Free True Colors by Kristin Hannah

how.”
    Aurora gave her a look. “You just did.”
    Vivi Ann changed the subject before it plunged into murkier waters. “Where’s Winona? She’s been sort of distant the past few weeks. Have you noticed?”
    Aurora got up and began rearranging the floral centerpiece. “What do you mean?”
    “Is something going wrong at work? She told me she had better things to do than decorate the Eagles Hall.”
    “I think she’s got some big case coming up.”
    “Luke said she’s giving him the cold shoulder, too.”
    “You know Win. When she’s wrapped up in something . . .”
    “Yeah. I miss her around the house, though.”
    “You’ll have to get used to that. You’re with Luke now.”
    “What does that have to do with anything? You’re married and I see you all the time. We still go to the Outlaw on Fridays together. Sisters trump men, remember? We made that pact a long time ago. Just because I’m dating someone doesn’t mean I’ll blow you and Win off. I’d never let a man do that to us.”
    She heard Aurora sigh. “I know. I told her that.”
    “You talked about this? What did she say? What’s wrong?”
    Aurora finally quit messing with the flowers and looked up. “I told her she needed to stop working all the time.”
    “Good. When she comes tonight I’ll tell her the same thing.”
    “Uh. She’s not coming.”
    “What?”
    “This is your night.” Aurora paused. “And you’ve had a lot of them. Just cut her some slack, okay? Let her figure things out. She’s a little fragile right now.”
    “Winnie? She’s as fragile as a jackhammer.”
    “Come on,” Aurora said finally. “Enough talk about Win. Everything is ready here. Let’s go get dressed.”
    Vivi Ann followed her sister to the Eagles’ restroom, where they’d left their evening clothes hanging on one of the stall doors. In the hustle and bustle of getting ready, she forgot all about Winona’s hissy fit and concentrated on looking her best. She curled her long blond hair on big electric rollers and sprayed it all to stay in place. It only took a little makeup—mascara, blush, and lip gloss—to accentuate her features. Then she dressed in a flowy sleeveless polka-dot dress with a wide crystal-encrusted belt and her good boots.
    For the next two hours, she was on top of the world. The banquet was a complete success. Twice the number of people she’d expected had shown up and everyone had had a great time. By the time she’d given away all of the prizes and thanked people for participating, she was already fielding requests for a fall series.
    “Next time I’ll give away a saddle,” she told Luke as he swept her onto the dance floor. “We need really great prizes. And lots of cash. That’ll keep them coming back. We could do two jackpots a month instead of one.” She laughed at her own enthusiasm. It was like drinking too much champagne, this feeling she had right now, and she didn’t want it to stop.
    When the banquet was finally over, and the place had been cleaned up and everyone had gone home, she still wasn’t ready to leave.
    “Let’s go for a walk,” Luke said, bringing her heavy woolen coat.
    “That’s a great idea.” She snagged a half-empty bottle of champagne and carried it with her. Hand in hand, they walked through town. She kept up a steady stream of conversation. Caught up in the magic of her success, she was a little surprised to find that they were at the Waves Restaurant. It was closed down for the night, but Luke led her out to the deck, where they found an empty cast-iron table with two chairs. Sitting there, in the glow from a single outdoor light, with the Canal waves moving restlessly on the beach below, she said, “Did you see my dad smiling tonight?” She’d been thinking of it for hours, replaying it in her head so she would never forget it. “I know it meant a lot to him. He’d never say anything, but I know he’s always felt that he didn’t live up to his father’s legend. If we