Page 7 of Big Daddy Bull Riders

“Figured as much,” Jackson said. “Be good to have those presses running again.”

“Heck, they haven’t run in fifty years,” Slater added.

“And those old ones most likely won’t run again,” Quinn said. “We donated them to a museum. Things dated back over a hundred years. The tech was so outdated. We bought a modern one. It’s small, but so is our town, so it’ll all work out.”

Mina’s excitement was growing, a giggle testifying to that fact. The looks the cowboys gave her weren’t lost on her, either. It seemed as if they clearly found her cute.

Some of the crowd dispersed, and the cowboys trotted off to help the older gentleman get the horse squared away in the trailer. Clyde went back in his shop, but all the Littles eagerly kept pace with Mina as the sheriff led her down toward the newspaper office, some of them helping carry her things they’d retrieved from her car.

“I’m Janie,” one of the women said. “Janie Worden. My Daddy is the doctor here in Big Cedar.”

“And I’m Mindy Graves. My Daddy, Joe, runs the store. It’s right there.” She pointed across the street to an old building that looked right out of the 1800s, complete with two hitching rails just off the covered porch.

“Whoa! How old is that place?” Mina asked.

“It’s been here since the Old West days,” Mindy told her.

Mina’s brain was already spinning with possibilities. How fun would it be to do a series of stories on the history of that town? She’d researched enough to know that Big Cedar existed before its current incarnation. It had a rich heritage that reached beyond the role as a special community for Bigs and Littles.

“It’s been restored nicely,” she noted.

“Thanks. My Daddy worked hard on it. I did, too. Lots of folks around here pitched in,” Mindy told her.

“And you met us,” Alyssa said, motioning to herself, Belinda, and Grace. “There are more Littles around here, but I guess you’ll meet them later.”

Mina couldn’t wait. But right now, she was excited to explore the old three-story brick building they stopped in front of.

It, too, appeared to have been lovingly restored. The red bricks were pristine and the windows that were set on either side of the wooden door looked new and clean. A metal green awning that ran the length of the front of the building hung over the porch. Two rocking chairs with a little table between them rested on the right, and the place had a cozy feel to it.

Home, sweet home.

“This is amazing!” she gasped.

“I’m glad you like it. But you still need to see the inside.” Sheriff Quinn’s boots thudded loudly as he stepped onto the porch, sat Mina’s suitcase down, and reached in the pocket of his Wranglers. He pulled out a key, unlocked the door, then stepped aside. “Your new home awaits, honey. Go in and take a gander.”

Mina hurried inside, ready to see her new home. Already, though, her heart was happy.

She was the newest resident of Big Cedar, and there was no other place she’d rather be.

* * *

The tour hadn’t taken very long, since the building wasn’t big. The first floor consisted of a small waiting area just inside the door that was separated from the rest of the room by a waist-high wooden railing, complete with a little swinging gate in the center.

The rest of the room was the office, with two large desks, and the printing press in the very back along with a worktable.

Upstairs, on the second floor, was Mina’s apartment, complete with a small kitchen.

The third floor was mostly empty and just used for storage.

“Are you sure you won’t mind staying here by yourself?” the sheriff asked. “You know, my house is just right next door. You could literally open a window to yell and I’d hear you.”

Mina grinned. “Thank you, sir. But I’m fine. The neighborhood I lived in back in Dallas was… kinda sketchy… to put it nicely. This is paradise compared to that!”

The sheriff chuckled. “Well, just remember I’m close if you need anything at all.”

“And that means we can play a lot!” Alyssa said. “If you want to.”

“Of course!” Mina replied.

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