"No," I assured her. "Hannah, you're fine right where you are, but if you need anything, we will come running, ok? Doesn't matter what we're dealing with. If you need to call, then call, and everything else can wait. Stephenville is a day trip. Most of all, you'd better let me know when the little one arrives. That's an order, you hear me?"
"Promise," she said. "And if I can help from here, I definitely will. I'm about to go out of my mind. My Portuguese isn't that great, and his mother's English is just as bad, so there's a lot of charades going on. Thankfully, the stable help can translate."
"You're on a ranch?" I asked. That was not exactly her style.
"Yeah, just leased, though," she admitted. "Vi, I'm dating a cowboy."
"Me too," I admitted. "Never thought I'd see the day."
"Same," she agreed. "But you forgot to tell me why someone's vandalizing our home."
"Because Magenta and Cyan came home, and Emerald is a part of my happy little romance with all of them. The town figured out that they're sleeping together, and this is Cats Peak. We need to get approval to reopen Southwind, which means a town hall vote. I'm not convinced that this will work. There's no way these hillbillies will agree to three 'gay' men - which they're not - let alone the 'criminal kids' that will be coming in here."
"So you need some influence," she murmured. "Well, I can help with that. How about some big-name cowboys?"
"And are they really going to stand up for men loving men?" I asked.
Her giggle was a little devious. "Yep. I just happen to know that the top rider in the PBR likes to bottom. So, how 'bout them apples?"
"You're scaring me," I said around a laugh. "Hannah, when did you pick up the Southern slang?"
"About the time I started dating a cowboy," she said. "Oh, and I still wear combat boots. I also know all about stock strings, cattle breeds, and quality bulls. In exchange, Reni's learned that Nine Inch Nails really is the greatest music in history, and he says black is my color."
"I'm happy for you," I told her. "And I might take you up on that offer, but it'll be a few months. Might want to give that man of yours a heads-up."
"Oh, I'll tell them all," she promised. "I always felt like I was failing because I couldn't keep up with the rest of the colors, but I'm starting to realize that I don't have to be rich and famous to make a difference. Sometimes, it's ok to let others take care of me, and it doesn't strip my power away at all."
"So it's working?" I asked.
"No, Vi," she corrected, "I'm talking about you. Delegate. Let the Shades help. Stop trying to carry it all and just worry about your own part. No one expects you to be everything. We just need you to help us stay connected. The more you do on your own, the worse the rest of us feel because we can't keep up. For once, Violet, take the back seat and let the experts do their thing."
I reached out to scratch at the paint on the glass. "Yeah, I think that's exactly what I needed to hear. Thanks, Indigo."
"We've got this," she promised. "I'll give Teal a call if you need me to."
"He's already activated," I assured her. "Southwind is under attack, Indi. I called the entire rainbow."
"And now, you need to let them work. Clean up the vandalism, Vi," she said. "And when you're ready to break down, I promise I will listen. I will always listen."
"And that's what you're best at," I told her. "Don't ever think you're less than the rest of us."
"On one condition," she said. "You do the same."
I found my head bobbing in agreement. "Yeah. I'm fucking trying."
"No, Violet. You're winning. That's what you do. Just keep reminding yourself of that. You're not trying to do it all alone, and you are fucking winning. No one is as strong as Southwind. Not even you."
Chapter Two
I'd barely hung up with Indigo before the door opened and Ash slipped out. He paused to look at the graffiti, sighed, and then closed the door behind him. With a tilt of his head, both of us moved down the porch, aiming for the side away from the dining room windows.
"I called in a report to the police," he said. "They're sending someone up to look at it."
I nodded slowly. "I'm pissed, Ash."
"Yeah, well, I'm scared," he told me. "Don't you dare tell anyone else that, but this threat is real."
"I know," I assured him. "They knew when we'd be gone, too."
