not wanting April to return in mid-conversation.
â¢Â   â¢Â   â¢
D INNER HAD BEEN FROSTY. April sat fuming and pushing bits of food around on her plate after returning to the house. Joe had noted that it took her ten minutes to say good-bye to Dallas Cates, but he didnât remark on it.
Marybeth tried to elevate the mood by saying things like âIsnât this nice to all be around to eat dinner together?â but her words seemed to clunk against the walls. Joe noticed that Lucy warily looked from her mom to April to Joe, waiting for the fireworks to begin.
Finally, Lucy asked if she could go to the movies on Friday night.
âWith who?â Marybeth asked.
âNoah.â
Joe grimaced. Noah After Buffalo was a Northern Arapaho from the reservation school. He was bright, polite, and handsome. Lucy had met him at a debate tournament where they competed against each other in dramatic interpretation. He seemed like a smart, well-adjusted boy. Still . . .
Marybeth asked, âIs he picking you up?â
âI donât know,â Lucy said. âWe havenât figured that out yet.â
âIs he buying your ticket?â
Lucy shrugged.
Marybeth said, âWhen you get this all figured out, we can talk.â
Lucy sighed a heavy, put-upon sigh.
âHave you heard from Sheridan?â Joe asked Marybeth.
âA couple of texts,â she said. âShe needs me to send her winter coat. I donât know how she forgot it. And she needs some money for books.â
Joe waited for more, but that was it.
âShe called me this afternoon and didnât leave a message,â he said. âI was wondering if you knew why.â
Marybeth looked up, concerned. âNo.â
âIâll try her again later,â Joe said. âShe never answers her phone.â
âTry texting.â
âI hate texting,â Joe grumbled.
After a beat of silence, April slammed down her fork and glared at Joe.
âTell me why I canât go to the NFR.â She leaned forward and bared her teeth.
âTell me why.â
âYouâll miss school,â Joe said.
âIâm getting all Aâs and Bâs,â April said. âI can take a few days off. Iâm a senior, you know. Iâm going to graduate.â
Joe looked at Marybeth for support.
Marybeth said, âApril, how would you even get to Las Vegas? Where would you stay? How could you afford it?â
âDonât worry about that,â April said. âIâve got it covered. It wonât cost you a dime.â
âThatâs not it,â Joe said, trying not to let his anger show in his voice. He knew she had a point.
âNo, it isnât, is it?â April said. âThis is about Dallas.â
Joe said, âYup.â
Marybeth said, âApril, you need to give us some details. You need to have a plan before we can even consider it. So far, I havenât heard anything.â
Joe noted the crack in their united front.
âYou and your
plans
,â April said, rolling her eyes. Then: âLook, I can take care of myself. Iâve got a job and a car. You people forget Iâm frigginâ
eighteen
.â
âAnd heâs twenty-four,â Joe said.
April turned on him and shouted, â
Aha!
I knew that was the reason.â
âItâs a big one.â
April sat back in her chair and shook her head as if she couldnât believe the incredible ignorance she was hearing. She said, âThis is Dallas Cates, PRCA champion bull rider. He could have asked any girl on the planet to go to the NFR and watch him ride, and he asked me.
Me!
And you two act like Iâm too stupid and immature to know what Iâm doing.â
Joe said, âWell . . .â
âThe hell with both of you,â April cried out, and pushed away from the table. She rose and did an aggressive shoulder roll before stomping down
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