Colorado Wide Open

Chapter 5

IT WAS AS IF Cyril had paused in 1860 and never pressed play again. There were still hitching posts, rocking chairs on store porches, and creaking wood floors in stores that permanently smelt of old leather and feed. Flower boxes still hung from store windows and decrepit milk tanks were placed outside some shops for decoration. Every now and then, a person on horseback moseyed through town, a ten gallon hat perched on their sunburned heads. It were as if war was raging just a few states eastward and Lincoln was supervising the whole doing. In a way, it was comfortably humble and quaint, but in others it was irritatingly backwards.

Hailey exited the western store with a box of pink Justin Gypsys under her arm and a pocket seventy dollars smaller. She had bought expensive shoes before, but she couldn’t believe that a pair of ridiculous looking pink boots were little under a hundred dollars. She crossed the empty street toward AmySue’s Thrift Threads and looked around for any sign of Luke.

It struck her how easy Luke was to be around. She liked him even more for this and hated him a little for not seeming interested in her. She knew it was an unrealistic goal to begin with; it was against the rules for Luke to have any affections for one of the summer charges, and as much as Hailey wanted to break this rule, she knew Luke would never think of doing such a thing. She wondered why he worked there in the first place. Her first thought had been that he was related to Tom and Deb, but they had two different last names and it added to the curiosity she possessed for the Adonis ranch hand.

A bell chimed above her head as she entered the thrift shop. Clothes were folded on tables, hanging from rafters or rods, or in bins labeled “Buy one, get three free!” The room smelt of clothes that had been stored for years. The register was left vacant and it appeared nobody was in until a soft disembodied voice from the back of the shop called, “You-hoo!”

A small, fragile type woman came bustling into view from where she must have been sorting clothes and took her spot behind the counter. She wore a black western pleasure shirt with purple swirls raining from her shoulder. Atop her burning red hair was a beaten black cowboy hat with a bling broach clipped to the side. Wrinkles drooped below her hazel eyes and her lips were pulled into a tight grin.

“Hello, Hun, can I help you with anything?” She hesitated. “I don’t believe I’ve seen you around. You must be new to town.”

“I’m from Silver River,” Hailey replied, tightening her grip on the boot box.

The woman waved a fragile hand and screwed up her face in understanding. “Oh, oh, oh! Yes, I forgot it’s Dude Ranch season!” She cackled, her laugh a screech that rung through the store. “Well, I’m AmySue Hughey. Everyone knows me, I win most of the barrel races put on around here. They’re intimidated by me,” she whispered. In a normal voice, she continued, “You ride here? You new to town?” She cackled. “Of course you are! I’ve never seen you before! Ha! Pardon me. What’d’yah need, Hun?”

AmySue gave Hailey the impressions that AmySue was the only one in town who thought so highly of herself. From the way she acted, Hailey was sure nobody was really intimidated by AmySue.

“I’m Hailey Brisk,” she introduced politely, “I had… um, the ranch hand--”

“Oh, Lukey!”

“--yeah… drive me to town. I need to buy a bikini. Got any?”

AmySue was silent for a moment, which surprised Hailey. Reluctantly, AmySue began, “Well… I do think I just got something in. We’re half thrift, half department store here, so don’t think that whatever you find was once owned by a girl whose dead now, alright!” She cackled again and stepped out from behind the counter, escorting Hailey toward the back of the store.