“I thought maybe I could introduce you to some friends,” he offered. “You see, I work and live on the reservation, and I know a few people.”
“So I heard.” She turned to look more closely at him. “I’m curious, Cody. Do you find it awkward—being a white man living on the reservation?”
He grinned. “Probably not any more awkward than the reverse situation.”
“You mean me?” She paused, wondering why she was making an issue of this…except that she was curious. “You mean being a Native American living in the white man’s world?” She could hear the cynicism in her voice and didn’t much care for it.
He shrugged. “Things aren’t always as they seem, Sunny.”
“No,” she told him, “they’re not.”
He gave her what seemed like a nod of appreciation. “Nice jacket.”
“Thank you. I think it belonged to my great-grandmother.”
“And she lived on the reservation?”
“Yes. My grandmother did too—at least until she was old enough to leave. Then she left and never looked back.”
“Some do that.”
She nodded. “I better get cleaned up.”
He tipped his hat. “Keep my offer in mind. Sometimes it’s hard being an outsider, trying to break into a new culture.”
“Thanks, I’ll remember that.”
As she went into the bunkhouse, she was unexplainably irritated, as much at herself as she was at him. But as she cleaned up and unpacked her things, she convinced herself that she was probably blowing their conversation all out of proportion, reading things into it that hadn’t even been there.
When she walked back to the house, she told herself to stop taking everything so personally, so seriously. Aubrey’s family was simply being friendly and interested and helpful. Why should she fault them for that?
Chapter Nine
“That was a delicious dinner,” Sunny said as she helped Cindy and Echo clear the dining room table. Aubrey had gone with the others down to the basement with the guys, and Sunny felt like the best way to say thanks was to help out. “Everything was just perfect.”
“Thank you.” Cindy set some dishes in the sink. “But you run on downstairs with the others, Sunny. Echo and I can take care of this, can’t we, Echo?”
“I’m happy to help,” Sunny insisted. “And this gives me a chance to have a closer look at this gorgeous kitchen.” Truth was, Sunny wasn’t that comfortable around the others. Aubrey’s father, Doug, was polite enough, but a little hard to read. And maybe she was mistaking his quietness for something it wasn’t, but Sunny couldn’t help but feel slightly in the way.
It didn’t help that she already felt awkward around Cody. Why she had locked horns with him over the Native American issue was confusing. He’d only been trying to help. Why couldn’t she have just politely declined his offer to introduce her to his “friends” and gone on her way? Her plan from here on out was to keep a low profile and to stay only as long as necessary to complete the photography sessions. Whatever research she could manage to squeeze into her spare time would have to suffice.
“These are beautiful dishes,” she told Cindy as she rinsed a dinner plate. “I see that they’re made by Pendleton Woolen Mills. I didn’t realize they made dishes too.”
“They make all sorts of things,” Cindy told her. “The dishes are Lakota. I got them last Christmas.”
Sunny studied the bold design on the plate. “Do you think this is an authentic Lakota Sioux motif?”
“I don’t know that for sure. But Pendleton does use a lot of Indian names and designs. I have an early Chief Joseph blanket.” Cindy’s eyes lit up. “Did you know that your great-grandpa was related to Chief Joseph?”
Echo looked curiously at Sunny now. “Who’s your great-grandpa?”
“I don’t really know,” Sunny said quickly.
“Uh, that’s right,” Cindy said even more quickly. “I was thinking of someone else.” She laughed. “Maybe it’s my Alzheimer’s starting to kick in.”
“Oh, Grandma.” As Echo bent down to push in the full bottom rack of the dishwasher, Cindy mouthed “I’m sorry” with sincere-looking eyes.
Sunny made a stiff smile. Hopefully that wouldn’t happen again. “Looks like our work here is done for now,” Cindy announced. “Why don’t you run downstairs and see what the others are up to?”
“Or I might just turn in.” Sunny set the damp dishrag down and dried her hands.
“Did you see the whole house yet?” Echo asked hopefully.
“I think so.” Sunny glanced at Cindy. “And it’s really beautiful.” “Did you see the Cowgirl Room?” Echo asked.
“Uh, no. I think I just saw the main parts of the house.”
“Can I show Sunny the Cowgirl Room?” Echo asked her grandmother.
“Of course. Go ahead. I think I’ll go put my feet up.”
“Come on,” Echo urged her. “It’s really cool.”
Sunny followed Echo down a hallway and into a bedroom, which was painted a bright pink and decorated with yet more western-looking pieces. Except the things in here, unlike the rest of the house, were more glitzy, sparkly, and feminine. Echo pointed to a large portrait of a pretty blond woman wearing a white cowboy hat. “That’s my mom when she was Round-Up queen back in the eighties.”
“She was beautiful, Echo.”
Echo showed Sunny more photos and memorabilia from her mother’s cowgirl days and during her reign of the Pendleton Round-Up. She handled each item with reverence, carefully replacing them in the exact same spots. The room seemed almost like a museum, or a shrine. Not having known Lenora, Sunny felt slightly intrusive just being there.
Echo held a small framed photo of her mother on a horse in her hand. “Grandpa says my mom had dreamed of being Round-Up queen her whole life.”
“Aubrey told me that your grandpa wants you to be a rodeo queen someday too.” Sunny studied the smiling blond girl in the photo. She appeared so comfortable on her horse, in her own skin, like she literally sparkled with life and light. Yet now she was gone.
Echo set down the photo and picked up the white cowgirl hat. Running her finger over the ornate silver hatband, she sadly shook her head. “I know.”
Sunny sensed that Echo wasn’t quite comfortable with her grandfather’s expectation. “But that’s probably still a few years away,” she said offhandedly. “I’m sure you have to be quite a bit older to be a Round-Up princess or queen.”
Echo gazed at Sunny with troubled eyes. “Can I tell you a secret?” Sunny was taken aback slightly but didn’t show it. “Do you mean, can you trust me?”
Echo nodded.
“Absolutely. I’m very good at keeping secrets.”
“I haven’t told anyone—not even Dad—but I don’t want to be in the Round-Up court.”
“Oh.” Sunny studied Echo’s smooth, even features. Such a pretty girl, but in a calmer, quieter way than her mother. At least that was Sunny’s impression.
“But I think I have to do it to make everyone happy. My grandparents would be so disappointed if I didn’t. Even my dad expects me to do it.”
“Is there a reason you don’t want to be in the Round-Up court?” She shrugged. “I love riding, but I don’t like being the center of attention.”
Sunny could relate to this. “But do you think you might feel differently about that someday—you know, a few years down the line?”
“I don’t think so. When I see the Round-Up queen riding into the rodeo grounds with both hands in the air as she jumps the fence— she always looks so happy. I don’t think I could do that—I couldn’t be that happy with so many people staring at me. Do you know what I mean?”
Sunny smiled. “I do. I’ve never been comfortable in the limelight, either. Even doing this modeling thing with your aunt has been hard. But I needed the money.”
“I thought you’d understand.” Echo gave a meek smile. “And you won’t tell anyone, right?”
“No, I w
on’t. The good news is, you don’t have to make up your mind about any of this today. And who knows? Maybe in a few years you’ll feel differently. If you don’t, I’m sure everyone will understand.”
Echo set the hat down. “I hope so. But sometimes—especially at Round-Up time—it worries me. I don’t want to let my family down.”
“Just don’t let yourself down,” Sunny said as they left the room. “Hey, there you are,” Aubrey called out as Sunny and Echo entered the great room. “We were getting ready to watch a DVD. Want to join us?”
“Thanks anyway, but I think I’ll call it a night,” Sunny told her. “But it’s a movie about Jackson Sundown,” Aubrey said emphatically. “I thought you’d want to see it. It’s a documentary made by a local couple. It’s even won some awards. Come on, Sunny, don’t be a party pooper.”
“Speaking of party poopers”—Cody took his daughter’s hand— “it’s a school night, and I’ll bet you have homework.”
Echo groaned.
“Besides,” Cody added, “we’ve already seen that movie several times.” He looked at Sunny now. “But I highly recommend it. I think you’d enjoy it.”
“Yes,” Echo agreed as she pulled on her jacket. “You really should watch it, Sunny.”
“Thanks,” Sunny told her. “And thanks again for the riding lesson.” Echo’s eyes lit up. “Don’t forget I’ll be out there every day after school if you want to ride again. It was nice having someone to ride with.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t forget. I’ll probably be dreaming about horses tonight too.”
Echo laughed as she and her dad told everyone good-bye.
Once they were gone, Aubrey put the DVD in, turned on the big screen TV, and the room grew quiet.
Sunny was mesmerized by the documentary…so much so she could hardly speak when it ended. Seeing the historical footage and photos, nearly a hundred years old, and hearing the stories about Jackson Sundown, told from a number of perspectives, left her feeling so emotionally overwhelmed that the only thing she could do was thank her hosts for their hospitality and for sharing the film with her and excuse herself.
It was dark outside, but she paused to let her eyes adjust, breathing in the chilly night air and the smells of freshly cut hay, animals, and earth before she went over to the bunkhouse. Once in her room, she closed the door. With the light still off, she sat down on the chair by the bed and tried to make sense of the emotions churning inside her. She really needed to process all of this.
“Hey, you,” called Aubrey’s voice. “Did you go to bed already?” Sunny was tempted to say “yes” but knew that was not only false, but not good manners, either. “No,” Sunny called back, getting up to turn on the light and open the door.
“So what did you think of the movie?” Aubrey came into her room and sat down on the bed, making herself at home. Of course, this was her parents’ ranch, so why shouldn’t she?
“It was very good—and well done. I liked it a lot.”
“Did it make you feel like Jackson Sundown was related to you? Did it make it seem more real? Did you hear when someone mentioned that he was tall?” she asked eagerly. “And so are you.”
“But so was my great-grandmother,” Sunny reminded her. “At least I think she was.”
“Is that her photo there?” Aubrey hopped off the bed and went over to the dresser where Sunny had set out some of the memorabilia.
Now Sunny wished she’d had the good sense to stick it in a drawer. “Yes.” She turned away, carefully hanging up her buckskin jacket in the closet.
“Wow, she was really beautiful, Sunny. You look a lot like her.” “Well, we are related.”
“And look at that sweet smile. I can imagine how she would’ve caught the eye of someone like Jackson Sundown.”
“That’s assuming a lot.”
“I don’t see why.” Aubrey picked up the photo of Jackson Sundown now, holding the two of them together side by side. “Don’t they make a handsome couple?”
“A handsome fictional couple, you mean.”
Aubrey frowned at Sunny. “It’s like you keep shoving it away from you. I’d love to have such a glamorous family tree. Seriously, why are you so dead set against this being real?”
“Because I feel it’s disrespectful to Jackson Sundown,” Sunny said quietly. “Dishonoring to his memory.”
“It’s dishonoring to claim him as your great-grandfather?” Aubrey looked confused now. “Why? Wouldn’t he be just as proud to claim you as you would be to claim him?”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“What then? What’s the big deal?”
Sunny thought hard. She didn’t want to offend Aubrey, but she did want her to understand her position. “This is the big deal—to me, anyway. You see, I know that my great-grandmother was an alcoholic and, according to my grandmother, not a very respectable woman. I don’t know all the sordid details but enough to understand that my grandmother was ashamed of her own mother. So ashamed that she tried to bury all memories of her. And when she ran away from the reservation, she was trying to run away from her own mother’s disreputable past.”
“Okay, I get that. But, really, what does it have to do with Jackson Sundown?”
“What does it have to do with him?” Sunny couldn’t believe Aubrey was this obtuse. Wasn’t it obvious?
“Sure, I get that your grandmother was ashamed of her mom,” Aubrey went on. “Who isn’t embarrassed by their parents sometimes? We all make mistakes. But what if it’s true? What if Jackson Sundown had been attracted to your grandmother? What if they’d had a little fling, a romantic interlude, an affair? Those things do happen, Sunny. They happened back then just like they happen now. So what?”
Sunny stared at Aubrey. “So what?”
“Yeah, what’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is that, the more I learn about Jackson Sundown, the more respect I have for the man…and his legend. As a result, the less I can believe that he would’ve gotten involved with someone like my great-grandmother. Can’t you understand that?”
Aubrey shook her head, still looking unconvinced.
“Then you’ll just have to respect that it’s the way I feel. Now, more than ever, I refuse to believe that Jackson Sundown is my ancestor. And I refuse to dishonor his name by mentioning it to anyone. My only connection to Jackson Sundown is one of an admirer.”
“So you’re not going to research into this now? You don’t even want to find out the truth?”
“I do want to find out what I can about my family history,” Sunny told her. “But I refuse to go with a single agenda—that of proving I’m related to Jackson Sundown.”
“Okay.” Aubrey slowly nodded. “I get that. And I think I can respect that.”
Sunny sighed. “Thank you.”
Aubrey made a face. “Even if it is a little boring.”
Sunny gave her a half smile. “Sometimes the facts are boring, Aubrey.”
“Okay, then, I won’t keep bugging you about this.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Anyway, I wanted to let you know that it’s okay to use a bathroom in the house tomorrow morning, if we both end up trying to get ready at the same time—since it’s going to be an early morning.”
As Sunny got ready for bed, she was slightly dismayed that she wasn’t thinking about Jackson Sundown nearly as much as she was thinking about Cody Barrett.
Chapter Ten
The photoshoot at Hamley & Co. finished a little before ten, then Marsha told everyone that the next session wouldn’t be until Monday morning. “We’ll meet at the rodeo grounds at ten,” she told them, “where we’ll use the actual stadium, as well as the tipi village as a backdrop.”
“What’s the tipi village?” one of the other models asked.
“It’s where the Native Americans camp by the rodeo grounds,” she explained, “and all those tipis make for a very interesting setting.”
After changing into their own clothes, Sunny
and Aubrey decided to look around the store for a while. While Aubrey was ogling silver jewelry, Sunny went over to check out the price on a pair of boots she’d worn during the shoot. Not as fancy as the ones she’d bought in Portland, the calfskin Lucchese boots looked both practical and beautiful, plus they were comfortable. And, hearing that the Pendleton models were offered a one-time-only discount, Sunny decided to splurge.
“Will these boots be good for riding too?” she asked the clerk as she was putting them back into the box.
“Of course.” The girl smiled. “Can I help you with anything else?” “I guess I might look around the store a little more,” Sunny told her. “Since that discount is only for today.”
The girl nodded. “Yes, you should definitely look around. I’ll put these up front for you.”
By the time Aubrey and Sunny left the store, Sunny had managed to collect a couple of western shirts and a fringed leather vest.
“You’re turning into a real cowgirl,” Aubrey teased as Sunny drove back to the ranch.
Sunny laughed. “Who knew being a cowgirl was so costly? But I figured my fancy boots weren’t that practical for riding.”
“So you really do like riding?”
Sunny nodded eagerly. “I love riding. It felt like something I was born to do.” Okay, so her rear end was a bit saddle-sore today, but she figured that was the price to be paid. Not so much different than working out at the gym after a long break. She’d get over it.
“See”—Aubrey pointed a finger—“just like your great-grandpa.” Sunny tossed her a warning look.
“Hey, I didn’t mention any names. I’m just saying….”
“Speaking of my ancestors,” Sunny began, “I want to do some investigating today. After I drop you home, I plan to drive over to the reservation and see what I can find out.”
“Want any company?”
Sunny didn’t want to sound rude or unappreciative, but she really didn’t. “I, uh, don’t think so.”
“Okay, I get it. If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t want to go with you anyway.” Aubrey chuckled. “I was just trying to be nice. I’ll be surprised if you want to stick around there for too long anyway. Besides the casino, there’s not that much to see out there.”
Love Finds You in Pendleton, Oregon Page 8