Linda Crowder - Jake and Emma 02 - Main Street Murder Read Online Free Page B

possible, was Emma’s favorite event.
    Kicking off the four day rodeo was a community parade.  During her first year in Casper, Emma had been surprised that most businesses closed on “parade day” to give their employees a chance to share the event with their families.  Now she was always a little surprised that there was anyone left sharing the sidewalk with her as a parade spectator because it seemed like everyone was in it. 
    Bands from the high school and both middle schools played Sousa marches, the city’s oldest World War II veteran rode in a convertible amidst the American Legion marchers who proudly saluted the uniformed military in the crowd.  Even the Tiny Tots Tumblers showed off newly-mastered summersaults on their float, padded with brightly colored mats.
    It was a celebration of all things summer in small town America, thought Emma, though the people of Casper would have bridled to hear her categorize them as “small town” since Casper was the second largest city in Wyoming.  People drove hundreds of miles to “the big city” to shop in Casper’s big box stores and eat in her national chain restaurants.  Locals knew the best sites were often outside the chains.
    With Wyoming having the smallest population in the country, Emma often heard people joke that there were more cows than people in Wyoming.   At least, she’d thought they were joking until Jake told her there were actually almost three times as many cattle in Wyoming as there were people.   Cattle and sheep ranching, while no longer as dominant as energy and tourism, were still an important part of the Wyoming economy.
    Emma grew up in California, where she could drive for hours without ever leaving a metropolitan area.  There were more people in her home town than in all of Wyoming and her high school graduating class than in 46 of the smallest Wyoming towns.  She’d taken many drives around the state since moving to Wyoming and was always struck by the wide open spaces. 
    Still, Wyoming had beautiful mountains, friendly people and the best trout fishing in the world.  Emma smiled to herself at the memories that last one conjured up.  When they were newly married, Emma was excited to embrace all of the to her exotic activities so dear to her new husband.  Jake loved fly fishing and he’d taken her to Wyoming’s famed Miracle Mile to show her the fine art of the sport.
    Emma hadn’t counted on the 4am wake-up but she trundled out of her sleeping bag when Jake shook her gently that spring morning before he went out to start breakfast on the camp stove.  She’d struggled into hip-high waders, which Jake had been delighted to buy for her when she’d expressed an interest in fishing.  The waders, he’d told her, would keep her warm and dry while standing in the river.
    She hadn’t, of course, realized what an exaggeration that was or that her concept of “warm and dry” didn’t match his but she found that out when she waded into the frigid river after breakfast.  “Why do we have to stand in the water?” she’d asked Jake after losing feeling in her feet. 
    “Because that’s where the fish are,” he answered.  He had been patient with her, helping her master the flick of the arm and wrist so vital to successful fly fishing.  Well, thought Emma, master might be a bit strong for the level of skill she’d developed over the years but she did keep at it until she caught her first rainbow trout.  The fact that the fish had slipped from her hands the moment the hook was out and disappeared into the river was completely beside the point.
    One catch had been enough to satisfy Emma’s curiosity.   While she still enjoyed accompanying Jake on his fishing trips - in a small camper trailer now instead of a tent - she stayed on the shore. The waders Emma had passed along to a friend.
    She was jolted from her wandering th oughts by the sound of her name and to Jake jabbing her in the ribs and pointing up at a float.