to a ranch. Out to the middle of nowhere where there is nothing but grass.”
“And cows,” Cecilia said. “Don’t forget the cows.”
I hung my head. “Damn. I had forgotten the cows.” I looked up. “Maybe we won’t have to get near the cows. It’s not a dairy farm. We’re not going to be milking them. Right? We’re not going to have to milk a cow, are we?”
She held up her hands like she was innocent. Or like she had totally washed her hands of the whole idea and was there under duress. “Don’t look at me. It’s not like I’ve been perusing the brochure.”
“Okay, I think it’s a pretty safe bet that we’ll need jeans. We’ll start there.” I put several pairs of jeans in my suitcase and stared at the rest of the open space. It wasn’t just going to spontaneously fill itself up, but I could dream.
“You know, I always thought it was kind of cute that Daddy came from Montana,” Cecilia said. “It gave him a nice back story and made our family more interesting than the kids at school whose families have been here for generations. But that definitely didn’t mean I ever wanted to experience it myself. I never would have imagined actually going there.”
“But it’s what he wants,” I said.
She nodded. “It’s what he wants.”
I let out a long sigh. “All right. We’re not getting out of this. As much as we tried, we’re going to Montana and apparently getting an introduction to whatever the hell happens on a ranch every day. With any luck, we’ll look at some animals, drive around some fields, and then just get to hang out in the lodge.”
“There’s a lodge?” she asked.
I looked at her. “I mean, there has to be. Right? Don’t ranches have lodges?”
“Again, I am not the one to ask. No brochure.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s cold in Montana,” I said. “We’ll need sweaters. Maybe we should bring leggings in case we need to layer.”
“We should bring our coats,” Cecilia said, sounding like she was starting to get involved in the process a bit more. “The ones with the fluff around the hoods are the warmest ones.”
“Those will look cute,” I said. “Boots. We’ll need boots.”
She got off the bed and went to my closet. A few seconds later, she turned around, holding a knee-high black leather boot. “How about these?”
“I love those,” I said. She clutched it to her chest and nodded. “But I’ll need the purse to go with them.”
“Do we have time to go to the makeup store?” she asked. “We should have a ranch palette for our eyes.”
“Already taken care of,” I said. “I got a few different options for each of us. Coordinating lipstick and liners. Waterproof mascara, too. We’re going to be outside. You never know if it will rain.”
“That was smart,” she said. “Okay, let’s finish up packing for you and then we’ll go to my room and get me packed.”
We went to my closet and went through my clothes, pulling out everything that seemed like there might be use for it on this excursion. Once all the clothes we could fit were packed, we added makeup, toiletries, hair accessories, purses, and shoes. By the time we were finished, I had two large suitcases and a toiletry bag full and sitting by my door ready for the staff to bring down to the car when we left.
That finished, we went into Cecilia’s room and started the same process. She had just finished zipping her toiletry bag closed when we heard a knock on her bedroom door. I looked up and saw our father standing in the doorway.
“What are you girls up to?” he asked. “You’ve been up here all afternoon and I haven’t heard a peep from you.”
“We’re getting ready for the trip,” I said. “Isn’t that what you wanted us to do?”
“Is that what you’re doing?” he asked, eyeing the toiletry case. “It looks like you’re getting ready to move house.” He looked down at Cecilia’s feet and noticed the two suitcases. “Is that for both of you?”
“No,” she said. “It’s just mine.”
“Mine are in my room,” I said. “Packed and ready to go.”
I expected him to smile and be proud we were finally taking the initiative to get ready for his birthday blowout. Instead, he shook his head.
“You can’t be serious,” he said.
My sister and I looked at the luggage and then each other.
“What?” I asked. “We weren’t sure what to bring. But I think we have