Page 46 of Fall With Me (Sugarland Creek)

During dessert, we talk about the upcoming rodeo and how excited we are about it. The rodeo technically starts tomorrow with free family night, but then starting Thursday, there’ll be seven rodeo events each night through Saturday.

Since it’s one of the larger ones in the state, the entire Hollis family comes and stays overnight in campers since they’re one of the sponsors. Noah’s trained a lot of the riders in other various pro events, so she stays and watches everyone.

“You sure you wanna sleep out here? There’s a spare room,” Easton says as he walks me outside.

“Yep, I’ll be fine. All my stuff’s already inside, and I like being close to Ranger.”

“Okay, well, if you need anything, text me.”

I open the trailer door and smile appreciatively at him over my shoulder. “Will do. Thanks, Easton. See ya in the mornin’.”

After breakfast, I plan on making the thirty-minute trip to Nashville to see my older cousin. Anytime I travel west, I schedule a visit. We exchange letters each month, but it’s not the same as seeing her in person.

Once I’ve showered and changed for bed, I call my parents to say good night. I’m sad they won’t be here, but it comes with the territory. The only other person Mom trusts to stay with Aunt Phoebe is my grandma, and she isn’t usually comfortable staying overnight.

Before I crawl under the covers, I flip through my binder filled with court docs, legal paperwork, and spreadsheets of expenses and earnings. I keep track of everything and document all the finances so I know exactly how much I have and how much has been spent.

Waiting in this cold room always makes me anxious.

Although I shouldn’t be. Getting to physically see and talk to her fills me with the type of happiness I used to feel when we’d have sleepovers and talk about our futures. She’d always say she was going to marry a rich man so then once I graduated high school, she’d take me on her private jet and we’d travel the world. Even at twelve, I knew it was just a pipe dream, but Iloved the fantasy. As long as we were together, I didn’t care what we did or where we went.

As I wait for my turn to go into the visitation area, I look around at everyone else waiting and wonder how many other families have been affected by wrongful convictions.

It’s a tragedy, honestly. A justice failure.

“Ellie Donovan.”

After my name’s called, I stand and slide my sweaty palms down my jeans, then walk through the doors where I’m directed toward her table.

I wish I could hug her. Wrap my arms around her gaunt body and squeeze her.

She beams when our eyes meet. “Hey, cousin.”

I sit across from her, smiling wide. “Hi, Angela.”

Guards stand all around the room and as tempting as it is to reach across and touch her, I fold my hands in my lap.

“You look good,” she says, the metal bound on her wrists clanging together.

“So do you.”

She dramatically rolls her eyes because she knows after all these years here, she doesn’t. “I’ll look much better when I get parole.”

Nodding, I agree. She’s been here for eleven years.

Eleven yearstoolong.

For something she didn’t do.

“You will. There’s no reason to deny you when you’ve been on your best behavior. I’ve been workin’ on my support letter. I read it to your mom the other night and she gave me some good things to add in, so as soon as I finalize it, I’ll send it in.”

“Yeah? How is Mama doin’? She doesn’t talk much when I call or ever write me back.”

“Pretty well. My parents took her to the fair last weekend to watch me race. She got a little overstimulated by the crowd,so they had to take her home shortly after, but I was happy she could come. She misses you.”

“And yet she can’t come visit me.”

I frown because I know it hurts her not to get any visitors besides me. With how much I travel, I don’t make it out to see her as often as I’d like.

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