Ryding Through Troubled Waters

Chapter 4.1: THE HOTEL (part 1 of 2)

Cale pondered those words while he mounted his paint gelding. He knew they were true. He just didn’t like the idea of not having either of his parents. Cale tipped his Reds cap to Scoot and wheeled Quick Shot around. “I’ll ride the fences a while and come back when I’ve had time to think.”

Scoot waved a quick goodbye. “I’ll hold down the fort.”

Cale kept himself busy most of the day and tried not to think about the upcoming showdown with his kid sister. Part of him even dared to hope that she could be right.

The rest of Saturday came and went … and Mom and Dad didn’t show.

As dinnertime approached, Cale took Luke aside in the living room and explained his plan. “What are you gonna say when she falls apart?” Luke asked.

“I dunno. You’re the closest thing she has to Mom. If she’s gotta be mad at one of us until she figures it out, it should probably be me. You’re better at calming her.”

Luke gave a resolute nod. “I hate that she’s so little and so sad … and determined. She hasn’t cried at all today. She really believes Mom and Dad’ll be back. I’m worried how she’ll react when she realizes she’s just foolin’ herself.”

“I wish I knew.” Cale shrugged. “I’ll be the fall guy. Between us, maybe we can get her through. Where is she?”

“In her room.”

Cale took a deep breath and forced his feet down the hallway. “Here goes nothing.”

Luke followed, stopping outside Brandi’s door. He clapped an encouraging hand to Cale’s back as he crossed the threshold. The pat steadied Cale’s nerves. “Hey, whatcha doing, Dolly?”

“Playing with my dollhouse. See?” She pointed to a pink minivan. “The mommy and daddy dollies are coming home in their car. So the brother dollies and the little girl dolly can be a family with them again.”

He squatted next to her. “I see. What time are they supposed to be home?”

She looked out her bedroom window. The last red of sundown lit the sky. She frowned and shook her head. “They had to stay at a hotel because the airport’s a long way away. They’ll be home tomorrow.”

“What if the airport isn’t very far away?”

“It is far away.” Blinking, Brandi stubbornly clenched her jaw. “The mommy and little girl dolly forgot to make a chain for that. They’ll be home tomorrow.”

So that’s how she’s decided to deal with this. “What if they don’t come home tomorrow?”

“They will. It’s Sunday.” She said “Sunday” like that explained away any issues. Brandi pushed the minivan closer to the house. Cale was pretty sure she was trying to convince herself every bit as much as him. “We have to go to church on Sunday. Momma and Daddy would never miss church.”

Not if they were still here. “That’s true.”

“Momma and I forgot the last link. We ran out of paper. It was just an accident. Accidents are okay.” Her voice trembled. “They’ll be here tomorrow.”

Tears filled her eyes. She blinked and turned away.

Cale squeezed her tiny shoulder and stood. “Accidents are okay.” He shook his head at Luke’s dropped jaw. “And you’re right about Mom and Dad not missing church without a good reason. They would never do that. So if they did, they would have a really good reason, okay?”