by Debra Kayn
She laughed. “That behavior I can handle. I swear you must be the most stubborn person I know.”
“Good thing I fell in love with someone strong enough to make me learn the ropes, huh?” He chuckled.
Margot gazed up at him. “Where did you go when you left Pike?”
Roy Lee stepped back and held out his hand. She placed her fingers between his and followed him back to the house. In all the excitement last night, it’d slipped her mind to find out what drew him away from her.
On the porch, Roy Lee sat down on the rocker and pulled Margot onto his lap. “I went and hired a private investigator to find out more ’bout Ryan, and then I talked to his old neighbors and friends.”
“Oh, Roy Lee.” Margot rubbed his arm. “He really is a good guy.”
He nodded. “That’s what I found out. I didn’t want to believe it. I wanted to tell myself I was protecting my parents, but the fact was…I didn’t want a brother disturbing my life. Things were going smoothly before he announced his connection with Dad.”
“I think your parents understand how you feel.” She scooted so she could see him better. “Their love for you won’t change, and in some ways, it’ll be nice to have a brother around.”
“How so?”
“There are lots of things, like when your parents are older, the two of you can take care of them together. Plus, you’ll never be alone. He wants to be your brother. He’s never had a sibling either, and despite him being a little older than you, he respects you and wants to get to know you.” She smiled.
“I hung out with him every minute he wasn’t working with you this week. He’s the one who helped Sam and me put all the additions to the ranch together.” He wiped the grin off his mouth. “I’m afraid we ganged up on him.”
“Oh no. I can imagine what you two did to poor Ryan.” She groaned.
“We didn’t hurt him…much.” He laughed harder. “Besides, after it was all done, I took him clothes shopping. I even paid for everything. I can’t claim someone as family if he’s making himself the laughingstock of the town, now can I?”
Chapter Twenty
With only two weeks before the wedding, Margot invited all of Roy Lee’s family and everyone from her side of the family over to finish last minute details for the wedding. She picked a piece of cheese off the plate and popped it in her mouth. The only people missing for the get together were Florentine, who was due to arrive in Pike next week, and Ryan, who would bring her truck out after closing the clinic early.
“Please eat more, you guys. There’s too much for me to throw away and I don’t have any room in my freezer with all the food for the wedding taking up space.” Margot held out a platter of meat, cheese and crackers.
“I’m stuffed.” Val leaned back in the lawn chair, her belly round and threatening to pop out of her top.
Bisette choked on her glass of lemonade. Chantilly leaned over and whacked Bisette on the back a couple times. “Not a word. She’s sensitive right now ’bout her size.”
“Gah! I’m right here, you two. You could at least whisper, so I don’t hear what you’re saying ’bout me.” Val pitched her upper body forward, fell back in the chair and laughed. “Sam!”
“I’m coming!” Sam jogged away from the group of men conversing in front of the barn.
Margot winked as he ran by. “Val needs help out of the chair again.”
“I’ll take a couple of the summer sausage.” Craig, Jack’s nephew, swiped a few pieces and popped them in his mouth.
“How’s the training going?” She slipped a piece of cheese into his hand.
Craig chewed, nodded and swallowed. “Good. There’s one horse that I’ve picked out to be mine while I’m here during the summers. I’m having a fun time breaking him to saddle.”
“Which one?”
“Dusty.” He smiled, and Margot could see that he’d fallen in love with his first horse.
“Ah, the gelding from Daddy’s favorite horse. Excellent choice.” She kissed his cheek. “Make sure you stop in at the clinic one day next week, I have something for you.”
“Will do.” Craig jogged off to join the men back at the barn.
“Margot, dear, the flowers are taken care of. Sweet Mrs. Coball is guarding her garden with her life until the wedding.” Jane gave her a thumbs up.
“That’s wonderful. Mrs. Coball wins all the awards at the county fair for her blooms. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for the wedding.” Margot stepped over and whispered, “Did you have a chance to ask her about using the bluebonnets in my bouquet?”
Jane’s smile grew tender. “Yes, dear. She said she’d be glad to add them for you.”
Honk. Honk.
Margot glanced over her shoulder. “Ryan’s here!”
“Margot, do you want me to post the invitation at the bar or are you going to mail individual invitations?” Val held up the clipboard holding the wedding to-do list.
“You can post it. I’ve already mailed the ones to those who live out of town.” She stuck out her bottom lip and blew the hair out of her face. “Eat up, everyone. I’m serious about not wanting to keep any of this food.”
Jane picked out a cracker off the tray Margot held. “There, I did my part. I’ll leave the rest to the men.”
Making her way across the yard, she balanced the platter above her shoulders. She couldn’t wait to officially move out to the Hanson ranch. Roy Lee made fun of her because she spent all her free time out here, but refused to call it home until after the wedding. Not until I’m officially Dr. Margot Lace McDougal-Hanson.
“Hey, sweets!”
She lifted her gaze and gave a quick wave before lowering the tray of food. Roy Lee pointed toward her truck. She squinted, following the direction of his finger, and waved again at Ryan standing on the back of the bumper.
“Stay right there for a minute.” Ryan pointed at the back of the truck where she kept the paneled cage she used to haul animals to the clinic. “I brought someone who wanted to see you.”
She stopped, balanced the plate of food against her hip and raised her hand to block the glare of the sun coming off the chrome of the truck. What is he up to now?
Ryan lowered the bumper, put down a steel ramp, and climbed back up into the truck to stand beside the cage. Margot caught sight of the animal, gasped and grabbed onto the tray of food with both hands. “R-Ryan…no! Close the door. Don’t let him out.”
She froze as Harley-hog barreled down the ramp upon hearing her voice. Faster than she’d ever seen the pig run, he put his head to the ground, emitted a series of grunts and made a direct beeline toward her.
“No, Harley. No running.” She backed up, but realized the overweight hog wasn’t going to be able to stop when he reached her.
With pure panic and a load of adrenaline, Margot turned, and holding the platter out in front of her, ran in the opposite direction, which happened to be through the crowd gathered in the back yard. She poured all her strength into staying ahead of Harley. Gasping for breath, she didn’t dare stop. Pigs were animals to be cautious around, and they didn’t know the difference between a trough of slop and a human leg. You never knew what might happen.
Sam picked Val up in his arms and held his ground. Bisette and Chantilly jumped on top of the picnic table, laughing. Poor Jane stood off to the side with her hands covering her mouth. Margot searched frantically for a place to hide, but with Harley at her heels, she could only keep running.
She reached the corner of the house and jumped over the bush at the corner trying any shortcut to keep ahead of Harley. If she could keep up her speed, and make it back to the front of the barn, she’d hide behind Roy Lee. At least, he carried a pistol on him all the time.
Her heart beat wildly in her chest, and she practically flew out from around the front of the house. Only a hundred yards more to run, and she could catch her breath. A blur out of her peripheral vision startled her. She screamed, threw the tray up in the air and swung her arms ba
ck and forth propelling her faster with renewed strength. Oh God, Harley’s gone crazy.
She glanced sideways. A cry of relief escaped. Harley wasn’t paying any attention to her, but had his squinty little eyes focused straight ahead. He wasn’t going to attack her…he was racing. She jumped in the air as she ran. He was doing it!
Harley’s short chubby legs were kicking up more dirt than a herd of horses. The sides of his rotund stomach heaved with the effort it took him to haul his massive body this far. The grunts increased, and Harley pulled out in front of her, his little curly tail wagging.
That’s it, Harley. Keep going. She slowed down to a jog and cheered as Harley reached the truck, fell over with a heaving sigh and let his tongue hang out. She arrived at his side, and joined him on the ground. She patted his belly. A mix of laughter, tears and sweat rolled down her face.
“Y-you did it, Harley. I’m proud of you, buddy. You beat me fair and square.” She glanced up at Roy Lee and raised her left eyebrow. “I promised—” she paused, inhaled, swallowed past her dry throat, “—I promised him a home if he ever ran faster than me. Can I keep him here, on our farm?”
Roy Lee handed his can of beer to his dad, bent down and kissed Margot softly on her open mouth. “I never expected anything differently, sweets. This is why I love you so damn much. Any woman, who can train a farm pig to run…and win, is a keeper in my book.”
Author’s Note
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive motor neuron disease. More than five thousand people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year, cutting across race, gender and socioeconomic status. ALS usually strikes people between the ages of 40 and 70, and the life expectancy is 2–5 years. Currently, there is no cure for ALS.
As someone who has watched relatives fight, suffer and deal with the devastating outcome of ALS, my hopes and prayers are that someday scientists will find a cure.
For more information on ALS, visit www.alsa.org.
About the Author
Multipublished romance author Debra Kayn writes stories where love, laughter and family come from the heart. She lives in the beautiful Coastal Mountains of Oregon on a hobby farm. Her love of animals includes dogs, chickens, goats, rabbits, turkeys, geese and, yes…pigs. The peacefulness of a flowing creek across her property provides an excellent spot to read a book on a summer day, go swimming and catch the ever-elusive fish using a pink sparkly fishing pole. Meeting her husband on a blind date in her teens made her a true believer in love and romance, and she can promise you that all her books will have a happily-ever-after.
You can visit Debra’s website at www.debrakayn.com, follow her on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/DebraKayn and like her on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/DebraKaynFanPage.
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ISBN: 978-1-4268-9320-9
Copyright © 2012 by Debra Kayn
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