Gritty Times in Wyoming Pt. 04

Milly said, "Oh what a magnificent reward for our heroine Mrs Williams. Can Skye ride well?"

"She has been riding since she was four and rides magnificently."

"How much did Maysun cost you and your husband?"

"Thirteen thousand American dollars. A small sum when you consider Skye saved my husband's arm and possibly his life."

Skye stared at Myra mouth open because purchase price had never been discussed before.

Smiling Milly said, "Well ladies, big applause for Mrs Williams and our heroine Skye please."

The applause was extensive and enthusiastic.

Other regular segments in the program followed and during the mid-show break Milly took Skye aside and spoke to her earnestly. Skye nodded and two men in suits took measurements of Daisy and made notes about her appearance. A woman with the men took close-up photographs of Daisy.

At the end of the show Milly, smiling and appearing rather hyped up, said, "And now for the big announcement. Skye has agreed to allow me to have an unlimited number of copies of Daisy made for sale with 100% of profits going to the Hong Kong Teenagers in Crisis Support Trust that is a registered charity. This studio and I are very thrilled at Skye's generosity.

There was applause and Milly thanked Skye and then held up Daisy and then handed her back to Skye and that drew huge applause.

Skye and Myra boarded their international flight just after midnight for the long haul to Chicago. Their farewells with the official interpreter and the photojournalist were very warm, leaving the two Americans wondering who was spreading crap that the Chinese weren't prepared to display emotion publicly.

EPILOGUE

The day after Skye appeared in a pre-recorded interview for Coast-to-Coast television about her new Carey Green novel set on a ranch in Wyoming, that included film clips of her with the Hobbs family and then of Ryan and her riding Kismet and Maysun, she flew back to Casper from Los Angeles where Ryan was waiting to drive her home.

Skye's recently appoint agent in Los Angeles and legal consultant were in negotiations about an offer of a film contract on the Wyoming novel. It was fortunate that before re-signing with Reflection Publications, Skye had successfully negotiated to have film and television rights assigned back to her in return for agreement to write three Carey Green novels a year during her new three year contract.

Book reviewers throughout America, now well aware of Skye's huge following in China and other countries in that region, had praised the new novel. Many of them were brave enough to state, 'At last we have understanding of what Carey Green is about', or words to that effect.

A Carey Green plus Daisy anime TV series, produced under license in Japan, was being marketed worldwide in seventeen languages, and its catchy theme was moving up the light music charts even in America.

Len Williams and his men cleaned out their huge barn for Skye and Ryan's wedding and reception, storing the new-cut hay outside under temporary cover. Linda arrived with a professional window-dresser from Billings to decorate the barn.

One hundred and fifty guests including Julie Southgate, the editors' assistant from Reflection Publications who was one of Skye's two bridesmaids, attended the sweet, low-key and unpublicized wedding. Fergie sulked a little at the ceremony because Skye had chosen to be given away by her father.

Linda was chief bridesmaid with Myra matron of honor after Glenys turned down the honor saying she would be best used being in charge of catering. Fergie bounced back later, demonstrating he was the perfect choice of MC at the wedding breakfast. He had everyone in fits of laughter at times and when he wiped his eyes talking about how pleased they were that their son Ryan had picked Skye for his bride, several women began weeping noisily. Of course by then the wine had been flowing for some time.

The photograph of the married couple, in their wedding clothes riding on Kismet and Maysun towards the photographer and video cameraman against a glorious sunset, appeared in newspapers and gossip and literary magazines and a film clip of it appeared on TV the next evening and was screened in Hong Kong.

The couple went to Los Angels and San Francisco for their honeymoon.

The next day work began on Fergie and Glenys' relocation that was necessary to allow them to make another wedding gift. Rapid-setting concrete foundations were poured in part of the road frontage of the 50-acre pasture along the road boundary opposite the Williams' home. Three days later a pre-built two-bedroom home with an office and a sewing room was trucked in as the new home for Fergie and Glenys and lowered into place. The larger ranch house was being urgently renovated with new bathrooms and kitchen and would be ready to be presented to Ryan and Skye on their return.

Glenys had a premonition that Skye was pregnant but awaited hard evidence.

To date 137,500 official copies of Daisy have been sold in Hong Kong in Milly Woo's fundraising project and conforming to Skye's request that all dolls be made with two legs. It had been reported a massive number of unauthorized copies of a one-legged Daisy doll were in the possession of young girls throughout China and a huge bounce-back in the popularity of rag dolls was also reported.

Glenys was minding Daisy until Skye returned from her honeymoon. Fergie was relieved that Glenys had stopped talking to the doll. He couldn't believe Glenys was that lonely. Fergie had a great laugh that morning reading in the newspaper that large numbers of female tourists visiting Wyoming were asking where was the ranch where Carey Green lived.

THE END