the work industry that pay only pennies for their efforts. This person wouldn’t be able to support one, let alone two with that kind of income.”

  Oh God. Things, memories, came rushing to him.

  “I need to see a map, get my landmarks, then I’ll be good…Yeah, went to school, but horses were my thing…I need the directions for the airport...Just tell me…Last I checked phonebooks were not standard issue in glove boxes. I need your help here and you know it. Quit being an ass…Sir, can you help me, I need to get to concourse D, please take me... You go ahead and order whatever, just no pickles, ketchup, or mustard for us…”

  Then there was her confusion when searching her contacts list on her phone and the indecision when shopping the store. She’d declined setting up an account at feed store, stating she’d take the application with her and complete it later, and then there was her struggle in signing the airport papers, requiring multiple directives on where to sign. Hell he thought she was just upset. Then her needing to put Junie down, instead of just scribbling away and being done with it. Oh God, then there was the moment she shut down and pushed him away…

  “…Walmart’s hiring you know, we could get you an application.”

  “Don’t do me any favors…You need to leave.”

  Pulling out the note she’d left for him, he looked at it. Careful block letters. “HEN SAY YES.” He wondered how long it took her to write that. Staring at the note, he heard himself tell her she needed to try harder. Oh God. He was an ass. With tremendous pain in his heart, he lifted his head and looked at his family. “It’s true. I can feel it. It makes absolute sense and explains so many things I’ve seen, but it doesn’t answer how you can leave—he glanced at Junie—certain things behind.”

  CHAPTER 8

  Through the gates and in the VIP section of the stands, Kris and Junie sat with all his family waiting for the start of the show. It’d been well over an hour ride to get to the Hamel Rodeo, and he’d had to ride in the back seat of Jake’s truck with Junie, as she’d refused to sit in her booster seat unless he did, wanting him to read her books the whole way.

  They’d needed to take two trucks to get them all there, and because Dani was needing some help hauling stuff back to the ranch that was being brought in from Wyoming. Finding a book in Junie’s backpack, he’d read to her till she fell asleep and took a short nap, the reprieve giving him time to think and talk with Jake and Jules during the ride.

  Looking around, he realized Dani had set them up good with premiere tickets, and they literally had the best seats in the house as they were in the top rows of their section off the chutes. They could see everything perfectly. Taking it all in, he had to say he’d never been to a rodeo before. He figured they’d watch some guys on bulls and that’d be about it. The outdoor arena was huge and he’d bet there was close to four thousand people, or more, in the stands. Junie was standing on the riser in front of him.

  Bending towards Linnie on his left, he said, “You ever been to a rodeo before?”

  Shaking her head, she answered, “No, but it sure seems interesting. Seeing everyone in their western wear, makes me feel the difference between what is a farmer and a rancher.”

  She got that right. “Sure does. I wonder if we stick out as much to them, as they do to us.”

  Junie started climbing down and both Linnie and he reached for her. “Come here, Junebug,” he said lifting her up. “Come sit on my lap. You can see better from here.”

  “I fine thitha,” she said, scrambling around in his lap, sitting up tall.

  Kris looked at Linnie and she shrugged as they struggled to comprehend Junie’s words.

  “Say that again, we didn’t hear you?”

  “Where ith thitha?”

  Linnie tried, “Wherrrrre…”

  “Thitha,” Junie finished solidly.

  Kris thought about it. Th usually replaced her S’s, so in that case… “Where is sisa?” he repeated, still uncertain.

  Junie nodded her head rapidly.

  Feeling perplexed, he said, “Who or what is sisa?”

  Junie patted Linnie on the arm. “Winnie you thitha, Nonny me thitha.

  He corrected her. “You mean mother, Dani is your mommy.”

  Junie shook her head. “You siwee, Nonny not Nana, Nonny thitha.”

  Holy shit! They were sisters… Their faces must have shown their shock, because Junie slapped her hand over her mouth and her eyes went big, then tears started down her face. “Shhh. It’s okay,” he comforted her, as his mind reeled. Holy shit. “It’s alright.” Bouncing his knee, he patted her back.

  Sniffling, she said despondently, “I not to tell. I thowwee.”

  What the hell? Why was it such a big secret? “It’s okay, it’ll be okay.”

  “Junie, honey,” Linnie said softly. “Why can’t you tell?”

  Thank God, because he wanted to know too.

  Junie sniffled as more tears ran down her face. “Peepole come, take me way, make Nonny cwy. Pwease no say, I wuv Nonny. ”

  Oh God. Could this get any worse? Yep, it could.

  “She’s your own flesh and blood for chrissakes, and after everything you’ve been through, how could you let her be with that woman?”

  “I didn’t have a choi—”

  “We all have choices, Dani, don’t give me that bullshit. It was your job to keep her safe!”

  “I tried, I—”

  It was official. He was an absolute ass. He’d wrongly assumed Nonny meant mommy, and Nana meant grandma, as that’s what they’d called their grandmother. But it didn’t. Nonny was her way of saying Dani and Nana was her way of saying Mama. Oh God. Just how many times had he said those words today, he wondered, having deleted the F word from his vocabulary with Junie around.

  “Well,” Linnie said, giving a little shake of the head, “that explains how she was able to leave certain things behind.”

  It sure the hell did. Taking a deep breath, he nodded. Could this just be over with? The rooster wanted to see his hen. Scanning the crowd, he looked for her, hating that she was here, “entertaining” God only knew who, and he didn’t know where she was or if she was safe.

  Announcements started and gates opened, horses began to stream in with riders wearing red, white, and blue. They stood for the national anthem and Junie was looking everywhere, but from what he could tell Dani was not among the group. The program began and they watched a series of roping competitions, interrupted by an introduction of that year’s Minnesota Rodeo Royalty, a thank you to organizers and contributors, and then on to mutton busting with the little kids. Which he had to admit was hilarious. Followed by some steer wrestling, and then the first half of the women’s barrel racing. Finally, the halfway mark, he thought, anxious to get this over with so he could see Dani.

  “Laaaadieeees annnnd gentlemeeeennn,” the announcer said with grand style. “We have a real treat for you tonight! We’re thrilled to present to you the next performer, straight from the Mountain State circuit, one of Wyoming’s favorite cowgirls, and a first for the Haaamellll Rodeoooo.”

  There was a crack of a whip over the loud speaker, followed by a rumble in
the crowd, and Kris was taken back to the moment he’d first seen Dani rounding up the loose cows with a crack of her whip.

  Continuing, the announcer went on, “Now, this little Cracker is a preeemierrre trick riderrrr in the industry, and has been absent from the circuit for a few years now, but is back tonight and all grown up. Riding on behalf of the National Literacy Foundation, she continues her efforts to stamp out illiteracy through the improvement and support of education programs throughout the United States.”

  Huge rumble throughout the crowd with another crack of the whip over the loud speaker, and Kris knew without a doubt it was her. He was such a fucking idiot, and he could feel his whole family slowly turn and look at him like the dunce he was, with several of them, who he refused to acknowledge by the way, trying their damndest not to fall off their seats laughing.

  Sitting there wide eyed, Junie hopping all over the place, he tried to listen, not wanting to miss a thing. There were whistles and catcalls bubbling up from the crowd, men here and there started jumping up, waving their hats in the air, barking, yelling, and howling…“Sexy Lexy!” More whistling and rumbling from the crowd, with people getting more and more excited.

  “Thaaaaat’s right ladies and gentleman, you got it, Wyoming’s little darling, our sweetheart and yours, one of the circuits absolute favorite trick riders, take your hats off for Miss Rodeo Wyoming, two thousand four, Leeexxxyyyy Reeeeeeed.”

  The crowd went nuts and a picture of Dani, or Queen Lexy as it was, complete with tiara on a fancy dancy cowboy hat, flashed onto the big electronic screen. You could hear the bang, clank, and thud as fence gates were quickly being parted by some rodeo muscle, and the crowded jumped to their feet cheering loudly.

  The sound of galloping horse hooves was being broadcast over the loud speaker, followed by some very real sounding whip cracks. Holy shit…

  Dani burst onto the scene riding a decorated Ricochet and the cheer was deafening. Ricochet went up on his hind legs, his front hooves pawing the air while he let out a loud squealing horse sound, and Kris thought he was about to have a heart attack, except that Dani was in complete control. Round and around Ricochet danced, then down on all fours, he took off at a dead run as Dani waved to the crowd and cracked that whip, stirring them up even further.

  She was a picture as she put Ricochet through his paces, dancing him around and doing various horse acrobatics. The transformation from the Dani he knew, to “Sexy Lexy, Queen of the Rodeo was stunning and damn near unbelievable, except that it was her, and he knew it even though he hadn’t had that eye examination she’d suggested way back when. Wearing a white form fitting, long sleeved top that fit snug below the breasts, followed by a barely there sheer and iridescent fabric covering a bare midriff, she glittered from all the sparkles that were everywhere reflecting the arena lights. Her form fitting white and glittery pants complete with more beads and sparkles, accentuated her figure perfectly, and the ensemble carried fringes in all the right places. And yet, as beautiful and spectacular as she was, he knew she hated it. What had she called it? Oh yeah, cheap and tawdry, and on some he would say that would be true, but her persona and presence did it justice, making it more befitting of her class and station.

  Her whip wrapped and coiled, out came the lasso, and he said it again. Oh God. Front and center, she stood on Ricochet’s back performing various roping tricks…spinning it over her head, off to the side, out in front, and behind her back. The rope danced and looped, the crowd cheering as she did the Kansas wind tunnel, the wedding ring, then the Texas sidestep, all while atop the horse. The circle of rope going round and around, small loops, then big, then bigger still, around her, around Ricochet, up high, down low, along her arm and behind her back, she owned that rope. Just when Kris didn’t think it could get any more spectacular than it already was, she and Ricochet were on the move again, and he was sure she was going to die right before their very eyes.

  Clutching Junie, he held his breath as she spun in the saddle like a gymnast working a vault while Ricochet ran the perimeter of the arena at top speed. According to the announcer, she’d moved into the “vaulting” portion of the performance. Okay, so he wasn’t completely stupid. A one footed stand atop Ricochet called the spritz, had her bent forward and holding nothing more than Ricochet’s mane to support herself, then on to a move with no hands, another where she was standing atop Ricochet, tipped and bowed so far forward, that Kris was certain she was going to tumble right over his head. Apparently the move was called the Hippodrome, and was a tough one to do in the trick riding industry. Go figure. Now a leap off the moving horse as she held the saddle horn, her feet tapping the ground and flying back behind her propelling her back up through the air and into the saddle, only to repeat it a number of times before hopping off Ricochet and running alongside the galloping horse, her long strides keeping perfect time with his gait as she gripped the saddle horn, then with an in-stride hop, she was back atop him, only to hop down and do it again and again, making it look so easy. The crowd went insane.

  As if that wasn’t enough, things went truly radical in Kris’s book. She was hanging upside down on the side of Ricochet as he continued galloping around, her hair and hands dragging in the dirt in what was billed the dead man’s drag, then some movements and she was truly standing outright off the side of her horse, held parallel to the ground by nothing more than a few straps about her feet. Then more “fender tricks” the announcer heralded as she flipped and twisted this way and that, again held by nothing more than a few loops of leather dangling from the side of her saddle. Now head down, with her feet straight up in the air in a side saddle handstand, as she clung to loops behind her. Aww hell, now she was wearing a blindfold. Screw it, he couldn’t keep track anymore, it went on and on.

  Well, there’d been one thing he’d been right about that ugly day they’d quarreled, she could get hurt or be killed, that was for damn sure. According to the announcer she was an eminent trick rider who “never failed to deliver” to the delight and pleasure of the audience. Watching this, seeing her in action, in her element, made the thought of her stocking shelves or weighing produce at Walmart ludicrous. She was amazing, absolutely amazing, and something big, something very big, had to of happened to make her want to leave it all behind.

  With a hop and a flip, she summersaulted off the back of Ricochet, and the two took their bows to the whoops and hollers of the crowd. More whistling, and then inappropriate comments and suggestions hollered by various men throughout the place that Kris could honestly say he did not appreciate one bit. The sad thing was, two weeks ago, he would’ve most likely been one of those men. Then running up behind Ricochet, Dani leap frogged her way back into the saddle and away they went. A hand clamped onto his shoulder, as she exited the ring with a final crack of the whip.

  “Well, at least it’s not as bad as you thought,” Nik said, with a laugh and a twinkle in his eye. “She’s pretty damn good if you ask me.”

  Great, he was never going to hear the end of his misguided idiocy.

  “She sure is,” his dad added, leaning forward and looking Kris’s way, smiling from ear to ear. “Glad I came, this was well worth the drive.”

  “You might want to tie this one up quick,” Nik added, with a cackle. “Before she finds out how dadadumb you are. If you like her that is,” he added, poking the rattlesnake a little more, “or you still planning on being a bachelor all your life? Come to think of it, you might want to start practicing groveling, you’ve never been very good at saying you’re sorry.”

  “Shut up,” Kris snapped back.

  Junie patted him on the cheek, and he looked at her, his mind all a jumble. Whispering loudly, she said, “That not berry nithe. We thay, pwease be quiet Nik Nak.”

  Linnie, Nik, and his dad all burst out laughing, the tension having been broken, and Kris struggled to keep a straight face.

  “I like you, Junie,” Nik said, tweaking her nose, making her laugh. “You keep him in line. He can get
a little big for his britches sometimes.”

  When was this going to be over? He wanted to see Dani now, needed to reassure himself she was alright after that little number. Good thing Linnie was a nurse and sitting next to him, because he’d swear his heart was in a permanent state of shock and he thought it might be stuck in an irregular heart rhythm. Trying to take a deep breath, he struggled, figuring his brain had to of been deprived of oxygen for damn near ten minutes.

  She’d been magnificent, and yet again, the two of them needed to have a talk about her career choice. This whole little episode, put the dangling from a tree by a rope incident seem rather tame and harmless. Seeing a young girl selling rodeo program books, he signaled for her and bought several for him and his family to have. He quickly thumbed through it, stopping when he came to a picture of Dani and a page dedicated solely to her. It was as she’d said, she was well known for her horsemanship. Damn, he was impressed, but then who wouldn’t be?

  The program started again, Dani’s performance marking the halfway point and he thought she’d said something on the phone about her competing being contingent on pulling tricks. Was she competing or not, he wondered. Soon, she appeared riding Topaz, the horse prancing and sidestepping her approach to the starting line. The announcer introduced the two of them and regaled the crowd with Dani’s stats and history. The crowd cheered wildly.

  The starting blast sounded and Topaz took off like a rocket, speeding her way around the course in a cloverleaf pattern, turning the barrels tight, and sprinting with all her might. The two being nothing more than a golden blur, as Dani had changed into a buckskin colored vest with matching pants, a cream colored top, and a simple, flat brimmed, round cowboy hat to match. They’d been exceedingly fast, their ride smooth and clean, and Kris’s knew they’d be near the top, if not at the top of the meet.

  A few more runs and it was decided, Dani had won by the slimmest of margins. He was so damn proud of her! This is what she’d set out to do and she’d done it. It couldn’t get any better than this, he thought, cheering along with the crowd. Wow!