“You took Alison to the rodeo without Eileen knowing?” Virginia glanced behind her to the back seat where Alison and her own daughter traded excited chatter.

“I’m not saying Eileen doesn’t know,” Harvey hedged, gesturing with one big hand as he drove. “I’d just appreciate it if you wouldn’t mention anything about us going today.”

Virginia stared at him. “I told Eileen when I called last night that if we were going to have any time to visit, Jenny and I needed a ride after the rodeo. Do you think Eileen would ever believe that you’d miss seeing it beforehand? What’s more, how do you intend to keep that one quiet?” She crooked her finger toward the back seat.

“Don’t worry about Al. She can do anything if it’s got horses involved, even keep quiet.” Harvey’s face turned pallid, setting off his black, sixties-style sideburns. “You told Eileen? You called last night?” The creases in his forehead deepened.

“I’d hoped that you’d reached an understanding, as Barney and I have. I thought that with Alison’s interest in horses—”

“The horses Eileen doesn’t mind anymore. It’s everything else she’s scared of.”

“Racing?”

Harvey nodded as he flipped on the turn signal. “I don’t even say the word when Eileen’s around. Or rodeo, either. I never mentioned them to Al before today.” His red-rimmed eyes regarded his sister-in-law. “Virginia, Eileen even makes me hide my issues of Rodeo News®. It’s like I have to conceal some kind of criminal past.”

Virginia cocked an ear, but the girls’ babble flowed in an unbroken stream. Her niece’s voice dominated. Words like “barrels,” “rate,” and “win” peppered Alison’s rapid sentences. Virginia suspected that her niece’s vocabulary, in its present context, was a recent acquisition. Already Alison spoke rodeo fluently. “I think I know how Eileen feels, Harvey. I’m well acquainted with the dangers, the drawbacks of life on the circuit. I used to see only the benefits: the discipline of competition, the fun, the patriotism. When Jenny came along, I hoped Barney would find a job close to home or centered in Wyoming, at least. He tried, but he had to go back on the circuit. He loves rodeo. Soon I saw that Jenny did, too.”

Virginia listened to the conversation behind her a moment, bearing a mother’s constant guilt. “Sometimes I worry, wonder if Jenny’s missing something vital by growing up on the road. But I think the Lord’s given us this way to be a family, together. I shelter Jenny the best I can, teach her what I believe is right. When she falls behind in her schoolwork or gets too tired, we go back to Gillette or stay in Oklahoma with Eileen and Barney’s sister. Then we rejoin Barney.” Recalling how difficult reconciling child rearing with rodeo had been, Virginia added, “I pray you and Eileen can work things out, too.”

Harvey’s shoulders sagged. “I’ve tried to talk with Eileen.” Nearing a yellow traffic light, he applied the brakes. They caught in uneven jerks. “She’s not satisfied. Says she wants us to do better, get ahead more.” Squealing, the car stopped at last. “She’s had it with riding in rattletraps. She’s sick of apartments and wants a house of our own. Wants to forget about rodeo and lead a normal life.” He sighed. “Normal. Any idea what that is?”

Virginia shot up a prayer, then asked her brother-in-law, “And what do you want, Harvey?”

He tapped the steering wheel a few moments. “I’m not even sure I know anymore.”

As Virginia weighed her response, childish voices drifted to the front of the station wagon.

“You did a good job racing, Jen. You didn’t win, but you’re still learning. Someday, when I get my horse, I’ll practice with you, and we’ll be . . . winners of the world!”

Jenny’s manner contrasted with her cousin’s. “You think so, Al?”

“Yep! Soon as I get my horse. But until then, you’ve got to tell me everything you learn, so I won’t be behind. We need to be winners together. I wasn’t sure until I saw it, but now I am: I’m going to barrel race like you. And after we win, we’ll have a horse ranch and race whenever we want!”

“That sounds real good. I always wanted to have a ranch house someday. And a big yard. With a fence all around to keep everyone home.”

“Harvey,” Virginia began as Alison went back to planning her and Jenny’s grand racing future, “perhaps you don’t know what you want, but I think your daughter does.”

“I think you’re right.” Traffic started moving. Harvey hit the gas and the car lurched forward. “Al said ‘horsie’ almost ‘fore she said ‘Mama.’ I figured she’d end up in the arena. She’ll be a world champion, too. Her mother nixed the horse idea for the longest time but gave in when she realized Al never would.” Harvey made no attempt to disguise his pride. “I don’t put anything past Al, once she sets her mind. And I’d say it’s set.”

“If that’s true, what about Eileen? What’s going to happen when she finds out her daughter plans to be a barrel racer? What’s going to happen to all of you?” Virginia remembered how much her family had suffered before they worked out a compromise. And how much they’d suffered afterwards.

“I’ll break it to Eileen one of these days. She’ll understand, just like she did Al’s hankering for horses. I’ve already got something going on that score.” Harvey looked far ahead, as if into the future. “Rodeo’s getting bigger, better, more organized every year. Who knows what opportunities Al’ll have? Ones we never even imagined.”

“You’re talking about that rodeo circuit that gets everyone excited every decade or so, aren’t you? The Rodeo Olympics or Exposition or whatever they’re calling it nowadays.”

“Maybe I am. Maybe Al’ll be the first barrel-racing Olympian. I’ll tell you what, Virginia. If my daughter wants to take a shot at racing, I’m behind her. She’ll get her chance.”

Virginia gave up all hope of smoothing things over with Eileen. Too much had already been set in motion.

“First off,” Harvey continued in a tone Virginia only recalled men using when they talked to themselves or were gripped by some all-consuming dream, “first off, Al needs a horse.”