“Nice of you to finally join us, Ms. Hale. I hope you won’t form a habit of making people wait for you.”
“No, ma’am,” I said, picking up the pace to take my spot at the end of the line, stare at the ground, and wait for my chance to tell everyone this was one giant mistake.
Normally, I wasn’t the violent type, but in that moment I would’ve kicked the shins of whoever signed me up for this competition. This had to be a practical joke. Someone had wanted to see me sweat. There was only one person I could think of with that big of a chip on their shoulder who preferred public humiliation as her weapon of choice.
That innocent yellow dress couldn’t fool me.
Lifting my chin slightly, I hazarded a glance over at Sarah. She stood next to me, looking exactly like a beauty queen should with her perfectly contoured cheeks, bright pink lipstick, and long slender neck. I’d only meant to study her briefly for any sign of amusement or maybe even guilt, but our gazes met and the anger raging in her eyes nearly seared me to the bone.
In total, she looked at me for only a second, but it was enough. She redirected her attention to the audience with a dazzling, winning smile and I was left with the skin on my face melted off.
Okay...so no amusement or guilt there. Judging from Sarah’s reaction, she wasn’t the one who’d signed me up for the competition. That left only a few suspects remaining.
But there was no time to investigate. Ms. Gentry was thanking the audience and shooing us off the arena floor as they clapped and whistled. I was pretty sure I heard my name being shouted somewhere in the noise, but I couldn’t look for the source. They had us marching like a herd of sheep through a side gate and into a picnic shelter nearby, where Ms. Gentry ordered us to take seats. A sweaty, nervous man handed us each a thick, padded envelope.
“Welcome, ladies,” Ms. Gentry said, standing straight as a board in the middle of the shelter. It was as if her spine didn’t bend. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was wearing a corset under her black gown. “My son, Henry, has just handed you your itinerary for the next week. Please study it and be prompt to each appointment. Lateness is akin to rudeness. I will not disrespect the fine people of Rock Valley with your tardiness.”
There was a stark difference from this stiff woman and the people in jeans and t-shirts strolling past as the arena began to empty. I honestly couldn’t understand why Ms. Gentry would step within a hundred feet of a place like a 4H county fair. She looked like she belonged in a museum, next to the paintings of women wearing stiff lace collars and white powdered faces.
“Now, does anyone have any questions?” Ms. Gentry asked, her gaze sweeping over the girls sitting around me.
Part of me wanted to raise my hand and ask if she was in on the joke, but I kept my lips sealed. She didn’t look like the joking type. And besides, most of the girls were hanging onto her every word. For some reason, they actually wanted to be here. When Ms. Gentry turned to answer one of the gal’s questions about the rodeo procession, the redhead next to me leaned closer.
“You look like you’re about ready to bounce,” she said. Her voice was low and pleasant. “If you want, I’ll cause a diversion and you can split.”
I laughed under my breath and glanced over at her. Beneath her neatly French-braided mane of red curls, she had skin the color of milk with dark freckles dotting her face. Confidence oozed off of her—not in a cocky way, like Sarah, but with a way that instantly made me want to become this girl’s friend.
“I’d take you up on that,” I said with a sigh. “But I have the feeling Ms. Gentry is secretly a velociraptor in disguise. She’d be on me faster than you can say Jurassic Park.”
She nodded, her lips pressing together. “Yes, I see what you mean. The dress hides the scales. Good call. Chances of survival are minimal.”
“Maybe, if I play dead, she’ll move on to a new victim...”
“I once read that raptors were scavengers. Best not to take that chance.”
“Then, I guess I’m stuck here.”
She laughed. “Yes, I guess so. I’m Geminia, by the way.”
I was starting to feel a bit better about my situation. This girl was cool. The Junior Rodeo Queen competition couldn’t be all bad if she was in on it.
“Charlotte.” I smiled gratefully at her. “Thanks for not judging me on wanting to flee. I’m not sure who signed me up. Right now, the biggest suspects are my parents. They’ve been throwing activities at me like spaghetti at the wall, hoping something sticks. Not sure this is exactly my scene.”
She waved a hand. “No worries. I’m just here because I want that internship spot in the governor’s office. My dad’s a local rep and he thinks it’ll jump start my political career. I’m going to be a senator someday.”
With most kids, I would’ve secretly rolled my eyes at such an announcement, but with Geminia, I actually believed her.
“I’m really jealous you know that already,” I said, gripping the tops of my knees tight. “I’m sixteen years old and I have no clue what I want.”
Geminia’s laugh was low and throaty. “You’ve got time, sis. Don’t sweat it.”
I blew out a low breath and glanced at her. “Do I? Doesn’t feel like it.”
“Well, maybe not as much time as I’d first guessed,” she said, staring hard across the circle. “Because there’s a girl over there that looks about ready to murder you. Did you spit in her oatmeal this
