The Great Jackalope Stampede

Not since the Great Jackalope Stampede of ’58 has tumbleweed-choked Jackrabbit Junction, Arizona seen so much action. Claire Morgan is determined to unravel the mystery behind a stolen treasure before goons come gunning for it—and her family. But all the strangers roaming around town have her anxiety red-lining. Then her mother shows up …

Dear Reader,

Back when I wrote the first book in the Jackrabbit series,
Dance of the Winnebagos
, I had no idea I eventually would be introducing Claire’s older sister, Ronnie—at least no more than a mention here and there. But then I wrote the second book,
Jackrabbit Junction Jitters
, and introduced Claire’s younger sister, Kate. After Kate came to life on the page, I knew Ronnie deserved some screen time, too.

What I didn’t realize when plotting this book was how strong Ronnie’s personality would be. She came on stage and took over, sitting in my director’s chair, telling me how the story was going to go, just the way older sisters do. (Trust me, I know all about older sisters. I grew up with them, and they taught me lots of things about life and who really was the boss of me. Ha!)

I’ll admit I had a blast sitting back and watching Ronnie take command, ruffling feathers but fitting in with everyone else in the story. I really enjoyed the interaction between the three sisters. They are not touchy-feely sisters ready to grace flowery Hallmark cards and family movies. They fight, poke fun at each other, and often drive each other to drink and curse. Their relationships are bumpy, yet much more real to me because of it. Many families don’t get along every minute of the day, but like Claire and her sisters, there is a bond between them that holds them together through thick and thin.

This third book in the series completes the introduction of Claire’s family—her grandfather, her mother, and her sisters, Kate and Ronnie. I hope you have as much fun experiencing their wacky and often spark-filled family dynamics as I did writing them.

Oh, and if you ever find yourself in southeastern Arizona, pay a visit to the tiny town of Three Way, a junction where three roads come together. That’s the real-life town I used as inspiration for Jackrabbit Junction.

When you finish
The Great Jackalope Stampede
, stop by The Shaft for a bit. Drinks are on me!

www.anncharles.com

To my stepmom.

You’ve read my stories and believed in me from the very start, always encouraging, always supporting. I couldn’t have wished for a kinder, more loving woman to help raise me. Nobody can write to-do lists, make monster cookies, or chop up poor innocent snakes like you. (Ha!)

You’re the best!

Cast

**KEY:
Character
(Book # in which they appear)—Description**

Claire Alice Morgan
(1,2,3)—Main heroine of the series, Mac’s girlfriend, Harley’s granddaughter

Harley “Gramps” Ford
(1,2,3)—Claire’s maternal grandfather, Ruby’s husband

Henry Ford
(1,2,3)—Harley’s beagle/dog

MacDonald “Mac” Garner
(1,2,3)—Main hero of the series, Claire’s boyfriend

Ruby (Wayne) Martino-Ford
(1,2,3)—Mac’s aunt, owner of the Dancing Winnebagos R.V. Park, Harley’s new wife

Jessica Wayne
(1,2,3)—Ruby’s teenage daughter, Harley’s stepdaughter

Chester Thomas
(1,2,3)—Harley’s old Army vet buddy

Manuel “Manny”
Carrera
(1,2,3)—Harley’s old Army vet buddy

Joe Martino
(1,2,3)—Deceased; Ruby’s first husband, previous owner of the Dancing Winnebagos R.V. Park

Deborah Ford-Morgan
(2,3)—Claire’s mother, Harley’s daughter

Kathryn “Kate” Morgan
(2,3)—Claire’s younger sister, Deborah’s youngest daughter, Butch’s girlfriend

Veronica “Ronnie” Morgan
(3)—Claire’s oldest sister, Deborah’s oldest daughter

Natalie Beals
(3)—Claire’s cousin from back in South Dakota, Harley’s granddaughter

Grandma Ford
(1,2,3)—Deceased; Claire’s grandmother, Harley’s first wife

Valentine “Butch” Carter
(1,2,3)—Owner of The Shaft, the only bar in Jackrabbit Junction, Kate’s boyfriend

Grady Harrison
(1,2,3)—Sheriff of Cholla County

Mindy Lou Harrison
(3)—Sheriff Harrison’s niece

Aunt Millie
(3)—Sheriff Harrison’s aunt, leader of the library gang

Ruth and Greta
(3)—Members of Aunt Millie’s library gang

Steve Horner
(3)—Jessica’s biological father, Ruby’s ex-lover

Lyle Jefferson
(3)—Ronnie’s ex-husband

Arlene
(3)—Waitress at The Shaft, friend of Kate’s

Gary
(2,3)—Bartender at The Shaft

Chapter One

Friday, September 21st

Jackrabbit Junction, Arizona

In a bone-littered desert bristling with prickly plants and venomous predators, Claire Morgan had forgotten one of the most important rules of survival—to keep her big mouth shut.

“You told Ronnie what?” her grandfather, Harley Ford asked, his hammer frozen mid-swing as he squinted down at where Claire stood at the base of his ladder.

Was it just her or had the skull-baking Arizona sunshine rocketed the temperature another twenty degrees? Claire fanned the neck of her faded Tijuana Toads T-shirt.

Crud. What had she been thinking? She should have gone to Ruby first, Gramps’s much less crotchety better half.

Claire cleared her throat, not letting the glare from Gramps or the sun deter her. “I told Ronnie that she could stay with you guys for a month.”

Footfalls on the gravel drive behind her caught Claire’s attention. A tall, skinny college kid wearing flip-flops, checkered swim trunks, and a yellow velvet sombrero complete with black embroidery and chin strap smiled at her through a mouthful of braces.

“
Hola, señora
,” Beanpole called to her, pushing his thick rimmed eyeglasses up the zinc oxide that coated his nose.

Claire waved back, trying her damnedest not to rubberneck. Had someone hired a Mariachi-singing lifeguard?

“What in the hell did you tell Ronnie that for?” Gramps didn’t wait for Claire’s answer before pounding another nail into one of the two-by-sixes making up the skeleton roof of the new bathroom facility.

Claire winced with each hit, glad her head wasn’t shaped like a nail.

Up the way, she watched Beanpole open the door of a beige camper and step inside.

Autumn had almost arrived at the Dancing Winnebagos R.V. Park, a dusty slice of paradise beneath a grove of old cottonwood trees that lined Jackrabbit Creek in the southeastern corner of the state. Along with slightly less hot temperatures there was a whole new monkey troop of oddballs. However, unlike the harem of golden-oldie babes who had danced through the park last spring or the pretty flock of summer bird watchers, there were more Y chromosomes in this new bunch.

A couple of weeks ago, the University of Arizona’s Anthropology Department had rolled into the R.V. park, filling several camper and tent sites. Since the cave dwellings they were excavating had been discovered in a mine belonging to Ruby, she had given them a discount on their weekly rent. In return, she had a steady income—something the park hadn’t seen in a long time.

Unfortunately, the traffic was overworking the plumbing in the only set of restrooms at the back of the campground. That had spurred Gramps to build more, seeming to forget he was more of a crotchety old rooster these days than a spring chicken.

About the time he’d started pouring the cement, Ruby had called Claire. Growing up, Claire had spent summers working for Gramps’s general contracting business. A jack of all trades and master of absolutely none, Claire knew enough plumbing and carpentry to act as Gramps’s second in command. She also happened to be unemployed—again.

Claire grabbed a handful of nails from the pocket of her tool belt and held them up to Gramps. “I told Ronnie she could stay because she’s your granddaughter.”

He pointed the hammer at her. “But she’s
your
sister. That makes her one step closer in blood to you than me. She needs to stay put right where she is—with you.”

Shielding her eyes, Claire glared at the ornery cuss on the ladder. “Ronnie has been staying with me for almost a month now in case you’ve forgotten.” Her older sister had been the source of several rumbles between Claire and her boyfriend, Mac, whose house the three of them were sharing. “It’s someone else’s turn to chauffeur her around like she’s Miss Daisy.”