Under the Open Sky (Montana Heritage Series)

by Michelle Maness

“Right,” Trent nodded and shoved his hands into his jeans.

  “Some friends and I are going up to the fire tower; you want to come?” Jenny addressed the group.

  “Sounds better than staying here to lose this game,” Amanda grinned.

  “Let’s go then,” Cade grabbed her pool stick and returned it to the rack on the wall. Trent seemed to hesitate; then shrugged.

  “Mind if I ride with you?” Jenny queried.

  “I don’t mind but it might be a tight fit,” Cade warned.

  “Yeah, we’ve got eight people squeezed into a five passenger car; I’ll take my chances,” Jenny offered them a smile.

  A short time later Amanda braced herself as they bounced along the rutted gravel road that climbed one of the many mountains that surrounded the town. In front of them, the small compact they were following kept bottoming out but managed to keep moving. A moment later the car stopped and two passengers spilled out to climb into the back of the truck.

  “Troy says we’ve got to take some weight off before we can make the final hill,” one of the boys explained through the back window. The road finally topped off. Along one side of the clearing a stream rushed by over rocks and small boulders. In the middle of the clearing a fire tower jutted into the darkness.

  “I haven’t been up here in years,” Amanda commented as she looked the area over. “I bet the view is amazing up there at night.”

  “Probably, but they removed the last few flight of stairs a couple of years back,” Jenny shared.

  “I climbed up there last time I was here,” Troy announced. Easily topping out at over six foot, he was tall, with dark brown hair and eyes. Amanda had no trouble believing that he had made it up there with his lanky frame.

  “What are you doing?” Jenny asked as she followed Amanda to the base of the structure.

  Amanda surveyed the stairs and surrounding metal beams and piping a moment.

  “What are you doing?” Jenny repeated when Amanda started removing her boots.

  “I’m going up there.”

  “You are?” Jenny’s eyes widened.

  “Yep.” Amanda stuffed her socks into her books, took a running start, and jumped up to grab onto a metal bar. She used her momentum to swing her body up waist high with the bar and then turned to sit on the pipe, before grabbing the bar above and standing.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Manny!?” Cade stalked toward the tower.

  “I’m going up,” Amanda called as she leapt onto the stairs across from her.

  “Help me up, Troy; I don’t think I can do it the way she did,” Jenny was removing her shoes.

  “I don’t think that’s why Dad had you taking gymnastics all those years, Mandy,” Trent sounded angry.

  Jenny let out a squeal as she made the top of the bar and leapt across the distance.

  “Well are any of the rest of you coming or aren’t you?” Amanda yelled down to the group below. Cade shook his head before grabbing the empty rails that had once held treads and shimming his way up to the stairs.

  “That was impressive,” Amanda informed him.

  “Thanks,” he grinned.

  Troy was the next up, followed by Chloe and Dede, the other two girls in the group. Grumbling as he did, Trent followed. The remaining four boys had caught up with them by the next platform. Amanda was the first to top the stairs, her breath catching as she did.

  “Oh, wow!” Amanda moved to the railing of the platform; her gaze swept over the valley below. Town looked so far down and removed from where they were, though Amanda knew that it wasn’t that far at all. Mountains surrounded the area and gave the small town below the illusion of being all alone in the world.

  “It’s so beautiful,” Jenny came to stand beside Amanda.

  “I could stay here forever,” Amanda mused.

  “I’d have a hard time explaining that one to dad,” Trent muttered.

  “Stop your complaining and look around you, Trent; isn’t it amazing?” Amanda linked her arm through his.

  Trent was quiet a moment. “Yeah, I guess it is,” he finally admitted.

  They remained for several minutes before turning with great reluctance to start the climb down the stairs.

  “So smarty pants, do you have a plan for getting down from here?” Trent challenged his sister.

  “I plan on going down the same way I came up,” she countered.

  “Right, I forgot; you’re part monkey.”

  “Hey, Trent, me and you need to go down first and help these girls down,” Cade caught up with them.

  “Monkey, here doesn’t need any help,” Trent informed him.

  Choosing not to comment, Amanda rolled her eyes at her brother; at least he was acting semi-normal.

  “Others will,” Cade pointed out. They filed to a stop at the last of the treads as Cade and then Trent managed to reach the ground below without injury.

  “Come on, monkey; you said you had a plan,” Trent called up to his sister.

  Amanda stepped onto the thin pipe she had swung up on and hesitated. Getting down was going to prove trickier, she realized.

  “What are you waiting for, monkey?”

  “I’m finding my balance, unless you want to catch me?”

  “I thought it would be easy!”

  “Shut up!” Amanda yelled back at him. She eased down into a sitting position on the bar and carefully turned to ease onto her arms, her waist resting against the bar. She didn’t have enough clearance to flip down as she had intended and wanted, she realized. She lowered her body until she dangled, took a deep breath, and let go. She was prepared to drop to the ground, instead hands closed around her waist to lower her to the ground.

  “Thanks, Cade,” Amanda offered him a relieved smile. “I’m glad one of you knows how to be a gentleman,” she shot at her brother.

  “I wouldn’t have let you fall,” Trent assured her, though he still looked entirely too amused.

  “Okay, I can do this,” Jenny, hesitating to let go and sit down, was standing on the bar. “I can.” she let out a yelp as she turned to dangle from the bar. A moment later, with aide from Cade and Trent, she was safely on the ground.

  “That was fun,” Jenny was laughing as she joined Amanda. The two of them grabbed their shoes and moved toward the stream. A full moon illuminated the water as they sat down on the bank and submerged their feet.

  “Cold!” Amanda yelped.

  “Feels good,” Jenny stretched her arms out behind her. “I didn’t want to get out tonight but my mom insisted I needed to. When Troy and Chloe called, both offering to pick me up; she all but made me. I’m glad I came. A part of me felt like I was wrong to have fun so soon after my sister died. But it feels really good to feel alive.”

  “I’m glad you came too,” Amanda offered her a smile.

  “Your brother seems to be taking it really hard,” Jenny noted with a glance in his direction.

  “He is. I kinda tricked him in to coming.”

  “Good.” Jenny turned to stare at the water, then stood and waded further into its depths.

  Amanda stood to follow and picked her way carefully across the rocks.

  “You have no sense,” Trent accused as he seated himself on the bank.

  “Did I ask your opinion?” Amanda shot back.

  “Aahh, ahh, cold, cold,” Chloe stepped into the water and was slowly making her way toward the middle where Amanda and Jenny now stood.

  “Wait for me,” Dede started after them.

  On the bank, Troy and John were flipping through stations on the radio in Troy’s car until they found a station they could agree on.

  “I have been reduced to playing chaperone to my little sister,” Trent griped loud enough for Amanda to hear.

  “I had a ride; it was your decision to come,” Amanda reminded him.

  “I get my car out of the shop tomorrow, you ever need a ride let me know,” Jenny offered.

  “Thanks, Jenny.”

  Troy and
John cranked up the radio, Amanda and Jenny started dancing around and singing as they splashed in the water.

  “Heads up!” Chloe splashed water in Amanda and Jenny’s direction. An all-out war ensued, Amanda and Jenny losing their balance and sitting down hard on the stream bed as they defended themselves.

  Both girls yelped in shock as water sloshed to their waist. Trying and failing to get their footing, they dissolved into laughter.

  “I hope you know you’re riding home in the back of the truck; I’m not going to get soggy on your account,” Trent taunted Amanda. Amanda slapped the surface of the water with the flat of her hand and sprayed water in her brother’s direction.

  “You’re lucky that missed,” he glowered at her.

  Amanda managed to gain her footing and moved closer before repeating the action. Trent leapt to his feet, shock and outrage written on his face.

  “Come on out of the water, I dare you,” Trent glared at his sister.

  Jenny stopped beside Amanda and splashed Trent, her grin taunting. “Do you dare me too, Trent?”

  Trent seemed at a loss.

  Jenny splashed him again. “Well?”

  Trent blinked at them and then dropped to the ground and pulling at his boots.

  “Oh shit; I think we’re in trouble now,” Jenny turned to retreat. Amanda was laughing as they splashed through the water. They were moving downstream, the water getting deeper as they went.

  “Come on, you two can give it but can you take it?” Trent was gaining on them now. Amanda stopped and turned to splash him; Jenny followed suit. Cade had joined the group and him and Trent returned fire. Behind them, Chloe and Dede attacked; the guys were surrounded. Troy was the only other guy who was brave enough to enter the fight.

  “We’ve got you surrounded, do you surrender?” Amanda called.

  “Never!” Trent countered; he had resumed moving their direction. Amanda turned to retreat further and slipped on the wet rocks under foot. Her knee slammed into a sharp corner of one of the rocks beneath her and she grimaced as heat spread through her knee. She paused, aware of Jenny splashing past her with a squeal. She gingerly tested her knee; pain made her wince. Biting her lower lip to keep from crying, she struggled toward the bank. She did not cry over scraped knees; she was a Jennings.

  “You okay?” Cade asked from behind her she clambered for the bank.

  “I hurt my knee,” she admitted. The water was waist deep here and the bank, unfortunately, steep.

  “Hold on,” Cade lifted himself from the water and extended a hand as Jenny squealed again. Amanda heard a splash behind her and knew that her friend had just been dunked.

  “Thanks,” she took his hand and climbed onto the bank to limp back in the direction of the truck.

  “Hey! Where are you two going?” Trent called after them.

  “Your sister hurt her knee.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “Don’t know,” Cade called.

  Amanda didn’t wait to see what her brother’s response would be. Her knee burned and walking hurt but all she wanted at the moment was to get back to the truck and see how bad her knee really was.

  “You don’t have to baby sit me,” Amanda informed Cade as he fell into step beside her.

  “I have a first aid kit in my truck; a trick your father taught me working around the ranch, but if you don’t want my help,” Cade shrugged and stopped.

  “Sorry, Cade.” Amanda stopped and turned to face him, “Trent is finally enjoying himself a little but now he’ll stop to make sure I’m okay.”

  “Of course he will; you’re his baby sister.”

  “I’m not a baby,” she turned and resumed walking.

  “No, but you are his little sister and for as much as you two pester each other, he loves you more than just about anyone else I would guess.”

  Amanda smiled at him then, “I know; I’m lucky, even if he is convinced I’ll always be a kid.”

  “No, he knows you’re growing up; that scares the hell out of him.” They had reached the truck and Cade opened the door to pull the seat forward to reach behind it for a bag. He pushed the seat back in place and flipped the truck’s head lights on.

  “Hop up,” Cade nodded to the truck hood. Amanda winced and moved to do as instructed. She yelped as she attempted to put weight on her injured leg to hoist herself up.

  “Turn around,” Cade ordered.

  “What?” Amanda frowned at him.

  “Turn around.”

  Amanda turned and he lifted her to set her on the hood before he leaned over her leg and pulled it toward the light.

  “Damn, Manny, you really laid it open.”

  “Please tell me it doesn’t need stitches? Daddy will flip and won’t exactly approve of my hanging out up here,” Amanda pleaded.

  “Yeah, I don’t think your brother or I want to explain bringing you up here either,” he admitted with a grin. “I think it will be okay without stitches, but we need to clean it up.”

  “Thanks,” Amanda deflated in relief. The hill below the fire tower was notorious for two things, sex and place where teens went to drink. While neither had been on the night’s agenda, she still didn’t think her father would look favorably on her having been here.

  “Damn, Mandy, how’d you pull that off,” Trent was glowering at her knee now.

  “I fell.”

  “Ouch!” Jenny commiserated before hopping onto the hood beside Amanda. “You think it needs stitches?”

  “Cade doesn’t think so,” Amanda supplied.

  “Hold this,” Cade shoved the bag of supplies at Amanda. She took the bag obediently and watched curiously as he wet square gauze. “This is going to hurt but there’s dirt in the wound,” he warned her. Amanda bit her lip and nodded. A moment later she yelped and yanked her knee away.

  “You prefer the hospital?” Cade asked impatiently.

  “No,” Amanda glared back him, “but that really hurt.”

  “Sorry, you want to clean it?” he offered her the gauze. Amanda shook her head and reluctantly turned back to him. She would lose her nerve and she knew it. She wasn’t certain what she intended to go to college for but she knew it wouldn’t be nursing. Animal births and injuries she was immune to. Human pain she preferred to avoid; especially her own. Amanda hunched forward, her teeth chattering, partially from cold and partially in dread of what lay ahead.

  “There’s two blankets behind the seat of my truck, could someone get them please?” Cade asked of no one in particular. Trent looked relieved to have something to do as he turned to do as requested. Amanda gritted her teeth when Cade started wiping the cut clean. Tears escaped despite her best efforts and Amanda resented them as much as the pain that had caused them.

  “Here,” Trent thrust a blanket at Amanda and one at Jenny.

  “Thanks,” Amanda managed through her gritted teeth. She wrapped herself in the blanket and tried smiling her appreciation at Jenny when she took the bag from Amanda.

  “Peroxide?” Jenny offered to Cade when he laid aside the gauze.

  “Thanks,” he took the bottle and poured a generous amount over the wound; he repeated the process several times.

  “It looks better already,” Trent offered hopefully as he peered over Cade’s shoulder.

  “It does,” Amanda agreed as she leaned over to peer at it. It no longer looked quite as angry and the burning was slowly subsiding. She could now clearly see the injury. It ran across the lower portion of her knee cap and gaped open slightly; she felt slightly nauseated at the sight. No longer wishing to see it, she sat back up and fixed her gaze on the top of Cade’s head as he leaned back over her knee. Iodine, which burned, antibiotic ointment, and a bandage later and Cade was through.

  “You alright?” he asked her; she nodded.

  “Thanks.”

  “Sure,” he shrugged.

  “You sure you’re okay, Mandy?” Trent was watching her in concern.

  “I’m certain, just let me sit here a
few minutes and I’ll be good as new,” she assured him.

  “Awright,” he nodded and turned to move off a few feet where he removed his shirt and wrung it out. Cade followed suit and Amanda allowed herself to admire him for a moment. His muscles bunched and moved in quite an impressive show. She wasn’t aware she had sighed until Jenny spoke beside her.

  “Oh sweetheart, that one’s trouble,” Jenny warned.

  “I’m aware of that, believe me,” Amanda shook her head with a self-derisive smile.

  “He is awfully appealing trouble though isn’t he?” Jenny queried, her eyes lit with amusement.

  Amanda laughed and nodded.

  “What’s so funny?” Trent asked as he approached.

  “That one too,” Jenny added, her voice low. Amanda glanced at Jenny in surprise. Jenny was smiling, but her smile appeared almost bittersweet.

  “I asked what was so funny.” Trent was standing in front of them now.

  “None of your business,” Amanda returned.

  “That usually means you’re up to something,” Trent pointed out.

  “We were having a private conversation. You know what private means, right?” Amanda tilted her head in inquiry.

  “One of these days that smart mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble,” Trent warned her.

  “Wouldn’t be the first time,” she acknowledged; it garnered a smile from him. He had been witness to more than one dressing down she had received from Naomi for speaking her mind at inopportune moments.

  “And still you haven’t learned.”

  “Nope,” she offered him a cheeky grin.

  “So how did we end up playing babysitter to these two anyway?” Cade teased as he approached.

  “You agreed to give my sister a ride to town,” Trent reminded him.

  “What does that have to do with you, Trent?” Jenny asked him, her smile teasing. Trent grunted and turned to walk away without answering.

  “What did I say?” Jenny demanded.

  “I tricked him into coming,” Amanda reminded her.

  “Oh yeah,” Jenny smiled.

  “I need to find my boots,” Amanda scooted the edge of the hood to hop to the ground.

  “Don’t jump,” Cade stopped her before she could follow through with her plan. “You’ll start your leg bleeding again,” he chastised as he set her on the ground.