Page 4 of Montana Rain

“Oh my goodness,” Mom breathed. “I hope she’s all right.”

“Me too.”

I put my hand around my sister’s shoulders and pulled her closer. “How you holding up, squirt?”

She laughed once, even as she cuddled into me. “I’m twenty-eight, Rayne. I think you can give up calling me ‘squirt.’”

“You’ll always be a squirt to me,” I said. The nickname came from when she was younger and tiny compared to the other kids. It stuck, even after the accident.

Ava sighed. “Fine.” The way she said it, she was smiling. Far less annoyed about the nickname than she was letting on.

“When’s your flight?” Mom asked.

“Ten. So, I’ll be out of here by seven.”

I didn’t love the idea of being up so early, especially when my body was still an hour earlier on Montana time, but I was looking forward to getting home, even if there was guilt attached to that as well.

“When are you coming back to visit?” Ava asked.

“Well, Christmas for sure. So, it’ll only be a couple months.”

“Good.”

Her body relaxed, and she sank into sleep almost immediately. I guess I was wrong about her being alert and awake. Slowly, I moved her, lifting her into her chair before wheeling her into her bedroom and putting her to bed. While I was here, I tried to give my mother a break from this.

Ava could argue all she wanted, but she was still small. I didn’t have a problem lifting her in and out of her wheelchair, and I wasn’t a woman known for physical strength.

I leaned against the wall in the living room. “She didn’t seem that tired when I walked in.”

“She’ll always pretend for you, Rayne.” Mom sighed and stood, gathering the cups off the coffee table before bringing them back to the kitchen. “I’m sorry you have to leave so soon.”

“Yeah…” I pressed my lips together. “Sorry.”

Mom laughed once. “Believe me, I get it. This time of year, things are usually slowing down. But at this rate, I’ll be out straight through Christmas.”

She was a lawyer. A defense attorney for any number of things. Which was why I knew staying up late was a sacrifice for both Ava and me. “How’s she doing with Carly?”

“Carly’s great,” Mom said. “The best caretaker Ava’s ever had. Honestly, things have been much easier with her around.”

“If you need help with the money for it—”

“We’re fine, Rayne.” She smiled. “But thank you. If we need that kind of help, I’ll ask for it.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

She looked at me, and that strange distance spun between us. I loved my mother, and she loved me. But there were things between us you couldn’t ever take back and you couldn’t get over, and in silences like this, I could feel it like a third person was standing in the room.

“Montana’s good?”

“It is,” I said with a smile. “Everyone is doing well. Finally.”

We both chuckled. My family got a kick out of the stories that came out of Garnet Bend, whether it was laughing at the Resting Warrior alpacas or not quite believing so many bad things could happen to good people.

“I’m glad to hear it. We really do want to come visit sometime.”

“Ava would love it,” I said.

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