Big Girl Boots

Three

***

Four and a half hours and at least three pit stops later, I watched tensely out the right window as Uncle Mark pulled to a stop in front of my childhood home.

The ride actually hadn't been as bad as I expected, mainly because Kellan put in earbuds and napped against the window for the majority of the drive. If he hadn't, the two of us probably would have spent the entire time squabbling like small children until Aunt Callie turned around and threatened to make us sleep in the horse trailer.

I worked hard to maintain a neutral expression as Mark methodically cut the engine and put on the parking brake. My insides were doing flips as I anticipated the way my mother would act upon seeing me for the first time in several weeks.

Part of me hoped she'd be just as excited to see me as I was to see her and my dad, but the practical side of me knew she was likely still mad about the minor stunts I'd pulled in the last few months. I wasn't sure why she was so upset; Kellan and I used to do worse on a daily basis at school in Caldwell.

Either way, I steeled myself, determined to not let it hurt if she laid into me right off the bat.

"Alright, girlies," my aunt turned around in the passenger seat to face us three in the back. Kellan sat behind his dad and I brought up on the far right with Coda in the middle. She immediately looked up from her phone and shut it off, giving Callie full attention. I did the same, though my pace wasn't near as quick. "We'll get you two and the horses unloaded and then I think we're gonna go get settled at Mark's parents' place. Sound good?"

Kellan had pulled out one ear bud to listen to his mom and he nodded along with Coda and I after hearing the game plan.

"Great. Let the horses stretch their legs and eat, and then if you two would have Remi and Dax ready by five for Mark and his dad, that'd be great."

I nodded, trying not to laugh as Coda just stared at my aunt with wide eyes. She obviously had no idea what was going on, and I promised to explain later.

"Alright," Callie clapped her hands together and flashed her perfect white smile our way, "let's get this show on the road!"

I languidly swung open my door and dropped to the ground, holding it as Coda stumbled out and almost face-planted in the dirt.

"Why are we getting Remi and Dax ready?" She questioned, dusting off and trying to regain her dignity.

"Century roping," I replied simply, shutting the door with a thud.

Her dark blue eyes got even bigger. "What's that?"

I grinned, trying hard to not make her feel stupid. "It's when the combined age of two team ropers is at least a hundred years. Basically, it's old guys roping."

She nodded, taking the news in stride. "And Mark and his dad are old enough to do it?"

"Yup. This is the fourth year now. Uncle Mark is forty-two and his dad is sixty-seven."

I watched the wheels turn in Coda's head as she tried to add the numbers, finally giving into pity at her struggle. "That's a hundred and nine years."

"Wow."

"Yeah." I slung my purple duffel bag out of the pickup bed and onto my shoulder, regretting it when my aunt's perfect packing was disrupted.

Coda followed suit so there were two empty spaces in the bed, though she didn't seem to mind.

This new temporary worry did little to replace the anxiety over seeing my mom that had settled in my gut the second the house came into view. Sucking in a deep breath, I turned to my best friend, praying that I was doing a good job of hiding my fears. Coda didn't need to know how nervous I really was about something as stupid as seeing my parents. She had more than enough to worry about.