Callie scooted her chair closer, wrapped an arm around Van’s shoulders and gave her a side hug. “It will be fine,” she soothed.
“Fine? There areevents,” Van cried. “Starting tomorrow with the big rodeo out at the fairgrounds. I’m supposed to greet people and make introductions and walk around the arena smiling till my face breaks, doing the fancy pageant wave.” She pulled out her phone and checked her email, opening the big file from the pageant director. “Fifty pages here on where I need to be—appropriatelydressed, wearing my sash and crown or a flashy hat—for every event I’ll be hosting and/or attending within the next year. I’m even cutting the ribbon at the end of the month when they open the remodeled convention center. They want me to give a speech for that, to talk about change and growth and the power of working together in our community.”
Callie side hugged her a little tighter. “How about if you just breathe deep and take it one step at a time?”
“One step? But there are so many steps. How am I going to be Miss Bronco all year from Billings? Not to mention, being a beauty queen is completely not me. I just keep thinking I need to resign and let Charity take the crown. No one can argue that she wants and deserves to win.”
Callie rubbed Van’s back and asked gently, “You really think you can do that to your girls at Young Adventurers?”
Van groaned. “Oh God, no. But why didn’t they warn me? Why didn’t they at least give me a chance to explain all the reasons that writing me in was a bad, bad idea?”
“Well, because they wanted you to win and they weren’t taking any chances you might say no, that’s why. But you’re right that they shouldn’t have added the write-in rule. It’s not fair that someone who didn’t even enter can beat out contestants who got up there and gave their all for a chance to win.”
“Exactly.”
“The good news is I’m betting we can find a way to change that rule for next year.”
“Next year? What about right now? I’m not beauty queen material. Never have been, neverwantedto be.”
“Van. You’re beautiful and smart and not the least bit shy. You’re a teacher. You know how to get up in front of people and make yourself heard.”
“It’s not the same.”
“Yeah, it kind of is. You’re just not giving yourself enough credit.”
“Oh, trust me. When it comes to the beauty queen thing, I don’twantany credit. It’s not who I—” A knock at the door cut her off before she could really get her rant on. “What now? Are we expecting someone?”
With a shrug, Callie pushed back her chair and went down the entry hallway to the door. She must have peered through the peephole. A moment later, she darted back into sight. “It’s Charity,” she whispered. “And her hot brother Jameson is with her.”
Jameson.Van’s silly heart pounded too fast. She did not need more time around her annoyingly unforgettable one-night stand. As for Charity, Van wouldn’t mind a word or two with Jameson’s sister. She could smooth things over, at least, confess how crappy she felt about the way things had turned out today.
“Up to you,” Callie said.
“Go ahead. Let them in.”
“Good choice,” Callie said with a nod. She turned and disappeared down the hall again. Van heard her open the door. “Charity.” Callie’s voice was warm, welcoming. “Jameson. Hello. Come on in, you two.”
Van jumped to her feet as Charity and her brother emerged from the narrow hallway. “Hey.”
Charity, so pretty and pulled together in dressy jeans and a lavender top, shifted the giant pink binder she carried to her right hand and took hold of Jameson’s arm with her left. “I had to come. I had to see how you’re doing.” She glanced up at her big brother. “I dragged Jameson along for moral support.”
Jameson patted his sister’s hand and then removed his hat. “Happy to help any way I can.”
Oh, I’ll just bet you are.Van kept her expression calm as she met his gleaming blue eyes. “How thoughtful of you.” She kind of wanted to scream. But she didn’t.
Callie gestured at the table. “Sit down, everyone. Please.”
Charity sat on Van’s left. Jameson hooked his hat on the back of the chair to Van’s right and sat there. Callie took the last seat, the one across from Van.
Charity set her huge pink binder in front of her and gave it a little push toward the center of the table. Then she leaned closer to Van. “I just needed to see if you’re all right. You looked so shocked today—I mean, you handled yourself really well, but still. I could see that you’d been taken completely by surprise.”
Van looked in those blue eyes so much like Jameson’s and felt humbled. “Wait. You’re worried aboutme?”
Charity put her slim hand over Van’s. “Of course. It’s a big job being Miss Bronco, and it’s not as if you applied for the position.”
“I, well, you’re right about that. And I...” Okay, so maybe Charity had an ulterior motive here. She’d come to suggest that Van step down, leaving Charity to accept the crown she should have had in the first place. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, it sounded like the perfect outcome for Van, too. “Okay, here’s the deal. I had no idea that this would happen, and I can’t help thinking my best move now is to step down and let you claim the crown you so completely deserve.”
Across the table, Callie stiffened. Van knew her friend worried how the Young Adventurers would react to such a decision, but Callie also knew it wasn’t her choice to make. She kept her mouth shut.
