Taran set the ewe down in the small stall to check her over. She was still shaking and scared, but there were no cuts or broken bones that he could see .
“Aye.” Angus chuckled. “No argument from me.” Having lived in the States for so long, Angus sounded more American than Scottish, but there were times when it still slipped out.
“Nae argument here either.” Taran stood and looked at his brothers who’d become eerily quiet, which meant the meddling was about to begin. “What?” He groaned. Why did he ask that? He could’ve kicked himself.
“We just want to see you happy.” Angus wanting his happiness spoke more to his character than anything. Taran had cut him off when he’d chosen a terrible woman over their family years before, and their row, which had ended only months before, had drawn out because of Taran holding a grudge. Angus, though, had forgiven him with ease, and it humbled Taran .
Taran wanted to be happy, too. At thirty-four, he wanted what they had, was envious even, but it hadn’t worked for him. Sarah had left abruptly not long after Paige and Rory married. That was three months ago. Her mom’s death had changed things. She’d had to go, and he couldn’t see himself leaving—not after reconciling with Angus so soon—and there was no meeting in the middle. There were other women in Rosegail Bridge, but none held a candle to her. She made his heart thrum so hard it rattled his chest.
“Have ye talked to Sarah at all?” asked Rory.
Taran stood and faced Rory. “What would be the point? There’s nothin’ to talk about. She has her mother’s horse sanctuary, and I have the farm. We both have lives, and we cannae leave them. It’s nae like Penelope and Paige. Penelope had a business she could sell. Paige has a business she can do anywhere. Sarah is different.”
Rory stared at him in disbelief. “So, you’re just goin’ to write it off?”
“What else can I do?” He wasn’t going to leave his farm or his family. He’d just mended his relationship with his brother. It felt like he was catching up with a long-lost relative. He turned to Angus. “We’re just now a family again. I missed ye.”
“I missed you too, but finding someone you love isn’t an everyday occurrence,” Angus said and grasped his shoulder.
Love? Who said anything about love? He liked Sarah, sure, even cared about her, but love was going a step too far. “I’ll admit I care about her, but I’m nae in love. Remember, ye two are the dreamers. I’m the only one with my feet firmly on the ground.”
Rory and Angus exchanged a glance, and alarms went off in Taran’s head. He had no doubt they were up to something. He braced himself for whatever was coming next.
Angus shrugged. “If you say so.”
That was too easy. Something was definitely up. “What are ye two conspirin’ to do?”
“Nothin’.” Rory tipped his chin in the direction of the ewe. “Anythin’ broken?”
Taran eyed them both, but when they wouldn’t budge, he let it go. He put out some food and water for the ewe and shut the stall door. “Naw, she’s okay, just stressed. I’ll see ye two at the house in a couple of hours. Go home to yer wives.”
“This is nae yer sole responsibility. I’m stayin’,” Rory said.
Angus nodded in agreement. “Aye, I’m here. I may as well help.”
So much for peace. Not that he didn’t appreciate the help, but it was help that came with a soundtrack—mostly nagging. “Fine, but nae more talkin’ about Sarah. We work. That’s it.”
Rory huffed. “Fine. Let’s go.”
“Fine,” Angus said.
The three brothers worked together checking the second pasture and then headed back to check the progress of the new barn. Delays had caused it to run behind, keeping the horses living in the temporary shelter longer than they should have. They were continually patching walls and keeping the horses out of the feed.
“A few more weeks, and it’ll be done.” Rory dismounted his horse Gladys. “It looks even better than before.”
Taran stayed on Banner, his gelding. “It does. And I get to move to the flat this time.”
Rory grinned. “Aye. I have my home.”
Rory and Paige had found a little house not far from the farm. Again, envy as green as grass shot through him. He’d dated a little in the past, but Sarah had stirred something in him that he hadn’t felt for anyone else. Not only was she gorgeous, but she didn’t put up with his nonsense. That’s what his brothers had said.
A wide smile spread on Angus’s face as Penelope and Paige walked out of the nearly finished barn. He’d never seen his brother happier. The same could be said for Rory.
Taran narrowed his eyes and dismounted his horse. “What are ye two doin’ here?”
Rory joined his wife, and she kissed him.
“We’re staging an intervention,” Angus said and greeted his wife with a hug and kiss.
Taran waved them off and turned on his heels. Now he knew why Rory and Angus had given up so easily and what their silent exchange was all about. They’d been waiting in ambush. He didn’t want to talk about Sarah. Not with them. Not with anyone. What was the point? It was settled and done.
“Stop, Taran!” Penelope called.
He stopped and swore under his breath. God help me. The prayer had never been more earnest.
“She needs you,” said Paige.
What were they going to try this time? He turned and faced the group. “Oh yeah? What now?”
“She does. At the funeral, she was a mess, but she was determined to keep the sanctuary open.” Paige looked at Penelope. Something unspoken passed between them .
“What?”
A pregnant pause from a pregnant Penelope. “She needs help with the sanctuary. She’s struggling. Her mom wanted her to take over, but I know she thought she had more time. Sarah loves horses and taking care of them, but she doesn’t know how to run that sanctuary. It couldn’t be that much different from the farm. “
Angus placed his hand on Penelope’s stomach, and she covered it with hers as she continued. “I would go, but I can’t. With the incompetent cervix, I’m high-risk. I can’t fly at all until after the baby’s born.”
“And I can’t go either,” said Paige. She gave Rory a side-glance and smiled. “I’m due eight months after Penelope.”
Rory faced her. “What?”
Penelope smiled, and Angus slapped Rory on the back.
“I hate going to the doctor, but I’ve been so sick the last couple of weeks. Tired all the time. Penelope made me go because we thought maybe I’d picked up a virus or something. Turns out…I’m pregnant. “
Taran was thrilled for his brothers and torn into two at the same time. He wanted love and a family. He wanted a woman to love and hold.
Rory wrapped his arms around Paige and kissed her forehead. “Oh, love.” He stepped back and put his hand over her stomach. “A baby.” He took her face in his hands. “I’m gonna be a dad.”
Paige nodded.
“I think I’m intrudin’.” Taran took a step back
Rory stopped. “Naw. This is the best news I’ve ever heard. I could think of nae other people I’d want to share it with.” His face grew stoic. “Ye cannae fly?”
“No, I’m going to the same doctor as Penelope. He’s afraid we might share the same issue. He’s asked me to hold off until he can run some tests next week.”
Rory hugged her. “Okay.”
Angus pulled out something from his coat pocket. “Here,” he said and shoved a piece of paper into Taran’s hand.
“What is this?” Taran asked.
“It’s a plane ticket to Pensacola.”
Taran tried to hand it back to Angus. “My place is here.”
“Your place is figuring out if you have something with Sarah. You’ve sulked around here since she left. It might have been just a little spark, but by the looks of you, you thought it could be something more. You aren’t tied to the farm. We have the money to hire help if we need it.” Angus looked at Rory. “We’re here. I’
m staying with Penelope until the baby’s born. It’s already fixed.”
“So go, Taran, find out if there’s anythin’ there,” said Rory.
“I’m nae movin’ to Florida.” He wasn’t. His place was in Rosegail Bridge with his family. They didn’t need to know that Sarah had all but squashed whatever he thought had been budding. She didn’t want a relationship with anyone.
Paige shrugged and looked up at Rory. She cupped his cheek. “I wasn’t moving here either. But I found my reason to stay more than outweighed my reason to go.”
Rory drew her close and kissed her.
“We’re not asking you to move there,” said Penelope. “We’re asking you to go help our friend. We’re worried about her, and we’re kinda helpless at the moment. The reading of the will took place today, and we know she needs someone there. If nothing else, just for comfort. You know, other than us, her mom was all she had.”
“Other than Trudy and Freddy, but that’s different,” Paige said.
Penelope nodded. “True.”
He remembered Sarah speaking about them, but with how large she described it, he thought she’d have more people supporting her than that .
Paige stepped closer to Taran and took his hand. “Please go and see if she’s okay. I’m worried about her. You know horses, and we know you care about her. We’re just asking you to make sure you’re making the right decision by letting her go.”
Inwardly, he groaned. Two pregnant women giving him doe eyes and begging for help. He sighed in frustration. “Fine. I’ll go and help her, but this better nae be a setup.”
“I promise it isn’t. She’s overwhelmed. She’s trying to hide it, but we can hear it in her voice,” Penelope said.
“All right.” Taran checked the ticket, and his eyes widened. “It leaves tonight?”
Angus trotted back to the barn and returned with two pieces of luggage. “You’re all packed.”
“I hate the lot of ye.”
Paige bounced on her toes and kissed his cheek. “You love us to pieces, and you’ll take care of Sarah.”
Taran smiled and shook his head. “If ye two didnae love my brothers so much, I’d toss the both of ye in the lake.” He looked from Paige to Penelope. “Pregnant or nae.”
The twins grinned wide.
“I’ll see ye when I get back.” He said it, but his conviction wavered. He’d missed Sarah. He wouldn’t call it any more than deep affection, but there had been a spark. When she’d left Scotland, she’d been an emotional wreck. Maybe in the last few months, she’d changed her mind about having a relationship. If not, he’d be returning home with a broken heart.
Chapter 3
Sarah stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. Nine hours of mucking stalls, grooming horses, and taking care of afterschool kids had her completely worn out. The hot water had done little to work out the knots in her neck and shoulders, especially when she’d spent the day wondering who she was going to marry in order to keep the sanctuary.
Married. Her mom must have lost her mind, and Sarah missed it. Who on earth was she going to marry? Taran MacLachlan’s face floated to the front of her mind. Oh, he was something else. A walking mirror image of movie star Angus MacLachlan, only a hundred times better. Tall with red hair that hit his collar and blue eyes that could melt snow made him a delicious package. But the rough hands of a man who was used to work is what did it for Sarah. He was the prince to her princess. He was also not willing to move to Pensacola .
She couldn’t fault him. In fact, that loyalty to family was part of what made her heart skip a beat. Unlike Sarah’s dad, Taran wouldn’t walk out on his wife. When he got married, it would be forever. The last thought was a lead weight. There was no way he’d agree to marry for a few months and then divorce.
Besides, she’d burned that bridge when she’d left Scotland after she told him she didn’t want a relationship. At least, that’s the lie she’d told him. He’d just mended his relationship with Angus. Just the little bit of time she’d been able to see them together made her realize how much Taran had missed his brother. In Sarah’s mind, it would have been selfish to give Taran the choice to leave. So, she made it for him.
Her mom’s DVD caught the ceiling light and glimmered. She’d been curious about that disc all day. What could her mom possibly say to justify the conditions for keeping her legacy alive? She was the one that made Sarah promise to keep it open. How could Sarah do that if she didn’t get married? It made no sense.
After she dressed, she picked up the disc and headed for the kitchen. Sarah fixed herself a cup of hot tea and then plunked onto the leather loveseat, stuck the DVD in the player, and clicked play. A few seconds later, her mom appeared on camera, sitting on her bed and smiling. Sarah was shocked at how ill she looked. How had she hidden it from her? Why did she hide it?
“Hey, sweetie, I guess the old cliché stands. If you’re watching this, it means I’m no longer around.” She took a deep breath and looked down like she was struggling to speak. When she looked up, tears glistened in her eyes, throwing Sarah off guard.
“Why didn’t you talk to me and tell me you were sick?” Sarah said to the video and picked up her cup of tea.
“I hope you’re watching this alone like I asked. There are some things I need to say, and I want you to be the only one to hear them, okay?”
Sarah nodded. Yeah, she was definitely alone and quickly feeling it more than usual.
“I gave my life to this place, and I have no regrets about that. I love the space, the horses, the volunteers, the kids.” She paused and smiled. “Please tell Freddy how much I loved her. That she is the best princess ever.”
Freddy Hernandez, the only thirteen-year-old who would wear a princess dress and a tiara to muck a horse stall. “I will, Mom.”
“I know you’re probably reeling from my condition to keep the sanctuary.”
Sarah set the cup down and eyed her mom on the screen. “Reeling? I think there’s a better word for that, but I think you’d wash my mouth out from beyond the grave if I used it.”
“I love you, and I know you’ll do exactly what I did. Give everything and leave nothing for yourself. I did just that until I met Gavin. And I know you think I’m crazy for marrying him, but I was so lonely. I wanted someone to love and to love me. I know you two don’t always see eye to eye, but he loves me, and I love him.”
Sarah bobbed her head. “Okay, I can understand that, but what’s that got to do with me getting married? Why couldn’t you just require a weekly date?”
“I put the marriage clause in there because I want you to have balance. Balance that I didn’t have for so long. Find someone to love you, sweetheart.”
Sure, Sarah wanted someone to love and to love her, but it wasn’t like Mr. Right rode up on a white horse carrying roses just when you needed him. “You gave me six months. Six. Months. Don’t you think that takes more than six months?”
“Now, I know you’re thinking I didn’t give you enough time, but when you called talking about Taran—”
What? Sarah paused the video. “Taran? Oh, dear God. Please don’t.” She started the video again.
“—Taran MacLachlan, I just had this gut feeling he was the one. The way you spoke about him…your voice would change. It was almost like your heart was singing to me. So, what I want is for you to talk to Taran. I want you to try to make things work with him.”
Sarah couldn’t breathe. “I also told you Taran wasn’t a possibility. He has his farm, and I have the sanctuary. I made you a promise.”
Her mom shifted on the bed and ran a hand through her hair. “And I know I made you promise to continue the place, but I won’t let you keep that promise if it means you’re alone. I’d rather you sell it and move on. I love this place, but I. Love. You. You deserve to be loved. You have such a sweet spirit and good heart. A man, a good man, should be loved by someone like you.”
The sincerity in her mom’s eyes and voice tugged at
Sarah’s heart. It was hard to remain upset when she knew her mom only wanted what was best for her. This was her mom’s way of taking care of her, so she had to at least appreciate the gesture, even if it did mean that she’d most likely lose the estate .
“Sarah—”
The cell phone in her pajama bottoms pocket rang, and she paused the video again. She pulled it out, looked at the caller id, and answered it. “Hey, Penelope. How are you? How’s the baby?”
“I’m good, and so is the baby.” Penelope paused. “I want to know how you’re doing. To catch up, you know? Are you okay?”
Sarah lifted an eyebrow. “And hear what was in the will?”
“Well…” Paige chimed in. “That too, but I have news.” Of course, Paige would be on the line too. The only problem with speaking to Penelope was that Paige was typically with her now, which meant double the questions. Sarah was thrilled they’d made up. Their relationship had been rocky for so long, and to hear them so happy made her happy .
The happy lilt in Paige’s voice made Sarah smile. “What news?”
“I’m pregnant.”
Sarah jumped off the couch and bounced. “What? So fast? I thought you wanted to wait!”
Paige giggled. “I did, but one night…one thing led to another, and here we are.”
“That’s so amazing.” And the little green-eyed monster reared its ugly head. Sarah wanted children. She’d always pictured getting married, having children, and raising them with Penelope and Paige around. Now, she didn’t see how that could ever happen.
“I know. Rory was speechless. You should have seen his face. He’s going to be such a wonderful father. And I think he’s more excited than I am.”
“Or me,” Penelope said. “Okay, as great as her news is, tell us about this will.”
Sarah sighed. Without a doubt, the moment she mentioned getting married, they’d both be walking her down the aisle with Taran. Just like her mom. Aside from the fact that Taran was adamantly opposed to moving, why didn’t they understand that both she and Taran had obligations? Taran couldn’t just pick up and leave and neither could she. Why was that so difficult for them to grasp?
Mending The Billionaire Brother (MacLachlan Brothers Romance Book 3) Page 2
