Page 36 of Roping the Rodeo Queen
The Montana landscape unfolds around us in undulating waves of green and gold, and rolling hills unfurl toward the jagged mountains.Jo's been quiet for the last hour, her fingers tapping a nervous rhythm against her thigh.I never would've believed she could get this anxious.
"You okay over there?"I ask, glancing sideways at her.
"Just peachy," she says, but her voice has that tight quality that tells me she's lying."I'm about to meet the family of my formerly fake fiancé.Does your family know about the sham relationship?"
"No.I would never tell them without your permission.But since your family knows now..."
She covers her face and groans pitifully."What if they hate me for what I convinced you to do?"
"When we told your gigantic family, none of them cared.Your dad didn't pummel me until I bled, and he never even issued scary threats."
"That's not comforting, Clay."
I chuckle, keeping my eyes on the winding road."Nobody's gonna bite you or scratch your eyes out.Well, except maybe Grandma Esther, but she only does that when she's feeling ornery."
"Clay!"Jo's eyes bulge.
"I'm kidding, darlin'."I reach over to squeeze her hand."Everyone will fall for you on sight---just like I did."
Jo's lips curl into a reluctant smile as she grips my free hand with all the strength of a dog with a bone."I didn't think Clay McKendrick did falling."
"Never had until I met you."I lift her hand to kiss the knuckles."Now, I keep falling over and over every time you smile at me."
Jo rubs her cheek on my shoulder."Same for me."She turns her face toward the window."Your sister knows the truth, right?About how this all started?"
"Sarah knows we weren't exactly planning on forever when we first got engaged," I hedge, taking the turn onto the long gravel drive that leads to the ranch."But she doesn't know all the details.Most everybody has heard about it already, thanks to the tabloids."
"I'm so sorry, Clay.I know I'm acting like a crazy person."
"Unless you start foaming at the mouth, you are not crazy."
The McKendrick Ranch sign comes into view, weathered and familiar against the big sky.My throat constricts, partly because I haven't been home in such a long time and partly because I can't wait to share my love for Jo with my family.While we bump along the familiar ruts in the gravel, I catalog every little thing---from wildflowers to clouds.I'm home.Even after all these years on the circuit, this place still feels like the center of my universe.
Jo sits up straighter, her hand gripping my thigh."Oh my God, Clay.It's even more beautiful than I remember."
The main building sprawls ahead of us, a two-story farmhouse with a wraparound porch that's seen more family gatherings than I can count.The barn sits off to the left, its red paint faded but not erased.Beyond that, the pastures stretch toward the mountains where our cattle graze in lazy clusters.
"Wait until you see it at sunset," I tell her, pulling up next to the porch steps."The whole sky turns purple and orange, and---"
The front door bangs open, and my sister Sarah bursts out, practically vaulting over the porch railing in her excitement.
"They're here!"she hollers back into the house before racing toward my truck.
I barely have time to put the vehicle in park before Sarah yanks open my door.
"Move your butt, big brother," she demands, shoving at my shoulder."I've been dying to talk to Jo."
My fiancée grins.
Sarah has that effect on a lot of people.She's eternally cheerful.
Mom and Dad make their way out of the house, though Dad still needs a bit of help getting up and down steps, stairs, and other sorts of inclines.His knee surgery was supposed to fix things, but he's still recovering.Mom hovers near him, one hand discreetly at his elbow while pretending she's not helping at all.
"I'm moving as fast as I can," Dad shouts to Sarah."Some of us don't have springs for legs."
"Clay!"Mom hollers, waving enthusiastically.Her salt-and-pepper hair is pulled back in its usual practical bun, and she's wearing the apron I got her for Christmas three years ago."Bring that girl of yours up here so I can give her a proper hug!"
Dad smirks."That means she wants to suffocate her."
