A Cowgirl Finds Home
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Carol Ross
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23
PROLOGUE
“ONE DOWN, four to go.” Elias Blackwell liked the sound of his own words, as he often did. After eighty-six years, he’d earned the right to appreciate the wisdom he’d acquired, although this bank of insight and knowledge was not due solely to his age. Life had taught him a lot of hard lessons. Thankfully, Big E, as he was more commonly known, was, if not always a quick learner, then certainly a determined one. At least where his family was concerned.
It was that determination that had him embarking on this, yet another road trip, one with a specific purpose: to see his sister Denny’s grandchildren, who were his great-nieces, reconciled and reunited.
“Well,” Denny said, gently gliding in her rocking chair on the covered porch of her farmhouse in Eagle Springs, Wyoming. “It’s no secret that I had doubts about this scheme of yours. Getting the Belles back together seemed impossible, and now it feels...” She trailed off, searching for a word. Pausing to sip her coffee, she then added, “I don’t know, but it sure would be something to see my granddaughters riding together again.”
Her granddaughters—J.R., Iris, Maggie, Violet and Willow—used to perform in a trick-riding troupe called the Blackwell Belles. The group was started by the girls’ mother, Flora, and her late sister, Dandelion. Twelve years ago, the Belles had disbanded under adverse and unfortunate circumstances that left the family fractured. Flora was key, Big E believed, in bringing the girls back together. Luckily, she had her own motive for seeing her family mended: a Blackwell Belles reunion performance.
“Yes, it will be something special, all right,” Big E agreed confidently. “We’re on the way to helping it happen. You have to admit, I was right about Maggie.”
Maggie was the “one down” he’d referenced earlier. He, Denny and Flora had already logged a successful visit with her. Sure, there were still some details to finalize where her performance was concerned, but he had faith it would be all sorted out in the end. They’d left a happy-for-now Maggie with her fiancé, Clem, in Clementine, Oklahoma, and then dropped off Flora at the airport. After traveling in Big E’s motor home to and from Clementine, he and Denny had arrived back at Denny’s ranch, the Silver Spur, a few days prior and were enjoying a well-earned bout of relaxation.
This morning, the late August sun was slowly waking, stretching graceful rays above a brushy stand of trees. The heat of the day had yet to join in, and the breeze felt fresh and balmy. Birds chirped lazily in the distance as if they, too, were enjoying the morning respite. As peaceful as it was, Big E knew he couldn’t dawdle much longer. He needed to get on the road toward his next destination: Flame, Texas, a suburb outside of Dallas where Violet lived and where Flora had recently relocated, too.
Time was of the essence. In several short months, Flora and Dandelion were being inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. An honor of the highest order, as far as Big E was concerned, and one that Flora should celebrate with her daughters. Unfortunately, after the Belles’ breakup, the girls had scattered like seeds on a wayward Wyoming wind. Flora wanted to make things better, but she’d waited so long—too long, maybe—to right some of the wrongs. If anyone could sympathize with her plight, it was Big E. He’d worked hard to repair relationships with his own grandchildren, all ten of them.
This would be his second go-around with a batch of Denny’s grandchildren, too. The first group, right here in Eagle Springs, had been a resounding success.
All of this experience boosted his confidence, even if this particular situation felt tougher than the last ones. He not only had to get the girls speaking to each other again, they needed to speak to their mother, too, and then all perform together. Not to mention they were in various states of preparedness where their riding skills were concerned. But J.R., Iris, Magnolia, Violet and Willow were Blackwells, and if he could help, he would.
“Isn’t that what I just said?” Denny answered in the typical cranky tone she used with him.
Big E chuffed out a laugh. “Not exactly.”
“Fine. All in all, it’s gone remarkably well. Maggie was a tough nut. It feels like a good start.”
“I’ll drink to that,” he said and lifted his plastic cup in a toast.
“I have to hand it to you, brother. You are a first-class meddler.”
“Thank you kindly,” he agreed, taking it for the compliment he believed it to be. There was a fine line between meddling and helping where family was concerned. The line, he’d learned, was rather fluid, too, depending on the circumstances and the family member in question.
Denny sipped from her cup and then added, “Maggie and Clem falling in love helped things along.”
“We got lucky there,” Big E said and raised his glass again. “To Maggie and Clem and bucking bulls.” Maggie and Clem both worked as rodeo barrelmen. An ornery bull had brought them together, and another ornery bull had ensured they stayed together. Tough cookies, both of them, and with a love story worthy of the Blackwell family archives.
“Speaking of the latter, you don’t seem overly concerned about getting that bull from Violet.”
On the contrary, he was concerned about that. Maggie had agreed to perform in the Blackwell Belles reunion performance only if her sister Violet gave her Ferdinand, the family’s pet bull. In her youth, Maggie and Ferdinand had been nearly inseparable. All of the girls adored him. Ferdinand had performed with the Belles often. But when the group broke up, Violet, instead of Maggie, had been the one to take him. From Big E’s perspective, it had been a good decision, as Maggie’s nomadic lifestyle had never been conducive to caring for her own livestock, especially a bull. Until now, that was. Maggie was finally ready to settle down. She and Clem were buying a ranch, getting married, making a home, becoming a family. In Maggie’s mind, Ferdinand needed to be part of that.
From what he’d learned about Violet, she would not take Maggie’s request lightly. She cherished that animal; she and Ferdinand had been constant companions for twelve years now. They were bonded. But Violet and Maggie were bonded, too. They were twins, for Pete’s sake! He was certain that bond was stronger. In fact, he was banking on it.
Reassuring himself, he said, “What you’re forgetting is that Violet and Maggie are twins.”
Denny looked skyward and huffed. “How could I forget that my own grandchildren are twins?” Impatient sarcasm oozed from every word, which only made him smile. “I also gave birth to twins, Barlow and Hudson. You remember your nephews, right?” Barlow was Flora’s husband and the girls’ father.
“Of course I do,” he said and then chuckled as she continued to scowl at him. She wouldn’t be his sister if she wasn’t uppity with him about something. “I didn’t mean you literally forgot. I meant that I learned that sweet Violet and I have a very important trait in common.”
He’d gotten to know Violet a bit, as she and Maggie had been the only two of the sisters to attend the Blackwell family reunion last month here in Eagle Springs. The fact that Violet had shown up for the gathering despite their family strife suggested that she might have regrets and longings of her own. Big E’s gentle interrogation had proved this theory: Violet missed her sisters.
Denny nodded. “I hope you’re right.”
“I am. Violet is a Blackwell in all the important ways.”
That made his sister smile, and his heart went soft with love. They’d spent many years estranged themselves. It felt good to have this sibling relationship again. It was what he wanted for the girls, too.
“I am sorry,” she said, “that I have to leave you on your own with this one.” Denny was going to remain here in Eagle Springs because her grandson Levi and his wife, Summer, were expecting a baby any day now.
Big E smiled gently and shook his head. “Don’t you worry. It won’t be the first time I’ve gone solo at navigating a complicated Blackwell conflict.”
Denny barked out a laugh. “Is that your way of telling me you can meddle just fine on your own?”
“I won’t be alone. Flora will be there. Besides, it’s Violet who will be the star of this show. Violet and her sidekick Ferdinand.”
