{"id":3893,"date":"2011-06-21T01:00:29","date_gmt":"2011-06-21T07:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alannacoca.com\/?p=3893"},"modified":"2014-08-01T02:38:21","modified_gmt":"2014-08-01T08:38:21","slug":"sexy-summer-solstice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alannacoca.com\/blog\/2011\/06\/sexy-summer-solstice","title":{"rendered":"Sexy Summer Solstice"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Welcome to the JustRomance.Me Blog Hop! It begins right HERE<\/a> if you want to find the beginning.<\/p>\n

It’s the Summer Solstice! The longest day of the year, and a day filled with myths and legends all around the globe. Here in Wyoming, there is a ranch called Crimson Dawn<\/a>. Folks gather to sit around a bonfire and tell stories before participants make a wish as they toss a handful of red dirt on the fire. In honor of the celebration, I’ve written the beginning of my take on the event, and some other bloggers have picked up where I left off. Enjoy!<\/p>\n

Jessie Bolton sat astride her mare, shaking her head at the diverse crowd stepping off the KISS FM 93.7 tour bus. They had come from all over the country, and Jessie imagined that not one of them had ever been to Wyoming, let alone the top of Casper Mountain. Crimson Dawn Ranch had hosted the annual Sumer Solstice gathering since the 1930s. Some say a woman\u2019s ghost haunts the area, but Jessie didn\u2019t believe it. She\u2019d worked at Crimson Dawn since she\u2019d turned sixteen and had never seen anything but pranks and hoaxes.<\/p>\n

Jessie grinned, and nudged her horse into the clearing to greet the newcomers. Perhaps this year would be more entertaining than the others. These nine folks had gone to great lengths to win the trip to Crimson Dawn to take part in the Solstice Celebration. Surely there was at least one trickster in town who would come up with a prank for these city slickers.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowdy!\u201d Jessie swung out of the saddle, handed the mare off to one of Crimson\u2019s cowboys, then knocked the dust from her gloves. \u201cWelcome to Crimson Dawn. I\u2019m Jessie.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man in front of her looked down his long nose, but did reach for her outstretched hand. \u201cDr. Martin Santorini.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ah yes. She remembered his information. The \u201cworld famous\u201d geologist that Jessie had never heard of. She tried not to giggle at his pretentious attitude, or his handlebar mustache. Who knew they still made wax for those? \u201cWelcome, Mr. Santorini. I hope you enjoy your\u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s Doctor Santorini.\u201d<\/p>\n

Someone in the crowd snorted, but it didn\u2019t seem to bother the geologist. He wandered away and Jessie focused on the next in line.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, I\u2019m Carla Hildebrand. So excited to be here! I kept expectin\u2019 cowboys and Indians in stagecoaches and stuff, ya know? I\u2019ve never even set foot outside Georgia, so I\u2019ll be takin\u2019 lots of pictures.\u201d To prove her point, Carla snapped one of Jessie\u2019s deer-in-the-headlights look. \u201cI\u2019ll have to post these on my blog. Karl is just gonna shit. Karl\u2019s the cook where I work. He thought I was pullin\u2019 his leg about winnin\u2019 this trip. I never win anything!\u201d She squealed and snapped another picture.<\/p>\n

Jessie stepped aside to offer her hand to the next newcomer. Oh yeah. This had to be Jerri Carlsile, the stripper from Atlantic City. Fake boobs, fake hair, fake tan\u2026even a fake smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Jerri. I don\u2019t suppose you sell those boots in your gift shop, do you? They\u2019d go great with one of my outfits.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh\u2026no. I\u2019m sorry. Maybe on your way back to the airport the driver can stop somewhere\u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re too damn cute.\u201d Jerri winked and snapped her gum before sauntering away.<\/p>\n

Jessie focused on the tight-faced woman in flowing paisley silk. Her eyes were the lightest blue Jessie had ever seen. She found that she couldn\u2019t look away from the direct stare.<\/p>\n

“Zoe Redner, darling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh. The psychic. Jessie hoped her eyebrow didn\u2019t quirk as it was known to.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do hope you don\u2019t spend your entire summer up on this mountain. There is a lot of energy in this area. Not all of it kind.\u201d Zoe spread her hands out, palms down. If she was getting a read on the gravel beneath their feet, Jessie hoped the psychic wasn\u2019t afraid of rattlers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve heard stories, but I\u2019ve spent a lot of time at Crimson Dawn. Unfortunately I haven\u2019t seen anything extraordinary myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to close your eyes\u2026and open your mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

With that, Zoe flared her nostrils and walked away. Jessie couldn\u2019t hide her bemused grin as she faced the next visitor. This had to be Phineas Walton. The Computer programmer from Dayton Ohio blinked rapidly, as if he was filing images away in his brilliant brain. Jessie had never met a \u201cgeek\u201d who looked this good. Before she could check him out too thoroughly, he reached for her hand and pumped it vigorously \u201cI\u2019m Phineas. Very nice to meet you. Tell me you have Wifi.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jessie laughed. \u201cYes we do. After the ceremony I\u2019ll get you all set up in your rooms for the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGreat!\u201d He pulled out his smartphone and tapped the screen.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello. Lindee Penton. I\u2019m the astrologer for the New York Century magazine.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man beside her cleared his throat.\u201dAnd I\u2019m Will Treadworth. I have a real job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lindee\u2019s face flared with color. \u201cI swear to God, Mr. Treadworth. If you don\u2019t shut your trap about my career, you can expect a scathing review of your latest article by my colleague.<\/p>\n

Will shrugged. \u201cBig deal. What\u2019s your circulation, fifty?\u201d<\/p>\n

Lindee\u2019s lips turned white, but Jessie was glad to see that she spun away rather than continue the argument.<\/p>\n

Making a mental note to change the Treadworth and Penton rooms from connecting to opposite ends of the floor, Jessie shook Corey Thurston\u2019s hand. Strange how cops looked like cops even in street clothes. He did have a nice smile though, and the scar on his cheek only added to his attractiveness.<\/p>\n

After scratching behind Officer Thurston\u2019s German Shepard\u2019s ears, Jessie turned toward the last man off the bus. He wore head to toe black. From his Stetson to his boots, and even his long duster. She peered through the shadow of his hat and caught sight of a black goatee, and an equally dark expression.<\/p>\n

\u201cJohn,\u201d he growled. He didn\u2019t offer his hand, and Jessie was a little relieved. John P. Smith was the only one of the KISS FM winners that hadn\u2019t bothered to fill out the personal information section on the pre-notification packet.<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome, John.\u201d As intriguing as the man was, she forced herself to face the group. \u201cWelcome all of you! We’ve got some great storytellers lined up for this afternoon’s solstice. We’re set up just around this bend. Tonight we\u2019ve saved you the best vantage point for the bonfire. The solstice will arrive in less than an hour, so we\u2019d better get set.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Jessie led the motley crew down the path, the gravel beneath her boots hummed. \u00c2\u00a0She shook her head. She didn’t believe in witches, warlocks or fairies. It was just another day out of the year.<\/p>\n

Right?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

Thanks for stopping by today. At the end We’ll be chatting on Saturday evening (7pm EST) \u00c2\u00a0at Gem’s Place<\/a>. Hope to see you there!<\/p>\n\n

Tweet<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the JustRomance.Me Blog Hop! It begins right HERE if you want to find the beginning. It’s the Summer Solstice! The longest day of the year, and a day […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"twitterCardType":"","cardImageID":0,"cardImage":"","cardTitle":"","cardDesc":"","cardImageAlt":"","cardPlayer":"","cardPlayerWidth":0,"cardPlayerHeight":0,"cardPlayerStream":"","cardPlayerCodec":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3WdCY-10N","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alannacoca.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3893"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alannacoca.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alannacoca.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alannacoca.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alannacoca.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3893"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alannacoca.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3893\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alannacoca.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alannacoca.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alannacoca.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}