Call of the Canyon by Nancy Pennick Page A

because Carl just went to the canyon and I have a new
memory.”
    “You’re getting good at this. I’m still
trying to figure it out myself. So let me ask you, do you have a
memory of Drew and me getting married?”
    “No and I would have told you if I did. So
make a new memory for me, Kathryn, make some beautiful
memories.”
    “That sounds so profound. I think I’ll make
a lovely memory for all of us.” Kate smiled into the phone. “I’ll
call you later with more news. Right now, I’m going to wake up my
1927 fiancée. Love you!”
    Kate went into her bathroom to shower and
get ready for the day. She closed her eyes and let the hot shower
beat down on her. The steam rose up and suddenly she felt Drew’s
hands slip around her waist as he joined her in the shower. This
was too good to be true. She slowly turned around to give him a
good morning kiss.
    “Kate, are you in there?” There was a knock
at the bathroom door.
    Kate’s eyes popped open to an empty shower.
“Drew, yes, I’m here.”
    “We knocked for twenty minutes and were
getting a little worried.”
    “I’ll be out in a minute!” Kate shut off the
shower, grabbed her bathrobe and towel for her hair and ran out to
her bedroom. “Sorry, I was daydreaming, I guess.”
    Drew kissed her and then told her some
exciting news. “We’re all going back to shop for the wedding, even
your mother. Come on down for breakfast and we’ll fill you in.”
    He left her to get ready. She was sorry she
didn’t get to finish her fantasy but this was good news. Hurrying
to dress, Kate ran downstairs to find her mother in the
kitchen.
    “Mom, I’m so happy you’re going with us. I
know Lucinda would do everything she could to help us, but it’s too
early to tell her. I’d love to include her, but in her world I’ve
just met Drew. It wouldn’t make sense for me to say we’re getting
married. What am I saying?” Kate hit her forehead. “Lucinda just
met Henry and will marry him soon.” She recalled what happened last
year. Lucinda married Henry within two months of meeting him. “Mom,
I guess it will be just the four of us. Where can we shop in
Arizona?”
    “Drew arranged for us to go to New York City
for a day to pick everything out. He’ll have it shipped to Arizona.
It takes a few days to travel to New York and back to the canyon so
we thought we better go now.” Her mom seemed excited about the
trip.
    Kate was glad everyone had something
positive to focus on. The family would be together to plan a happy
occasion. She hoped it would distract her father. “Mom, do you
think Dad has hurt feelings because he can’t walk me down the
aisle?”
    “He knows he can’t. So regardless of how he
feels, that’s how it has to be.”
    “I wonder if there’s a way we can. Couldn’t
I say, because my parents can’t make it, I’ve asked him to do
double duty?”
    “You know... that could work. You’re the
best, sweetest daughter there ever was.” She kissed Kate on the
cheek. “...oh, and don’t forget thoughtful!”
    Kate hugged her tightly. She only hoped her
mother felt that way after she learned Carl went to the canyon and
it was all her fault.
    * * * *
    It was a busy two months. The family trip to
New York City went well. Kate picked out a simple wedding dress and
found the perfect lavender color for the girls in the wedding
party. Drew and her dad were fitted for tuxes at Martin’s Menswear.
Drew made plans to have a tailor come to the ranch to measure
Daniel and Thomas. It was such a quick trip Kate never got to meet
Drew’s parents or her grandmother and regretted it happened so
fast. Staying in 1927 New York and seeing the sights were on her
wish list for the next time they visited.
    The rest of the summer went by pretty much
as the summer before at the canyon. The only difference was Carl
kept popping up. He wouldn’t give up on Rachel and continued seeing
her, acting very secretive about their relationship. Every time
Kate reminded him