SADDLEBAG DISPATCHES
REAVIS Z. WORTHAM
ANNIVERSARY PART ONE OF THE EXCLUSIVE SERIAL NOVELLA
J
A SHORT STORY
ames Anderson lifted his foot from the accelerator of his new Ford Bronco. With the flick of a finger, he hit the turn indicator to signal his intention to exit the southbound lane of Interstate 90. His wife, Katie, looked up from her phone and confirmed the exit number. An electronic voice with an artificial British accent filled the car. “Turn left in four hundred yards.” Katie lifted her light brown hair to cool her neck with a very feminine motion. “That is, turn left after you stop. No need to ruin a perfect anniversary trip with a traffic ticket.” Around them, Crow Agency in Montana, was a wide open, rolling landscape of hills and ravines covered with an inverted bowl of blue stretching to the distant horizon. The busy highway led past neat buildings surrounded by white plank fences and long lines of scraggly trees which broke up the view on both sides. Driving with his wrist hanging over the steering wheel, James waved his fingers to paint the landscape around them. “I wish we could have seen this country back when it was wide open.” Knowing her husband’s penchant for history, she fed his enthusiasm. “It would have been different. That’s for sure.” “Imagine what it looked like when the Sioux owned everything as far as you could see.” She laughed. “I bet I know what it looked like when Custer thought everything as far as you could see were warriors.”
He chuckled. “You’re coming along. Five years ago, you wouldn’t have thought like that.” “Five years ago, when we got married, I didn’t much care for history.” “The perks of being married to a history professor. You know why I wanted to come out here today?” She’d done her homework. “I do. It’s June 25, the anniversary of Custer’s Last Stand, and I’m wondering if you planned for us to get married on this date when we were trying to decide.” “Well,” he threw her a puppy dog look. “This all worked out just fine. The summer session ended at just the right time, and I didn’t teach the second semester so we could take this trip. It seems like we’re charmed. Everything else worked out perfectly.” Katie wasn’t overly enthusiastic about Custer and the Battle of the Little Big Horn but understood her husband’s fascination with history. He glanced at the little brunette in the passenger seat. “I know this doesn’t excite you, but I can’t wait to see the battlefield.” He squeezed her knee. “I think you’re gonna like this stop.” “The jury is still out, buddy.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I hope this place is as interesting as you said it was. I’m not much on battles and wars.” “It’ll be fascinating.” He switched to what he considered an announcer voice. “And as a bonus, you get to pick the night’s dinner venue, how about that?” She laughed as the car trailed along the road leading to the visitor center. He found an empty slot in the busy parking lot then killed the engine. She opened the
73