Call of the Canyon by Nancy Pennick Page B

Rachel would marry Thomas, Carl shut down and
wouldn’t talk anymore. She tried not to antagonize him any further
because she wanted to keep tabs on him.
    When Maya returned from her cruise, Kate
even threatened to tell her but that didn’t stop him from returning
to the canyon. Since Maya always informed Carl of her trips back to
the past, he was able to talk her out of going until Lucinda’s
wedding. He used the excuse he was home for the summer and wanted
her full attention. His only hope was no one would mention him to
his mother at the wedding.
    Kate was asked to be in Lucinda’s wedding
just like before. Lucinda discovered Anna and Daniel secretly loved
each other. They kept it from everyone because they didn’t want to
hurt Lucinda. Of course, Kate already knew but acted surprised.
They finally came to the wedding as a couple, which upset
Lucinda.
    The Hasting wedding took place the first
weekend of September. Kate knew the marriage was going to happen no
matter what she said, even though she still had the talk with
Lucinda about finding true love. She decided to add one more thing
to their conversation. She told Lucinda Drew asked her to marry
him. Lucinda immediately wanted to take over the whole affair and
Kate had to rein her in. Of course, Lucinda wanted them to get
married at the Circle H but Kate promised Anna she would have the
nuptials at the Circle J ranch. She was pretty sure Daniel would
make the offer to Drew, too. He told Daniel during the Hasting
wedding reception and Daniel did not hesitate, insisting they get
married at his ranch.
    After Kate returned to Ohio from the wedding
weekend, she got a call from Anna. Her voice sounded excited. “I
have a great idea and hopefully it will solve the Carl problem at
the canyon. Bring him to Arizona for my birthday. He can meet
Thomas III and his family. That might make him think about what
he’s doing.”
    “If he sees Thomas with his own two eyes,
he’ll realize it’s wrong. A whole generation won’t be born if he
continues with his plan. Good thinking, Anna.” Kate paused for a
moment. “There’s something I want to confide in you. Jordyn lost
the baby.”
    “Oh, no, I’m sorry to hear. When did it
happen?”
    “A few weeks ago, mid-August. Matt planned
to move into the Taylor-White house around that time. He never got
the chance to tell his parents about their situation. He kept
putting it off and now they’re glad he did. Jordyn seemed truly
upset she lost the baby. Being the planner, she charted out the
school year with her moms and Matt. She was determined to make
things work. In the end, she decided she was happy about having the
baby.”
    “Are they still together? That can put a
strain on a couple.”
    “They say they’re fine but I have my doubts.
I feel Jordyn’s staying with Matt more out of loyalty than love.
She’s confused right now.”
    “You and Lindsey need to be there for her.
Give her extra attention.”
    “Good advice as always, Anna. Linds and I
always felt she was the lucky one. She was the one having the great
high school experience. Obviously, we were wrong.” Kate felt sorry
for Jordyn but knew she was capable of bouncing back. “You know
what? When school starts, I’m going to nominate her for Homecoming
Queen. Last year, she joked all three of us could be in the
Homecoming parade.”
    “What a wonderful idea. You’re a good
friend, Kathryn.”
    “I try. I’ll see what I can do and keep you
informed.” She said her good-byes and hung up the phone. Staring
out her bedroom window, Kate thought how much her friends had
helped through the past year. It was time to return the favor. If
Jordyn wanted to be Homecoming Queen, maybe Kate could make it
happen.
     

Chapter Nine
     
    Drew, Kate,
Lindsey and Carl landed at the airport in Flagstaff, Arizona. Kate
couldn’t believe it was already October and she was back for
another one of Anna’s birthdays. Last year she had no idea what she
would discover and this