have shoes.” Shelby wore a pair of black sneakers with silver trim and laces and four-inch thick soles.
Sam looked at them and shook her head.
“What’s wrong with these?” Shelby said.
“They won’t fit in the stirrups,” Sam said. “And you’ll need some jeans.”
“I have jeans.” Shelby tugged at her Raver-style jeans.
Fitted at the waist but with hugely oversized hips and legs, to Sam they looked like denim clown pants.
“They’re too baggy for horses,” Sam said. “You need some Levi’s. I bet I have a pair that’ll fit you. Come on.”
She and Shelby went to Sam’s room where Sam dug a pair of old and faded jeans from her suitcase. “These’ll do.”
“The legs are too skinny,” Shelby said. “Nobody wears these.”
“Around here they do. And if you want to keep your butt on a horse, you’ll need them. Just try them on.”
“But...” Shelby began.
“Humor me.”
*
Sam intended to take Shelby by Clowers’ Outdoor and Mountaineering Store, but when they passed Varney’s she saw it was open for business. She guided the Jeep into the first empty space she saw and they walked back to the store.
The front door stood open and a woman in a light blue dress and a navy sweater, sleeves pushed up to her elbows, was wiping down the checkout counter with a cloth. She had a pleasant face and neatly combed gray hair.
She looked up and smiled as Sam and Shelby entered. “Welcome,” she said. “Can I help you?”
“Are you Louise Varney?” Sam asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m Sam Cody. This is Shelby Cameron.”
Louise offered her hand to Sam and they shook. She looked at Shelby. “Alyss’ daughter?”
“Yes.”
“She’s told me all about you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet.” Louise turned to Sam. “You found Lloyd, didn’t you?”
Sam nodded. “I’m so sorry.”
Louise offered a weak smile.
“Are you OK?”
Louise sighed. “It’s not easy.”
“Why are you here?” Sam asked. “Don’t you want to be home?”
“And what?” Louise replied. “Stare at the walls and cry? I’ve already done that.” Her shoulders gave a sad shrug. “Besides, somebody’s got to run the store.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
Startled, Sam turned to see Billy Bear standing behind her, a large cardboard box hefted up on one shoulder. She hadn’t heard him walk up.
“I told her to go home. That I’d take care of things, but she’s too bullheaded,” Billy said.
“This is where I belong,” Louise said.
“OK,” Billy said. “I’ll stack these sweaters with the others, then I’m going back up the hill to clear a fallen tree out of one of the streams and finish burying the deer carcass I found yesterday.”
“Deer?” Sam said.
“Looks like somebody cut out what meat they could carry and left the rest. It’s been pretty well chewed up by scavenging critters.”
“This isn’t hunting season,” Sam said.
“No, it ain’t,” Billy said. “And I don’t allow hunting on my property anyway. I find out who did this and I’ll break his neck.” He looked at Louise. “I’ll come back later today and make sure you’re OK.”
“I’ll be fine,” Louise said. “You go ahead. But, come by for dinner. I’ve still got a refrigerator full of stuff. You didn’t make much of a dent in it last night.”
Billy carried the box toward the back of the store where he dropped it to the floor, ripped it open, and began stacking the sweaters on one of the tables.
“We need to get Shelby a shirt and some boots,” Sam said.
Louise directed Shelby toward a rack of pullovers. “Let’s see what we can find for you.”
Sam walked toward Billy. He had emptied the cardboard container and now crushed the empty box flat with his boot. Sam noticed the Timberline logo on the heel.
“How are you doing today?” Billy asked.
“Fine. And you?”
Billy shrugged an “OK.”
“Did you talk to Chief Wade?” Sam asked.
“Yeah.”
“And?”
“And nothing. He’s
Sam looked at them and shook her head.
“What’s wrong with these?” Shelby said.
“They won’t fit in the stirrups,” Sam said. “And you’ll need some jeans.”
“I have jeans.” Shelby tugged at her Raver-style jeans.
Fitted at the waist but with hugely oversized hips and legs, to Sam they looked like denim clown pants.
“They’re too baggy for horses,” Sam said. “You need some Levi’s. I bet I have a pair that’ll fit you. Come on.”
She and Shelby went to Sam’s room where Sam dug a pair of old and faded jeans from her suitcase. “These’ll do.”
“The legs are too skinny,” Shelby said. “Nobody wears these.”
“Around here they do. And if you want to keep your butt on a horse, you’ll need them. Just try them on.”
“But...” Shelby began.
“Humor me.”
*
Sam intended to take Shelby by Clowers’ Outdoor and Mountaineering Store, but when they passed Varney’s she saw it was open for business. She guided the Jeep into the first empty space she saw and they walked back to the store.
The front door stood open and a woman in a light blue dress and a navy sweater, sleeves pushed up to her elbows, was wiping down the checkout counter with a cloth. She had a pleasant face and neatly combed gray hair.
She looked up and smiled as Sam and Shelby entered. “Welcome,” she said. “Can I help you?”
“Are you Louise Varney?” Sam asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m Sam Cody. This is Shelby Cameron.”
Louise offered her hand to Sam and they shook. She looked at Shelby. “Alyss’ daughter?”
“Yes.”
“She’s told me all about you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet.” Louise turned to Sam. “You found Lloyd, didn’t you?”
Sam nodded. “I’m so sorry.”
Louise offered a weak smile.
“Are you OK?”
Louise sighed. “It’s not easy.”
“Why are you here?” Sam asked. “Don’t you want to be home?”
“And what?” Louise replied. “Stare at the walls and cry? I’ve already done that.” Her shoulders gave a sad shrug. “Besides, somebody’s got to run the store.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
Startled, Sam turned to see Billy Bear standing behind her, a large cardboard box hefted up on one shoulder. She hadn’t heard him walk up.
“I told her to go home. That I’d take care of things, but she’s too bullheaded,” Billy said.
“This is where I belong,” Louise said.
“OK,” Billy said. “I’ll stack these sweaters with the others, then I’m going back up the hill to clear a fallen tree out of one of the streams and finish burying the deer carcass I found yesterday.”
“Deer?” Sam said.
“Looks like somebody cut out what meat they could carry and left the rest. It’s been pretty well chewed up by scavenging critters.”
“This isn’t hunting season,” Sam said.
“No, it ain’t,” Billy said. “And I don’t allow hunting on my property anyway. I find out who did this and I’ll break his neck.” He looked at Louise. “I’ll come back later today and make sure you’re OK.”
“I’ll be fine,” Louise said. “You go ahead. But, come by for dinner. I’ve still got a refrigerator full of stuff. You didn’t make much of a dent in it last night.”
Billy carried the box toward the back of the store where he dropped it to the floor, ripped it open, and began stacking the sweaters on one of the tables.
“We need to get Shelby a shirt and some boots,” Sam said.
Louise directed Shelby toward a rack of pullovers. “Let’s see what we can find for you.”
Sam walked toward Billy. He had emptied the cardboard container and now crushed the empty box flat with his boot. Sam noticed the Timberline logo on the heel.
“How are you doing today?” Billy asked.
“Fine. And you?”
Billy shrugged an “OK.”
“Did you talk to Chief Wade?” Sam asked.
“Yeah.”
“And?”
“And nothing. He’s
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