Under the Open Sky (Montana Heritage Series) (10 page)

             
“Yes, I want to get out tonight, one last time before you leave and I have to start back to school,” she watched him for a moment. “Please?”

             
“I don’t know, Mandy. I’m not the best company right now.”

             
Amanda sighed and plucked a flowered weed from the ground. “Okay, I guess I’ll see if Cade can give me a ride into town; I’m sure I can find a ride home,” she kept her expression carefully neutral. She was waiting for her brother’s response; she wasn’t disappointed.

             
“The hell you will,” he turned to glare at her. “Not only do you have no business taking off out of here with Cade, but you are not about to run around town without a pre-appointed ride home with a trusted friend.”

             
“I can if Daddy says I can,” she countered.

             
“You think he’s going to let his only daughter run around with just anybody in town?”

             
“Sure, I’m smart enough to call him if I can’t find a safe ride home.”

             
“Number one, he wouldn’t let you leave here alone with Cade, two, he will immediately ask who’s bringing you home and where you’re going to be.”

             
“I guess I’ll go find out,” Amanda said as she stood and brushed off the seat of her shorts. She wasted no time in mounting and setting a good clip for home.

             
Cade met her at the barn doors and held Dandelion still while she swung down.

             
“What did he say?”

             
“He said no, but he’ll be along in a minute hot under the collar and ready to go,” Amanda predicted confidently.

             
“What did you do, Manny?” Cade was surveying her, a grin already pulling at the corners of his mouth.

             
“I told him I was going to get you to give me a ride into town and that I was certain I could find a ride home,” Amanda shared as she started loosening the straps on Dandelion’s saddle.              

             
“That should do it,” Cade nodded and stepped in to grab the saddle before she could.

             
“That’s what I’m counting on,” Amanda grinned up at him. “Here he comes. If he asks, you’ve agreed to give me a ride. Thanks, Cade,” Amanda rose onto her toes and kissed his cheek before turning to leave.

             
“You know how to push his buttons don’t you?” Cade called after her.

             
“Be ready at six,” Amanda threw over her shoulder with a grin. “Hi, Steve,” she nodded to a hand who was entering the barn before she sprinted toward the house.

Eight

             
Amanda leaned close to her mirror and applied lip gloss before leaning back to survey her appearance. She had dressed in a pair of dark jean shorts, a fitted, capped sleeved black t-shirt, a wide western belt, and her boots before straightening her hair and applying her make-up. After giving her hair one final brush through, she grabbed her purse, the first she had ever owned, and flipped off her radio before stepping into the hall. She found her brother dressed and waiting.

             
“Hey, Trent, what are you doing?” Amanda stopped and frowned at him as though she were truly clueless.

             
“I’m going to town with you.”

             
“Oh, I’m glad you changed your mind,” she offered him a sweet smile.

             
“Let’s go,” he muttered. He stopped and frowned at her a moment. “Are you wearing make-up?”

             
“I am,” slightly amused at his obvious dismay, she nodded.

             
“You cut your hair!”

             
She had wondered if he was ever going to notice. Men were funny that way.

             
“You say that like it’s a bad thing! I like it this way; it’s much easier to care for. Now are we ready?”

             
Not waiting for an answer, Amanda started down the stairs.

             
“Hey, Daddy, I’m going to town with Trent and Cade,” Amanda entered the living room and dropped a kiss on her father’s cheek.

             
“Be safe and be back at a decent hour,” he ordered.

             
“We will,” she promised. “Love you.”

             
“Love you too, Pumpkin; have fun,” her father called after her.

             
Amanda exited the house and skipped down the front porch steps to where Cade was waiting.

             
“Hey, Trent, you decide to come along?” Cade queried as he opened the truck door for Amanda.

             
“Didn’t have much choice,” Trent was glowering at them both.

             
“Come on, Grumpy,” Amanda shot at her brother.

             
Trent climbed in beside his sister while Cade went around to the driver’s side. Trent didn’t say a word all the way into town.

             
“I’m not sure I can handle a big crowd,” Trent finally spoke when they pulled into the bowling alley parking lot.

             
“Come on, Trent, you can find a stool and glower at everyone; I for one want to have a little fun before summer is completely gone,” Amanda informed her brother as she scooted out after Cade. She rounded the truck and opened the passenger door, her expression softening at the pain in her brother’s eyes.

             
“I miss her too, Trent, but we’re still here and pretending we aren’t won’t bring her back,” Amanda laid her hand on her brother’s arm. He nodded and climbed from the truck, his expression; however, still said he would rather be elsewhere. Amanda led the way, Cade’s words to her brother floating to her on the air.

             
“Come on, let’s go keep your sister out of trouble; she seems determined to find some tonight.”

             
Her brother’s mirthless chuckle made Amanda smile. Inside, music blared from a juke box against one wall and competed with the crack and rumble of bowling balls hitting the lanes and then the pins. Conversations and laughter added to the Friday night cacophony. Amanda waved at several friends from school and made her way to the juke box to put on a few of her favorite songs.

             
“Well, we got him out of the house,” Cade offered as he leaned one arm on the side of the juke box.

             
“Now what?” she asked as she glanced to where Trent had stopped and stood staring at the crowd with disinterest.

             
“Don’t know.” Cade turned to lean against the juke box, his arms crossed over his chest. “He’s a moving statue.”

             
“Statues don’t move,” Amanda corrected.

             
“You know what I mean.”

             
Amanda moved to her brother and looped her arm through his. “Want to play pool with me and Cade?” she invited.

             
“I’ll watch,” Trent offered.

             
Amanda shot Cade and impatient shrug and continued to the tables. “You’ll have to help me, Trent; I’m still not very good at this,” Amanda reminded him. He had only taught her to play rather recently.

             
“You’ll do fine,” Trent climbed onto a nearby stool, his attention on the bowling lanes, his gaze however, seemed fixed on someone in particular. As Cade set up the game, Amanda peered through the crowd before spotting Jenny Brown, Angela’s little sister, on a nearby lane. Jenny was a year older than Amanda and a year younger than Angela had been. Angela and Jenny were similar in looks, though Jenny’s hair was a deeper auburn and her eyes more hazel than green. In personality they differed. Angela hadn’t been shy but much more reserved and cautious than lively Jenny.

             
“You break,” Cade invited.

             
Trying not to let sadness over whelm her, Amanda pulled her gaze away from Jenny and lined up her shot. It didn’t take more than a few minutes to figure out that Cade was the better player.

             
“You’re not very good at this,” Cade accused.

             
“I know,” she grimaced. “I was counting on my brother to give me some pointers but…” Amanda raised her shoulder and let it drop in a helpless shrug. It was clear her brother was determined not to have a good time.

             
“Hey, Mandy,” Lacey greeted and glanced between her and Cade curiously as she passed with her boyfriend.              

             
“Hi, Lacey; how’s Sam; I haven’t talked to her in a few days,” Amanda returned.

             
“She’s fine. See you around.”

             
“You too,” Amanda waved.

             
“Hey, Mandy,” Jenny called as she approached. Amanda turned and smiled. “I’m glad to see you here. How have you guys been doing?”

             
“Alright I guess. How about you guys?”

             
“It’s hard but Mom keeps reminding me that Angie would be the first to remind us all to keep on living. She’s right, Angie was that way,” Jenny’s smile was genuine; so were the tears she blinked back.

             
“Hey, Jenny,” Trent came to stand beside his sister. “How are you?”

             
“I’m okay, considering all, I really am, Trent. I hope you are too.”

             
“Not so well. Listen, I’m sorry…”

             
Jenny raised a hand. “You’ve said that already. Rehashing and rehashing it won’t do either of us any good.”

             
“Right,” Trent nodded and shoved his hands into his jeans.

             
“Some friends and I are going up to the fire tower; you want to come?” Jenny addressed the group.

             
“Sounds better than staying here to lose this game,” Amanda grinned.

             
“Let’s go then,” Cade grabbed her pool stick and returned it to the rack on the wall. Trent seemed to hesitate; then shrugged.

             
“Mind if I ride with you?” Jenny queried.

             
“I don’t mind but it might be a tight fit,” Cade warned.

             
“Yeah, we’ve got eight people squeezed into a five passenger car; I’ll take my chances,” Jenny offered them a smile.

             
A short time later Amanda braced herself as they bounced along the rutted gravel road that climbed one of the many mountains that surrounded the town. In front of them, the small compact they were following kept bottoming out but managed to keep moving. A moment later the car stopped and two passengers spilled out to climb into the back of the truck.

             
“Troy says we’ve got to take some weight off before we can make the final hill,” one of the boys explained through the back window. The road finally topped off. Along one side of the clearing a stream rushed by over rocks and small boulders. In the middle of the clearing a fire tower jutted into the darkness.

             
“I haven’t been up here in years,” Amanda commented as she looked the area over. “I bet the view is amazing up there at night.”

             
“Probably, but they removed the last few flight of stairs a couple of years back,” Jenny shared.

             
“I climbed up there last time I was here,” Troy announced. Easily topping out at over six foot, he was tall, with dark brown hair and eyes. Amanda had no trouble believing that he had made it up there with his lanky frame.

             
“What are you doing?” Jenny asked as she followed Amanda to the base of the structure.

             
Amanda surveyed the stairs and surrounding metal beams and piping a moment.

             
“What are you doing?” Jenny repeated when Amanda started removing her boots.

             
“I’m going up there.”

             
“You are?” Jenny’s eyes widened.

             
“Yep.” Amanda stuffed her socks into her books, took a running start, and jumped up to grab onto a metal bar. She used her momentum to swing her body up waist high with the bar and then turned to sit on the pipe, before grabbing the bar above and standing.

             
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Manny!?” Cade stalked toward the tower.

             
“I’m going up,” Amanda called as she leapt onto the stairs across from her.