A Cowgirl on His Doorstep
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Anna J. Stewart
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17
PROLOGUE
“WE’LL BE THERE in a couple of weeks.” Elias “Big E” Blackwell paced along the length of his ragged RV, wincing at the slight crackle coming from the phone connetion. They’d made their first stop about a hundred miles south of Falcon Creek, Montana, after Big E had gone home for his great-granddaughter Rosie’s birthday celebration. “Don’t want to put too many miles on the old girl.” The poor vehicle had had a rough couple of months what with circling Montana, Wyoming, and Texas like a jetliner waiting for clearance to land. “Keep a light on for us. And the grill fired up!” He ended the call and with a patience-gathering sigh, slipped his cell phone into his flannel shirt pocket. “Flora!”
Instead of Flora, Big E’s sister Denny Blackwell came ambling out of the convenience store, using the cane for once that she insisted on calling a walking stick. With her thin frame and thick silver braid worn long down her back, Denny defied every one of her eighty-plus years with grit and determination.
He suspected the paper bag she carried crumpled in her free hand was hiding a package of beef jerky she wasn’t supposed to be eating. His baby sister was plenty old enough to take care of herself and she was well aware of what she could eat given the limitations of her chronic kidney condition. Didn’t mean Big E wasn’t tempted to point out the error of her ways. That said, he was a man who had learned when to pick his battles and he certainly didn’t want her running commentary on his nightly shots of whiskey.
“Cut out your hollerin’,” Denny ordered good-naturedly as she made her way toward him. “Flora’ll be along in a minute.” She pointed to a small area located next to the convenience store. “She’s letting Zinni get her zoomies out of the way before we sardine ourselves back into this tin can of yours.” She lifted her cane high enough to tap against the metal siding. “Stop frettin’. We’ve got plenty of time. Nobody’s punchin’ daylight but you.”
“Never known one tiny puffball to throw a well-planned schedule completely out of whack.” His mutterings only earned him a raised brow and critical eye.
“Don’t go taking your worry out on that dog.” Denny stopped beside him, turned around and together they scanned the open grass area beside the small market stuffed to the gills with travel snacks, air fresheners and first-aid supplies.
“Whatever happens with Iris, we’ll get through it.” Denny leaned forward to catch his gaze. “What’s botherin’ you? We’ve done pretty well so far with the girls. We’ve got Maggie and Violet on board to rejoin the Belles for Flora’s Cowgirl Hall of Fame induction, not to mention Violet’s agreed to return Ferdinand the Bull to Maggie. We’ll find a way to get Violet what she wants as well.”
“But we knew what we were walking into with those girls.” Big E’s mouth twisted. “Flora was more than forthcoming about her relationship with those two. No telling what storm’s brewing with Iris. You ask me, Flora’s purposely avoiding any questions we ask.”
“Wish I could shed some light,” Denny said. “I even called my son to ask for some input and all he’d say was that Iris and Flora’s mother-daughter relationship has always been...what did he call it? Complicated.”
Big E took a long, deep breath. If they had any hope of rebuilding the Blackwell Belles and bringing this branch of Denny’s estranged family back together, he needed to get his head in the game. “Bet that means Iris is going to be a challenge.”
“Course she is,” Denny scoffed gently. “She’s a Blackwell. Difficult is in our DNA.” The fact Denny agreed with him didn’t make him feel better.
“I’d best go see about wrangling Miss Flora and Zinni.” Big E said as his sister turned toward the RV. Elias Blackwell believed in three things in this world: horses, ranching and family. And not necessarily in that order.
Dedicating his life to horses and ranching meant he’d made his fair share of mistakes over his eighty-six years, but he’d been doing his best recently to make up for the family side of things. That said, whatever optimism he’d carried with him on the first two legs of this reunion journey wasn’t to be found where Iris Blackwell was concerned.
While he and Iris had met a handful of times in her thirty-plus years, he knew very little about this grand-niece. Other than the fact that she made up one fifth of the sisters who once upon a time performed as the trick riding, spotlight stealing rodeo troupe known as the Blackwell Belles. From the online videos he’d watched of the Belles there was no mistaking Iris’s riding talent. She was an absolute natural when it came to horses and clearly taking on whatever role was necessary within the group.
The work she did now honestly impressed him more. Just thinking about the renovation business she’d built from the ground up, which included produced videos of her rebuilding inside and out worn down RVs, trailers and fifth-wheels gave him a burst of pride. She was someone who knew her worth and was making the most out of the abilities she possessed.
The question was, where did Iris’s heart lie where her sisters and family were concerned? More importantly, was it going to be more difficult to convince her to come back into the family fold? Or part with Aunt Dandelion’s custom hand-crafted saddle?
“Definitely going to be a challenge,” Big E muttered as he crossed the parking lot to where a rhinestone accented Flora Blackwell rode herd on her teeny terrier, Zinni. Flora had nearly caught up with the pooch. Dog and owner skidded to a comical stop, looked at one another, then Zinni launched herself through Flora’s legs to hide under a weathered picnic table.
“Dang it.” Flora planted her hands on her rhinestone bejeweled hips, tilted up the cowboy hat that matched her bright blue boots. “Don’t know what’s gotten into her today. Big E, would you—”
Big E stuck his thumb and index finger in his mouth and blew a sharp whistle. Zinni poked her head out, blinked twice and toddled over to plopp her butt down right in front of him.
Flora swooped in from behind. “Gotcha!” She scooped Zinni into her arms. “Thanks, Big E.” She nuzzled the dog who let out an odd noise that wasn’t quite a growl, and not quite a bark.
“Let’s move out.” He pointed to the RV. Flora winced.
“I need...uh, water. No! A soda. Be right back.”
“Thought you already—”
Flora shoved Zinni into his arms and raced off to the convenience store. Grumbling, and doing his best not to take this as a sign, Big E carried Zinni to the RV and climbed on board.
“Flora’s acting strange,” he told his sister as he set Zinni into her bed under the table and headed to the driver’s seat. “Stranger than usual,” he clarified at Denny’s look. He removed his hat, hung it on the hook behind his seat and lowered himself behind the wheel. “She’s anxious about seeing Iris again.”
“She hasn’t been around Iris in twelve years,” Denny reminded him. “I’d be nervous too. Don’t worry. We’ve earned our wings as buffers and peacemakers. Whatever problems they have to work out, we’ll be there to ease the way.”
“Hope so.” He turned the engine on, waiting for Flora to buy her soda. Five minutes later she finally emerged. She sauntered as if she thought they had all the time in the world.
“She’s afraid.” Denny’s murmured comment had Big E looking at his sister. “Never really seen this side of her. Flora’s usually unflappable.”
It was as close as Denny would ever get to admitting Big E was right.
“Like you said,” Big E told her. “We’ll be there for her. For all of them. Whatever is going on between her and Iris, we’ll work it out.”
“Hmm.” Denny didn’t sound convinced.
“All right. There’s my good baby!” Flora pulled the door shut behind her and flopped into the bench seat at the table. “Okay, ready to go?”
“Been ready for some time now,” Big E muttered. “Should take us a while to get there.” He glanced at the rearview mirror and caught Flora cringe before she looked out the window. “Plenty of time for you to give us all the details about Iris before we arrive.”
When Flora remained uncharacteristically silent, Denny turned in her chair to look at her daughter-in-law. “Flora?”
“I’m sorry,” Flora said. “I... Iris is a bit of a blank slate for me. I’ve tried over the years but...” She shook her head. “I don’t know how this is going to go. But the truth is, more than anything I want my girls there at the ceremony for my big day.”
“Yours and Dandy’s big day,” Denny reminded Flora about the sister who had been the other half of the Blackwell Belles before Flora’s daughters had become the act. “I think I’m beginning to see what the issues are,” Denny murmured to Big E, who nodded in agreement. “Okay then. Cottonwood Creek, Texas, here we come!”
“For better or worse.” Big E tooted the horn and shifted the RV into Drive.
