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“They always do, and I’ve finally given the 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 kno to mend our fences”

On the first Saturday in Septeed her tired ass to the ranch On the way there, she picked up Aurora, who odly 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 assu she does think”

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

Winona slah 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, groo 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,sure the barrier was set up, the tiht in, their horns rapped, and the microphone worked By ten o’clock she was in the announcer’s booth again, surrounded by entry foro-rounds Worse than all that was the handicapping Each roper had a skill level, assigned by the roping association, and all those nuht tea results would be fair You needed a daure 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”