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“Then you wouldn’t have either, Chad. The day you settle down’ll be a day of celebration for sure.”
He lifted his lips in his trademark lazy smile. “Won’t be anytime soon, Doc. Tell me though, because I’m morbidly curious. What’s your experience with pageants?”
“It’s every little girl’s dream to be Miss America, isn’t it? Especially a girl who grew up in Atlantic City?”
“Maybe, but I’d’ve bet money it was never yours.”
She guffawed. “Okay, you got me. It wasn’t mine. It was my ma’s. She took me through several local pageants when I was a teen, and I’m embarrassed to say, I did pretty well until I was old enough to enter the regional pageants.”
“What happened then?”
“I had the looks, the poise, they all said. But the bigger pageants have talent competitions, and I didn’t have a speck of it. I can’t carry a tune, never took to an instrument, I look like a marionette when I dance.” She laughed. “You can’t get up on stage and perform a dissection on a fetal pig. That’s the stuff I was good at.”
“Well, there’s no talent competition for rodeo queen. It’s just struttin’ around and making a stupid ass speech. There’s a little horsemanship involved, but it’s stuff Catie can do in her sleep. It ain’t no Miss America, Annie.”
“She wants to do it, Chad. Quit giving her guff.” Annie wiped her hands once more and replaced the towel. “Besides, I can’t imagine you or any other guy in Bakersville having a problem watching Catie strut her stuff in a bikini.”
“Sure. Yeah.” Chad nodded, but his gut hurt like a knife had stabbed it.
He sure as hell didn’t want Catie strutting her stuff for anyone but him.
And that fact gnawed at the back of his neck like a persistent mosquito.
Chapter Nine
Dear Miss Bay:
We welcome you to the Bakersville Rodeo Queen competition. Enclosed please find your agenda for the week, rules and regulations, and horsemanship patterns. We are looking forward to having you join us for this week of fun and fellowship honoring the traditions of the Bakersville Rodeo.
Who is the Bakersville Rodeo Queen? She is a young woman who wishes to be a leader in her community. She loves horses and the western way of life. She will represent the Bakersville Rodeo during the year of her reign and will also represent the town in other community activities. She portrays excellent sportsmanship, high moral character, and careful and humane treatment of animals. She must understand the sport of Rodeo in its entirety and be able to explain any part of Rodeo to onlookers. She must speak intelligently and with dignity. Although this is not a beauty pageant, the Bakersville Rodeo Queen should act, speak, and dress according to the prestige this title represents.
You must ride the same horse all week and have current health papers and a negative Coggins test on the animal.
Please read your agenda carefully. Be sure to contact the competition coordinator with your platform and a description of your outfit and swimwear for Wednesday night’s party so the emcee can prepare his dialogue for the fashion show. Your entry fee includes one guest entry for the luncheon on Saturday. You’re required to give a three to five minute speech on the subject of your platform at the luncheon. If you would like to bring extra guests, please contact the coordinator. Tickets are $35.00.
Please forward a five by seven photo of yourself in western attire to the pageant coordinator.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the coordinator.
We look forward to having you in the competition.
Sincerely,
Dallas J. McCray, Judge
Zachary B. McCray, Judge
Charles M. McCray, Judge
Judy Williamson, Competition Coordinator
Chad’s name was Charles? Catie smiled. She never knew.
Not a beauty pageant? She scoffed. Right. What was the swimwear modeling for?
She read the letter—which had arrived via special messenger, due, no doubt to her late entry into the contest—again. She’d have to have Annie do a Coggins on Ladybird to make sure the horse was free of equine infectious anemia. She wasn’t sure she had record of the last one.
A three to five minute speech on her platform? She chuckled. She could talk all year about horses. Narrowing it down would be the difficulty.
