Page 90 of Famous for a Living

I laugh, clapping on.

As Mark and his “pal” finish—beating the score of the previous rider and putting the team in first place—I press my fingers to my mouth and let out a high-pitched whistle.

The announcer steps back out into the middle of the track with his megaphone, staring at a sheet of paper in his hand.

“Representing our beloved Glacier National Park,” he says, as Mina elbows Kevin to make room for Peggy, “we have the Glacier Boys eyeing the prize.”

A round of cheering ensues. Mina’s and Kevin’s hands go limp.

“They’ve put up a good fight the past two years, always comin’ in close but never close enough to take the crown from Kannery National Park. They’re looking strong today, though, folks. Will this be the year they take home the saddle?” The man with the megaphone steps off the track, just as two of the men I remember from the hot spring wave to the crowd. They look pretty chuffed up about the attention, waving about ten seconds too long.

Peggy rolls her eyes as the one on the horse begins pumping his arms to encourage more cheering.

“Billy Joe!” she calls out, cupping her hands around her face. “You stop that foolishness and get on with it!”

His pumping stops at her voice. He drops his hands. Lifts the reins and gets into position.

“I’ve been his Sunday school teacher since he was a little boy,” she says to me. “Since Sunday school days he always tried to hog the show.”

The flag drops and the boys kick off with a start, fast enough to compete with Mark and his team. I’m getting pretty invested in watching the pair round the track, when Peggy’s phone starts to ring.

Her hands scramble in her jacket pockets, and she pulls out her phone. “Hello?” she says. She pauses. Listens.

My attention turns from the race as I see her expression shift. “Oh. Oh no. That’s too bad. Does he need someone to take him?”

She pauses.

Nods.

“What’s going on?” I say.

She hushes me, and a minute later she ends the call and slowly rises to her feet. “Jax hurt his ankle doing a practice jump. I’m going to give him a lift to the hospital.”

“What about the race?” Mina’s attention shoots to Peggy. “We can’t compete without a skier for the race.”

“He will be fine. Thank you for asking.” Peggy rolls her eyes, earrings dangling, as she turns and hobbles off toward her truck.

“What should we do?” Mina calls after her.

“I think that’s fairly obvious, isn’t it? One of you will need to fill in!” she calls back, just before prying open her truck door, tossing her cane in, and hoisting herself inside.

Mina looks shell-shocked as Peggy’s truck rumbles out of the field filled with parked vehicles. She gazes at Kevin.

“Don’t look at me.” He shakes his head.

I don’t blame him. I’ve seen Kevin trip on his way to the bathroom.

“Well, I can’t,” Mina says. “Sliding on sticks isn’t my game.”

Right.

The irony of her saying that while a skier yips after snagging a red ring in the air.

I frown. “So I guess we’ll have to forfeit?”

The world, if it were possible, goes silent.

There’s a crackle in the air as Mina’s shoulders stiffen, her back to me.