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“We love that place as well.”
“Is that where you’re from?” Matt asked.
“It is. My dad is a rancher. We have crops and livestock.”
“Like what?”
“Mostly orange orchards, cornfields, and cattle, but my dad likes to dabble in other areas, such as goats, cotton, and nut trees.”
The two stopped their conversation as the waiter brought two plates of gnocchi with meat sauce and refilled their glasses.
“And you mentioned you were on the high school rodeo circuit. What got you into that?” Matt continued.
“My mom!” Evie laughed. “Our town has an annual rodeo, and she signed me up to do the mutton busting… that’s…”
“I know what that is. I did it as well when I was in kindergarten.”
Evie smiled broadly. “Well, the moment the ride was over… and I won my first buckle ever… I was sold. There was nothing anybody could do to stop me from riding again.”
“Do you still compete?”
“No. I love to ride, but no more buckle-winning for me,” Evie giggled.
“When did you win your last buckle?”
“My mom persuaded me to run for Rodeo Queen. The scholarships were plentiful and since it was my hometown, I did it.”
“And you won?”
“I did… and got a great big buckle for it and a beautiful saddle... but I never got to wear the buckle because COVID shut down everything.”
“That’s a bummer. So did you do barrels?”
“I did… as well as poles.”
“I thought poles were solely for gymkhana riders.”
“It is a gymkhana event, but the high school rodeo circuit included it. How do you know about gymkhana?”
“My three younger sisters all competed.”
“Tell me about your siblings.”
“I’m the oldest. It was just my dad, my sister, and I until Emma and her three kids moved into town. After they got married, we all moved in together.”
“Was that hard?”
“No, we were all pretty excited… but then we all became teenagers. I wanted to leave the small town and my desire made it hard on my relationship with my dad. But I left anyway.”
“Have you mended that relationship?”
“My dad is stubborn. I mean really stubborn. I said and did things that hurt his feelings and neither one of us has done anything to try and mend it. I know I’m a disappointment to him. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live up to his expectations… even if I do repent of my ways.”
“And your mom? You mentioned she passed away?” Evie inquired.
“Ya, she passed away when I was eighteen.”
Evie’s shoulders dropped. “I’m so sorry. What happened?”
