Sierra’s bed was empty and unmade. But then, it was always unmade. She checked the bathroom. Empty.
Ryder appeared at her side. “I’m hungry.”
Annie smiled and fixed him a bowl of Cheerios with a calmness she didn’t feel. Sierra liked to stay out late, but she always camehome. Always. She’d said she was going to the Chuckwagon, but it closed at midnight. Where had she gone after that? What if she’d had an accident on the way home? What if she’d met some dangerous drifter passing through town or hooked up with some weirdo? She was so young, only twenty, and she didn’t have the best judgment.
Annie put away the milk and checked her cell phone, hoping for a message. Her heart beat up into her throat. No voice mail, no text.
Just then a rumble sounded. She peeked through the curtains and saw her sister’s car coming up the drive. The adrenaline drained suddenly, leaving her weak, shaky, and angry. She paced across the room, waiting, catching her breath, and trying to calm herself.
Her jaw ached from clenching by the time Sierra crept through the door in last night’s jeans and spangled top, her mascara smudged under her eyes. They widened when she saw Annie, and she gave up on sneaking in.
“Where have you been?” She kept her voice down for Ryder’s sake.
Sierra dropped her bag on the recliner. “Sorry, I meant to make it in before you woke.”
“You didn’t even call. You have a child, Sierra—you can’t just stay out all night like an irresponsible teenager.”
Sierra’s elfin features hardened. “I know I have a child. He was perfectly safe here with you. And I didn’t call because I didn’t want to wake you both.”
“Where were you?”
She pulled off a pair of heeled boots that looked ridiculous on a quiet Sunday morning. “With a new friend.”
“A man?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Stop treating me like a child.”
“Since when do you have one-night stands?”
“That isn’t what—”
“Is that who you are, Sierra? Where is all this leading?”
“All what ?”
“All this—cavorting with men, staying out till all hours on Saturday nights, skipping church—”
“I’m going to college, I’m raising a child—”
“You should be out looking for a job instead of trying to turn the head of every man you see!”
“On a Saturday night? I am looking for a job. What more do you want from me, Annie? I’m the oldest twenty-year-old ever!”
“Where was you, Mommy?” Ryder appeared, drawn no doubt by Sierra’s raised voice.
Sierra lifted him, kissed his milky mouth, and set him back down.
“I was—outside, puddin’.” She ruffled his dark hair and smacked his rump. “Go finish breakfast, then I’ll put your new movie in.”
“Yippee!” Ryder scampered toward the kitchen.
That should keep him busy while Sierra slept. So much for her promise to go to church this week.
Annie crossed her arms. “So you’re lying to your child now too.”
Sierra set her small chin. “Stop judging me, Annie. And stop trying to tell me what to do. You’re not my mom!”
“You’re my responsibility. How do you think I felt when I couldn’t find you? I was imagining all sorts of awful things!”
This was exactly what their grandfather had feared. Annie was doing a terrible job. She wasn’t keeping her promise at all. Tears stung her eyes.
Sierra’s face softened. She looked so young with her makeup all smudged under her sleepy eyes. She tried for a smile. “Sorry I worried you. I promise I’ll call next time.”
She couldn’t believe her sister. “Next time? What if somethinghad happened? All moral implications aside, you can’t go running off with strangers!”
“He isn’t a stranger, exactly. He’s a friend of Dylan’s from the rodeo circuit, in town for a few days. Dylan introduced us at the Chuckwagon and we hit it off. We didn’t—”
“Dylan?”
Sierra grabbed her bag, sighing hard. “You don’t even listen to me, Annie. I’m an adult and
Ryder appeared at her side. “I’m hungry.”
Annie smiled and fixed him a bowl of Cheerios with a calmness she didn’t feel. Sierra liked to stay out late, but she always camehome. Always. She’d said she was going to the Chuckwagon, but it closed at midnight. Where had she gone after that? What if she’d had an accident on the way home? What if she’d met some dangerous drifter passing through town or hooked up with some weirdo? She was so young, only twenty, and she didn’t have the best judgment.
Annie put away the milk and checked her cell phone, hoping for a message. Her heart beat up into her throat. No voice mail, no text.
Just then a rumble sounded. She peeked through the curtains and saw her sister’s car coming up the drive. The adrenaline drained suddenly, leaving her weak, shaky, and angry. She paced across the room, waiting, catching her breath, and trying to calm herself.
Her jaw ached from clenching by the time Sierra crept through the door in last night’s jeans and spangled top, her mascara smudged under her eyes. They widened when she saw Annie, and she gave up on sneaking in.
“Where have you been?” She kept her voice down for Ryder’s sake.
Sierra dropped her bag on the recliner. “Sorry, I meant to make it in before you woke.”
“You didn’t even call. You have a child, Sierra—you can’t just stay out all night like an irresponsible teenager.”
Sierra’s elfin features hardened. “I know I have a child. He was perfectly safe here with you. And I didn’t call because I didn’t want to wake you both.”
“Where were you?”
She pulled off a pair of heeled boots that looked ridiculous on a quiet Sunday morning. “With a new friend.”
“A man?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Stop treating me like a child.”
“Since when do you have one-night stands?”
“That isn’t what—”
“Is that who you are, Sierra? Where is all this leading?”
“All what ?”
“All this—cavorting with men, staying out till all hours on Saturday nights, skipping church—”
“I’m going to college, I’m raising a child—”
“You should be out looking for a job instead of trying to turn the head of every man you see!”
“On a Saturday night? I am looking for a job. What more do you want from me, Annie? I’m the oldest twenty-year-old ever!”
“Where was you, Mommy?” Ryder appeared, drawn no doubt by Sierra’s raised voice.
Sierra lifted him, kissed his milky mouth, and set him back down.
“I was—outside, puddin’.” She ruffled his dark hair and smacked his rump. “Go finish breakfast, then I’ll put your new movie in.”
“Yippee!” Ryder scampered toward the kitchen.
That should keep him busy while Sierra slept. So much for her promise to go to church this week.
Annie crossed her arms. “So you’re lying to your child now too.”
Sierra set her small chin. “Stop judging me, Annie. And stop trying to tell me what to do. You’re not my mom!”
“You’re my responsibility. How do you think I felt when I couldn’t find you? I was imagining all sorts of awful things!”
This was exactly what their grandfather had feared. Annie was doing a terrible job. She wasn’t keeping her promise at all. Tears stung her eyes.
Sierra’s face softened. She looked so young with her makeup all smudged under her sleepy eyes. She tried for a smile. “Sorry I worried you. I promise I’ll call next time.”
She couldn’t believe her sister. “Next time? What if somethinghad happened? All moral implications aside, you can’t go running off with strangers!”
“He isn’t a stranger, exactly. He’s a friend of Dylan’s from the rodeo circuit, in town for a few days. Dylan introduced us at the Chuckwagon and we hit it off. We didn’t—”
“Dylan?”
Sierra grabbed her bag, sighing hard. “You don’t even listen to me, Annie. I’m an adult and
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