Page 117 of Bailey

Bailey tapped away from the Good News Thread though more congratulations and messages came in about the eagle excursion. She touched Reeves’s name and typed quickly. We can do a moderate six-mile hike next spring, right? I want to see the eagles.

I’ll start training now, Reeves said, and somehow that made Bailey dissolve into giggles. If someone needed to start training for a six-miler, it was her, not him.

Bailey just left here, Cash said, and she quickly tapped back over to the Youngs. She said my cutting horses are top-notch and ready to go. That’s my good news.

He sent a picture of him with all three horses, his smile surely the biggest Bailey had ever seen on a cowboy’s face.

That was Cash Young, Harry said, and Bailey did have his number in her phone. This is Harry Young, and I’ll give a quick update on the Young Family Media Group that my wife and I started earlier this year.

Country Quad is doing a Christmas album, and all twelve of their songs have been approved. From now until December fourth, they’ll be recording in Coral Canyon, and then we’ll do a worldwide release.

Bailey smiled just thinking about Harry and his work on a country music Christmas album. He’d always been so kind to her, and she loved him like a brother.

We’ve also signed a new artist, he said. Belle? Do you want to tell them?

Sure, Belle said, and she had to be sitting right next to Harry to have her text come in so close to his. This is Belle Young, and Harry and I have been writing songs for country music artists for about six months now. But we’ve decided to bring on select artists, and we’ve just signed a new talent out of Tulsa, a young woman named Joy Montgomery. You can see her on social media here.

She included a link, but Bailey didn’t click on it right way. More congratulations came in, and she didn’t want to miss the updates from these people who’d always welcomed her into their fold. She literally had a picture of her enveloped in the middle of them, and she’d spent hours looking at it and feeling their arms around her.

She knew she’d need to chime in eventually, and her heartbeat sped slightly. For now, she watched as another text popped up.

This is Sunny Young, and I officially retired from my nursing career today! Two more weeks, and Jem and I will have to figure out how to get along while we’re both home all day long.

Bailey smiled at her smiling emoji, and then the one with crazy eyes and the tongue out.

That’s great news! someone said. This is Hilde Young, and we don’t have a ton of great news, other than the triplets have started second grade and there haven’t been any injuries at school yet.

Oh, and Gabe and Morris have decided to dress up as each other for Halloween, and they’ve been going through outfits as they prepare to find the exact right clothes.

A picture came in of the twins, one wearing a midnight black suit, his tie knotted precisely at his throat. He’d adopted a power stance, with one foot behind the other, and his hand in his front pocket while the other held a briefcase.

So that would be Gabe. Bailey grinned and smiled at her phone. “Or is that Morris?” she asked aloud.

The other man—Gabe or fake Morris—wore a pair of khaki shorts and a black-and-white striped shirt. He grinned at the camera, and Bailey realized that it had to be Gabe, because he barely had a beard.

“Morris shaved,” she said, delight flooding her. “That’s real commitment to a Halloween costume.”

Laughing emojis and actual “Hahahaha!” texts came in.

This is Rosie Young, and I just ran the fastest amateur time of the season. I won the 1D again. Not the amateur division—the whole thing. And I’m sitting first in Amateur, first in Rookie, and fifth in the Open standings.

This is Jem, Rosie’s daddy, and she’s got sponsors asking if she’s going to turn pro next year.

This is Bryce—explain to those Non-Rodeoers what 1D is.

Rosie: Barrel racing is timed, so the fastest run of the race sets the standard. The 1D is the top division—the riders closest to that fastest time. So winning the 1D means I wasn’t just the best beginner or the best amateur. You compete with the fastest horses there.

Cash: It means she’s frickin’ awesome. Congrats, Rosie-girl!

Yeah, it means she should be pro next year, someone said. It means she’s fast-fast, not just cute-rookie-fast.

Jem: That was my pro rodeo brother, Blaze.

This is Cole, Rosie’s brother. I can’t wait to watch you win it all in the finals, Rosie!

More congratulations came in, and Bailey’s heart warmed with the love and support pouring through her phone.

This is Lynnie Winters, and our big news is that Matthew has taken a job in none other than Star Valley, Wyoming! That means we’ll be back in the state of Wyoming, and only a couple of hours from Coral Canyon!