Stephen Bly's Horse Dreams Trilogy: Memories of a Dirt Road, the Mustang Breaker, Wish I'd Known You Tears Ago

by Stephen A. Bly

“Something is going on, and I want to know what it is. Look, I can fly out there and land this sucker on a roadway. Are you near a roadway?”

  “Don’t fly out here. Let’s talk when you get back from Powell. The reception isn’t too good, and we’re about to drop down a draw.”

  “Miss Dev, I’m sorry if I sound pushy. You are so much like Miss Emily that I assume things about you that I shouldn’t.”

  “Don’t worry, Quint. There is nothing wrong … you are being you … and I’m being me. That’s what the Lord wants us to do, right? I’ll talk to you Monday. Bye.”

  “OK, Miss Dev. You know I love you as much as I know how.”

  “Yes, I know. Bye, Quint.”

  Dev shoved the phone back into her pocket. Yes, he loves me as much as he knows how, with a heart that still belongs to Miss Emily.

  “Wow!” Cree-Ryder exclaimed as she remounted Popcorn. “I can’t believe you shined him on like that.”

  “I didn’t shine him on.”

  Casey kicked the Appaloosa, and they trotted west. “Of course you did. Riding out to Sage Canyon is the Wyoming equivalent of ‘I have to stay home and wash my hair.’”

  Develyn slapped the reins. My Maria bolted up next to Cree-Ryder. “He was pushing me.”

  “Of course he was. You’re a beautiful lady, Develyn Worrell. You got a cowboy that’s anxious to be with you. You must be used to that.”

  Develyn tugged the front of her straw cowboy hat down, then chuckled. “Casey, I haven’t been around an anxious male since my honeymoon. I’m not even sure Spencer was anxious then. Just nervous.”

  “Oh, I’m often around anxious cowboys,” Casey hooted. “Of course, they’re always anxious for me to leave.”

  They rode side-by-side for several moments. The wind made a soft hum through the sage, and the crunch of hooves on crusted dirt added to the rhythm.

  “Devy-girl, why did you decide not to go with him?”

  “Because of the Thai asparagus pork on crisp Sri Lanka noodles.”

  Casey shoved her hat back. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Quint was going to fly into Casper and pick up some Thai asparagus pork on crisp Sri Lanka noodles for lunch.”

  “And you don’t like those?”

  “I don’t have any idea if I like them or not, but neither does Quint. That’s the point. He assumed something, and didn’t bother to ask.”

  “So, he was playing Barbie with you?”

  “That’s what it felt like.”

  “And Barbie rebelled?”

  “Casey, you need to know that Quint is a very nice Christian man who is trying his best to get over a crushing grief. He just doesn’t know how, but that’s not his fault. He is kind and considerate and respectful. He’s built a lifelong pattern of doing things; it’s just not my pattern. At least, not yet. He really is a wonderful man.”

  “But he’s not the right one for you?”

  Develyn dropped the reins around the saddle horn and stretched her arms to the sky. She took a deep breath. “Not today. I may change my mind tomorrow. But today, I needed splashology more than grief therapy. I need to be right here with my best friend west of the Mississippi.”

  A wide smile broke across Casey’s round, brown face. “I like that, Dev. But I hope you know what you are doing.”

  “Sweetie, the last time I knew what I was doing was when I posted grades at the end of the term. From then on, I’ve been trapped inside a pinball machine bouncing off one flipper to another.”

  “So what happened on the phone? I heard you tell him no to Powell. Was there something about Lindsay not going?”

  “Yes, she had to be in Cheyenne. That would have made it more awkward. I needed this time away today to think about things, and he couldn’t even give me that.”

  “You don’t seem all broken up over it. How are you feeling?”

  “To tell you the truth, Dr. Cree-Ryder, if I had a tub of Gatorade I’d pour it over your head right now.”

  Cree-Ryder twirled her long black braid. “To signify victory?”

  “No.” Dev galloped past her. “To get even with you for all that splashing.”

  An hour later, Casey Cree-Ryder reined up near the crest of Sage Canyon. “This is where we tie off the horses.”

  Develyn pointed to the west. “We can’t ride to the rim?”

  “Not blindfolded.”

  “Why would we want to be blindfolded?”

  Casey slid to the ground. “Not we … just you. I told you I have a secret to show you.”

  “I didn’t bring a blindfold.” Develyn jammed her left foot in the stirrup and swung her right leg over My Maria’s rump as she dismounted.

  “I did. It’s a tea towel, but it will do,” Casey said.

  “I can’t believe this.”

  “Just wait, Devy-girl. I’ll show you something you can’t believe.”

  Uncle Henry plopped down on his side in the shade of some sage, while Popcorn and My Maria stood tethered to a large granite boulder.

  Develyn could see the ground drop away just past the rise and a distant rim on the western horizon. “Is it some kind of valley?”

  “Turn around.” Casey tied the tea towel over Develyn’s eyes. “It’s Sage Canyon, remember?”

  “But I don’t …”

  Casey spun her to the west. “Faith, girl. Now’s the time to prove that you trust me.”

  Develyn took a deep breath and let it out slow. Lord, I’ve known Casey for five weeks, and I’m letting her lead me blind to the edge of some remote canyon. It seems like I’m stumbling from one crazy stunt to another.

  Develyn shuffled along. Cree-Ryder’s hands guided her shoulders. “This is freaky.”

  “A few more steps, Devy-girl.” Casey’s hand felt warm and sweaty as she took Develyn’s arm. “Now, reach down there. What do you feel?”

  “A big rock?”

  “A petrified log. Sit down on it like it was a bench.”

  The cold hard rock bench pressed into her damp jeans. “I don’t know why you have to …”

  “Just wait, Devy-girl. I’m sorry the clouds have moved in and blocked the sunlight. When I pull the towel off, you’ll see a deep valley. That’s Sage Canyon. We’re up on the east side of it on the rim rock. It drops straight down … don’t get freaked … we’re safe. But look straight against the base of the rim on the other side of the canyon and describe what you see.”

  “I hope it’s a Starbucks, because I could use a latte right now.”

  “Are you ready?”

  “Casey, why are you drawing this out?”

  “It’s a surge of extreme power. I have you under my control.”

  “Take off the tea towel, for Pete’s sake.”

  Casey yanked at the towel. “Ta-dah!”

  Develyn rubbed her eyes. “Are you kidding me?”

  “Surprised, huh?”

  “But … but … but …”

  “Now, there’s a schoolteacher’s exhaustive vocabulary for you. You sound like an outboard motor.”

  “What’s it doing out here?”

  “Nothing for the last one hundred and eight years.”

  Develyn shook her head. “It’s … it’s … it’s a castle!”

  “They call it a mansion, but with the round stone turrets, it looks like a castle.”

  Develyn stood, hands on hips. “Who put it here?”

  “They say that Count Antoine Pierre LaSage built it for his French wife in 1892. But the locals just call it Sage Mansion, if they know about it at all. This is technically LaSage Canyon.”

  It looks abandoned.” Develyn pulled her hat off and ran her fingers through her short blonde hair.

  “I heard that the family moved out before 1900. The wife hated Wyoming, but they couldn’t go back to France. They were a part of the Mexican thing with Maximillian,
and ended up without a country. Some say they moved to Montreal, and others claim Martinique. Anyway, ever since World War II, this has been oil company land and off-limits for anyone. Very few people know it’s back here.”

  Develyn stared at the three-story Victorian house with white stone turrets and wrap-around veranda. “Even from way up here, it looks huge. So, it’s just a big, empty castle in the middle of the wilderness?”

  “They say all the outbuildings … shop, barn, corrals and all … burned down years ago. That’s all that’s left.”

  “What’s inside?”

  Casey plopped down on the petrified log and shoved her hat back. “I don’t know anyone who’s gone down there. It’s inaccessible for most folks. Besides, it takes so long to get here to view it, it’s time to turn around.”

  “I want to go see it,” Dev insisted.

  “Yes, well, I’m sure you do, sweetie. But the oil company that owns this part of the state has blasted away the old roadway that was carved into this side of the canyon. So from up here you either hang glide off the rim … or rappel down a rope.”

  “Are you telling me there is no way to ride a horse down there?”

  “I’m telling you there is no way that I know of.”

  “Ah, hah! We’ll just have to find one. I can’t believe there is some place in Wyoming where we can’t ride a horse.”

  “Dev, even if we did get down there it would be so late in the day, we couldn’t make it back to the truck before dark.”

  Develyn paced in front of the seated Cree-Ryder. “We could stay all night in Sage Canyon.”

  “We didn’t bring any gear, and with those clouds circling above we aren’t goin’ to sleep out on the prairie.”

  Develyn pointed her finger at the building. “I’m not leaving without seeing that castle.”

  Casey frowned. “I can’t believe Ms. Conservative Indiana Schoolteacher is saying this.”

  Develyn raised her already upturned nose. “And I can’t believe that Ms. Hang-Loose Bronze Bombshell is afraid to ride down there and check it out.”

  “I’m not afraid.”

  Develyn grabbed her arm and tugged her to her feet. “Then come on.”

  Casey raised one thick black eyebrow. “Did you call me a bronze bombshell?”

  “Yes.” Dev wrinkled her nose.

  “No one has ever called me a bombshell before.”

  “Sweet Casey, someday you’ll realize how cute and alluring you are. If you ever stop carrying guns and knives, maybe the men won’t be scared spitless of you. Now, are you coming with me, or do you want to wait in the truck until I return?”

  “Wait for you? I’d be arrested for second-degree murder if I left a city girl like you out here. Indiana schoolteacher abandonment is a crime in Wyoming. But what is your great plan for reaching the castle? You goin’ to teach that paint horse of yours to fly?”

  Develyn waved her arm to the left. “Does that stream flow south?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then we’ll ride south.” Develyn shoved her hands in the damp back pockets of her jeans. “Then we can swing around until we come to the stream. All we have to do is follow it north until we reach the castle.”

  “There are two problems with your theory. First, this is a long canyon. It would be noon tomorrow, at best, before we got there.”

  “You got any plans for tomorrow?”

  “And even if we had a tent, sleeping bags, and food for us and the horses, it wouldn’t work. Down at the base of this canyon is a natural gas pumping station. It’s huge, with a chain-link fence, attack dogs, razor wire, and everything. It blocks off the mouth of the canyon. Ever since 9/ll, they’ve tightened security down there. This is one of those places a terrorist would love to blow up. I’m afraid there is no way down to the mansion.” Casey poked her thumb toward the horses. “It’s time we got back to the truck.”

  “What is this with you? You always complain that I never want to go anywhere. You sit around the cabin and whine that I never take you anyplace. So, now I propose some exciting adventure, and you just whimper around about wanting to stay home and watch reality TV or something.”

  Casey laughed and threw up her hands. “Oh, so this is your idea of a big date?”

  “You told me yourself that you have never been to LaSage Mansion. Perhaps bronze bombshells don’t have the courage of us plain mousy types.”

  “There’s nothing mousy about your blonde hair.”

  “Nor real, either. The point is, you are all talk and no show.”

  “Oh, it’s a dare, is it? Now you are casting aspersions on my racial mixture … my cowboy girl bravado … my hard-nosed attitude.”

  Develyn folded her arms across her mud-splattered, lavender T-shirt. “I’m merely stating that I’m surprised at your reluctance. Perhaps you should have stayed at the store and watched the soaps with Mrs. Tagley. I don’t want you to ever complain again about your life being boring. Now run along, honey, and wait in the truck. My Maria, Uncle Henry, and I will go down there and have a grand adventure without you. Lock the doors and take yourself a nap. You can read it all in my best-selling autobiography or see it in the Hallmark movie.”

  Casey laughed so hard that she clutched her sides.

  “Dev, you are terrific. You do know how to be loose and tease. This is a whole side of you I’ve never seen. I love it, girl. Wow.”

  “I always get a little spacey after I finally make a big decision. There is something so wonderful and freeing about it.”

  Casey put her arm around Develyn’s shoulder. “All of this silliness because you decided not to go with Quint to Powell?”

  “It’s a little bigger decision than that.” Develyn slipped her arm around Casey’s waist.

  “You mean?”

  “Yeah, that’s what I mean.”

  “Poor Quint … he had his heart set on Miss Dev.”

  “No, Casey, his heart was still on Miss Emily. It was the rest of his body that wanted Miss Dev.”

  Casey dropped her arm to her side. “I can’t believe you said that. I mean, that’s the kind of thing I’d blurt out, but not you.”

  “We seem to have a role reversal. Come along, my brown wimpina, we are visiting the LaSages tonight. They are expecting us for tea at 4:00 p.m., and you know how testy they are if we’re late.”

  Casey Cree-Ryder drew her braid across her upper lip like a mustache. “I don’t have anything to wear.”

  “Don’t wear the black scoop-necked formal. It’s much too revealing. The countess will be livid.”

  Casey stared down at her clothes. “I was thinking of perhaps wearing the basic navy blue sleeveless T-shirt.”

  Develyn raised her eyebrows. “The mud-splattered one?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’ll be the hit of the party.”

  “Oh, good.” Casey led Develyn back to the horses. “Do you think the LaSages will serve slugs and salmon eggs?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Casey untied the horses. “I won’t eat them.”

  Develyn pulled herself up into the saddle. “Then you’ll just go hungry, young lady.”

  They rode to the north, a few feet parallel from the canyon rim. Uncle Henry scuffed along, fifteen feet behind.

  “Dev, look … setting aside all the laughing and teasing, there really isn’t any way to get down there.”

  “What about that old adage that horses have four feet for balance and can go where humans can’t?”

  “Yes, but even with twelve feet, there are some inclines you can’t go down.”

  “Where is the old roadway?”

  “Follow me.”

  Within minutes they sat horseback staring down at an avalanche of boulders that dropped off the rim for a thousand feet.

  “What is that?” Develyn asked.

  “That’s the old roadway.”

&n
bsp; “Road? The ruins of Pompeii look better than that.”

  Casey nodded to the east. “Now, can we go back?”

  Develyn stood in the stirrups. My Maria shifted a little to the right. “Are you sure there isn’t some other way?”

  “The only thing I’m sure of is that there is no way down except through the oil company gate.”

  Uncle Henry trotted up between the horses, then leaned against Develyn’s leg.

  “Why don’t we circle the entire canyon?”

  “Dev, it would take too long. We would be stuck out here in a thunderstorm at night.”

  “I just can’t give up on the idea.”

  “Let’s turn back.”

  “Casey, I don’t want to go back.”

  “You mean, you don’t want to take a chance that Quint is waiting for his Miss Dev?”

  “That’s not what I said.”

  Casey tugged on the collar of her T-shirt. “Why don’t we ride back to the truck, trailer up, then go into Lander or Riverton? There’s a good pizza place in Lander. We can hang out there until it’s safe to go home.”

  “You make it sound like I’m trying to avoid Quint. I really want to see the mansion, that’s all.”

  “You can prove that it has nothing to do with Quint.”

  “How?”

  “Let’s go home.”

  “Go home?” Develyn moaned.

  At the sound of her words, Uncle Henry plodded forward, stepped around each boulder, as he plunged off the side of the cliff. “Honey, I didn’t mean go down there,” Develyn called out. The burro continued to meander forward. “Uncle Henry, you get back up here right now!” Dev shouted.

  Casey rode over next to her. “He’s not minding you, mama.”

  “If we turn around, he’ll have to follow.”

  “Or maybe that’s his home down there,” Casey said. “The mansion?”

  “The canyon. Rumor has it that the count just packed up some of their clothes and deserted the place … furniture, live stock, and everything.”

  “Where did Uncle Henry go?” Dev asked.

  “He’s behind those boulders, see?” Develyn prodded My Maria to the edge of the canyon.

  Instead of stopping, the horse eased down the side of the cliff. “What is she doing?” Develyn called out. “She’s following Uncle Henry. Whenever she gets scared, she follows Uncle Henry.” Develyn clutched the saddle horn and leaned back. “Can My Maria make it down this grade?”