Chapter Twenty-Five
“Mom, please drive!” I tell her.
She startles. “Dahlia?”
“Sorry, but we’ve got to get out of here.”
She pops the seat out of recline and yanks the gear lever into drive.
After pulling out from beside the tall truck, Mom sees the mob.
She steps on the gas and turns the car in the opposite direction.
The wheels spin on the gravel. At the main road, she lifts her brow to me.
My eyes are full of tears, and I explain to her what happened.
“Oh, Dahlia.” She pats my leg. “I’m glad we got out of there. All I know is this too shall pass.”
“Yeah,” I take a gasping sob. “OK.”
I dry my eyes and open the video Lani sent while Mom drives us home. It’s a clip from Cash and Kaylee’s interview. I watch Kaylee lean in to kiss Cash – but he turns away from her and high-tails it out of the booth. Fans have plenty to say about it in the comments.
I write Lani that I’m not doing great, but will be home soon. I scroll down through related videos, and my stomach twists as my own face pops on to the screen.
I’m standing in the crowd of onlookers like a deer in the headlights while they pepper me with questions.
There’s another and another as I scroll down – all of me standing there, stunned, then running off and tripping over my tablecloth.
I look and feel the fool, and fresh tears sting my eyes.
People are gossiping in the comments, and I can hardly bear to read them.
A call from Emery interrupts my doom scrolling.
“I’ve seen the posts,” she says. “I’m leaving Dad’s right away to come over, OK?”
After changing into comfy clothes and lying in bed for an hour to process, I hear Emery come in. We’re having a chick-flick night, something we haven’t done in years. Both she and Mom knew I’d need to stuff myself full of snacks and cry over sappy movies.
Emery and I snatch candy from the pantry as Mom starts popcorn. Emery guides me to the couch where we plop down, and I get a message from Cash.
Can we talk? he writes. I can call or we can go somewhere after the awards ceremony.
I can’t. Emery’s here, I write, listening to kernels of corn pop, pop, pop in the pot. The sound rattles my over-stimulated nerves.
OK, I understand. But I need to tell you how sorry I am. I can’t believe I dragged you into this fiasco.
I begin typing. It is a fiasco and I don’t want to I pause.
“What should I say?” I turn to Emery.
She shrugs. “I don’t know… What do you want?”
This is borderline genuine talk about feelings with my sister, and I’m shy to admit what I want.
“I want … him. But not all that other mess.”
“Tell him, then.” She shrugs and picks only green M&Ms out of the bag.
I delete what I wrote before and send: I like you a lot, Cash. But I can’t be a part of that mess. That was a truly terrible experience.
He replies quickly. It was and I wish I could express just how sorry I am. I completely underestimated how that would blow up. Kaylee’s the one who looks after the accounts and I didn’t realize how invested our followers are.
Then he adds: What about when all this media hype dies down? I’d really like to take you out, even if it’s not to the dance.
I take a breath. I don’t know. I need some time, I write.
I’ll wait as long as it takes. Congratulations on second place. I wish you would’ve won.
How’d you know?
Hid in the back and watched you get your ribbon.
I sigh, feelings of both regret and tenderness edging in.
“What’d he say?” Emery asks when she sees my face.
I show her the screen.
She crunches the candy coating of her M&M. “That’s sweet.”
I cover my eyes and talk into my hands. “Yeah, but he also put me in the middle of this mess. He could have waited to ask me to the dance. He could have just told the fans he didn’t want to kiss Kaylee in public, but nooo – he turned it into a circus instead.”
I savour the sweetness of a piece of liquorice, chewing hard and fast to keep tears from falling again. Looking back at the day, I can’t believe I did all that. Most of all, I can’t believe I said no to Cash, who I’ve been wanting to say yes to for weeks.
Emery clicks the remote, choosing a movie while Mom finishes the popcorn with butter and salt. “What’s so great about him, anyway? I mean, I get that he’s hot.”
I comb my fingers through my hair. “It’s hard to describe. It’s so different with him – it just feels natural. Like I’ve known him for ever.”
“I’ve never felt that way about a guy,” Emery sighs.
As she begins sectioning my hair, she talks to me about the guys she’s dated – most I know about, but some I didn’t, especially the college guys.
“Why haven’t we ever talked about boys like this?” I ask, excited to have a sisterly conversation instead of a spat.
I hand her a clear hair tie, and she wraps it round the end of the braid.
“Because we were always trying to keep our heads above water with the stress of Mom and Dad’s relationship.”
She’s so right. I’m shocked by her awareness. There wasn’t ever any room for our emotions or our stuff. Even with each other.
“How are things with the ranch? Mom said you’re doing well with the cherries. Your website looks awesome by the way.”
“Thanks. Shame the QR code didn’t work for the judges.” I turn on the couch and our legs overlap. We haven’t been this close in years. “Yeah, cherry sales are going well. People go a little gaga for them. I think your label has helped a lot.”
“That’s really cool. Maybe I could help you sell some back in Silver Springs. The little gourmet food shop would be a great place.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.” My eyes widen at the thought of my cherries being in such a luxe shop. “Thank you. That would be so great.”
She looks down at her hands as though she feels the same as me – this is nice, us getting along. I hope it’s not too little, too late.
“Emery?”
“Hmm.”
“There’s something you should know.”
She looks up, curiously.
“The ranch is in major debt.”
“It is?”
“That was the main reason I entered the competition – because of sales I could make at the state fair. Now I’m panicking because if I don’t sell enough cherries and honey in the next few months to pay it off, it’ll go to the lien owner.”
“How much money do you have to make? Could you borrow it from Dad?”
“I’m not doing that. The unpaid taxes are about thirty thousand—”
She covers her mouth with her hands. “Noooo!”
I nod and my eyes sting.
“How?” she asks through her hands.
My lip quivers. “Grandpa missed payments on property taxes. But I have to make even more than that to pay income taxes, like seven thousand more. It’s a little complicated, but there are also a few things in the barn I may sell.
A saddle, some antique trinkets, a desk.
I estimate them all to be worth about fifteen thousand. ”
“There’s a desk in the barn?”
I chuckle. “Remember that dirty old sheet we used to pretend was a ghost?”
“Of course.”
“Well, it was covering a gorgeous old desk.” I shrug. “Who would’ve known?”
“At least that’s something you can use to make money,” she says.
I shrug, not knowing how to explain that I’d be sad to lose all those treasures from the past.
“Well, hey –” she pulls me in for a hug – “I know it’s scary, but you’ve got this.
You’ll figure it out. I wish Grandma and Grandpa would have taught me what they taught you.
Maybe then I’d be more able to help.” She leans back and points at me after she wipes her eyes.
I haven’t seen tears in Emery’s eyes since she crashed her tricycle.
“But I guess it never came easy to me – you always took to the nature stuff better. Still, let me know if I can help, OK?”
“OK, I will. You probably think this place really is a dump now, huh?” I squeeze her hand.
“No. I never have. I just knew it would piss you off when I said that.” She gives me a guilty smile. “If we’re good at one thing, it’s knowing how to push each other’s buttons, huh?”
“Bet.” I blink quickly, my emotions getting the best of me too. “Don’t tell Dad, OK?”
“Cross my heart.” She draws an X on her chest.
“Thanks,” I say. “Is that the reason why you never liked coming here? Because Grandma and Grandpa didn’t teach you about the ranch the way they did with me?”
Emery opens her mouth to speak when Mom peeks her head in. “You girls ready for popcorn?”
“Yes!” we say at once.
My phone buzzes on the coffee table.
I answer the video call from Lani. “Hey. Look who’s here!” I say, turning the phone to Emery.
“I want to be where you are!” Emery tells Lani.
“Maui’s pretty great, but I miss my girl. Are you hanging in there?” she asks me.
“Kind of.”
Mom sits next to me with the overflowing bowl of buttery popcorn. “Hey, Lani!” she says. “Want to join our movie night?”
“Always. But, Dahlia … I know you may not want to look, but I thought I’d let you know that the awards ceremony is going live on the Colorado Rodeo Insider account.”
My face flushes.
Mom pats my leg. “It’s up to you.”
“What the heck – let’s watch,” I say.
We all tune in to the live feed. We shovel popcorn and liquorice in our mouths while Lani and her auntie eat lychee-flavoured gummies.
“OK, everyone, it’s time to join us by the stage for the buckle ceremony,” a man’s husky voice booms over the speakers.
He announces the winners of each event and awards them with ornate belt buckles, as is tradition. Kaylee, of course, won as the top barrel contestant. Cash is awarded his buckle last, and they both get a giant round of applause from the crowd.
The video cuts to Sally Hunter, the journalist, who recaps a few of the top rides at the rodeo. Then a short clip of me flashes across the screen.
I sit up and almost choke on my popcorn.
Sally comments, “Despite the day’s wins, one half of the circuit’s favourite it-couple may be facing some stiff competition.
Cash Cortez is taking heat from his sponsor, Buckaroo Billy’s, for his behaviour during our interview today.
It appears that Cash may have some explaining to do to Kaylee…
” The camera bounces around as Sally was trying to get the shot, but it clearly shows Cash holding my hand while talking to Billy near the parking lot.
Next, Sally is asking Kaylee’s fans what they think.
“That new girly’s got another thing comin’ if she believes Cash’ll up and leave Kaylee for her,” a woman tells Sally.
Mom and Emery look over at me, and Emery takes my hand.
“Can’t believe my sister is a local celebrity,” she says to lighten the mood.
“How about that movie?” Mom says, and I nod gratefully.
Later, when we’re deep into a movie, Wyatt texts.
I’d love to take you out again. Monday?
He clearly doesn’t follow this content on social media. I take a deep breath and prepare to give my second no of the day. I’m sorry, Wyatt. I had a really good time, but the timing’s not good in my life right now.
It’s all good. Maybe the timing will be right someday.
Yeah, maybe. Thanks for understanding.