Chapter Five

Thursday, July 4 th .

Fourth of July.

Wild Stallion Ranch.

Me and Virge were up at the crack getting ready for the Fourth of July trip to Columbia Falls. It was going to be a great day and the most fun we’d had in a long time.

First thing we did was feed the horses and make sure they had plenty of water before we loaded them into the trailer for the trip to Columbia Falls.

We only needed one trailer now that Virge’s horse had been delivered and put into the corral.

Annie’s Ram diesel pulled the long red trailer and there wasn’t enough room in her truck for all of us. Rowdy took the wheel of the big rig with Mick riding shotgun and Annie and the girls sat in the back seat.

In our truck, Dad and Billy rode in the front. Me, Virge, Jacks and Davey were a bit crowded in the back seat, but Columbia Falls wasn’t even an hour away.

Billy said he’d stay home and watch the station, but the Fourth was a holiday and the station was closed. Dad insisted Billy go with us because he was a big part of our family, and Dad wouldn’t leave him behind.

Columbia Falls. Montana.

The fairgrounds in Columbia Falls were all decorated up for the Fourth of July. Balloons tied to every post, and red, white and blue banners and flags flying everywhere.

We arrived fairly early in the morning, but there was already a big crowd of workers and contestants there ahead of us getting ready for the big day ahead.

Tents were set up and scattered over the field next to the arena. Vendors were setting up tables and getting ready to display their boots, saddles, belts and buckles, T-shirts and all kinds of rodeo-related goods and souvenirs.

“Look at all the fuckin food trucks,” hollered Virgil. He was all about eating and seeing so many trucks in the long line made him grin.

“We’ll catch some of those trucks later, Virge. For now, we have to help with the horses.”

“Yeah, I want to stay with Lucy today. She might be feeling nervous waiting for her turn.” Virge had a serious side he rarely showed to people.

“I think there’s only one event today for barrel racing. This ain’t an event where it’s all girls.”

“Can’t wait until we go to that one,” said Virge.

“Me too. That’s gonna be a big day for Lucy. I think she can take most of the competition from up this way. She’s used to winning rounds in Texas and I think that’s a way tougher crowd of girls.”

Sheridan. Wyoming.

North of Sheridan, Ray pulled into the rest area at the state line and he and Bobby slept for three solid hours. They’d been trying to push it through without stopping at any hotels and the lack of sleep finally caught up with them.

Bobby woke up first, got out of the truck and walked across the parking area to the washroom facilities. He used the men’s room, then bought a couple of Cokes from the row of vending machines.

Ray was snoring when Bobby got back to the truck, and he didn’t bother waking Ray up. He started the engine, put the truck into gear and headed northwest as soon as he crossed the Montana line.

Bobby had been driving for about an hour when Ray finally woke up. “Where are we?”

“Heading northwest through Montana. We crossed the state line while you were asleep. If we’re lucky, we might be in Canada by tonight.”

“What if the border cops have a warrant for you, Bobby? We might not make it across the border.”

“There won’t be anything like that. I have new ID, and nobody knows who you are, Ray. They don’t even know your name. We’ll be fine.”

Bobby took the Coke out of the cupholder and handed it to Ray. “Drink your soda and stop going on about it, Ray.”

While he drank his Coke, Ray stayed quiet.

Bobby found a station he liked and drove along happily until Ray finished his Coke and started up again.

Bobby gritted his teeth trying to hold it together. “I’m only gonna say this one time, Ray. You shut up with all this negative talk or you get the fuck out of the truck.”

Ray reached over and turned up the radio and never said another word.

Columbia Falls. Montana.

“I’ve got to go talk to the convenor in the rodeo office for a minute,” said Rowdy. “I’ll be back soon with tickets for y’all.”

“I hope we have good seats,” said Virge. “I don’t want to miss anything.”

“We’ll have good seats.” Annie winked at me. “Right down front near the rail.”

Rowdy returned a few minutes later with a big smile on his face and a handful of front row tickets. “Here y’all go. I’ve got to take the kids to the chutes and get ready for their events. Y’all have a time.”

Annie smiled at Rowdy. “Thanks, sweetheart.”

Dad was being more polite, but I could tell he didn’t like Annie being with Rowdy.

We went into the arena and found our seats right at the front rail. Travis sat Tammy next to him and kept eyes on her the whole time. Since Tammy arrived in Montana she’d been almost dead silent. The expression on her face never changed. No smile. A blank look like crazy people have on TV.

The announcer came on hollering a message over the loudspeaker and made us jump.

“Welcome to the Columbia Falls Fourth of July Rodeo Extravaganza.”

Everybody hooted and hollered as the announcer continued with his speech, “As a huge surprise for all you rodeo fans out there, we have World Champion Rowdy Butler here with us to kick off the rodeo.”

Rowdy ran out into the middle of the arena and waved his hat in the air.

“Rowdy will be available for pictures and autograph signing at the end of the day. Watch for him outside the east gate of the arena.”

The crowd jumped to their feet hooting and hollering for Rowdy.

After Rowdy left the arena, the rodeo started with the first event. During the afternoon competition, Jackson did the best. He won his class in calf roping and posted a stellar time on the clock.

Davey competed in a younger group, and he came second. A little disappointed, but Rowdy told him he did great, and he’d win the class at the next rodeo we were going to.

When the events concluded for the day, the rodeo people had a table set up for Rowdy in the shade of the building. He signed autographs for hundreds of kids and got his picture taken about a thousand times.

While that went on, Dad herded us over to the food trucks for supper. “We’ll eat before we load the horses and head back home.”

I was starving and Virge was always hungry. He couldn’t make up his mind which truck to line up at. There were so many to choose from, and all of them were his favorites.

I went for a burger with fried onions and Dad voted for that too. We had our food and were sitting at a picnic table before Virge got to the front of the line at the pizza truck.

Tammy sat on the other side of the table and wouldn’t eat the burger Dad bought her. Thin and pasty looking, she wasn’t the same person anymore. My sister Tammy had turned into somebody I didn’t know.

Wild Stallion Ranch. Montana.

An hours’ drive back home from Columbia Falls and we were all bone tired from a day sitting outside in the hot sun. A fantastic fun day, but we were tired all the same.

Horses were first when we got to the ranch. We unloaded them, put them into the corral and fed them. They were as tired and as hot as we were and glad to get out of the trailer.

Rowdy pushed the kids to look after their horses properly and make sure they drank a lot of water so they wouldn’t get dehydrated.

When everyone came into the house ready to crash, Travis asked, “Y’all want to go down to the roadhouse for a pitcher?”

I was dead tired and wanted to flop on my bed. I hoped everybody else would agree with me, but Annie said, “Sure. That will be fun.”

“I’ll stay here,” said Tammy.

Travis immediately shook his head. “Not possible, Tammy. If we’re all going, you’ll have to come with us.”

“But I’m tired, Daddy. I want to go to bed.”

“Only for an hour, Tammy. You can do it. Don’t be a baby.”

Dry Run Roadhouse. Coyote Creek.

Tammy sat in the back of the booth and pouted the entire time we were at the roadhouse supposed to be having fun.

Jack had hired a live band for the Fourth celebration and the roadhouse was jammed with people. All the tables and booths were packed. We were lucky to get a place to sit.

Tessa came running over to take our beer order and she looked tired already. She probably had another four hours on her shift.

Rowdy pulled Annie onto the dance floor and Travis didn’t look pleased seeing them dancing together. You couldn’t miss noticing how happy Annie looked when she was with Rowdy.

Virge watched Dad closely and asked, “You jealous of Rowdy, Dad?”

“Yeah, I guess I am, son. I wasn’t expecting him to come, but why wouldn’t he be with Annie and the kids? He’s the coach for the kids, so of course he’s with them. I should’ve thought of it and been ready for the possibility.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think of it either,” said Virge.

I finished my first beer and asked Lucy to dance to a slow song. While we were on the dance floor, I could say things to Lucy I wanted to tell her and there was a lot I wanted to say.

The slow song ended, and I was walking Lucy back to our table when Penny came in the front door with her roommate Savon and a couple of older guys.

Huh. Penny is cheating on me. What the fuck?

I gave her a wave and kept on walking.

“Who are you waving to, Harlan?” asked Lucy.

“The girl from the grocery store. I took her out a couple of times.”

“Those guys she’s with look a lot older than her,” said Lucy. “Hope she’s safe.”

“Me too. I don’t know those guys. Haven’t seen them around town.”

Wild Stallion Ranch.

After the trip to the roadhouse and drinking more beer and dancing, I was definitely ready to sleep. I stripped down to my boxers and didn’t even remember closing my eyes or saying goodnight to Virge.

Lights out.

Tammy laid in her bed beside her sister Lucy and watched the numbers on the digital clock on the nightstand.

3:00 a.m.

Tammy slipped out of bed, picked up the bag next to the closet door and tip-toed across the hall to the bathroom. She changed into her uniform, strapped on her holster, and carried her boots and her bag downstairs.

Outside the back door, she tugged on her boots.

Travis’s Bronco—Harrison County Sheriff—emblazoned on the doors sat at the top of the laneway facing the road.

Tammy hopped in, used her key to start the engine and drove off.