True Colors

“They always do, and I’ve finally given them something to talk about.”

“I love you, Vivi,” he said, and in his voice was a surprising intensity. It scared and thrilled her at the same time. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. Not even Winona.”

She laughed. “Don’t worry, Mr. Raintree. We Greys are ranchers. We know how to mend our fences.”

On the first Saturday in September, Winona woke well before dawn and dragged her tired ass to the ranch. On the way there, she picked up Aurora, who managed to look completely put together at this ungodly hour.

“I can’t believe she’s still not home,” Aurora said as they pulled up to the farmhouse.

“She wants us to sweat a few bullets. It’s working, too. Dad is realizing how much he needs her around here.”

“That’s not how she thinks.”

“You’re assuming she does think.”

Aurora rolled her eyes. “God, you can be a bitch. So, after all this, how’s Luke? Has he promised his undying love yet?”

Winona slammed on the brakes hard enough to shut her sister up. “The cookie dough is in the fridge. Make as many as you can, and then take all the food to the cook shack.”

“Aye, aye.” Aurora got out of the car and disappeared into the house.

Winona found her dad in the arena, grooming the dirt for today’s jackpot. She waved at him and headed up into the announcer’s booth, where she started setting up the PA system.

For the next few hours, she went through her list of tasks, making sure the barrier was set up, the timers were in place, the steers were brought in, their horns were wrapped, and the microphone worked. By ten o’clock she was in the announcer’s booth again, surrounded by entry forms, trying to organize the teams for the first go-rounds. Worse than all that was the handicapping. Each roper had a skill level, assigned by the roping association, and all those numbers had to be added up, handicapped, and assigned to the right team so that the roping results would be fair. You needed a damned Ph.D. in math to figure it all out.

The door to the announcer’s booth opened with a little puff of dust and her dad stood there, looking irritated. “What’s takin’ so long, Win? You got seven years of college. Do the danged math.”

“I can’t figure it out.”

“Them colleges are a waste.” He grabbed the cash box off the plywood desk and left the booth.

Winona followed him out to the parking area, where dozens of men on horseback were gathered.

“What’s up, Henry?” Deke asked, tipping the cowboy hat back on his head.

“We’re closin’ up today,” Dad said. “Everyone gets their money back. The handicappin’ is too much for Winona.”

She felt her face heat up.

He opened the cash box and had just begun to count out the money when another truck pulled into the lot. Winona was so focused on her own humiliation that it took her a second to realize that people were whispering Vivi’s name.

Winona looked up sharply, peered through the crowd.

It was Vivi Ann’s truck, all right.

The men on horseback twisted in their saddles to look. Winona’s first thought was: Thank God. Then she saw Vivi Ann and Dallas come forward, holding hands as if they were just an ordinary pair of lovers come to watch some team roping, and Winona knew this was going to be bad. In worn jeans and a wrinkled T-shirt, Vivi Ann managed to be so beautiful it almost hurt to look at her, and if she was sunlight, all glittering and golden, Dallas was shadow, cool and dark.

The crowd was eerily quiet, aware completely of what was going on. They were unsure of how to respond, especially the men, who tended to let women lead on matters such as these.

“Hey, Dad,” Vivi Ann said as if nothing were new. “Do you need my help?”

Dad paused just long enough to prove his anger, but not long enough to show a schism in the family. “You’re late,” he said, thrusting the cash box at her.

And just like that, Vivi Ann moved back into her place. The cowboys smiled down at her instantly, welcomed her home, while Dallas moved easily among them, giving advice to some of the younger guys.

Winona couldn’t believe it. All of that—the sex, the lying, the slap—and still Vivi Ann could waltz back into Water’s Edge and be welcomed.

Winona marched over to the cook shack, where Aurora was busy flipping burgers.