by Kim Redford
Jack’s words were met by more whoops and hollers.
Eden felt uneasy with the way Jack kept stirring up the crowd, but maybe she was just too tired to appreciate what he was building for her. Shane must have sensed her unease because he moved up closer to her. She was glad for his strong presence, particularly now, when she felt at low ebb.
Suddenly, Jack took off his cowboy hat and tossed it into the audience. Slade grabbed it out of the air, grinning big, and handed it to Morning Glory.
“Y’all go ahead and fill up that hat ’cause Jones here don’t come cheap.” Jack glanced over at the attorney. “She’s still doing her best to replace those horses lost at Palo Duro Canyon.”
Eden gave Jones a second glance at the mention of Palo Duro. Comanche. She shivered, remembering the tragedy that, even 150 years later, lived on in bleached bones. The U.S. cavalry cornered Quahada Comanche, Southern Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Kiowa in the canyon, where soldiers slaughtered two thousand horses, destroyed lodges, and burned supplies. Nothing was left that might sustain survivors through the winter.
Jones accepted the microphone. “Don’t fill that hat on my account. I’m on the job and eager to do it. As most of you know, I come from a long line of eagles that eat rattlesnakes, so I like to tickle noses. And I’m good at it. If folks come into the Cross Timbers with mischief and mayhem on their minds, they’ll meet the same resistance they’ve met for over two hundred years.”
“Jones. Jones. Jones,” the crowd chanted again.
Eden clasped Shane’s hand, feeling more amazed by the moment at the overwhelming support for her.
Jack took back the mic. “Folks, let’s still fill up that hat. Eden here is beset from all directions. She can use all the goodwill, good wishes, and good bucks she can get.”
Eden felt embarrassed that Jack was asking for donations for her. She wasn’t up against a wall—at least, not yet. She motioned for Jack to give her the microphone, then she stepped forward. “Friends and neighbors, you truly honor me by your presence here tonight. I’m not so hard up that I need to take your hard-earned dollars. Keep that for your own families. I can make do.”
Shane moved up beside her and leaned down to the mic. “We’re doing our best here on the Rocky T to keep her safe—and to keep her on the air.”
The crowd roared their approval of Shane’s words.
Eden clutched the mic close, feeling her throat tighten again. “I can’t promise you that I’ll be able to save KWCB, but I’ll do my best. And Wildcat Jack, Nathan Halford, and Ken Kendrick are helping me, along with Hedy and Morning Glory and Wildcat Bluff Fire-Rescue and…well, the list is endless. And you’re all part of that long list. Just know that I appreciate your support more than I’ll ever be able to say.” She felt her eyes sting with tears. She quickly handed the microphone back to Jack, out of words and out of voice.
“You heard Eden Rafferty. She’s as big of heart as our great State of Texas. Give what you can give. We’ll use it to help defray Jones’s expenses and whatever else gets thrown at us. But one thing for sure, we’re gonna fight to save our ranch radio!” He gave a hand signal to the band. “Now, folks, get back to eating, drinking, dancing, and having the time of your lives. Nothing whets an appetite like getting your blood up.”
And with those words, Jack let the band take over and turned to Eden.
She gave him a big hug. “Thanks.”
“We didn’t come this far to lose out.” Jack gave Jones a swift glance. “Did we?”
“I never lose.” Jones nodded at Eden with a serious expression in her brown eyes. “I understand there’s a deed at the station.”
“Yes.”
“Would you mind if I had a look at it?”
“You can have it with my blessing.” Eden felt a great sense of relief knowing she had such a strong attorney, as well as an entire county, in her corner. “I wish I’d had you in LA.”
Jones gave a little shrug. “Past is past. You’ve got me now.”
“I’ll get the deed to you tomorrow,” Shane said. “Is that soon enough?”
Jones nodded, flicking back long hair as if preparing for battle. “Let’s keep the legal end close. If possible, I’d keep your ex and his attorney distracted with online wars. He’ll be trying to trash you, while you’ll be showing what a great person you are with wide support in your community.”
“If we do it right, it ought to work like a charm,” Jack said with utter conviction.
“‘Underdog overcoming great odds to retrain her voice and save her family ranch radio’ is definitely a winner,” Jones said. “But he’ll be nipping at your heels all the way, so you’ve got to keep him hopping.”
Eden nodded in agreement as she stroked her throat, feeling tired yet buoyed, too.
Jones reached out and squeezed her hand. “You look dead on your feet.” She glanced up at Shane. “See she gets some rest. We’ll need her strong and focused as we go forward with this battle.”
When Shane put an arm around her shoulders, Eden leaned into him as she smiled at Jones and Jack. “Thank you both.”
Jones gave a brisk nod, glanced down at the ground in front of the bandstand, then back at Jack with a sly smile. “Looks like your groupies are waiting for a word or maybe even a kiss.”
Eden saw a cluster of women of all ages gazing up at Wildcat Jack with adoration in their eyes.
Jack puffed out his chest, winked at Eden, then sauntered, long fringe swaying, over to the edge of the bandstand and knelt down to chat a moment with his fans.
“Well, that’s that.” Jones straightened her multicolored beaded necklace in the shape of an eagle in flight before she stepped back. “I’m going to hunt down a dance partner. One of those calendar cowboy firefighters ought to do the trick.”
Eden couldn’t help but grin, thinking how Cynthia would like to be here for just that very reason.
Jones pointed at Morning Glory. “Looks like Jack’s hat is about to get filled to the brim. Want me to take charge of the money?”
“Please do,” Eden said, feeling amazed—although maybe she shouldn’t have anymore—at all the generosity. “But let’s use those funds strictly to—”
“No concern,” Jones interrupted. “I’ll hold the donations in reserve. If we don’t end up needing them, we can throw a party for the whole county once we save KWCB.”
“Sounds good,” Shane replied.
“Now I’m off to find a dance partner.” Jones gave them an amused smile before she turned away.
Eden watched her energetic attorney leap off the bandstand and make her way into the audience. Life was definitely looking up.
Shane leaned in close. “Want to dance?”
She tucked her hand through the crook of his arm, wanting nothing so much as to be alone with him. “How about we go upstairs? I’ve got a horizontal dance in mind.”
“You don’t have to ask twice.” He motioned Jack over to them. “I’m putting Eden to bed, then I’ll be down to help you say good night to our guests and close up the place.”
“Don’t hurry on my account.” Jack winked at them. “I promised these beautiful ladies some dances. And I always keep my promises.”
Eden leaned over and kissed Jack’s cheek. “You’re the best.”
“Naw.” He shook his head as he gave her a mischievous smile. “But I do my best.”
“See you tomorrow.” Eden stepped down from the bandstand, with Shane right behind her, and about ran into Nathan and Ken. They were dressed almost exactly alike in vintage Wildcat Den T-shirts that they must have dug out of some back corner of the station, faded jeans, ratty sneakers, and zip-up navy hoodies.
“Got good stuff.” Nathan tapped the camcorder. “Ken’s coming back with me to Thingamajigs to help edit the video. When we’re done, we’ll post online. It’ll knock their socks off.”
“What about sleep and school and work?” She suddenly realized how much they were putting their lives on hold to help her.
“It’s Friday night. I’ve got all weekend,” Ken said. “Morning Glory says get it done quick. I say stream live from our phones.”
“We can’t edit that way.” Nathan adjusted his eyeglasses. “For this first video, I want a more professional product.”
“Okay by me,” Ken shrugged. “But if we need to get something out fast, we go to live streaming.”
“That’s for later,” Nathan said. “For now, let’s get back to the store and see what I’ve got in inventory. We may need to order some stuff.”
“I don’t want you to be out expenses,” Eden said. “Please send me a bill.”
“No,” Shane interrupted. “Send me the bill.”
“I don’t know about any bills yet.” Nathan patted his camcorder. “This could be good for business.”
“Right,” Ken said. “We’re going to get KWCB online, then go from there.”
“I’m glad you two are putting this all together so I can focus on the Wildcat Den.” She knew she’d never be able to do all the tech stuff on her own, so she was particularly grateful. “Thanks again.”
“We’re on it.” Nathan executed a sloppy salute. “And now we’re out of here.”
Ken gave them a quick wave before he turned and trotted after Nathan.
“Good guys,” Shane said.
She agreed. “The best—just like our entire county.”
She glanced around the party, watching folks dance and eat and mingle again. She knew if she stayed much longer, their guests would feel like they should talk with her, support her, and discuss future plans. She just wanted them to have fun for the rest of the evening, so it was time for her to go.
She squeezed Shane’s hand. “Did you say something about putting me to bed?”
Chapter 27
As the wheel of the year turned and settled into April, Eden kept her head down and her focus on the Wildcat Den, doing her best not to think about Graham, Fontaine, and their shenanigans. Nathan, Ken, and Jack conducted online video wars with dignity and finesse. Jones dealt with legal matters. And Shane kept her happy.
She’d been at it all day, talking up the upcoming May Day Rodeo on KWCB. As long as her voice held out, she’d keep reminding folks that their Wildcat Bluff Fire-Rescue needed support. Just as Morning Glory and Hedy had predicted, interest was building, so tickets and entries were swiftly gaining ground. She couldn’t take complete credit for the sudden enthusiasm. Shane’s Rocky T Ranch welcome-home party had turned into a Wildcat Bluff support party, meaning Graham had inadvertently put their county on the map. Folks near and far were suddenly paying attention to the Wildcat Den as well as the May Day Rodeo.
She tossed back a swallow of Morning Glory’s voice concoction, knowing it was helping her keep going, so she could free up Wildcat Jack. For now, she needed a break, so she keyed up Billy Bob, let him take over, and leaned back in her chair. She glanced up at her good mojo. The Highwaymen poster still clung to the wall, so she gave a nod of appreciation to the handsome image of Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson. How she would’ve loved to have been in this studio when they’d passed through North Texas on a tour.
She glanced around, shaking her head. No artists would stop by the Den these days. KWCB was so far behind the times it was laughable—but not funny. She’d made plans with Jack and Ken to sort through the tangle of dusty and dirty wires, cables, and cords that’d been added over decades to keep the equipment running and the lights on. She’d even promised Shane that she would take care of that particular fire hazard, but the best she’d had time to do was buy a couple of big fire extinguishers and stick them in a corner.
So much to do, so little time. And still, she really did need a brief break from the endless stream of backlogged work. She’d thought the fast-paced life in LA had kept her busy, but she’d had professional backup there. Here and now, she was winging it all the way, and she fortunately had terrific help and support by folks who loved KWCB. She chuckled as she stood up, knowing she wouldn’t trade what she had in Wildcat Bluff for anywhere or anything else. She particularly wouldn’t trade a cowboy named Shane Taggart for anybody in LA.
As she stepped into reception, closing the studio door behind her, the front door popped open. Jack, Ken, and Nathan burst inside, bringing sunlight and raucous energy with them.
“Eden!” Jack collapsed onto the faded and worn blue-plaid sofa that’d been donated first to the fire station but then, after sitting unused, re-donated by Hedy to the radio station. Ken and Nathan crashed down beside him.
She smiled at the sight, wondering what they needed now, because it was always something or other. “How’re things going?”
“It has come to our attention that Wildcat Bluff County needs its own narrative to combat the negative creations of somebody who will go nameless,” Jack said. “Frankly, I don’t know why we didn’t think of it sooner.”
“Maybe we didn’t need it.” She sat down behind the desk, leaned back in the creaking chair, and crossed her feet on top of the scarred wooden top.
Nathan hunched forward, putting his hands on his knees. “Yeah. But I bet you’ve got a voice recording of something somewhere with information.”
“I wrote you a brief summary of the county’s history,” she said, feeling confused about what they needed.
“Right.” Ken leaned forward and put his hands on his knees, mimicking Nathan. “But who’ll read a bunch of words? We need photos. Videos are even better.”
“It’s a new world.” Jack gave Eden a shrug, as if apologizing for this bit of unwanted news. “As you well know, we are sorely behind the times. Voices alone are good for radio, but it’s all about voices with action on the internet.”
“And that doesn’t even get us started on a KWCB platform,” Nathan said, sounding impatient.
Eden simply sighed at what they were dropping in her lap. She wasn’t completely naive. She knew about a company’s need for a platform comprised of social media, website, blogs, and what have you, but platform was so far down her priority list that it hadn’t even hit her to-do list.
“Old photos, family photos,” Nathan said with enthusiasm. “It’d be great if they had old cars in them. Maybe folks dressed in 1950s fashion coming in and out of the radio station. Country stars would be best of all.”
“We had a Kodak eight-millimeter camera around here back then,” Jack said, appearing thoughtful. “We had a screen and projector to go with it. Only way to see what you shot.”
“Great!” Ken clapped his hands in excitement. “Let’s dig out those films and see them.”
“I don’t know where they are,” Jack said. “Clem threw out a bunch of stuff he didn’t use anymore when he remodeled his Quonset hut.”
“That’s a bummer.” Nathan leaned back, sort of collapsing on the sofa. “I wanted to create a KWCB retrospective. I got online access to photos of old radio stations from 1927 on up to show the important historical value, but I wanted originals of the Wildcat Den, too. I’m trying to get permission to use clips from the movies of Gene Autry and Roy Rogers—talk about singing cowboys on radio, television, and big screen! Dale Evans and Gail Davis as Annie Oakley are on our preferred cowgirl list, too.”
“I think Clem stuffed most of our history in the storage hut,” Jack said, scratching his head. “But it’s locked tighter than a tick.”
“And we can’t find the key.” Eden figured she’d eventually run across the key, but at the moment, she didn’t have the time to conduct an all-out hunt. “For now, do what you can without it.”
“I’ve got a couple of old photograph albums at home,” Jack said. “Morning Glory and Hedy might have some pictures, too.”
“Sounds good.” She glanced around the group. “The
key is bound to turn up, probably in the most unlikely of places.”
“It’s always the last place you look,” Jack said.
“Right,” Ken said with a grin. “That’s because it is the last place you look.”
“So true.” She laughed, knowing he was exactly correct. “For today, y’all go ahead with what you’ve got. I think I’ll go over to Uncle Clem’s and take a quick nap.”
Jack stood up and the other two followed him. “One of these days, you need to start calling that place your home, don’t you think?”
She dropped her feet to the floor. “You’re right. It’s just hard to think of my uncle’s home as my own now.”
“You might start taking over this very minute,” Jack said. “And that includes everything here. It’s all yours now, and maybe your family would want it that way.”
She felt emotion well up. “It’s just difficult to let go of the past.”
Jack walked over, leaned down, and kissed the top of her head. “You’re carrying the past into the future. Your family will live on in you and the Wildcat Den.”
“Thanks. You always know just what to say.” She smiled up at him.
“That’s my job. I’m a mighty fine DJ.”
“You’re the best. And Wildcat Jack will always be part of my family and part of KWCB.”
Misty-eyed, he gave a little nod before he glanced at his partners. “Come on. Let’s go see what we can find in town.”
Ken started toward the door, then stopped in his tracks and looked back. “I just thought of something. Those photos are gonna be black and white.” He sounded hugely disappointed at the idea. “Maybe we can find a few color ones.”
“If we do, hopefully they won’t be too faded, but those can be scanned and restored—if there’s time,” Nathan said.
“Well, it’s been over seventy years now since this all got put on the map.” Jack winked at Eden. “Not everything’s made to last forever.”
