The Girl in the Trees Read online

  "Joshua Tree, you say," Bill Landis considered. "Would you mind giving me Calvin's address, where he is at the moment, I mean."

  "I'm afraid I can't say for sure if he's there," Caroline said, but she gave him an address anyway.

  "Is there anything else you can tell me?" Landis asked after a time which he'd spent trying to catch up with her story and writing it all down in his notepad.

  "That's all I know," she replied, and brought up her basket to Tara. She'd already gathered everything on her list. While Tara was adding it up, Miranda went back out and brought back the bag of eggs, fudge and cheese that she'd brought. Without even considering that Caroline was standing right there, she pulled out the red debit card to pay the bill, and didn't notice Caroline's grin of approval.

  They said their goodbyes to Tara and Bill, who were already making plans for later that night. Miranda and Caroline loaded up the saddlebags, mounted the horses and made their way back to the fire road. Neither one said a word for some time. Finally, Miranda couldn't keep quiet any longer.

  "Was any of that story true?"

  Caroline didn't answer right off.

  "I know you're not Calvin's sister," Miranda said. "He never had any sisters. He would have told me if he had."

  "Well, that part was half-true," Caroline said, turning to her. "Your grandfather and I did have different mothers. We also had different fathers as well."

  She burst into a laugh that was so full of joy that Miranda couldn't help joining in, once again going along with the old folk, but this time it just felt so good.

  THE END