Jessica L. Elliott's Blog, page 8

Threats (Chapter 6)

I'm sorry this is a day behind. I've had birthdays and a sick baby to work with. The video will be put up sometime at the beginning of next week. It's just been a little too crazy here to get a good recording done. Mostly, my little one has been very fussy which makes it hard to record myself reading. So, once he's feeling better, I will get the video put together and put up. Be sure to let me know where the story should move next! Also, comment below to let me know what kind of video you'd like from my adventures in Indianapolis, next week! ​We drove silently to the Double Rocking B. Scarlett seemed to be trying to keep her emotions under control and she wasn’t willing to talk about what had been said on the phone, other than to assure me Teddy was fine. When we arrived, we parked and went straight to the large barn. Twenty or so horses poked their heads out of stalls and Scarlett walked past them to the end stall. My heart twisted as I saw Josiah kneeling on the floor next to a palomino stallion. Its breath was ragged and sharp, as though just the effort alone hurt. His stomach was swollen and painful welts showed around his mouth.
“Blister beetles?” I asked, horrified.
Josiah merely nodded.
“Are any of the other horses infected?” Scarlett knelt next to Josiah, placing a gentle hand on his arm.
He shook his head. “Someone knew exactly what they were doing.”
“Have you called the vet? Is she on her way? What can we do?”
Scarlett turned to me, tears glistening in her eyes. “Blizzard, we’re here because the vet was already called. A poisoning this advanced can’t be helped. All we can do is be here with Goliath.”
“Doc gave him some pain medication, did everything she could for him. But…” Josiah stopped again, running his hand over Goliath’s neck.
He didn’t need to say anything. I sat near the wall, watching as Scarlett comforted both horse and owner. Why would anyone purposefully put an animal through this torment? Blister beetles are so named for the painful blisters they cause in people and animals. But for horses, it’s much worse. If ingested, they are poisonous. Even just a few beetles can be deadly or cause colic. Goliath obviously had gotten more than just a few. I glanced at the other horses in the barn. Josiah was right. They looked perfectly healthy and normal. Goliath had been singled out. Why? He wasn’t a champion in any event. He was a great horse, sure, but it wasn’t like you could eliminate competition with him. And even if that were so, Josiah wasn’t competing anymore anyway. Why go after a horse with no special significance? Especially when the horse in the next stall was Josiah’s champion mount.
Scarlett’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Does Teddy know?”
Josiah nodded again. “He’s been on the phone with the sheriff.”
“Finally got him convinced, huh?”
“I guess this time it’s obvious.” Josiah’s tone became hard and edgy. 
“Do you have any idea who might have done this?”
“I’ve got a couple suspects.” 
They stopped talking as Goliath’s breathing suddenly slowed and he struggled a little. Josiah held the horse’s head in his lap in a show of affection that broke my heart. “It’s okay, boy,” he cried. A few moments later the breathing stopped and Goliath was still. I felt tears sting my eyes. For a long while we just sat in the stall. Teddy came in and put a comforting hand on Josiah’s shoulder. “Sheriff’s on his way, son. Best be ready to meet him. We’ll have the hands take care of Goliath.”
For a moment, Josiah didn’t speak. Teddy left and Josiah stood. I scrambled to follow as he and Scarlett headed towards the barn door. As I did, I noticed the brand on Goliath’s side. It wasn’t from the Double Rocking B. It was Starwood. Goliath had been one of ours. I realized the others were nearly out of the barn and jogged to catch up to them. He turned to Scarlett. “Are you on your feet enough to not need me anymore?”
She blinked and said, “Well, yeah, I guess. I mean…”
“I think it would be best if I stayed on my own ranch from now on.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You don’t seriously think anyone at Starwood had something to do with this, do you?”
Josiah swore. “That’s not what I said, Scarlett.”
“You implied it.”
“I did no such thing. Do you have to be so danged sensitive all the time? There are other reasons I need to be here.”
“Like what?” Scarlett had her arms crossed over her chest.
“Maybe the fact that if someone doesn’t look out for the Double Rocking B, I won’t have a ranch anymore,” he shouted. “I don’t think you quite understand the scope of this problem, Scarlett. Someone targeted a horse that had no other value than sentiment. Goliath wasn’t a champion, he was a plain, ol’ workhorse. But someone knew he was more than that to me.” Josiah’s voice broke and he looked down at the ground. “I have to take care of my own, Scarlett. I owe my dad that. He worked for decades building this ranch up from nothing. He thinks he can take charge again, but I think you and I both know the reality. He’s never going to be strong enough for me to fully leave the ranch back to him. Even now there have been things going on that normally wouldn’t if he were stronger. I can’t keep trying to run two spreads.”
“You were never running two spreads, Josiah. And if you remember, you volunteered to help at Starwood.”
“You needed help.”
“I never asked for your help. I didn’t want you there in the first place.”
“Then why are you fighting so hard to get me to stay?”
“Because you wanted a second chance,” Scarlett yelled. Tears glistened in her eyes. “You told me you wanted to try again.”
The arguing continued and for a moment, I considered interrupting them. Neither could see that they were on the same side. They were too busy allowing their heartbreak to overrun their heads. “Scarlett?” I said timidly.
She and Josiah turned to me. 
I took a deep breath. “I think Josiah is simply saying he wants to be at his ranch to take care of things here. You’ve been cleared by the doctor for most of your regular activities and Josiah didn’t say he was never coming back…”
“Well, I’m saying it,” Scarlett said, turning to him and jabbing a finger in his chest. “I never want to see you again, Josiah Meddleton. Never, ever again.”
“Suits me fine,” Josiah growled, his brown eyes swirling.
Scarlett stopped as though he’d slapped her. I could tell she was expecting him to fight back, but Josiah’s expression was clear. He was done fighting. “Well, then I guess there’s nothing left for us to do here. Come on, Blizz.”
“Scarlett?”
“Now,” she snapped, tears falling down her face. She hobbled into the truck and slammed her door, waiting for me to get in. 
I looked at Josiah. “I’m sorry, about Goliath. He must have been a really great horse.”
He didn’t reply. Instead he turned and walked into the ranch house.

The next weeks were long and painfully boring. Scarlett spent most of her time either in her room or in the barn. She wouldn’t speak to Mom for a full week after the episode at the Double Rocking B. When Scarlett had come in crying, they had gotten into an argument over how the situation had been handled. School kept me too busy to worry much about what was going on in Scarlett’s head. Honestly, I was glad for the distraction. My sister had become so snappish it was hard to want to spend more than five minutes with her. She wouldn’t come down when Teddy came to visit, even if Josiah wasn’t with him. Teddy finally agreed with Mom that it would be best to give Scarlett her space. “Hopefully she’ll come around sooner rather than later. Joey’s been kicking himself since she left,” he admitted quietly the last time he came to the house.
“He needs to tell her that.”
Teddy shrugged. “Don’t know if he’s tried or not, but the state she’s in? It would take a lot more than a heartfelt apology to get her to listen to him.”
Mom sighed, “Unfortunately that’s true.”
Fall turned colder and in mid-October, Scarlett showed up at school to pick me up. “Let’s do some Christmas shopping,” she said, with a brighter smile than I’d seen in a long time.
“Okay. Where were you thinking of going?”
“Just some of the shops around town. I was thinking we could get gifts for Mom and Teddy today. I feel kind of bad for ignoring him so long.”
“You know he’ll forgive you quick enough.”
She frowned slightly. “He’s not the one I’m worried about. I don’t know that I’ll forgive myself anytime soon. It’s not his fault his son is an imbecile.”
I chose not to comment. The idea of pointing out to her that she and Josiah had both acted like children didn’t appeal to me. Instead I said, “Mrs.Callicut said Winter’s Folly is almost up to the average percentile for quarters.”
“That’s good news. Honestly, though Blizz, she might always be petite. Chalk Art is pretty small himself.”
“Oh, I know. I just wish people wouldn’t fault her for it. I wanted her to be a little on the small side since I’m so short.”
Scarlett laughed, “Yeah, I’m afraid you took after Dad in more ways than one. And you’re not actually that short.”
“Matter of opinion.” 
She pulled into the parking lot of Quilter’s Paradise and we walked in. “Oh my dears,” Amelia said, placing a hand to her heart, “I wonder how you sleep at night.”
“I sleep just fine. Mom gave us new winter quilts and they’re perfect,” I said.
“Haven’t you heard?”
“Heard what, Amelia?” Scarlett asked.
“It’s been all over town. Some miscreant broke into the Double Rocking B last night.”
“What?” I asked while Scarlett frowned.
“I heard it from Belinda over in the diner. Teddy and Josiah were meeting with the sheriff over lunch. Someone broke into the house and made a real mess. Trophies stolen, lamps broken, threats painted on the walls. Teddy was in a bad way. I shouldn’t wonder this puts him back in the hospital.”
“Were the two of them okay?”
“As far as I know. I heard…”
“Amelia, you shouldn’t repeat gossip,” Scarlett interrupted.
The woman puffed up indignantly, “I’ll have you know, Miss Scarlett, I have it on very good authority. The sheriff himself called to ask if I’d seen any strange folks in town. You two be careful and keep your guns close.”
We left without purchasing anything. Scarlett drove us straight home where Mom was visiting with Teddy and Josiah in the living room. Scarlett hesitated before going upstairs to her room. I walked into the living room. Josiah’s eyes smoldered as he stared at the carpet. “Of course, we’d be happy to help with anything you need, Teddy,” Mom was saying. She looked up at me. “Blizzard, can you ask Scarlett to come here please?”
“Um, really?”
“Blizzard.” Mom’s voice held a warning note.
Great, my mother is feeding me to the wolves. I went up after Scarlett and stopped by her room. “Scarlett?”
“Leave me alone.”
“I’d love to, but Mom wants you downstairs.”
“I’m not coming. Tell her I have a headache.”
“She won’t believe me.”
“Not my problem.”
Dear Lord, don’t let me be this stupid at her age, I thought before sighing and going back downstairs. “She says she has a headache.”
The next thing I knew Josiah was heading up the stairs and a few minutes later the sounds of shrieking and cussing rang through the halls. Josiah came into the living room with Scarlett thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She was beating his back and squirming around as much as she could. But there was a reason Josiah had done well in the rodeo. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t escape.
“Josiah, you uncouth brute of a man put me down!”
“If you’d actually listen to your mother I wouldn’t have to go get you. Next time I’ll rope you like I would a stubborn calf.”
“Josiah Timothy…”
“You would not!”
“Don’t tempt me.”
Mom interrupted them with  a clap of her hands. “Please, Josiah, Scarlett, this isn’t going to get us anywhere. Can we please call truce for ten minutes?”
Josiah sat scowling opposite of Scarlett who turned her attention fully to Mom.
“Now,” she continued when it was quiet again, “Teddy and Josiah stopped by because they’re having trouble at the ranch. I already told Teddy we haven’t noticed anything unusual here. I’ve offered to allow them to bring anything valuable that wasn’t damaged here for safe keeping.”
“What?" Scarlett exploded. “Sure, that’s a great idea, Mom. Now the lunatic going after them will have an excuse to come break into our house too.”
“Scarlett India.” Mom turned with a glare to her and I watched Scarlett squirm uncomfortably. “You may be an adult now, but I still expect you to show me respect. As it turns out, Josiah already pointed out that flaw in my plan. Whatever is going on at the Double Rocking B is a personal attack. I don’t think they’ll come out here. However, at Josiah’s insistence, we will not be transporting things here. Instead, we’re going to turn Jake over to them to act as a night guard. Sheriff Henley is going to start a regular patrol in hopes that we can discourage any further vandalism.”
“Why tell us?” I asked.
“It’s the neighborly thing to do,” Teddy replied with a weary smile that broke my heart. “I’d hate to think you lovely ladies were in trouble and I did nothing to warn you.”
“It also means, Blizz, that until the situation clears itself, Scarlett or I will always take you to and from your performances at the diner.”
“Mom, I’m not a baby.”
“You are to me,” she said. Though she smiled, her tone was serious. “Until we have a better idea what’s going on, it’s not safe for you to bike to town. In the meantime let’s all pray this is resolved sooner rather than later.”

Save the Date

Author Fair Poster So I've got some really amazing awesome news I want to share with all of you. It's big! It's huge! And I am so completely and totally excited that I am going to be happy dancing all through the next few weeks. Curious yet?

​I bet you are. :)

Clean Indie Reads is having its first ever Author Fair!!!!!!! And I'm going!!!!!!!

Okay, maybe that was a few too many exclamation points, but I am seriously that excited! I've done a few book fairs before this, but this one is different. Some of the absolutely amazing people I have met online will now be real human beings! Yes, I know they already are real, but it's different when you meet someone in person. I'm so excited to be able to see these people in person and to peruse their offerings.

Will I have books there? You better believe it! I'm already tallying up my inventory and getting things ready to go. In part, because this fair is coming far sooner than I expected. It went from a, "Maybe we'll see if we can pull something together" to suddenly, "This is happening folks!" And I am stoked!

Not only am I excited to be able to take my books to a new audience, which is terrifying and amazing all at the same time, but I'll also be taking my wonderful and amazing sweetheart with me for a belated Valentine's escape.

Maybe it's closer to a St. Paddy's Day escape, but either way we get to escape.

Over the next couple of weeks I'll be asking for your advice and opinion as I prepare signs, bookmarks, and other necessary things for this trip. Yes, I'll keep up with Scarlett and Blizzard. And yes, I've made it a goal to be better on my author interview videos. But I'll also be spending a lot of time getting ready for the event. And I'll be working on my new secret project. And as an incentive for those of you close enough to do it, everyone coming to the CIR Author Fair will get the first look at this project. For those who can't make it in person, don't worry. Pictures will be posted that night for you to enjoy. You won't be out of the loop long.

For those who would like to make the trip, this fair will be March 5 from 1 - 4:30 in Indianapolis, IN. Any of you in Indiana will probably have an easier time coming than some of my friends further out. If you can make it, be sure to not only come say hi to me (and have me sign a book for you!) but also check out the other wonderful authors there.

Can't make it in person but still want to be involved? Normally I would have a sale on signed books, but I don't want to deplete my inventory before going out. So that sale will come directly after the fair. In the meantime, check out my ebooks on Smashwords and Kindle, watch my Facebook page and blog for event preparation notes, and keep being the awesome, supportive readers you are! I could never have gotten this far without you.

So mark your calendar and start counting down! This girl is going to Indy!

A Day with Scarlett (Chapter 5)

​Josiah and Scarlett are spending a lot more time together, but things can't stay perfect for long. Josiah's about to have some real troubles at his own ranch. Vote in the poll below to decide what's going to happen next. Thanks for all the suggestions and believe me, Josiah will be doing more to regain Scarlett's friendship. The video will be up a little later this afternoon. The next morning, bright and early, Josiah showed up at Starwood Acres in a sedan. We were finishing breakfast on the porch as he drove up. “What’s the car for?” Scarlett asked.
“Taking you girls to the fair,” Josiah replied. “It’s the Fourth of July. You can’t miss the rodeo on Fourth of July. It’s bad luck.”
Mom laughed. “I think we’ve had about as much bad luck as we can stand.” She pushed Scarlett’s wheelchair around to the ramp. Daddy had put it in when I was a kid after his grandmother stopped being able to go up and down stairs. Once in front of the car, she stopped the wheelchair. Scarlett pushed herself out of the chair and maneuvered herself into the car. Josiah helped her as much as she would let him, which wasn’t much.
“Where’s Teddy?” she asked after we’d all gotten in the car.
“He had a few things to take care of this morning. He’ll be coming down with Frank.”
The rest of the drive was quiet. Scarlett stared out the window, seeming to watch the land pass by. Mom and I sat in back. I glanced at Mom for a moment to see if she would start a conversation. But she merely shook her head and turned to look out the window. I was okay for maybe five minutes, then I couldn’t stand the silence anymore. “Don’t you ever listen to the radio?” I demanded. “If no one’s going to talk, we may as well listen to something.”
“Huh? Oh, sorry,” Josiah hit a button and suddenly loud scream-o rock filled the car. The windows buzzed as the bass vibrated through the car and I could swear my ears started to bleed.
“Gah!”
“What on earth?”
“TURN THAT OFF!”
“Sorry!” He hit the button again and silence resumed.
“Is that what you normally listen to when you’re alone?” Scarlett asked. I could hear a note of amusement in her tone. In fact, I was pretty sure she was trying not to laugh.
“No,” Josiah retorted. “For your information I don’t normally listen to anything in the car.”
A grin pulled at my mouth as Scarlett turned to me, a mischievous smirk on her face. “Do you believe that, Blizz?”
“Well, it is what played when he turned the radio on.”
“This isn’t even my car!” Josiah argued.
“Uh-huh.” 
Mom was getting into it too now. “We won’t judge if that’s what you like, although you might consider keeping the volume lower for your hearing’s sake.”
“I do not like or listen to that music! I didn’t even know it would start playing!”
Scarlett couldn’t hold it in any longer and started laughing which got the rest of us in giggles.
“Just what is so funny?” Josiah demanded.
“You are,” she giggled. “You haven’t changed one bit. Quick to jump to the defensive.”
“I do not,” he grumbled.
“Do too, but that’s okay.” Without warning she leaned over and kissed his cheek.
Mom and I exchanged a shocked glance. Scarlett seemed to realize what she had just done as Josiah stared at her. Her face went from pale to red in a matter of seconds and she cleared her throat and looked away. “You might want to watch the road, Josiah, before we end up in the ditch.”
He overcorrected and the car lurched as he pulled us back into our lane. Scarlett yelped. “Ow! You didn’t have to jerk, we weren’t that close to the ditch.”
“Well if you hadn’t distracted me we wouldn’t have been anywhere near it at all.”
Scarlett glared at him and then turned away.
Josiah looked like he wanted to kick himself, and I can’t say I blamed him. Scarlett had been friendly all morning, not even scowling at him. And he’d blown it. He pulled the car into the fairground parking and soon had it parked under a shade tree. He got Scarlett’s wheelchair out of the trunk and held it while she got herself situated. Then he pushed her while Mom and I walked behind them. We hadn’t gotten far when we heard cheering and saw the big welcome banner. 
WELCOME BACK, SCARLETT JANNSEN! 
GET BETTER SOON!
Scarlett’s eyes filled with tears as people we’d grown up around and some we didn’t know came to greet her. Teddy leaned over to give her a hug. “You old rascal,” Scarlett chided, though it didn’t sound much like a reprimand.
“Can’t let Joey have all the fun,” Teddy replied with a wink.
She laughed and we somehow picked our way through the crowd and to the arena. It was challenging to find a good spot for Scarlett to be able to get in her wheelchair and finally she said, “I’m not sure I’m in the mood to really watch the rodeo anyway. But I can manage on my own if you all want to watch.”
“I’ll take you around,” Josiah chimed.
“Me too!” I said. Much as I couldn’t say it aloud, rodeo had never really held my interest long. 
Teddy and Mom decided they were going to stay and watch the show. “Did you take your pain meds this morning?”
“Yes, Mom,” Scarlett replied. “I’m fine.”
“You watch her, Joey,” Teddy said.
“Relax.” Josiah grinned and began pushing Scarlett’s wheelchair. He wound through the livestock pens so we could say hello to Skipperdeen and Winter’s Folly. “She is so beautiful and that filly is almost a spitting image of her. A little lighter in color, but she might darken up.”
“She might. It’ll be interesting to see how many of her babies Skipperdeen stamps. The only thing Winter’s Folly seemed to gain from her sire is being petite.”
Josiah laughed. “Maybe we should try Skipperdeen and Goliath together.”
“I thought you were going to sell him,” Scarlett said as we continued moving.
“Thought about it, but I couldn’t. He’s my best friend. Turns out having him around has been a big help on the ranch.”
Scarlett chuckled, “When he’s not stealing apples?”
I remained quiet and listened to them talk for a while. If I hadn’t witnessed them arguing before, I might have thought they were the cutest Western couple I’d ever seen. When we stopped for snow cones, Josiah noticed one of those carnival games. “Stay right here,” he said. “I’m going to go try my luck.”
“It’s not like I can really go anywhere,” Scarlett muttered as he strode away. 
“Well, I could kidnap you if you wanted, but you seem to be enjoying your time with the Bear.”
“I’m being no more than friendly,” Scarlett retorted. Josiah isn’t the only one who jumps hastily to defense.
I was prevented from saying anything as a little girl ran past, knocking Scarlett’s arm. Her half-finished snow cone fell to the ground in a puddle of slushy goop. “Oops, sorry!” the girl tossed over her shoulder. She was dressed in pink from her hat and pigtails to her cowgirl boots.
“Phillipa Marie Maltisten, you come back here,” a stern voice called.
She immediately turned, looking for the voice. When she located him, she tried her best to look properly ashamed. I turned to see who she was looking at and saw an impossibly tall, red-headed man. I mean this guy made Josiah look short! He had to have been six seven in his stocking feet and was standing with his arms crossed. His freckles seemed out of place with the frown he wore as he looked down at his daughter. Yet, his brown eyes twinkled with barely hidden amusement as he said, “Phillipa, what have I told you about running off?”
“To not to.” She scraped the toe of her boot in the dirt.
“And now you’ve made this young lady drop her treat. You might have hurt her. What do you think you should say?”
“I said sorry.”
“Did she know you did?”
The girl turned startling blue eyes to us. “I sorry.”
“For?” he prompted.
“For making your snow fall.”
Scarlett smiled. “It’s okay. I was about done with it anyway.”
“Lucian! Did you find her?”
He stood and turned to a woman with the same blue eyes and golden hair as the little girl. “She’s fine, Moira. Just a little carried away.”
“Thank heavens.” She took Phillipa’s hand. “You, young lady, are going to keep a hold of my hand until we go. I still don’t see what possessed you to stop here, Lucian. We have fairs and tournaments enough at home.”
“But I likes the horsies, Mama!”
“Yes I know, you and your father both,” her mother replied, glaring at Lucian. He shrugged and grinned at her as they wandered away.
We watched them for a while and I couldn’t help but laugh a bit. “Pretty sure I did that to Mom and Dad at one of these fairs,” I said.
“One time they had everything shut down looking for me,” Scarlett remembered. “They found me in a stall with the cutest little palomino filly I’ve ever seen.”
Josiah returned with a huge stuffed horse in his arms. “For you, cowgirl,” he said, handing it to Scarlett.
“Are you trying to bribe me?” she asked, her tone half-serious.
He shrugged. “Maybe. What happened to your snow cone?” he asked, noticing the green stain in the dirt.
“An overzealous toddler.”
“Well, let’s get you another one and see what else there is around here.”
We continued wandering the vendor’s booths and being stopped by just about everyone. Amelia burst into tears upon seeing Scarlett and claimed she’d had ten years of her life scared off after Scarlett’s fall. “You call if there’s anything at all I can do for you. Would you like me to make a lap quilt for you to use with your wheelchair?”
“Amelia, that’s very kind of you, but the wheelchair is temporary. I don’t think it’s going to get cold soon enough to use one.”
“I’ll make you one anyway. Evenings can get chilly up here, you know.” 
As we moved along, I did a little shopping too. There was a booth for model horse enthusiasts and I browsed around for a while. My collection had taken off in recent years and I’d made sure to bring some of my savings to get some new additions. While I was debating between a palomino quarter horse and a grullo mustang, I heard a girl say, “Ugh, can’t we go yet, Laney? It reeks of cow here.”
“Well, duh, it’s a rodeo. What did you expect?”
“But he wasn’t even there yesterday. What makes you think he’ll be wandering around today?” 
The girl named Laney gasped. “Omigosh, it’s him!”
I heard Scarlett yelp and turned to see the girls rush past her, knocking her leg as they went. I put down the horses and went to Scarlett. “Are you okay?”
She didn’t answer. Instead, she glared ferociously at the two girls who were now giggling all over Josiah. He seemed to be taking it all in stride, laughing with them and signing bits of paper they shoved at him. When he started writing on one of their shirts, Scarlett tried to turn the wheelchair around away from him. 
“Hey, why don’t you help me decide on a new horse for my collection?” I asked her, pushing her where she’d been trying to go. “The palomino quarter or the grullo mustang?”
She took them from me and considered them for a moment, though I could tell she wasn’t really focused. “I’ve always been partial to those zebra stripes on the legs,” she said after a while. “But that palomino is sure pretty.”
“I could get it for you, if you want it.”
“Nah, I’ve got a palomino at home,” she replied. “Get the mustang. I’m going to go rest under that tree over there. It’s a bit too warm out here.”
I knew that wasn’t the real reason, but I said, “Sure. I’ll meet you there in a bit.” My heart ached as she rolled herself away. Part of me wanted to comfort her, remind her that they were just fan girls and wouldn’t always be around. But then I remembered the story Mom had told me. Scarlett had already seen this happen before and it hadn’t ended well for her. I was about to pay for my horse when Josiah came back. “Where’s Scarlett?”
“Under the tree avoiding you.” Seeing my sister hurt kind of brings out my nasty side.
His eyes narrowed and then he sighed, “Look, Blizzard, this is going to be an uphill climb for me no matter what. It would sure help if you weren’t pushing me back even farther than your sister.”
I have to admit he had a point. If he was ever going to patch things up with Scarlett, he had his work cut out for him. “I’m sorry, she was just really upset and that bothers me.”
“Rightfully so, well you being bothered. Nothing happened over there for her to get upset about.”
“That’s not what she thinks.” 
“I never know what that girl thinks.” His eyes fell to the horse in my hands. “What are you doing?”
“Scarlett and I have always collected models. I’m getting a new one for my herd, if you must know.”
His eyebrow rose and he smirked. “Real ones aren’t enough?”
“A girl can never have too many horses,” I retorted, finally paying the vendor.
He shook his head and laughed, turning away from me. His laughter stopped as he picked up one of the horses. “No way.”
I looked over at the model. “That looks exactly like Zander. It even has the same back stockings he does!”
“That’s what I thought. How much is this?” 
“Woah, cowboy, I know what you’re thinking and while the idea is great, the timing isn’t.”
“Well, what do you suggest? Today’s the last day of the fair.”
I thought for a minute. “Take the horse to Teddy so Scarlett doesn’t see it. I’ll take her over to the pavilion for some lunch. I’m sure I can come up with a good reason why you’re not here. But I suggest you save the mini-Zander for something really special.”
“Don’t suppose you have any ideas what that might be?”
“Nope, you’re going to have to figure that out on your own.”

The county fair ended with fireworks and singing and more fun than should be allowed in a single day. The next day brought Josiah back to the ranch early in the morning. He was a hard worker and never complained about the chores Scarlett gave him. I knew she was enjoying bossing him around, even if she wouldn’t admit it. Nothing was too much for him to handle and he took Scarlett’s criticism well, usually. Occasionally I heard arguments between the two of them which almost always ended with Scarlett saying, “This is my ranch.” 
Each day Josiah did extra things as well. Our fence not only got repaired, but he stained and treated it so it would stay in good condition. He weeded out the garden in front of the Starwood Acres sign and added new plants to it, including two mini rosebushes, one with red blooms and the other white. He surprised us one morning with fresh made donuts from the diner and even took me out a few times in our old pickup for driving lessons. Several times he brought Scarlett little horse figurines for her collection, though the little Zander never appeared. Each one came with a card telling her what the horse’s name was and a little story. She liked them more than she let on.Things were going well for us and Scarlett actually seemed to look forward to Josiah coming. He routinely took her to her therapy sessions which always ended up longer than the ones Mom took her to.
One morning just before fall, the phone rang. Scarlett happened to be closest to it and picked up. “Starwood Acres, this is Scarlett. What? Are you sure?” There was a long pause and when she spoke again, her voice was low and sorrowful. “No, we’ll be fine today. Yes, I’m sure. Yeah, I’ll be over in fifteen minutes.” She put the phone back on the receiver. “Blizzard, grab your keys. We’re heading to the Double Rocking B.”  

Friends Forever

Aren't good friends the best? They must be because we have a whole day devoted just to them! Friends Day was on Thursday and obviously I'm a little behind, but I want to give a shout out to my friends. Especially my writing friends.

In my latest video, I told you about a few of the amazing teachers in my life. I've also got some pretty amazing writing buddies who have encouraged me and helped me figure out this whole being self-published thing. It's not easy and like any adventure, it's nice to have someone to encourage you when the going gets tough. So today, I'm going to tell you about a few of my awesome writing buddies. I can't fit all of them on here, because I'm starting to have a lot! But I can tell you about a few.

Shanna Hatfield
Shanna is the kind of friend every person needs. She's funny, supportive and knows just how to make you feel like anything is possible. And she's not just that way to her writing friends. She's that way with her fans and just about everyone. Her romances are fun and have that flair of realism that just makes you want to saddle a horse and ride into them. I've been able to get early glimpses at a couple of her books, which in and of itself is pretty amazing, and I've read a few others. Trust me, if Shanna is the author, it's a good book! And I'm telling you, on some level, Shanna and I have got to be sisters. I don't know that I've met another author who loves cooking and entertaining as much as I do. In fact, I'd say she enjoys those things even more than I do! Most tend to be hide in the back corner types (not that there is anything wrong with that). Shanna is a great friend to have, whether you're a writer, a reader, or just anybody. Shanna's Website Savvy Entertaining H. L. Burke
Heidi is another great friend to have, and not just because we share the same middle name.  She is a fellow fantasy author who also dabbles in steampunk and romance. Her books are fun and engaging. But more than that she is a very supportive friend. It was thanks to her drive that we were able to start the Kindle giveaway (which is still going by the way so be sure to enter today) and get a discussion group going for clean fantasy writers. This weekend's party is just the first of such events and I'm so excited to see where this leads. And it is truly thanks to Heidi. She's always one of the first ones there if you need help promoting or retweeting or any other techie things I'm still trying to figure out. She's also incurably in love with dragons, and you can't go wrong with a friend who loves dragons. Heidi's Website Lia London
I don't think any clean writer's list would be complete without Lia. She has done a lot to promote clean authors including her website Clean Indie Reads (and yes, you can find my series there). She writes a variety of things, but what I know her best for our her fun, short, snarky fairy tales. Seriously, lots of fun and quick read! Lia is a great person. She is supportive, fun and eager to help out. Her CIR author group has grown to over 2000 authors and I think I can safely say we all love her! In any case, I love her. I so appreciate her taking all of us under her wing and giving us a place where we can stand out. Her humor and good nature comes out and makes even the rainiest day seem sunny.  Clean Indie Reads Lia's WEbsite Lea Doué
I think we all need at least one newbie friend, and Lea is mine. Though I have been published longer, I am so inspired by Lea as she takes on the self-publishing challenge. She has recently published her first book and I feel like we are learning a lot of things together. I've had the privilege of being involved in two events with her and she has taken it all in stride. You would never know she was new to it! Her first book is a fairy tale reimagining which is going to turn into a series and I seriously cannot wait to see where this goes! I'm looking forward to reading the first one (sorry, Lea, my reading list is huge and I just haven't gotten there yet!) as well as discovering the world of marketing and Twitter and all that other stuff with her.  Lea's Website This list could seriously keep going forever and ever because I have some amazing writing friends. Perhaps in April I will give you a month of authors and introduce you to more of my writing friends. And of course I will continue to have author interviews an information about new releases available as those opportunities come. Check out 

Accidents and Rumors (Chapter 4)

Things are heating up in Pine Springs and life is about to get more interesting for the Jannsen girls. Be sure to vote in the polls and let's see if we can get Josiah and Scarlett on speaking terms again. The poll will go through Tuesday (Feb.2) at 8pm CST. Videos will come up later this evening for this chapter and Chapter 3. And don't forget to check out my post about the Kindle giveaway going now! Scarlett fiddled nervously with Zander’s reins as we walked to the ring. I guess it hadn’t taken much arguing to get her to agree to the competition. Anytime Scarlett had extra time during the day she enjoyed riding the barrels at home. Doing it at the rodeo just caught her off guard. “You’re going to wear the leather out wringing it like that,” I teased.
“Shut up.” She grinned at me before glancing in the ring again. “It’s been so long since I actually competed.”
“You’re making it sound like five years is an eternity.”
“It is when you’re competitive,” she retorted. “It’s one thing to run for fun at home. There I’m just doing it to enjoy time with Zander. Out there, it’s a different animal completely. I have to be focused and take everything into consideration so I don’t lose time.”
“Quit thinking of it as a competition then,” I said. “It’s just you and Zander having fun.”
“In front of a thousand people,” Scarlett pointed out. “Yeah, real fun.”
“Come on, it’ll be just like old times.”
She nodded and turned to Zander. “What do you think, boy? Do we have another win in us?”
He tossed his head and snorted.
“That’s what I was thinking,” she replied. “Well, you’d best go find Mom and Teddy. They’ll have found seats by now.”
I knew she wanted to be on her own, so I went to the stands. Josiah stood so I could sneak past him to sit by Mom. We were in the front. Mom liked being able to see everything and claimed that front row had the best view. I think some of it to was wanting to be as close to that arena as she could get. I think part of her had hoped I would do rodeo too. I looked at her as we watched the first rider go. “Mom, does it disappoint you that I never competed?”
She gave me that look moms get when you ask something completely ridiculous. “What on earth kind of question is that?”
“I don’t know, you kind of went behind Scarlett’s back to get her out there again. And I know music was never really your thing. I just wondered if maybe you thought I should have done barrel racing too.”
Mom put her arm around me. “You listen good, Blizzard May. I have never wanted anything for you that you didn’t yourself want. As much as Scarlett may have your daddy’s looks, she’s got my drive. Paul loved the ranch and he loved the horses. But his heart was in the land and with the animals. He didn’t care much for competition and that suited the two of us just fine. He would come to the rodeos with me and cheer me on, but he never wanted to participate himself. We knew as soon as Scarlett could walk she’d be out there racing. If anything, I wish she had kept at it longer. But, she’s done what she thought she had to. Much as I might think she should have stayed at school, I’m glad she’s stayed true to her own course. As for being disappointed in you, I just can’t be. You remind me so much of Paul.”
“So, I am more like Dad?”
“From your eyes to your heart,” Mom said with a smile. “I’m proud of you chasing your dreams. And, you should know Tammy asked me last night if you’d be willing to play in the diner a few nights a month as their live entertainment.”
My jaw dropped into my lap. “What?”
“I told her that could probably be arranged and you would call after the fair was through to talk details.”
I about knocked Teddy’s hat off throwing my arms around Mom for a tight squeeze. “Sorry, Teddy.”
“Could be worse,” he chuckled as he straightened the brim.
We quieted as the announcer said, “And now after years out of the ring, a real treat today folks. Let’s hear it for Scarlett Jannsen. Zander seemed more jittery than normal, but then again that’s how a lot of barrel racers looked before their run. The buzzer sounded and he streaked into the ring. The next part came so fast it was hard to tell what exactly had happened. As Zander rounded the second barrel, his feet slid out from under him. The next thing we knew, he and Scarlett were down. Dust filled the air as they slid against the wall. My heart slipped into my shoes as gasps filled the stands. Zander soon pulled himself up, but Scarlett didn’t move. 
“Ladies and gentlemen please remain calmly in your seats.” 
I watched numbly as the rodeo clown took hold of Zander’s reins and led him out of the ring. At some point Josiah must have hopped the fence because he was at Scarlett’s side as the medics lifted her onto a stretcher. 
“Blizzard, come on,” Mom said, gently touching my arm.
We moved out of the stands and down to the ambulance. They were loading Scarlett in as we arrived. “Is she all right?” Mom asked.
“Probably has a broken leg and a concussion, but we’ll need x-rays to know for sure. We’ve got her set with an IV and some pain killers for now. You want to ride with her, Mrs. Jannsen?”
“Let Blizzard go with her. She can’t drive the truck on her own.”
“But, Mom…”
“She needs you, sweetheart. I’ll meet you there.” She saw Josiah standing awkwardly nearby. “Josiah, you better get your dad and follow me out. He’s not going to be easy unless he knows she’s okay.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself. I held Scarlett’s hand and kept waiting for her to wake up. The drive seemed to take forever. I thought I saw her eyelids move and I smiled. “Hey, Scarlett, you know there are other ways of getting out of a rodeo.”
“Blizz?” Her voice was weak.
“Yeah, I’m here. Mom’s following.”
“Zander. Is Zander okay?”
“He walked out of the ring and seemed fine. Honestly, we were a little more concerned for you.”
“Darn rabbits.” Her eyes closed and I sat blinking at her. 
“What rabbits?” 
One of the paramedics caught my eye and said, “It’s probably the meds. Keep talking to her though, if it makes you feel better.”
The day dragged as I was sitting in the waiting room with Teddy and Josiah. Mom came in and out between checking on Scarlett during surgery and pacing the room. I was glad Teddy was there to help Mom stay calm. In times that Mom was back with the doctors or checking on Scarlett, I could hear Teddy and Josiah talking in hushed tones. At first I thought they were talking about Scarlett until I heard Teddy say, “It doesn’t make any sense for someone to do that, Joey. What could anyone gain by making only a few of our cattle sick? And why stop pat just making them sick. They’d do more damage killing them outright. More than likely it’s just a virus going through the herd. We keep doing what we’ve been doing. Isolate the sick ones and monitor the herd. The vet already said most of the sick ones will probably recuperate just fine.”
“What about the chickens? I’ve fixed that coop four times now and something is still getting to them. We need to call the sheriff and get this investigated before it turns into something serious.”
“No, Joey. It’s probably just a coyote. They’re wily critters, after all.”
“Are you going to say that when someone breaks into the house?” 
Mom came back to the room at that moment and Teddy gave Josiah a look ending the conversation. I watched Josiah stalk off to the hospitality table. I wanted to ask him what they had been talking about, but I didn’t think he’d be willing to talk to me about it. After the doctor came back to say Scarlett was clear to leave, Mom went back to bring Scarlett out. She’d twisted her knee pretty badly in the fall and broken the leg. The doctors said it could have been much worse and with some therapy and time to heal, she’d be back in the saddle in no time. 
As Mom came out with Scarlett in a wheelchair, Teddy looked at her with tears in his eyes. “I should never have signed you up for that.”
“Teddy, it wasn’t your fault,” she said, reaching for his hand. “I don’t know how it got missed, but I swear there was a rabbit hole outside the barrels. Most of the riders wouldn’t have come near it, but I was too wide anyway. In trying to make sure Zander didn’t step in it, I overcorrected. And while that wasn’t the way I wanted to finish the rodeo, it felt good to be competing again. I’m glad you signed me up.” She saw Josiah and frowned. “Aren’t you supposed to be roping this afternoon?” 
“I think I’ve missed it by now,” he replied. “But Dad needed to know that you’re okay. When will you be able to ride again?”
“Not for months,” Scarlett moaned. “This couldn’t have happened at a worse time. I’ve got too much to do…”
“And we’ll hire someone to take over what Blizzard and I can’t manage,” Mom interrupted. “You are going to rest and do everything the doctor says so we can get you healed up.”
“But…”
“No buts, you won’t be any good to us permanently lame.”
“I can help,” Josiah said, a little too eagerly.
“Oh no you can’t,” Scarlett retorted. “You’ve got your own ranch to worry about and I’m not going to have you around messing things up.”
“Scarlett,” Mom snapped. 
“Believe it or not,” Teddy interrupted, “Joey’s been doing a lot less of the managing, Lettie. I’m not one hundred percent yet, but I can handle the job. And horse ranching isn’t all that different from cattle ranching. Joey would be a good hand for you.”
“And it would be one less person to worry about paying,” Josiah added. “Until you’re back in the saddle, I’ll just do whatever chores you and your mom give me. I’ll be at your beck and call.” Something in the way he said that told me he was going to get a lot more satisfaction out of this than any normal person would.
We’d gotten out to the trucks and Scarlett was sitting with her arms across her chest. I could tell she was trying to think of any good reason why Josiah couldn’t be the one at the ranch and falling short. “Think of it, Scarlett, you can make him do the chores you don’t like doing anyway,” I added.
Mom and Teddy laughed while Scarlett turned to glower at me. Then I realized Mom was frowning at the pickup. “I think we might have to rent a car. It’s going to be awfully difficult for you to get in the truck.”
“I can manage it,” Scarlett said, trying to push herself out of the chair.
Suddenly Josiah had her in his arms while she smacked him. “Chill, cowgirl, I’m just getting you in your seat.”
“You put me down right now.”
“I plan to if you’d quit being such an…”
“Josiah, I hope you weren’t about to say what I think you were about to say,” Teddy said firmly. “I taught you better than to call a lady names.”
His ears turned pink and he finished, “Angel.”
“Nice cover,” I whispered.
Josiah winked.
“Well, our second surprise for the day will have gotten underway by now,” Teddy mused. “So it seems only fitting that Joey and I escort you ladies home and take care of dinner for you.”
“What was the surprise?” I asked. “Since we’re missing it, there’s no harm in telling us now.”
“The county’s first ever chuckwagon theatre.”
“Chuckwagon theatre?” I repeated.
Teddy laughed. “Yep. I had it all set up. There’d be wagon beds for everyone to sit in with their dinner and a big ol’ projector screen to watch classic Westerns on. Like a drive-in only better.”
Mom laughed. “We’ll have to plan one at Starwood sometime and invite people out. But for tonight, I happen to have quite a few Westerns at home. Since you’ve offered to provide dinner, I’ll provide the home theatre.”

That evening we enjoyed grilled burgers while watching Mom’s old John Wayne movies. We had stopped by the county fair long enough to let the officials know that Scarlett was going to be okay and to pick up Zander. The vet there had checked him over and other than some bruises, Scarlett's star was just fine. We were in the middle of The Sons of Katie Elder when I looked over at the couch. Josiah had managed to sit by Scarlett, though she had argued and tried to scoot herself as far from him as possible. I have to hand it to him, the Bear is nothing if not persistent. Now she was leaning against his shoulder fast asleep. I couldn’t blame her. She’d had a rough day and had to be exhausted mentally and physically. The funny part was Josiah’s head tipped over hers, his eyes closed. 
I giggled and Mom glanced over with a smile. “Well, that’s encouraging.”
“Certainly better than the two of them fighting,” Teddy agreed.
“If I didn’t know better,” I said suspiciously, “I’d almost think you two planned this.”
“Well, minus the rodeo accident, we kind of did. Scarlett’s got to let go of her anger,” Mom said. “I know I said it was her story, but I’ll tell you a little of it. You probably don’t remember the last time Josiah came back to town. He’d gotten injured in a rodeo and while he would be able to go back and did, it sidelined him for a while.”
I frowned. “I don’t remember that.”
“It happened just after Paul died. We were all a little preoccupied and Scarlett was more than a little vulnerable. With Josiah back, they picked right back up where they’d been in high school. Folks around here always did say the two of them would make a wonderful couple.”
“If they didn’t kill each other first,” Teddy added.
Mom chuckled and continued, “Anyway, they were dating and it seemed like they were both happy. I was sure that for all of Scarlett’s insistence she’d stay at the ranch, I’d lose her to a wedding.”
“Then Josiah got stupid,” Teddy muttered.
“He let his guard down,” Mom corrected. “Josiah was pretty well known on the circuit and like most of those cowboys had a string of admirers. One of them came to town and they started getting a little friendly.”
“Too friendly for a guy who was dating someone else?” I guessed.
Nodding, Mom said, “I don’t know how, um, compromising a situation Scarlett found him in, but her heart was shattered. She came home and swore she would never see Josiah Meddleton again.”
“And now you’re trying to play matchmaker with them?”
“No, I’m trying to help Scarlett see that people make mistakes and people change. It’s been five years since that happened and she needs to give Josiah a chance to prove himself. Everyone needs strong friends and the two of them together are the strongest people I know.”
I considered what Mom had told me. “Well, for someone who swore never to see him again, she’s going to start seeing a whole lot of him.”
“It’s going to be an interesting summer, that’s for sure,” Teddy agreed. 

Trouble at the Fair (Chapter 3)

This week is going to be a little different. Everyone liked the options for this chapter so much that I decided to use all of them. But that was an awful lot of information for one chapter and it was getting a bit too long. So, today I'm posting Chapter 3 and tomorrow you'll get Chapter 4! How's that for fast? Due to unforeseen time constraints I have not made the video reading yet, but hope to have that done sometime this afternoon, if my kiddos cooperate. Otherwise I'll get both video readings done tomorrow. Check out the poll at the end of this chapter for use in Chapter 5 and don't forget to visit my post about the Kindle giveaway and enter for your chance to win! Zander Photo courtesy Lea Pike Doue About a week after the casserole fiasco, our summer really got underway. New foals were born it seemed every day and there was work to be done with the yearlings and older horses. One Saturday,  Mom, Scarlett and I were enjoying cool lemonade out on the porch when we saw a pickup coming down the drive. Scarlett excused herself and disappeared to the barn before it arrived. I didn’t have long to wonder why she’d left. After parking, Josiah Meddleton exited the truck and came up to the front porch.
“Good afternoon, Josiah,” Mom said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”
“Yes, ma’am. Dad told me to bring this casserole dish back to you.”
“Well, I see you refilled it for me. That looks like brisket.”
“Dad said I couldn’t bring it back empty. I’m afraid that’s about the only thing I know how to make.”
I could see him looking around the porch. “Looking for something?” I asked.
“Huh? Oh, no. Well, no.” He started to turn back to his truck and then looked over his shoulder at Mom. “Is Scarlett here, by any chance?”
Mom hesitated. “She is, but she’s likely busy right now.”
“I’ll only be a moment.”
I could see an inner battle in Mom’s eyes. Finally she tipped her head toward the barn. “She’s in there.”
Josiah tipped his hat before walking to the barn. I stood to follow. 
“Blizzard, aren’t you going to help me in here?” Mom asked pointedly.
“It’s a casserole dish, Mom. I’m sure you can handle it. Besides, someone’s got to make sure she doesn’t throw a shoe at him.”
Mom tried to look stern, but her smile kind of ruined it. “Eavesdropping is going to get you into trouble one of these days.”
I shrugged before skipping over to the barn. I stood just outside where I could hear without being seen. Mom was probably right that I’d get myself into trouble, but it wouldn’t be the first time I’d done it.
Josiah seemed to be in mid-sentence as I came up. “Just wondering if  you’ve had any problems with your chickens lately.”
“Nope. Our coop is fine and none of them are missing. Maybe there’s a coyote by your place.”
“Maybe.” He sounded unsure.
“Was there something else?” I could tell Scarlett was trying to get rid of him without being rude. Mom had taught us to be polite, no matter what. Didn’t always happen that way, but Scarlett tried harder than I did.
“Dad wanted me to tell you he’s got something planned for you and Blizzard during the county fair. I’m not supposed to say what, but he wants to make sure you’re planning on attending.”
“We always go,” Scarlett replied slowly. “Even if we didn’t, I have to be there.”
“Why?”
I could hear in her voice she regretted saying that. “I just do. If you need extra help fixing your coop, Shorty has tomorrow off. He might be willing to drop by and help you out.”
“No, I got it taken care of. Thanks though.” There was a long pause. “If you’ve got tomorrow off, I’d enjoy a ride with you.”
“I’m busy tomorrow, sorry.”
“Tonight then?”
“We’ve got a foal due tonight. Skipperdeen’s milk is down. And I think I’ve already made it plain I’m not interested.”
There was a scowl in Josiah’s voice as he said, “You haven’t changed much have you?”
“’Bout as much as you have.”
“You wouldn’t know if I have or haven’t, Scarlett Jannsen.” Loud footsteps started coming toward the barn door and I scurried around the side. I watched Josiah stomp to his truck and drive away. 
Once he was gone I went into the barn. “So, is Skipperdeen really close to having her foal?” I asked, not thinking about the fact that I wasn’t supposed to have heard that conversation. 
Scarlett’s eyes narrowed. “Next time you want to listen in, just come inside.” Before I could say anything she stalked to the house. Yep, Mom was right. Eavesdropping had gotten me in trouble again.

The weeks flew until the county fair. There was a lot to prepare for the whole event. We’d heard the diner was having an amateur night and I was anxious to debut my new guitar there. Scarlett had been asked to give a barrel racing demonstration at the 4-H show and talk about how the program had led her to ranching. She and I laughed about it. In reality, ranching had led her to 4-H. Skipperdeen had been Scarlett’s horse project back when she was in school. She’d raised her from a yearling and trained her, showing her almost yearly. The tables were turning now though. This time I would be showing Skipperdeen and her new filly, Winter’s Folly, in the mare/foal division.
When we arrived at the fairgrounds, I had to take Skipperdeen and Folly to check-in. “Will you be all right with Mom’s help?” Scarlett asked as she unloaded her old barrel racer, Zander. He’s a stocky, gray horse with just a hint of chestnut in his mane and tail. Mom says he’s technically a rose gray, but anytime you say that to people who don’t know horses, they look at you funny. He tossed his head impatiently. “Hey, behave,” Scarlett chided. It didn’t make much difference though. Zander, like Skipperdeen, is Scarlett’s baby and can get away with just about anything.
“Don’t worry about us,” Mom replied. “We can get the girls where they need to be just fine on our own. You go ahead over to the show ring. Blizzard will meet you there soon.”
“Aren’t you coming over?” I asked.
“Someone’s got to stay with this sweet girl,” Mom said. “This is a new place to her, after all, and she’s bound to be a little nervous. Besides, it’s been a long time since you saw your sister in action.”
Scarlett waved as she walked the opposite direction as us. Mom and I took Skipperdeen and Winter’s Folly into the stable where we met Mrs. Callicut, one of the 4-H advisers. “Why Tabitha Jannsen, is that Skipperdeen?” she asked, standing from her table to stroke the mare’s neck.
“Yes, it is,” Mom replied.
Mrs. Callicut’s green eyes sparkled. “Oh my, it seems only last year Scarlett was showing her as a yearling. Such a pretty girl.”
“And a great mother,” I added. “She’s just had her first foal.”
Mrs. Callicut bent over Folly. “She’s a darling! It seems we’ve come fully circle, Tabitha. Well, come over to the table and we’ll get everything in order so you can see these lovely girls to a stall.”
“You go ahead to the show ring,” Mom said after we finished with the paperwork. “I know you’re anxious to see Scarlett perform.”
I grinned and kissed Mom’s cheek before skipping away. When I got there she was finishing up her speech. I stayed by the fence. The last time I’d seen Scarlett do a course had been when I was a kid. I’d heard people around town talk about what a shame it was when she stopped competing. “Real talent,” they always said. As she and Zander rounded the barrels, I could see what they meant. Suddenly a shadow passed next to me and I turned to see Josiah Meddleton stop by the fence, watching Scarlett.
“I can’t believe she’s still riding that old gelding,” he muttered.
I considered ignoring him, but there was something about him that sparked my curiosity. “Don’t let Zander hear you say that. He has no clue how old he is.”
“He’s got to be at least sixteen years old. She was riding him back when we were in high school.”
“Yeah, and he acts like a colt,” I retorted. “He knows he’s got Scarlett wrapped around his little finger, or hoof I guess.”
Josiah chuckled. “Yeah, Scarlett always did baby her horses.” He glanced over at me. “So, do you barrel race too?”
“Nah,” I said. “I ride for the fun of it and because that’s how you get around on the ranch. I love the horses, but I was never really interested in the rodeo side of it.”
“Take after your dad, huh?”
I shrugged. “Dunno.”
“Sorry, you probably don’t remember a whole lot seeing as you were a kid when he died.”
I didn’t say anything. I hated being reminded just how little time I got with him. Words like “unfair” and “abandoned” started creeping into my thoughts. “Will you be participating in the rodeo this .
​year?” I asked, trying to steer the conversation in a new direction.
“Dad roped me into it. I hadn’t actually planned on it before.”
We were quiet for a while, watching as Scarlett dismounted and began answering questions. She looked over in our direction and I waved with a smile. Even from the distance I could sense her frown as she turned her back on us and walked away.
“I guess I should go before she pushes me into a horse trough or something,” Josiah murmured.
“There’s an amateur night at the diner tonight at six,” I blurted out. “I happen to know Scarlett will be there to hear me sing.”
He looked at me for a moment, a mischievous twinkle entering his eyes. I could see why so many girls had fallen for him. That twinkle could melt ice cream, let alone a girl’s heart. “Sharing information with the enemy?” he asked.
“It’s public knowledge,” I shrugged. 
Laughing, Josiah tipped his hat as he turned. “Well, thanks for the PSA.”
He’d hardly left when Scarlett arrived next to me. “What did he want?” she demanded.
“I don’t know, he was just watching you ride.”
She sighed and looked away from the fair. This had become almost a habit if someone mentioned him or she saw him. She’d get this real distant look on her face like she was seeing a totally different world than we were. “I just can’t seem to escape him.”
“Well, let’s not worry too much about the Bear,” I said. “The first round of the mare and foal division starts in an hour. Let’s look around.”
As we wandered the booths and tried out some of the baked goods at the pastry competitions, Josiah soon left our thoughts. We found Mom at the quilting booth speaking with Amelia in hushed tones. Though she smiled when she saw us, I could tell something Amelia had said was bothering her. She checked her watch. “Gracious! Blizzard, we better get you to the stables. It’s almost time! Sorry to leave you so soon, Amelia.”
“I know I’ll see you in the shop. Good luck, Blizzard!”
“Thanks!”
At the end of the day, Skipperdeen and Winter’s Folly took third place. I grumbled a bit since one of the marks against the filly was she was too small. Scarlett and I were heading to the truck when we heard arguing. We turned to see a short, spindly-looking man pointing his finger in Josiah’s face. I slowed to see what was going on, but Scarlett jabbed me with her elbow. “Keep moving,” she hissed.
We hadn’t gotten far when we heard a voice shout, “You haven’t heard the last from me, Meddleton.”
Scarlett jabbed me again and we walked even faster. 
“What’s your problem?” I snapped when we got to the pickup.
“Eavesdropping on an obvious argument is just plain dumb, Blizz.”
“Who was arguing?” Mom asked.
Scarlett described briefly what we’d seen. “I don’t know much and I don’t want to know.”
Mom frowned. “This doesn’t bode well. Anyway, let’s head to the diner. I’ve already fed the horses, so they’ll be fine overnight.” She started the engine and slowly drove out of the fairgrounds and into town. The diner was packed. We walked in during one of the performances and found Teddy and Josiah sitting at our favorite booth. Scarlett started looking for somewhere else to go but Teddy waved us over. “Come on in, there’s plenty of room,” he said.
“Thank you, we’d enjoy that.” Mom said and took a seat next to Teddy. 
Scarlett motioned for me to go ahead of her. 
I knew I was risking death refusing, but I didn’t have much option. “I can’t sit in the middle, Scarlett. I’ve got to be able to get up for my turn or I’ll miss it.”
Her gray eyes flashed at me and I knew I was going to hear about it later, but she finally slid in next to Josiah.
I set my guitar case next to Scarlett before sitting down at the end. Time was short until my time slot. When the waitress came by for our order, Teddy said, “This is on me tonight, Lydia.”
“Sure thing, Teddy.”
“Teddy, you don’t have to do that,” Mom argued, though it was half-hearted at best.
“I’ve got to do something to make up for all our missed weekends,” he replied. “Which reminds me. I’ve got a surprise for you ladies tomorrow.”
“What is it?”
“Well if I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore. Actually, I have a couple surprises. The first is for Scarlett. You and Zander need to be ready for the barrel racing competition tomorrow. I took the liberty of entering for you.”
Scarlett choked on her water. “What? But, I can’t compete! Zander and I haven’t been practicing at a competitive level in years. He could get hurt and he’s not as young as he pretends to be.”
“He’ll be fine and so will you,” Mom reassured her. “Teddy talked to me about the idea months ago. Shorty’s been working Zander and I know you’ve been doing more with him than you let on.”
“What about me? Don’t I have any say at all?”
“Listen, Scarlett…”
“No, you listen…”
“Let’s give a big hand to that wonderful performance. Next up is Blizzard Jannsen.”
If not for the fact that I wouldn’t be given another opportunity, I half-wanted to skip my turn to see how this played out. I grabbed my guitar and walked up to the stage.
“Watch out! It’s the ice queen!” some teen shouted amid laughter and snorts.
I rolled my eyes. Some people just never grow up, and I don’t mean that in a good way. I checked the strings to make sure they were tuned and took a deep breath. Nerves fluttered in  my stomach and I glanced at the table. Mom and Scarlett stopped arguing long enough to smile at me. Scarlett gave me an encouraging thumb’s up. I started strumming chords as the song I’d written worked its way through the guitar and me. It was a slow ballad and I guess some might call it a love song, though I didn’t necessarily mean it that way. Memories of a sunset ride with Daddy colored the harmonies with that bittersweet twang that makes country so unique. I glanced up and saw several people dancing. Josiah somehow managed to drag Scarlett onto the floor. I would love to know how he did that. Soon the song pushed that and everything else from my mind. All that existed were the guitar and my memories. I forgot about the crowd, the diner and everything in it. I could smell the summer grass and pine of Starwood Acres. Daddy’s laughter filled my heart 
As the song ended, the cheering began. “If that song didn’t touch your soul, I don’t think you have one. A beautiful performance tonight by Blizzard Jannsen.” 
The cheering continued and though my eyes pricked with unshed tears, I couldn’t help but feel pleased with the performance. I almost heard Daddy’s voice whisper, Way to go, cowgirl. I’m proud of you.

Escape With Me...

It's cold. It's dreary. And all you want is an escape. What better escape than a good book...or 16? A group of fantasy writers, including yours truly, have gotten together to provide the perfect escape for those winter blues. We're giving away a Kindle Fire and 16 clean fantasy reads. What kind of fantasy are these books?
The books range from fairy tale reimaginings to epic fantasy to fantasy with a hint of steampunk and more. A little bit of something for everyone. These are stories for all ages written by authors dedicated to telling clean stories. 

What does clean mean?
It doesn't mean that we gave the books a shower. We're talking about content. There is no graphic violence and romance is sweet rather than all-telling. In essence, we're trying to write books that won't make you skip pages, flinch or blush. 

So how do I enter?
That's a great question! Go to the raffecopter link and start adding entries! Some entries will be visiting author Facebook pages. While it's not required, you might want to consider giving them a like so you can keep up-to-date on their work and what they're up to. We authors need all the encouragement we can get. There will also be authors to follow on Twitter or newsletters to sign up for. For you avid readers, this is a one-shop stop for great fantasy writers!  a Rafflecopter giveaway But wait, there is more! We're also having a Meet and Greet party on Facebook Feb. 5-6. There will be several authors available to chat with you about their books and you just might win some awesome new prizes there too. I won't give them all away, but there's an absolutely adorable dragon just waiting for a new home. 

So don't wait! Enter the contest, say you're going to our party and be ready to escape to a whole new world...or several.
​

Author Interview - H. L. Burke

I'm so excited to have Heidi on my blog today and even more fun, she's doing a giveaway! I had the great privilege of reading Cora and the Nurse Dragon as a beta reader. Let me just say, this book is awesome! The characters are fun, the story engaging and fun for the whole family. My kiddos were able to beta with me and they loved it every bit as much as I did! So if you like dragons, fantasy and free books, keep reading! Directions to her giveaway will be posted at the end of the blog. Welcome, Heidi, to my blog! Tell us a little about yourself. 
I'm an obsessive personality. I'm almost always obsessed with something, and while that changes from time to time (I have a couple of ongoing obsessions--Lord of the Rings and my husband, mainly) chances are there is something, a TV show, a book, my own writing, something … that I'm obsessing about at that moment. I also really love cats. I love every kind of cat. I just want to hug them, but I can't hug every cat … that is sad.

It is. When you're not writing, what do you enjoy doing? 
I'm a casual gamer. I love puzzle games like Myst or the Nancy Drew series … and sometimes MMORPGs like World of Warcraft. I also crochet and I have a cat and two rambunctious daughters, so if I have free time, it's usually short. I wish I could fit in more reading, too. I've been trying to do better about that, but if my daughters' see me reading, they take that as a sign that I can read TO them and we end up reading “Go Dog Go” for the fifth time in an hour

We love Nancy Drew here! You've been given a Time-Turner (Harry Potter). When do you go back to and how many turns does it take? 
This sounds suspiciously like it might involve math. Is there math involved? I'm just going to say 42 for the numbers part. That usually works. Honestly, though, I'm not particularly nostalgic and there is no historical event I'd want to go to for fear of causing some sort of paradox and accidentally saving rather than assassinating Hitler. I might go back and tell teenage me that happily ever after is just around the corner, but she managed to stumble through all right with only a vague faith that this was true, so it isn't an urgent message.

Yes, that sneaky math. Tell us a little about Cora and the Nurse Dragon. 
In Cora's world, dragons have been “domesticated.” They're bred in factories to be pets, or racers, or used in other human pursuits. Cora's obsessed with them. She wants a pet dragon. She wants to be a dragon jockey, riding a racing dragon, when she grows up. However, her father believes dragons are meant to be free in the wild, not exploited by humans. One day Cora gets a hold of a dragon egg which hatches into something that changes everything for her. That something is a nurse dragon named Cricket.

I loved that about the story! What inspired you to write this story? 
Cora kind of came out of no where. I was NOT planning to write it. I'd just finished the second book in my “Elemental Realms” series and was planning to spend November editing rather than writing … then right before NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) started, I got this idea that wouldn't leave my head about a little girl living in a world where kids could get dragon egg packs, and how usually the packs would be worthless, like lottery tickets or crackerjack prizes, but sometimes, very very rarely, there would be something exceptional. And the story just sort of wrote itself from there.

Every author's dream, and sometimes nightmare. What is your favorite dragon book (yes, your own count)? 
Gosh … this is so so hard … like The Hobbit is amazing, but really the dragon is only in the very last bit (though he's awesome). And Farmer Giles of Ham is hilarious but it isn't in my top ten for books … and my own book Dragon's Curse (and the rest in the Dragon and the Scholar Series) is a very personal story because I drew very heavily on my own love story between myself and my sarcastic but awesome husband, Matt, to create the characters … I'm going to go ahead and go back to basics: The Reluctant Dragon was one of the first to show dragons in a different light, to show that sometimes knowledge and understanding trumps first impressions and brawn, and that sometimes dragons can be your best friends.

All good choices. If you were to get one of the pet dragons in your book, what type would you want? 
Nurse dragons are cool, but they are a lot of responsibility. I'd probably go with a steamer. The strikers and sparkers are cool, but they cause a lot of accidental fires, and steamers are blue. Blue is my favorite color. Steamers shoot out hot water vapor which would also be helpful if I had a cold.

That would be helpful! You're having a giveaway with this release. Care to share any details? 
I'm giving away a paperback copy of Cora and the Nurse Dragon. It's open to international entries because I'm excited to get this book into the hands of readers. You can enter by following me on social media accounts where I'm very active and post a lot of dragon pictures.

I love your dragon pictures. Where can readers go to learn more about you and your books? I have a website www.hlburkeauthor.com and am active on Facebook and Twitter.

Because I love and miss Alan Rickman, if you had been able to cast him in one of your books, which role would he have? 
Hmm … this depends on whether or not I can pluck him from any decade of my choice. It's not a huge part, but Captain Goodly in Beggar Magic deserves a sensitive but strong portrayal. He's a man with a shattered past who triumphed over adversity and uses his position to help others.

Thank you for joining us today, Heidi. Good luck with your release!
Cora and the Nurse Dragon is a new middle grade fantasy adventure by author H. L. Burke. It follows the adventures of Cora Harrison in a world where Dragons no longer live in nature but are a resource exploited by humans.
Ages 9 and Up.
The book releases January 31st and is available for pre-order at the special price of 99 cents.

Cora's a young girl with two dreams: to be a dragon jockey when she grows up and to own a pet dragon now. She constantly buys "egg packs" at the dragon emporium in hopes that one will hatch into a rare pet-sized dragon, but only gets short-lived mayflies. However, when an unexpected egg does develop into something new, Cora may be over her head.

Author Bio:
Born in a small town in north central Oregon, H. L. Burke spent most of her childhood around trees and farm animals and was always accompanied by a book. Growing up with epic heroes from Middle Earth and Narnia keeping her company, she also became an incurable romantic.
​An addictive personality, she jumped from one fandom to another, being at times completely obsessed with various books, movies, or television series (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Star Trek all took their turns), but she has grown to be what she considers a well-rounded connoisseur of geek culture.
Married to her high school crush who is now a US Marine, she has moved multiple times in her adult life but believes that home is wherever her husband, two daughters, and pets are.
She is the author of a four part fantasy/romance series entitled "The Scholar and the Dragon", featuring the books Dragon's Curse, Dragon's Debt, Dragon's Rival, and Dragon's Bride as well as the YA/Fantasy Beggar Magic. Her current projects are a young adult steampunk fantasy and an epic fantasy trilogy.

Sign up for her monthly newsletter at www.hlburkeauthor.com
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Thoughts on Breastfeeding

This is a subject that has been milling around in my brain for a while now. In fact, for several months. A couple years ago breast-feeding became a huge argument on my Facebook feed and I wrote a post with my views and told myself I'd said my peace and I was done.

I'm not.

The debate is heating up on my feed again and the "advocates" (and I use that term loosely) are becoming more and more rabid. So, I'm here to tell you my thoughts and to counter some of the more popular arguments out there. Understand, I absolutely support your right to breast-feed. But, before you hop on the bandwagon of angry voices, here are a few things to consider.

"We need to normalize breast-feeding."
Hate to break it to you, but this is already normal. I live in Kansas and here I have the right to breast-feed my baby anywhere I have a legal right to be. So pretty much anywhere. And Kansas is not the only state with such laws. There are ways to breast-feed in public without getting too much flak. It's called covering up. I'm not just talking about an actual cover, though in some situations that is appropriate. I'm talking about wearing your shirt in such a way that you are still mostly covered. Yes, I get it, your baby's head will cover the most private parts of your breast. But the rest of your breast doesn't need to be in everyone's face either. And before you jump on me about low-cut blouses, I would say the exact same thing to those women. There is absolutely no need to have your breasts on public display. None. Zero. Zip. If you are wearing a tank top while breast-feeding, instead of pulling the top down under the breast, pull the bottom up and over. This allows you to keep the breast covered while feeding your child. Pulling down merely exposes the entire breast which is unnecessary and will garner negative reactions from those around you. 
There are also times when wearing some kind of cover is the best option. I understand there are babies who don't like it. I've had two of them. But when we're in a public place, and I have no option of removing myself to somewhere private, they've had to deal with it. It's not just about covering myself, it's also about removing distractions for them. This past December I was participating in a craft show selling books. I had my baby with me and when he needed to nurse, I draped my jacket over my shoulder and let him feed. Guess what? No one at the fair so much as blinked. And believe me, my baby is a loud eater. Everyone in the room knew exactly what was going on under the jacket. But no one said a word to me about feeding him, I didn't get any nasty looks. They went about their business and Ben did his. He couldn't see all the people milling past and so ate without pausing to look at everyone. Yes, he pushed at the jacket and even fussed a little. But he got fed and I was able to stay at my table. It was win-win. I fed my baby in public and didn't get martyred. I also didn't get applauded, which was perfectly fine with me. Some of you "advocates" sound like you want a trophy for feeding your baby. Your trophy is healthy, growing baby. Congratulations!

"The media has oversexualized breasts which is why people have a problem with it."
Oh, honey, this reason is so laughable it's hardly worth mentioning. But since this is one of the more common arguments, here we go. The breast has been "sexualized" since the beginning of time. Don't believe me? Read Song of Solomon or The Odyssey or a myriad of other ancient texts. Men have always been fascinated by the breast and that's both normal and natural. Like other animals, we have distinct features to aide in attracting a mate. That would include the breast. While I agree that the media has done a lot of damage in regards to body image and how people treat the body, it is not just a media thing. There is something inherently beautiful about a mother feeding her baby. It is intimate, special and I'll go ahead and say it: it is sacred. No matter how a man tries, he can never quite emulate that bond. The tenderness and pure love exhibited by a breast-feeding mother is powerful and that can make some uncomfortable. It's not because your breasts are so sexy. It's because of how special and beautiful that moment is. And if you've got your entire breast, or both breasts, out of the shirt to feed your baby, who's really the one sexualizing your breast?

"My baby's needs are more important than your comfort."
Can we just admit right now this is a load of horse-hockey? There are plenty of times when you put societal norms and comfort before your baby's needs. For example, if you're out to eat and your baby needs changed, you don't set him up on the table amid the food and change him there, do you? Of course not! You take him to the restroom, find a changing table and take care of the diaper. Or you're driving down the road and your baby needs fed. You don't take him out and feed him while still driving. You either continue to your destination, if it's close enough, or you find a spot to pull over and then feed him. So using this argument against covering up just doesn't hold water. Like I mentioned before, I've had two babies who did not like to be covered. But if I was in a situation where I could not find a private place to nurse, they were out of luck. I dealt with holding the cover in place to feed them. I dealt with the whimpers and occasionally screams. Because in the end, the baby really just wants to be fed and will give up. If you argue that your baby truly won't give up, then use the two shirt method or just use your clothes as a cover. Also, how many of these issues are people drawing attention to themselves? I'm serious. I have never once had a problem when I breastfed in public, whether with a cover or not, and I think it is largely because I did so modestly and I didn't pull attention to myself. I just did what needed to be done and went on with my life.

"Expecting women to breast-feed in a bathroom is disgusting and wrong!"
Okay, I've nursed in plenty of bathrooms and my children are just fine. And in every case I chose to nurse my baby there. Why? Because my children are easily distracted. A restaurant, store, or really any public place is loud. There are people talking and laughing and walking past. The quietest spot in any of these places is the restroom. I don't sit on the toilet to nurse, but rather stand so I can gently rock my baby. I use the handicap-accessible stall so I have more room to move around. It's no more disgusting than using any other room to nurse. What about germs? Unless you're dipping your breast in the toilet water, you're not getting those germs anywhere near your baby. And if you're worried about airborne germs, guess what? They're outside the bathroom too. If germs worry you that much, just stay home. 

The Reality is...
It doesn't really matter how you feed your baby, someone somewhere will say you're doing it wrong. I've been blessed with three children, two I've been able to breast-feed. The first was bottle-fed and I can tell you I got way more crap about how I was feeding him than I ever got for my other children. I avoided going to activities with other mothers because I was constantly berated for making such a selfish choice. It didn't matter to them that I wanted desperately to be able to breast-feed him. They didn't care that I spent days crying when my milk supply dried up and I couldn't even pump for my child. Some told me my child would be developmentally delayed or wouldn't feel that I loved him as much. To those mothers, I wish they could see him now. He is well ahead of his peers and he knows that I love him every bit as much as I love my other children. I still wish I had been able to breast-feed my son and at times I feel robbed of that precious bond. But that experience taught me a few things. First, it taught me to ignore and avoid the people telling me I was doing it wrong. Second, it taught me that there is no one way to be a good mother. There are many and just because it works for me doesn't mean it will work for someone else. And third, it taught me that there really is no way to please everyone. If you choose to breast-feed in public, there will always be someone who gets offended. It happens to mothers who bottle-feed too. And to the mothers with one and the mothers with many and the mothers who adopt and every other mother out there. Breast-feeding mothers don't have the corner on getting scorned and ridiculed for their choices. I wouldn't even say that mothers in general have that corner. There will always be the naysayers, so learn to ignore them. Quit beating the poor, dead horse. And most of all, if you are going to call yourself an advocate for breast-feeding, then understand and accept that you are not going to change everyone's viewpoint. And you won't change anyone by being rude, thoughtless or condescending.

I have two friends who were part of a  photography series on breast-feeding. I saw the pictures of each of them and they were beautiful. I have also seen the picture of the woman with a towel over her head while she is breast-feeding her child with the sign, "If you are nursing, please cover up." I hate that picture. What's the difference? Each picture was made to advocate breast-feeding. The difference can be summed up in one word: attitude. The pictures of my friends show the beautiful love between a mother and a child. They are modest and their clothing covers as much of them as the babies' heads don't. It is clear that they are breast-feeding, but they are doing so in a beautiful and loving way. The pictures celebrate and capture that intimate and sacred nature of breast-feeding. In the other woman's picture, her full breast is out of the shirt and only what her baby's head hides is covered. The picture lacks the beauty that is breast-feeding and merely uses it to make a point. There is no love in that picture, no understanding of other people's consideration. That's not what breast-feeding is about. It's about loving and nurturing your baby. It doesn't mean using your feeding choice as a means to put down others. 

Yes, I breast-feed my baby. Yes, I do so in public places. And this blog post isn't meant to tell you that you can't or shouldn't breast-feed in public. But I don't feed my baby as a political statement or to make a point. I feed him because he needs to be nurtured. I cover him not because I'm ashamed to breast-feed or because others expect it. I do it because I put his need to eat above his want to see everything going on. Sometimes, he gets covered even when we are in our own home because when I have guests over I want them to be comfortable. It is not my place to decide what makes them comfortable. Nor is it my place to belittle or demean them because what is comfortable for me is not for them. 

Motherhood is a hard enough journey without turning every little thing into a fight. Is it really necessary to continue dragging this out? Is it really helping us or our children? If we truly want to advocate for breast-feeding, then we need to just quietly and consistently do it. No fanfare, no announcements, no harsh words, no whining. Just take care of your baby because in the end, that's really all that matters.

Meeting the Bear (Chapter 2)

After the first chapter, you had to decide why the girls went to the Double Rocking B. In a landslide win (almost unanimous) Scarlett's mom made a casserole for the Meddletons as the neighborly thing to do. Now the wait is over and the second chapter is here and ready for you to read! Be sure to vote at the end of the chapter on a public event the sisters just can't miss. If you'd rather just listen to the story, follow thislink or look for the video below. Happy reading! Scarlett and Blizzard will be back again in two weeks!We saw this antler sign during our 2013 trip.​ On the last day of school, Scarlett came to pick me up. It became a tradition when she first came back home. We drove up to Jackson for an afternoon of shopping and girl-time. As we drove, we laughed about everything that had happened over the school year. I was glad for summer. Summer was one of our busiest times and I hoped it would pull Scarlett out of her shell a bit. She had grown more and more reluctant to leave the ranch and it was getting old. But the further from town we got, the more of the old Scarlett I started to see. Soon she was laughing and we were joking about like we usually did. We discussed plans for the ranch, next school year (because Scarlett insists on being practical), and plans in general. When we arrived, Scarlett went straight to our favorite salon. 
“Scarlett, I’m thinking of doing something different with my hair. Is that okay with you?”
She laughed. “As long as Mom won’t have a conniption, you can do what you want. It’s your hair. What did you have in mind?”
“It’s a surprise.”
Laughing again, we walked in. The owner looked up and smiled. “School’s out already?”
“That’s right, Sharon,” Scarlett replied with a grin.
“Well, pull up a seat and we’ll be right with you.”
“No rush,” I said. We sat down. Scarlett grabbed a magazine, looking for style ideas. I already knew what I wanted. A rumor had gone around school that the stingy dye rules were about to be loosened up a bit. The administration confirmed that there would be small changes, but that was all I needed. I glanced at Scarlett. Her strawberry blonde hair shimmered in the light. Scarlett had never been one to dye her hair. But with hair as naturally beautiful as hers, I couldn’t blame her. Mine didn’t have the red in it and tended to bleach out in the summers. And it may have been helped out by our regular salon trips. 
Before long my favorite stylist, Dean, led me to his chair. He had a pleasant rumbling voice and a great eye. “School’s out for summer, huh? Have something fun in mind?”
“Well, our school is making some changes to its dress code in regards to hair color...”
He laughed. “I wondered when you’d want to try something a little more daring. What were thinking of doing?” I explained my idea and he smiled. “You’re going to fit your name, that’s for sure. All right, darlin’, get yourself set up over here and we’ll get started.”
“Make sure Scarlett can’t see me.”
“Oooh, haven’t told Mom and Big Sister yet, huh?”
“Nope.”
Dean chuckled and got to work. He chatted with me and I could hear Scarlett laughing with Sharon. The couple owned the salon and it was one of our favorite places to go.
As the dye set in my hair, Scarlett and I enjoyed manicures next to each other. “So, what are you doing with your hair?” she asked.
“Not telling. It’s our secret, right Dean?”
“That’s right.”
Scarlett shook her head and laughed. “You’re going to get me into trouble, you know that?”
“Isn’t that what little sisters are for?” I retorted.
“Probably. So, what do you think of mine?” She shook out the freshly cut waves. I have to admit for a moment I was jealous. Scarlett’s got those perfect loose curls that only seem to exist in movies and romance novels. Her hair bounced around her shoulders, glinting red-gold in the sunlight filtered through the blinds. 
“Gorgeous as always,” I replied.
“All right, cowgirl, time to rinse,” Dean said. It didn’t take long for him to have me back in my chair. When he finished, he turned me toward the mirror. “What do you think?”
I looked at my hair and beamed. “Perfect. Hey, Scarlett, come check it out!”
She came and I watched in satisfaction as her eyes widened. Then she gave me a rueful smile. “Purple streaks?”
“Do you like them?”
Laughing, she shook her head, “Definitely going to get me in trouble, but you look great Blizzard. I think that’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
I grinned. “What do you think Mom will say?”
“I’m afraid to think of it. Come on, let’s do some window shopping and head home. There will still be chores to do when we get back.”
We walked around the various artists’ shops and vendor’s booths. It was clear Jackson was getting ready for the summer tourists. When Scarlett spotted a booth of painted guitars, she insisted we look around. 
“Come on, Scarlett, you know I can’t get one right now,” I said as I glanced at price tags. “My summer job doesn’t start for another two weeks.”
“Hey, every girl needs a dream,” she replied. She stopped by one with horses and let her fingers brush the smooth wood. Then she moved on. Suddenly her eyes got wide. “Go wait by the truck.”
“What? Why?”
“Just do it,” she replied, her smile huge.
“What are you up to?”
“Would you just go?”
Knowing I wouldn’t be able to win an argument, I did as I was told. It seemed forever before she showed up carrying a guitar case in one hand and a drink tray and food sack in the other. “What did you do?”
“Get the tailgate opened up and we’ll have a quick snack before we go home.”
I glared at her. “You’re really enjoying this aren’t you?”
“Oh you better believe it. A little revenge for your hair surprise. Go on.”
I hopped into the bed of the pickup and took the drink tray from her before then taking the food. Scarlett sat down and set the guitar case next to her. I knew she was going to draw this out as long as she could, so I sipped from the cup she handed me and sat staring at the guitar case. I figured she had found something for me and I was dying to find out what it looked like…and how much I owed her. Based on the ones I’d looked at it was going to take a month at least to work off the guitar.
Scarlett slowly lingered over her fries, occasionally sipping from her soda. Her gray eyes sparkled and I could tell she was eagerly waiting the right moment to spring her surprise on me. “Well, should we head home?”
“Are you kidding me? Seriously, Scarlett, what’s in the case?”
She laughed and passed it over to me. “Happy birthday, a few months early.”
I opened the case and sat staring at it. Finally, dumbstruck, I pulled the guitar out. Snowflakes swirled over a purple and blue body around the word Blizzard. I almost wanted to pinch myself because it couldn’t possibly be real. “Did you set this up?”
“No, it was like that when I saw it. Isn’t it perfect?”
“How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing.”
“Scarlett…”
“Not a penny. My lips are sealed. And before you think about digging through my purse for a receipt, I tore it up and threw it away at the diner. All you owe me is a promise to keep chasing your dreams and don’t ever give up. And maybe mention your totally amazing sister during your acceptance speech,” she added with a wink.
I tried to ignore the lump in my throat as I strummed the strings. They definitely need tuned, but that could be done at home. “Thanks, Scarlett,” I said as I put the guitar in its case. “I definitely have an amazing sister.”
“And don’t you forget it. Let’s go home.”

The first thing I noticed when we walked inside was the tantalizing aroma of fresh baked chive rolls and Mom’s famous macaroni and cheese. The second was Mom walking towards the door with one of her covered casserole dishes and a grocery bag. “I expected you girls to get home sooner.” She stopped short, her eyes fixed on me. “What have you done to your hair?”
I suddenly didn’t feel as confident as I had earlier. “Well, I…”
“They’re just a few purple streaks, Mom,” Scarlett interrupted.
“I suppose you encouraged her?”
“She caught me by surprise too,” Scarlett shrugged. “But, Mom, she looks adorable.”
Mom gave me a reluctant grin, “That’s part of the problem. Anyway, we’ll discuss your hair later. Right now I need you girls to take this over to the Double Rocking B.”
“What?” Scarlett choked. 
“Why?” I asked.
“I called Teddy this afternoon to learn he’s just been allowed to go home from the care center he was in. It’s no more than neighborly to take them something homemade for dinner. I daresay Josiah’s been living off the diner on Main since he arrived.”
“I don’t think it will hurt either of them,” Scarlett muttered.
“Scarlett India, you know the only reason we’re still in operation is Teddy Meddleton. It won’t kill you to go over. Besides, you have a great relationship with Teddy.”
“I like Teddy just fine. It’s his son…”
Mom stopped her after placing the dish on a nearby coffee table. “Scarlett, honey, you’re going to have to face him sooner or later,” she said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“Why can’t you take it?” It was the nearest to whining I’d ever heard from my sister.
“My new glasses haven’t come in yet, so I really shouldn’t drive. You’ll be fine.”
Scarlett glared at her before grabbing the casserole dish and stomping toward the door.
Mom sighed as she handed me the grocery bag. Inside were a bag of rolls and a plastic container with salad. “Make sure no one gets hurt.”
“Wait, what?” I heard the truck engine roar and knew I didn’t have time to ask more questions. I ran out to the truck and got in. Scarlett didn’t say a word the entire drive over. Luckily it wasn’t a long drive. 
When we arrived she handed me the casserole dish. “It would be better if my hands are free.”
“Why?”
She didn’t answer. We walked up to the front door with Scarlett muttering under her breath, “Please don’t be home. Please don’t be home.” She took a steadying breath before knocking.
It wasn’t long before the door opened, revealing the one person Scarlett didn’t want to see. “Well, well. Scarlett Jannsen,” Josiah said, his gaze slowly taking her in. “It’s been a long time.”
 I’d never seen her fidget so much, and it certainly wasn’t the first time I’d seen someone eye her that way. Scarlett is gorgeous and she knows it. “We brought dinner for you and Teddy.”
“We?” He glanced over. His eyes barely skimmed over me, though they paused on the purple in my hair. “Ah, the kid sister. Snowflake, isn’t it?”
“Blizzard,” I corrected with a glare. I was beginning to see why Scarlett didn’t like him.
“Right, Blizzard, I knew it was something wintry. Well, do you girls want to come in?”
“Actually, we’ve got a lot to do,” Scarlett said quickly. “We’re just dropping this off and heading out. Sorry we don’t have more time.”
“Frankly, my dear, I don’t…”
He didn’t finish the line before Scarlett hit him. I mean she just flat-out slapped him across the face. I stood in shock as she growled, “That wasn’t funny in middle school and it sure as spittin’ ain’t funny now.”
Rubbing the red spot on his cheek, Josiah glared at her. “Still haven’t joined the modern world yet?”
“My mother taught me ladies don’t swear. It’s vulgar.”
“Well, I was taught intention matters as much as the words, so just how clean are you Miss Priss?”
“Josiah Meddleton I swear…”
“I thought ladies didn’t swear.”
Scarlett started to reach for the dish in my hands, but then we heard a quiet voice behind Josiah. “Joey? Is that my little Lettie in the doorway?”
Josiah stepped aside and my heart lurched. Before his stroke, we did a lot with Teddy. He was built like a bear, but sweeter than honey. Josiah looked a lot like his father, tall and broad with warm brown eyes and dark hair. Not that you could see the similarities now. Teddy was leaning heavily on a cane, his skin pale and eyes tired. I’d never seen him look so fragile and it just about killed me. I could tell Scarlett was shocked too as she stammered, “How are you Mr. Meddleton?”
“Mr. Meddleton?” he repeated with a weak grin. “Has Joey here been bothering you? Just smack him good and hard for me.”
“She already did,” I said without thinking.
Scarlett glared at me, but Teddy laughed. “He probably deserved it. And Blizz, is that purple in your hair?”
Why didn’t I just stick with blonde? I thought as I said, “Yes, sir. Do you like it?”
“Like it? I love it! It’s as pretty and vibrant as you are, dear.” I grinned, glad that at least one adult in my life approved of my new style. Well, two counting Scarlett. “What brings you two lovely ladies over anyhow?”
“Mom made dinner for you,” Scarlett replied. “She figured you’d enjoy something homemade to celebrate being home.”
He laughed again. “I thought I smelled her cooking. I think I missed our weekly dinners most when I was away. Let’s get that set up on the table.” Scarlett and I followed him into the house. As we set the food on the large dining table, Teddy asked, “Will you be joining us?”
Scarlett hesitated. “I’m sorry, Teddy, we still have chores to do. We had a girls’ day, so we’ve got a lot to catch up on.”
“But we’ll set something up soon,” I added when he looked a little disappointed.
He brightened and said, “Well, don’t stay away too long. Joey, show the girls out and mind your manners.”
“That really isn’t necessary…” Scarlett began.
“I’d be happy to.” Josiah offered each of us an arm. Scarlett glared at him, but tentatively placed her hand on his arm. I could tell she was doing it more for Teddy than for his son. As soon as we were out in the hall she let go and moved ahead. We got out to the front porch and Josiah reached out to touch Scarlett’s shoulder. She tried to avoid it, but he was faster than she was. “Listen, Scarlett, I’m sorry about what I said earlier. Getting a rise out of you probably wasn’t the best way to say hi.”
“You think?” she retorted, still not bothering to look at him.
“Hey, I said sorry. I’ve missed you, you know.” His voice was quiet and even a little tender.
She turned towards him, her gray eyes swirling dangerously. “That’s not going to work, Josiah. I’m not falling for it again.”
Again? I followed after Scarlett as she strode to the truck. I normally don’t have a hard time keeping up with her, but I felt like we were sprinting. Just as we reached the truck, I heard Josiah’s voice from the porch.
“Well, fiddle-dee-dee,” he said, his hands on his hips.
Have you ever seen a tornado? We don’t get them where we live, but my mom’s sister has a small farm in southwest Kansas and we saw one once while visiting. The sky started gray and then turned greenish. Then the hail and the winds started. It was terrifying. Scarlett’s eyes do the same thing when she’s mad. She turned to Josiah again, that sickly green creeping into her eyes and I was sure an F5 was about to drop on his head. I waited for her to shout, to throw something or maybe even to run back and hit him. Instead, she just glared and then got in the truck. I didn’t dare say anything as we drove home. The entire way Scarlett’s breathing was sharp and almost sounded timed. When we arrived at home, she had barely parked before she was undoing her seatbelt. As I glanced over, I realized she was crying. Without a word to me, she went straight to the barn.
For a moment I hesitated, unsure what I should do. Finally, I walked inside where Mom was waiting. “Why did you do that?” I demanded.
“I take it things didn’t go well.”
“She hit him.”
“Hit him? Why?”
“He said the line. Well, he started it anyway.”
“Oh. He should know better than that.” She looked at me. “I suppose you think I did that on purpose.”
I glared at her. “Scarlett’s out in the barn crying, Mom. Why would she have told Josiah she wasn’t going to fall for it again?”
She sighed. “I’m sorry, Blizzard. That’s not my story to tell.” We were quiet for a moment and she said, “Come on, let’s have dinner and you can tell me what all happened.”
“What about Scarlett?”
“She’ll come in when she’s ready. She doesn’t like to appear weak, especially not in front of you.”
I followed Mom to the dining room, though I didn’t have much of an appetite anyway. I hoped for Scarlett’s sake we wouldn’t see the Bear again anytime soon. Though I still wondered why she had said “again” and why it mattered if I saw her weak.