Dolly Departed

'Yummy,' April agreed. 'Good enough to eat.'

'Look at that one!' Gretchen said, getting into the swing of things. Why not? She was single. She could ogle as well as any man. Although she didn't think any of them compared to Matt Albright. He was in a class of his own. April pointed across at a group of cowboys getting ready to ride. 'They could all eat crackers in my bed, all at the same time.'

The women warmed up to the game, evaluating the rugged cowboys. Suddenly Nina gasped. 'Don't look,' she said harshly, leaning across April and squeezing Gretchen's knee.

'What?' Gretchen glanced at her aunt. Nina was full of drama most of the time. Tonight wasn't an exception.

'I said, don't look.' Nina's eyes swung across the arena. Gretchen craned her neck. At first, she didn't see anything unusual. Then she spotted Matt Albright sitting on the other side, slightly to the right and a few rows below them. She was surprised that Nina had been able to pick him out of the crowd.

She was even more surprised when he leaned over and whispered to a blonde woman sitting beside him. The woman laughed. He laughed back. Then he put his arm around her and pulled her in to his chest.

April saw, too, because she sucked in air loudly. Gretchen squeezed her eyes shut, opened them, and saw the same thing.

'I told you not to look,' Nina said.

'What's going on?' Britt said.

'Gretchen's boyfriend is over there with another woman,'

April said, raising her arm.

'Don't point!' Nina hissed.

'What's the big deal,' Gretchen said lightly, although she felt a shooting pain in her chest. A wave of nausea washed over her like the onset of flu. 'It's not like we've made a commitment or anything.'

Stolen kisses in the moonlight obviously meant much more to her than they had to him. Granted, she'd been avoiding him and hadn't returned his phone calls, but he could have tried harder, waited longer.

The discovery was hurtful, not to mention embarrassing. The entire doll community was expecting fireworks from Matt and Gretchen. They'd get fireworks all right, but not the kind they expected. Next time she went to Curves, they'd know all about tonight.

'What a rat,' Nina said. 'Two-timing Gretchen.'

'He doesn't. .' Gretchen began weakly, trying to keep her voice steady. 'He's only. .' What was he? And what did he mean to her? 'Nothing,' she decided. 'He's absolutely nothing to me.'

I sure know how to pick them! Her last relationship had ended when she caught the snake cheating. This one was over before it even got off the ground.

'Let's get out of here,' Nina said. She stood up and sidestepped to block Gretchen's view of Matt and his new beautiful blonde. Another pencil-thin Arizona woman guaranteed to shatter Gretchen's self-esteem.

'Not so fast,' April said, grabbing Gretchen's arm before she could rise. 'We have a mission to accomplish. We're the Mod Squad.'

'We have a mission?' Nina asked, echoing April.

'We're the Mod Squad? Nobody told me.'

'What mission?' Britt said, completely confused.

'You're helping me overcome my clown phobia. Besides, he must have an explanation.'

'April's right about staying,' Gretchen insisted, finding her voice. 'We came to enjoy the rodeo, and I, for one, am going to enjoy it.'

If it kills me.

Gretchen inhaled and exhaled slowly. She blocked the cozy couple from her mind. 'I see a few people working here that I recognize from the homeless shelter,' she said, watching a man empty a garbage can. 'We can ask them about Daisy.'

April's giant cowboy hat swung with her head. 'Let's walk around, get something to drink, and see what we see.'

April struggled upright and adjusted her hat. 'Don't kick any paper cups,' she warned. 'It's bad luck and could spook the horses.'

'I thought you said you've never been to a rodeo before,' Gretchen said.

'I haven't, but I read a lot. Horses are easy to scare. Just like me.'

'You're tougher than you think,' Gretchen said, hoping her words made April stronger. But how tough am I?

As they walked to the concession area, a cowboy riding a bull broke into the center of the arena, waving an arm and plunging back and forth while the bull did everything possible to unseat its load. The crowd went wild as the seconds ticked by. The cowboy catapulted from the animal and scrambled for safety. A clown drew the bull's attention away from the rider by running in front of it, waving a red flag.

'See,' April said, sweat glistening on her face. 'My immersion plan is working. I'm not afraid.' But she hadn't taken two more steps before she grabbed Gretchen and Nina for support. 'Oh, Lordy, I lied. I feel real weak like I might faint.'

'Sit down for a minute,' Gretchen said. They guided April to an open spot on the lower bleachers. 'I'll get you something to drink. That'll make you feel better.'

'I'll get it,' Nina said, hurrying off. Her white cowgirl hat bobbed through the crowd.

'I'll go with her.' Britt ran to catch up.

'I'm really sorry.' April wiped her forehead with her sleeve.

'I'm proud of you for making the effort. You're doing great.'

April's eyes bulged. She stared down the aisle. 'Here comes one. Oh, no.'

'You'll be fine.' Gretchen didn't believe it for a second. April looked like she was about to have a fatal heart attack.

'I'm going to faint.'

'Put your head between your knees.'

April complied. The big woman's upper torso swung down. Her cowboy hat fell to the ground. The clown approached. He stopped in front of them. 'Don't look,'

Gretchen warned April. 'Stay where you are and take deep breaths.'

'Word on the street,' the clown said, 'is that you're looking for Daisy.'

Gretchen saw April turn her upside-down head to the side just enough to see the clown's big, red feet. 'You're okay.' Gretchen patted her back reassuringly.

Without a word, April heaved forward and crumpled facedown between Gretchen and the clown. No one in the stands seemed to notice. All eyes were focused on the cowboys.

'Too much to drink?' the clown asked.

'You need to leave before she opens her eyes and sees you again,' Gretchen said, squatting beside April, wondering what to do. Just then, the crowd seemed to part. Gretchen looked up and saw Matt Albright weaving toward them. Nina and Britt appeared next to her, carrying trays filled with food and drinks. April started to move.

The clown trotted away. Gretchen watched him until he stopped at an exit door and looked back at her. 'Help April,' Gretchen said to Nina, rising from her prone friend. She was afraid to take her eyes off the clown for fear of losing sight of him. 'I'll be right back.'

She followed him out the door and into the darkness. He moved quickly, heading away from the lights of the parking lot. Gretchen hesitated under a light, aware that she would become vulnerable to an attack if she continued. She was putting herself in a position that she'd been careful to avoid her whole life. Her mother would flip if she knew Gretchen was chasing a man through the night without protection. So would Nina. But she had to know what had happened to Daisy.

Wait. She still had Nina's lipstick pepper spray. It was buried somewhere in her purse, where it wasn't doing her a bit of good at the moment. Next time, she'd have it ready.

All Gretchen could see in the darkness was the clown's white face paint. He'd stopped moving. 'Where is Daisy?'

she asked.