At the end of the parade, Sunny was surprised when a reporter and photographer came over and asked to get some shots of her and the kids. Naturally, Jackson, fully immersed in his role as a rodeo legend, was thrilled. Even Echo was cooperative. So Sunny agreed to the photos and smiled congenially. Then, when the reporter wanted more information about her link to Jackson Sundown, Sunny’s smile faded.
“This is more fable than fact,” she told the reporter. “I don’t have any actual proof to substantiate it.”
“Then why did you claim it?” he persisted.
“Actually, I didn’t claim it.” Sunny pulled her leg around and slid off the horse, looking the reporter directly in his eyes. “I was trying to get to the bottom of it, but the word got out.”
“Sunny never told anyone,” Echo added. “She even asked people not to talk about it.”
Jackson stepped up now. “It’s my fault the announcer knew.” He held his chin up. “But I believe that Sunny is Sundown’s granddaughter. I can tell.”
“Great-granddaughter,” Sunny corrected, wondering why she even bothered.
“What was the name of your great-grandmother?” the reporter asked.
Sunny pressed her lips together, unsure of whether to answer or not.
“Look, you say you want to get to the bottom of this, don’t you?” he asked in a gentler tone. “Why not tell me all the facts you know, and I can do some research on my end. Maybe we’ll figure this out.”
“Yeah, Sunny,” Echo urged, “let him help you.”
“Come on, Sunny.” Jackson nudged her with his elbow. “Tell him what you know and see if he can figure it all out.”
She shrugged. “Well, I don’t suppose it could hurt.” She eyed the guy carefully again. “As long as you promise me you’ll only print the truth.”
“I’ll stick to the facts.”
“Okay, my great-grandmother’s name was Polly Wikiapi Blue Crow. And her daughter—the one who was supposedly the child of Jackson Sundown, which is not a proven fact—was Mary Sunrise Wikiapi.” Sunny thought for a moment. “Maybe her last name was Blue Crow too because as far as I know, my great-grandmother wasn’t married.” Then Sunny told him the date of birth of her grandmother and about how she’d been raised in Portland. “My grandmother cared for me after the deaths of my parents, and she seldom spoke of her past.”
He asked a few more questions about Sunny’s parents and whether she had any relatives on the reservation. “And if you do find that Jackson Sundown is your great-grandfather, what do you plan to do with that information?”
Sunny was puzzled. “Do with it?”
“Yes. Will you look up other relatives in the Nez Percé tribe?”
She shrugged. “I have no idea. So far I’m a bit overwhelmed finding relatives here on the Umatilla Reservation. I can’t even think beyond that.”
Then he asked for her phone number and gave her a business card. “I’ll let you know if I discover anything that might be helpful.”
She smiled at him. “Thank you. And thank you for not printing anything but the facts.”
He closed his notepad and grinned back at her. “You got it, Sunny.”
“You’re like a celebrity,” Echo told Sunny as they walked their horses back over to the parking lot where Cindy had parked the horse trailer.
“Not really,” Sunny said.
Just then Jackson’s mom came over to join them. “So did you kids have fun?” Trina asked.
“Yeah, it was great,” Jackson told her. “Sunny just got interviewed by a guy from the East Oregonian.”
“Whatever for?” Trina asked.
“Because of Jackson Sundown,” Echo said as if it were obvious.
“Oh, yes.” Trina nodded, then studied Sunny curiously. “But you said you weren’t sure it was even true.”
Sunny just sighed, then peeled off her buckskin coat. It felt like it was about eighty degrees and far too warm for a leather jacket.
“Anyway,” Trina said as if to dismiss her comment, “we’re all getting together for a barbecue at my place around two. We’ll just throw some hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, but feel free to join us if you like, Sunny. One more person will hardly be noticed.”
For some reason Sunny felt that this invitation wasn’t totally heartfelt. “Thanks anyway.” She smiled at Trina. “But I think I’ll head back to the Lowensteins’. ”
Trina smiled back, nodding like this didn’t surprise her. “Another time then.”
“Oh, Sunny,” pleaded Echo, “why don’t you want to come too?”
“Yeah,” Jackson urged. “I want to show you my horses. Besides Joker here, I have a paint and an appaloosa.”
Sunny looked at the kids’ eager faces and suddenly felt bad. “I don’t know….”
“Please.” Echo smiled hopefully. “Just come out and see Jackson’s horses. That way you can give me a ride over there after we get Sylvester and Brownie Anne put away at Grandma and Grandpa’s.”
“Okay.” Sunny nodded. “I guess I could give you a ride and come out and see Jackson’s horses for a bit.”
“All right!” Jackson gave Sunny a fist-bump and a grin. “See you around two.”
“Is there anything I can bring?” Sunny asked Trina.
“Oh, no, that’s okay.” Trina frowned at her watch. “Guess we should get moving, Jackson. We’ve got a lot to get done before all the guests arrive.”
Chapter Nineteen
“You girls looked so cute in the parade.” Aubrey wiped a soda can across her forehead. “But weren’t you hot?”
Sunny smiled as she took off her hat. “No hotter than that steaming day when we did the photoshoot in the park dressed in winter coats.”
Aubrey nodded. “Ah, yes, but we got paid for that.”
“Some things can’t be compared to making money.” Sunny sat down on the couch and pulled off her boots. “The parade was a lot of fun.”
“How about when the announcer spilled the beans about you being related to Jackson Sundown?”
“Yes, that wasn’t so much fun.”
“And she got interviewed by the newspaper too,” Echo said as she emerged from the bathroom.
“Ooh, we’re living with a real celebrity now,” Aubrey teased.
“So what are you doing today?” Sunny asked in hopes of changing the subject.
“Just chilling.” Aubrey flopped down on an easy chair. “Then meeting up with friends this evening. How about you girls?”
“We’re going to a barbecue.” Sunny got a bottle of water out of the fridge.
“Want to come too, Aunt Aubrey?” Echo asked.
Aubrey’s eyes lit up. “Where is it?”
“Trina Strong Horse’s place.”
Aubrey wrinkled her nose now. “No thank you.”
Sunny sat down across from Aubrey, curious as to the reason for this reaction. “Don’t you like Trina?” she asked quietly.
Aubrey shrugged. “Not so much.”
“Why not, Aunt Aubrey?” Echo asked. “She’s really nice.”
Sunny didn’t like to think like this, but she wondered if Aubrey’s position was because Trina was a Native American. If that was the reason, Sunny was prepared to be seriously aggravated.
“She might seem nice,” Aubrey told her, “but it’s all just an act.”
“An act?” Echo frowned.
“How exactly do you know that?” Sunny asked.
“Because I’ve known Trina for a long, long time. She was a year ahead of me in school. And, trust me, she was the snobbiest girl in her class.”
“Trina was snobby?” Echo looked truly shocked.
“Oh, yeah. She always thought she was better than everyone.”
“Seriously?” Sunny frowned.
“Do you think I’d make something like that up?” Aubrey appeared slightly hurt. “Honestly, even Cody and Lenora were surprised when Larry decided to marry Trina. I mean, sure, she was pretty and all, but everyone knows she—” Aubrey gla
nced at Echo and stopped herself.
“Knows what?” Echo asked.
Aubrey seemed stumped. “Uh, well, that Trina’s not as nice as she wants you to think.”
“But maybe she’s changed since then,” Sunny suggested.
“Maybe she has.” Aubrey stood and stretched with a skeptical expression.
“So you don’t even want to give her a second chance?” Sunny tried.
“Not really.” Now Aubrey went into her room and closed the door.
Sunny and Echo exchanged glances.
“I guess we should get ready to go.” Sunny peered at the clock in the kitchen. “I want to grab a quick shower. How about you?”
“I’m okay.”
As Sunny showered, she tried to grasp Aubrey’s dislike of Trina, but she just wasn’t getting it. And the truth was, Sunny sometimes thought that Aubrey was a bit on the judgmental side. What about her attitude toward the reservation—and those who lived there? That wasn’t exactly compassionate. Even though Sunny’s initial reaction to Trina had been negative, that had more to do with Cody, not to mention Sunny’s own jealousy issues and something she wasn’t proud of.
But after seeing Aubrey’s prejudice, Sunny was determined to be more friendly to Trina. After all, life hadn’t been exactly easy for Trina. Losing her husband in the war, returning to the reservation as a single mom, raising a teenage son on her own… Really, this poor woman deserved some empathy.
“You look pretty,” Echo told Sunny as they went out to the car.
“Thanks.” Sunny gestured at the red bandana print sundress. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever wear this when I got it with Aubrey in Portland, but it’s so hot today.” She glanced at Echo, dressed casually in khaki shorts and a white T-shirt. “But do you think I overdressed?”
“No, not at all. You’re a grown-up.”
But as Sunny drove she wasn’t so sure. What if it looked like she was trying to draw attention to herself when nothing could be further from the truth? “I thought I’d pick up something in town to take with us,” Sunny told Echo. “Is there somewhere we could find a dessert?”
They stopped at a bakery and quickly picked out a lemon cake, as well as a dozen sugar cookies that Echo wanted. And then Echo directed her to Trina’s place. But as Sunny turned down the driveway she noticed that there didn’t seem to be many cars there. “I guess we’re not as late as I thought.” She glanced at the dashboard clock to see it was 2:15. Was her clock fast, or had she gotten the time wrong? “Trina did say two, didn’t she?”
“Yeah. But there’s real time and reservation time.”
“Reservation time?”
Echo laughed as Sunny parked. “Yeah, some Indians have their own sense of time, like it doesn’t really matter when you get there as long as you get there.”
“Oh.”
“Not that Trina has that many reservation friends, but she does work at Tamástslikt. And it could be she invited some friends from there.”
“That’s the museum, right?” With the bakery goods in hand, Sunny and Echo got out of the car.
“Yeah.” Echo pointed back toward a small barn in back. “Looks like Dad and Grandpa are here, though.”
“Is this a new house?” She looked up at the light blue modular home as they took a paved path through a yard where it appeared the grass turf had been recently laid…and was in need of watering.
“Yeah. The land was in Larry’s family.” Echo spoke quietly as if she didn’t want to be overheard. “There was a little battle over it, but Trina got it worked out. And there used to be an old trailer here, but she used the life insurance money to buy the new house. I’ve only been here a couple of times, but Trina is making a lot of improvements.”
Now they were at the door and Sunny waited as Echo rang the bell. After a minute, Trina appeared. She looked a little flustered, but pretty in a pink and white sundress. Sunny felt a small wave of relief now, like perhaps she hadn’t overdressed after all.
“We brought sweets,” she said with a smile.
“Sweets?” Trina frowned as if this was not a good thing.
“Just a lemon cake and some cookies,” Sunny explained.
“For dessert,” Echo added.
“Oh.” Trina nodded as she took the cake box from Sunny. “Thank you. And, please, come in.”
The interior of the house had a stiff formal look, like it had come directly from a furniture store. “You have a lovely home,” Sunny said as they followed Trina into the kitchen.
“Thank you.” Trina smiled as she placed the desserts on a tiled countertop. “I haven’t even been in it six months yet. But it’s coming along.”
“Where are the others?” Echo asked.
“Jackson is showing Cody and Hank a calf that’s not doing too well,” Trina told her. “Go on out there if you want.”
Echo took off, so now it was only Trina and Sunny in the kitchen. Sunny wanted to ask Trina where the other guests were but knew that would sound a bit rude.
“I was just getting some things ready for the grill.” Trina picked up a platter with pre-made burgers and hot dogs on one side and buns on the other.
“Do you need any help?” offered Sunny.
Trina nodded toward the sink and what looked like bags of fresh produce. “Would you like to make the green salad?”
“Sure.”
“Great.” Trina smiled. “I think you’ll find everything you need in here.” Then she picked up the platter and went outside, leaving Sunny alone in the kitchen. Not that Sunny minded being alone. In a way, it was a relief. In fact, Sunny had been feeling somewhat overwhelmed by all the social activities of recent days. She hummed to herself as she started washing the vegetables, lining them along the counter. She soon located a peeler and knife and a cutting board. Trina’s kitchen, like the rest of her house, seemed to be quite orderly. Everything appeared to be new.
But as Sunny chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, she wondered just how large she should make this salad. Should she use all the ingredients? Or would that be wasteful? She remembered how Trina had said “one more person wouldn’t be noticed.” That seemed to insinuate this was going to be a fairly big gathering. Sunny figured the other guests would simply be arriving fashionably late. And so she found the largest bowl in the kitchen and decided to make a huge salad.
She was finishing up when someone came into the kitchen. She turned to see it was Cody.
“Hey, what are you doing in here?”
She rinsed the knife and set it beside the sink, then picked up the oversized salad and smiled at him. “Making a salad.”
“Oh?” He frowned slightly. “That’s a lot of salad.”
She wondered how much salad she was supposed to make.
“I just came in to wash my hands.” He went to the sink. “But I think it’s time to eat.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Hey, there you guys are,” Trina said as she joined them. “The burgers are done. Are you coming out now?”
“Do you want me to put dressing on the salad?” Sunny set the bowl back on the counter. “Or just on the side?”
Trina stared at the salad. “Good grief, that’s an enormous salad.”
Sunny looked down at the colorful bowl. “Well, yes, I didn’t know what you wanted, so I used all the produce. I assumed you were having a crowd.”
Trina laughed, but it didn’t seem warm or genuine. “That’s okay. Maybe it’ll be good for leftovers, or for anyone who likes wilted salad.” She picked up a dressing bottle and poured a liberal amount over the salad, giving it a quick toss, then picking it up. “This thing weighs a ton.”
Sunny stood a bit straighter now. Not only did she feel insulted, but unappreciated as well. Even so, she forced a smile. Perhaps she would simply eat some token food and then make a quick, polite exit. Because, for whatever reason, she wanted to get away from this place—and fast! Maybe Aubrey was right to refuse to come.
“Well, let’s get outside,” Trina call
ed as she headed out the sliding door. Sunny returned to the sink, pretending to give her hands a quick wash.
“Are you coming?” Cody called out.
“Yes. I’m right behind you.”
On the small deck outside where the sun was beating down, a round umbrella table was set with six places. And while the umbrella afforded some shade, Sunny estimated the temperature out here must’ve been above ninety.
“Hey, there you are,” called Echo. “You’re sitting between me and Jackson, Sunny.”
“Sounds good to me,” she told her.
Hank grinned at Sunny from where he was already seated. “You’re looking very lovely today, Miss Sunrise.”
“Thanks.” She smiled at him, thinking that if anyone else had called her by that name she would’ve been seriously irritated. Yet, coming from Hank, it was sweet. “I figured it was going to be sweltering this afternoon.” She waved her hand like a fan as she sat down in the sun. “And it seems that I was right.” The truth was, Sunny was surprised that Trina was forcing her guests to sit out here in the heat like this. Still, maybe they were used to it.
“Can you grab the burgers from the grill?” Trina asked Cody.
“You got it.” He went over to open the smoking barbecue.
“Goodness, I don’t even know where to put this big thing.” Trina laughed as she held up the huge bowl for everyone to see. “I swear, Sunny made enough salad to feed an army.”
Hank got up, shuffling around in an attempt to help out, and finally pulled over an extra chair to set the salad near the table. The salad looked like it was already starting to wilt in the sun. Kind of like Sunny. Eventually, Cody returned with the meat and, after a bit of passing and readjusting, they were finally eating. But as Sunny nibbled at her hot dog, she felt a hard rock in the pit of her stomach. Then, as if it might help, she gave herself an overly large helping of salad, then attempted to eat it, although it was drenched in dressing. She envied Aubrey now, relaxing back in the comfort of the cool bunkhouse. Sunny honestly could not remember a more miserable meal.
The talk at the table was mostly about today’s parade and other upcoming rodeo events and festivities. For the most part, other than an occasional nod, forced smile, or guarded comment, Sunny stayed out of it.
Love Finds You in Pendleton, Oregon Page 17