Appaloosa Blues (Sisters of Spirit #8) Read Free

had had to borrow some money from Jennel to pay for the flight home, since her round trip ticket took her back to Virginia.
    “I’ll have to look for a job around here,” she added, wondering how a degree in meteorology could be used out here. She had planned to eventually work for a radio or TV station, reporting the weather. But she had learned it might take time to get a job doing that.
    “I’ve looked,” Karen said. “There aren’t any good ones. I took a part-time job for this summer. Johnny is talking about going into the military, although Adam says he can work on the ranch. If he does, we’d still live elsewhere. We want a home of our own, even if it is a small apartment.”
    A home of her own. It was what Jo wanted, too, and she wouldn’t deny her sister the happiness she deserved. Jo barely knew Johnny, but anyone who could see past the scars and make Karen’s eyes glow when she talked about him, ranked high in Jo’s mind.
    The Sisters had been right. It was time she went home and confronted her grandfather and got him to face facts. Somehow.
    She looked out at the scenery passing by. Big sky country. Montana claimed the title, but any semi-arid country where the buildings and trees dropped away and you could see from horizon to horizon was big sky. A feeling of relief struck her as it always did, for big sky meant home. Unlimited vistas.
    As she had done all her life, she envisioned herself riding beside the car, just not on the road. Her imaginary steed took her down each gully, up each hill, jumping each fence that appeared.
    Like many narrow country roads, there was no center line and not much shoulder. When you met another car, both had to slow down and move over. They passed the corner where Grandmother Anna had died. The family had put a small, white, wooden cross there, and replaced it every year. It never failed to remind Jo of Anna, for she had been close to her grandmother.
    Then as they climbed up into higher mountain country, Jo thrilled at the sight of the scraggly trees that clung so tenaciously to the rocky volcanic soil. Not beautiful to some people, but to Jo it was home. Home. Her spirit sang within her and she wondered why she had stayed away so long.
    Perhaps, now that she was older, she would be able to handle her grandfather. She had blindly believed him when she was little, and stayed loyal to him through high school. It wasn’t until she was in college and got away long enough that she began to understand how controlling he was. Yet each time she had returned for a few days, she had fallen into the same old habits. It was easier to avoid the topic of Adam and his family than to make Gramps angry.
    Karen turned the car up the rocky driveway towards the ranch house, which came in sight as they rounded the corner. A two-story farm house, it had endured almost a century of mountain weather.
    Jo’s white Appaloosa, Paca, stood by the home pasture fence, her dainty head lifting as the car drew near.
    “Did Dad bring Paca in?”
    “Yes. As soon as Gramps knew you were coming, he insisted someone bring her in. She was just in the back pasture, anyway, so it wasn’t any problem. Dad just called her name and held up a pan of grain. She ran right up and started eating while he put a halter on her. Do you want to get out here?”
    “No. Thanks. These sandals won’t take that ditch.”
    “That never stopped you before.”
    Jo laughed. “No. But I can wait until I change into my boots.”
    Karen pulled up to the house and parked. “It looks like everyone’s gone. Even Mom’s car is missing.”
    “That’s okay. Gramps is probably still here.”
    She grabbed her few belongings and followed Karen inside.
    “Hello?”
    “Here’s a note,” Karen said. “Took Gramps in for an ultrasound to check his blood flow. Love you.”
    “How has his heart been?” Jo asked.
    “Weak. The doctors put in a pacemaker last month.”
    “I remember you telling me.”
    “They say all his stewing