“I was just getting the skirt Cindy fixed for me,” she stammered, “and the light was on in here. So I came in to turn it off and—”
“What’s going on?” Now Cindy was standing behind Doug, looking into the room with a confused expression.
“I found Sunny in Lenora’s room,” Doug said in a harsh tone.
“I was getting the split skirt,” she said again, holding up the skirt. “Echo and Aubrey wanted us to have a dress rehearsal tonight. On my way out of the sewing room, I noticed this light on. Since I’m so used to conserving electricity, I came in here to turn it off and—”
“Well, of course,” Cindy said in a warm tone. “I was in here changing the bedding so that Aunt Belle could use this room. She just called this afternoon saying she wanted to come for Round-Up. I’m sure I’m the one who left the light on.”
Doug harrumphed. “Well, I’m not used to coming in the house and finding someone prowling around like a thief.”
Sunny bristled, but Cindy just laughed. “You better get used to people prowling about, Doug. We’ll be crawling with guests in a few days.”
He shook his head and left.
“Don’t mind him.” Cindy put her hand on Sunny’s shoulder. “He lost in cards tonight and drank too much, and now he’s in a mood.”
“I’m so sorry,” Sunny told her. “I didn’t mean to snoop. I was about to turn off the light when I saw a photo of Lenora, so I picked it up. I found myself thinking about her…wondering what she was like. She was so beautiful. But there’s also such a sweetness about her. She must’ve been a wonderful person.”
Cindy nodded sadly. “She was.”
“And I can only imagine how you must miss her.”
“I know people don’t think that mothers and daughters can be close, but Lenora was my best friend.”
“I understand.” Sunny held up the skirt. “Thanks so much for altering this for me.”
Cindy nodded and, moving over to the bureau, picked up the same photo that Sunny had been studying. “Lenora was such a good girl. I still can’t believe she’s gone sometimes.” She looked at Sunny with moist eyes. “I try not to be mad at God, but sometimes I can’t help it.”
“I know what you mean,” Sunny confessed. “When my parents died, I was so enraged at God. In fact, I quit believing in Him altogether for a number of years. Even when my grandmother forced me to go to church with her, I would just sit in the pew filled with anger and resentment.”
“But you did get over it?”
Sunny nodded. “Yes. It was in my late teens that I found myself spiritually bankrupt.”
“Spiritually bankrupt?”
Sunny pointed to her chest. “I felt empty inside…and lost.”
“So what did you do about it?”
“I gave God a second chance.”
“Lenora made me promise that I wouldn’t be angry at God,” Cindy said quietly. “Before she died, she became very close to God, and she was worried that her death was going to embitter me. I suppose she wasn’t too far from the truth.”
“You don’t seem bitter,” Sunny said gently.
“I try not to be. But I’m afraid it’s down there inside of me. I’m not even sure how to let go of it.” She turned to Sunny with glistening eyes. “How did you do that?”
“It’s hard to explain. I think maybe God helped me reach that place. Sort of like I was so worn out, so sad, so weary, that all I could do was give up.”
“Yes, I know how that feels.”
“And when I surrendered like that, I think that’s when God stepped in.”
“So you just let go of all those emotions?” Cindy looked hopeful.
“I think it was a process—sometimes I’m still working on it. But, yes, there was an initial letting go. You know what they say: let go and let God. That’s what I try to do. But, really, I’m no expert.” She shrugged. “I feel like the blind leading the blind.”
Cindy replaced the photo and sighed. “Maybe that’s okay. A blind person can relate to another blind person.” Then she reached out and hugged Sunny. “You know, I have a feeling Lenora really would’ve liked you.”
Sunny smiled. “Thanks, Cindy. That means a lot to me.”
“Tell Echo not to stay up too late,” Cindy said as she turned off the light and they exited the room. “I’ll have breakfast ready for you girls by seven thirty, and then we’ll need to get those horses loaded up and ready to head into town by nine.”
“Echo is blessed to have such a supportive grandmother,” Sunny said as they paused in the kitchen.
“I feel the same way about Echo.” Cindy smiled. “Don’t know what I’d do without that little angel in my life.”
Sunny thought about this as she walked back through the darkness toward the bunkhouse. Hopefully that was how her grandmother had felt about her too. Of course, Sunny still had some misgivings about how her grandmother would feel if she knew where Sunny was and what she’d been doing—or the fact that a number of people in this town now believed that Sunny was the direct descendant of Jackson Sundown. But maybe they would forget about all that in the excitement of this week’s rodeo.
Chapter Eighteen
Sunny woke up early on Saturday. Since her cowgirl regalia was all laid out and ready to go, she simply got dressed. Afterwards, she took a moment to admire the complete outfit in the full-length mirror on the closet door. The split skirt was a little on the short side, but at least it reached the top of her Old Gringo boots. And the wide western belt with the oversized rodeo buckle really did set it off. Along with her fringed buckskin jacket, a retro cowboy shirt, red silk bandana, and the big tan Gus hat that Echo had picked out, Sunny really might’ve stepped out of the previous century. Still, she wasn’t sure what to do with her hair, finally opting for one long braid down the back.
It was a little past seven when Sunny woke up Echo. “Your grandmother said breakfast is at seven thirty,” she reminded her. “I’m going to go over and see if she needs any help.”
Echo blinked up from where she’d slept on the couch. “You look pretty, Sunny.”
“Thanks.” Sunny smiled.
The morning sky was nearly cloudless and the day promised to be another warm one as Sunny went over to the house. She quietly walked across the deck, glancing inside to make sure Cindy was already in the kitchen. She did not want to walk in and catch Doug by surprise again. But Cindy was at the stove, so Sunny quietly tapped on the French door, waiting until Cindy came over to open the door.
“Come on in.” She grinned at Sunny. “Well, look at you, cowgirl. Come on now, turn around and let me see the whole effect.”
Sunny complied, slowly turning around.
“Woo-hoo!” Cindy hooted. “You look like the real thing.”
“Thanks again for the skirt and helping with the outfit.”
“I’ll bet Echo is excited.” Cindy turned back to where she had a large pot of oatmeal simmering. “The Dress-Up Parade is her favorite part of Round-Up.”
“She told me she used to do it with her mom.”
Cindy nodded as she stirred the pot. “Even when she was a baby, Lenora outfitted her in a little pink-checkered cowgirl outfit and tiny boots and a hat that we practically taped to her head. Then she put her in one of those baby packs, you know the kind, and Echo just slept through the whole thing.”
“Do you need any help in here?”
“No, I’m keeping it simple. I know Echo likes oatmeal, and I was hoping you did too.”
“I love oatmeal.”
“Get yourself some coffee or juice if you want.”
Sunny had just poured a cup of coffee when Cindy started digging through the refrigerator. “I thought I had some raspberries in here. Doug must’ve finished them off.” She looked out the window now. “Say, do you want to go down and get some for me?”
“Sure. Where do I get them?”
Cindy smiled and pointed outside. “My garden.”
“I’d love to.”
/> “They’re almost over, but I think there should be enough for our oatmeal.” She handed Sunny a small bowl.
Cindy’s garden was much bigger than Sunny’s, but it also looked a bit more neglected too. Sunny thought if she had time, she might sneak down and give it a good weeding before heading back home to Portland next week. She found the raspberry vines and after a few minutes managed to nearly fill the bowl. Then on her way back to the deck, she heard someone let out a low whistle.
Thinking it might be Doug and that she could apologize for upsetting him last night, she turned with a smile. Instead it was Cody.
“Don’t you look nice,” he said as he came closer to check out her outfit.
“Thanks.” She took in a quick breath. “I didn’t expect to see you here this morning.”
“Just stopped by to pick up the old hay wagon. We use it in the parade.”
“Oh.” She looked at his outfit, which was more contemporary than hers. “You look like a real cowboy today.”
He was still studying her, almost as if he was taking some kind of inventory or else simply spacing out.
“Echo and Cindy helped me with my outfit,” she admitted.
“Very pretty.”
“Thank you.” Not knowing what else to say, she held up the bowl of berries. “I need to get these in to Cindy. Do you want to stay for breakfast? It looked like she made enough oatmeal to feed a dozen people.”
He glanced at his watch. “Hmmm, I might just do that.”
Back in the kitchen, Cindy handed Sunny a tray loaded with bowls and utensils and things. “It’s so lovely this morning, I thought we should eat outside.”
“And Sunny invited me to crash your breakfast party.” Cody gave Cindy a hug.
“Get yourself some coffee,” Cindy ordered.
Sunny was setting the table on the deck when Echo came up. “How do I look?” she asked Sunny.
“Perfect.” Sunny nodded.
“You think this straw hat looks better than the felt one?”
“Better and cooler.”
“How about my hair?” Echo took off her hat.
Sunny studied her loose brown hair. “I think it looks very pretty just as it is.”
“But I want a braid like yours.” Echo reached in her pocket to pull out a rubber band. “Want to help me?”
“Sure.” Sunny took the band. “Have a seat.”
Sunny was just finishing up the braid when Cody and Cindy brought out the oatmeal and condiments. “You girls look perfectly adorable,” Cindy said as she set the pot on the table. “You stay right there while I run and get my camera.”
“I hate having my picture taken,” Echo muttered as she and Sunny posed for Cindy.
“Me too,” Sunny admitted.
“But you’re a model,” Echo reminded her.
“A reluctant model,” Sunny said.
“Your great-grandpa didn’t mind being in front of a camera,” Cody said in a slightly teasing tone.
Cindy’s camera went down and she stared at Cody. “What do you know about Sunny’s great-grandpa?”
“Sunny’s great-grandpa was Jackson Sundown!” Echo exclaimed.
“So the cat’s out of the bag now?” Cindy asked Sunny.
“You mean, you knew, Grandma?” Echo looked slightly hurt as she sat down to a bowl of oatmeal. “And you didn’t even tell me?”
“Sunny swore me to secrecy.”
“That’s right,” Sunny told Echo. “I didn’t want anyone to know unless I could prove it was true.”
“So you proved it was true?” Cindy asked with wide eyes.
Sunny sat down next to Echo. “No. But one of my relatives—Gert Stafford—brought it up last night, and everyone just assumed she knew what she was talking about.”
“Gert is Bill Stafford’s mom,” Cody explained. “And they’re cousins of Sunny’s.”
“And they knew about Jackson Sundown?”
“Gert seemed to believe that the story was true,” Sunny admitted. “But, honestly, she has no proof. It was really more of an opinion.”
“You should’ve seen how excited Jackson Strong Horse was when he heard about it,” Echo said with bright eyes. “So much so that he begged to ride in the parade with Sunny and me today.”
“Speaking of the parade, you better eat your breakfast,” Cody warned. “You’ll need to be heading to town soon.”
“You too.” Cindy pushed a plate of whole wheat toast toward him.
“I’ve got the wagon all ready to go,” he said. “I already loaded up the team before I left, and Dad’s driving them to the staging area now.”
“Is Grandpa L coming to the parade too?” Echo asked Cindy as she dropped some berries on her oatmeal.
“He said he plans to. But he needed to help Jeremy and Scott relocate the irrigation wheel first.”
“I love this day,” Echo said happily.
Sunny couldn’t help but grin. “Me too. It’s really exciting.”
“I hope Jackson gets to ride with us.” Echo glanced at her dad now. “I forgot to ask Trina if she’s riding too.”
“She said she plans to pass this year,” Cody said. “But I told her she could ride on our wagon if she didn’t mind being in the company of a bunch of wild young men.”
“Is she really going to do it?” Echo looked skeptical.
“She said she’d get back to me on that.”
Echo laughed. “I’m thinking that means no.”
He nodded. “I think you’re right.” He held up his empty bowl now. “Thanks for the grub, Cindy. I hate to eat and run, but I’m taking the back road into town with that wagon, so I better head out if I want to make it on time.”
“You get rolling then,” she told him. “And you did put a red flag on the back end, right?”
“You bet.” He stood and tipped his hat. “See you ladies later.”
“The law enforcement ‘round here is usually pretty understanding about folks getting their wagons and whatnot into town on parade days,” Cindy told Sunny, “but you just never know.”
“Ready to go load the horses?” Echo said as they were finishing up.
“I’ll go put these things in the kitchen while you girls go get the horses brushed and saddled and ready to go.”
Sunny felt like someone from a different world—or another time—as she and Echo sat atop their horses waiting for the parade to begin.
“Hey, there’s Jackson,” Echo said suddenly as a horse and rider hurried to join them. “Check out his duds, Sunny. He looks just like one of those old photos of your great-grandpa.”
Sunny cringed inwardly, but smiled as the boy approached. Sure enough, he did look like Jackson Sundown with his spotted western shirt and full furry chaps. Even the hat was right.
“Well, if it ain’t my long-lost granddaughter,” Jackson told her in a teasing voice.
“That would be great-granddaughter,” Sunny corrected. “But the truth is, I’m old enough to be your mother.”
He laughed.
“I’m so glad you get to ride with us,” Echo told him.
“Yeah, I got here early and got my number changed and everything.”
Just then the group ahead of them, a group of Native Americans on horseback and in full regalia, started to move.
“Ready to rock and roll?” Jackson asked Sunny.
“And hopefully stay on my horse,” she told him.
“Don’t worry about Sunny,” Echo said. “She’s a natural.”
Jackson nodded as he adjusted his hat strings, taking on a serious expression that was probably meant to be an imitation of Sundown. “Well, she oughta be.”
Sunny almost felt as if she were experiencing an out-of-body moment, as if she were sitting up above and watching as the three of them slowly walked their horses down the street. She vaguely wondered if the great Jackson Sundown, whether related or not, might be watching as well.
Most of her concentration was on Brownie Anne—not that the horse needed extra
attention. But as much for Echo and Jackson as for herself, Sunny did not want anything to go wrong. It wasn’t until they approached the grandstand, where the commentator was, that Sunny realized the announcer was talking about her.
“Now, for a real treat today, we have Mary Sunrise Westcott on the brown quarter horse. Note that authentic-looking Indian coat. Well, word has it that this young lady is none other than the great-granddaughter of the famous Jackson Sundown.”
The crowd broke into applause and cheers and Sunny, too stunned to respond, simply kept a somber expression as the announcer went on to remind the audience of the times when Jackson Sundown competed right here at the Pendleton Round-Up. “It’s an honor and a pleasure to have you with us here today, Mary Sunrise. We hope you enjoy your visit.”
After they were down the street a ways, Sunny quietly asked Echo how the announcer possibly could’ve known about that.
“Well, we had to give our names to register,” Echo explained. “But that was all I did—just give your name. Your full name.” Echo glanced at Jackson now. “Did you tell them something more?”
He grinned. “Hey, I’m Jackson Sundown today. I got a right to make my family known.”
Sunny just shook her head and smiled. Really, how could she get mad at this kid? But hopefully this would be the end of it. Instead of obsessing over what she couldn’t possibly control, she decided to simply enjoy herself by smiling and waving at the crowds lining the streets. She had no idea how many people were in town today, but she wouldn’t have been surprised if it was the entire population of the town and then some.
“Now the Round-Up rodeo doesn’t actually start until Wednesday?” Sunny asked Echo as they stopped their horses for another break.
“That’s right,” Echo told her.
“And town gets even more crowded then?”
“It’ll be packed,” Jackson said. “We’re supposed to have about twenty people camping at our house.”
“We’ve got about ten relatives coming to stay with us,” Echo told Sunny.
“And I heard your Lowenstein grandparents plan to have about seventy at their place.” Sunny couldn’t even imagine how crazy it would get at the ranch in a few days. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to stick around to see.
Love Finds You in Pendleton, Oregon Page 16