by Alexa Davis
I didn’t want to face his mother, though. I felt like I’d done her some great wrong, stealing her grandchildren from her before they even existed. I planned to avoid her for a while as I figured out what to say to her. Between my friends and family, Tucker and his Amanda, middle child Logan, the mystery brother I hadn’t met yet (not George, the soldier in Afghanistan), I figured she’d have her hands full. So, apparently did she.
I’d no sooner stepped up onto the veranda than I saw the library curtain flutter. With a sinking feeling, I sat and waited for our guests to arrive, counting the dust clouds as they kicked up off the private driveway up the hill from the lake. Within minutes, and before the first car could even breach the gate, Hannah stood at the doorway with a tray in her hands, bringing us iced tea in tall, frosty glasses.
“Daniel, dear, could you please go to the kitchen and tell Patty that company is arriving and bring back the other tray with you? Thank you ever so much,” she cooed at him as I desperately tried to signal him to stay with my eyes.
“You know what? I can do that for you,” I offered. I tried to stand, but she put her hand on my shoulder and stopped me.
“Nonsense. Daniel will have a much easier time with that tray; your wrist is still healing.” I wanted to argue, technically, I could go without my brace now, I just wore it to ride or work to avoid reinjuring myself. But, Daniel was already on his feet and I knew better than to start a scene with a southern belle. I shot him a look, and he replied with a tiny shrug, as if to say, “What can you do?” He strode off and left me alone with the one woman I had no idea how to talk to. She smiled politely and sat on the edge of the chair Daniel had been lounging in, poised to bolt if necessary.
“Daniel has suggested a Christmas wedding.” I offered the words to her as an olive branch, tentatively, wishing I could snatch them back as soon as they’d left my mouth. My fears were misplaced. Instead of anger or irritation, I was the uncomfortable recipient of tears as she thanked God for finally marrying off one of her stubborn, pig-headed, obstinate, foolish sons. By the time she was finished, I was nearly in tears myself, barely controlling my laughter.
“I do not need you to join our family as a…as an incubator for future Hargraves,” she finally told me. “Besides, I have five sons. Eventually one of them is bound to reproduce, even accidentally.”
At that blithe statement, I lost my careful control and laughed out loud and long enough to make my sides hurt. I was glad that she wasn’t upset with me for “luring” Daniel to a childless marriage.
As if on cue, Daniel pushed the front door aside with his foot and stepped out, carrying a large tray. On it were all manner of petit fours, small tea sandwiches, crudités, and even a fruit and cheese plate, which was my personal favorite of any party food.
“Oh God,” he huffed, setting down the tray while the two of us wiped our eyes and stifled our giggles. “I don’t even think I want to know.” His mother nodded sagely, then tittered again.
“No, you really don’t. Then again, you’re the good son. So, at least Rachel should be safe from any surprises down the road. Right?” Daniel glanced at me in alarm as I controlled my breathing to prevent another fit of giggling. I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly, trying not to consider Sara approaching us ten years down the road for a paternity test. I physically and mentally shuddered at the thought, drawing a concerned look from Daniel.
“Truck approaching!” I called out as the timely appearance of Tucker gave me the opportunity to change the subject. He hopped out and Amanda slid out after him, leaving the shadowy figure of a man seated on the passenger side.
“Well, I’ll be damned. Is that Logan?” Daniel exclaimed as he leaped from the top of the front porch to the sidewalk and ran over to the truck. Before I could say anything, Hannah had joined him, yelling her husband’s name as she ran to greet her son. Logan had been out of the country for months, and from what little I’d heard, was not one to stick around the farm. I was interested in meeting him, but held off to let the family enjoy their moment.
It didn’t matter anyway. No sooner had Mr. Hargrave senior gone flying out the door and down to the car, the second dust trail we’d been following cleared and the little red Ford Ranger my dad refused to give up came through the gate. I checked my phone for an estimated time of arrival from Tracy or Freddie, but my phone was blank. Unworried, I joined my parents as they unloaded bags of rolls and meat and a crockpot of chili my mother had brought to share. We were still unloading the truck when Daniel called my name. He motioned me over to him, and as I approached, pointed out the last dust cloud I’d been waiting to see.
“Looks like a full house tonight.” He grinned and led me over to his younger brother, Logan. Nervous, I clung to his hand and let him make the introduction. Where Tucker had been cool and business-like, Logan was warm and gregarious. He dragged me out from behind Daniel and wrapped me up in the hug of long-separated friends, rather than new acquaintances. I coughed out a short laugh in spite of myself at the burly bearded man who still held me off the ground.
“Put her down, you idiot,” Mr. Hargrave growled behind me, and with a belly laugh, I was freed from his grip and the ground rose up to meet my feet. Jackson snickered as I found my land-legs. Daniel took my place and hugged his brother again while their father looked on with thinly veiled excitement.
“So, you’re the pretty little thing I’ve heard so much about,” Logan said past his brother’s shoulder. I glanced up at Daniel, who shook his head.
“Not me, I’m terrible at keeping in contact with anyone,” he confessed.
“Ain’t that the truth,” Logan drawled. I looked the big man over. He was broader than Daniel across the chest and shoulders and taller than Tucker. Still, it was easy to see they were brothers when the three stood together. I had heard Logan mentioned in passing, when the family spoke of their other missing son, George, who was representing the Hargraves as an Army engineer. I found out, as we stood around waiting for the stragglers to show up, that Logan was the only other son who had pursued a degree in agriculture. He had returned from a months’ long backpacking trip across Europe just before his Master’s program was set to start in a few weeks.
As Tracy and Freddie pulled up next to the Ranger in Freddie’s Jetta, the brothers took off together to discuss whatever farming or irrigation techniques Logan had been studying. Tracy took one look at Logan and I knew she was lost to me. I wouldn’t get an intelligent thought out of that girl until she’d at least tried to get him to pay attention to her. With a dramatic sigh, I steered her towards Amanda, whom Tucker had abandoned to his parents to commune with his brothers.
I looked around the circle of women that awaited the Hargrave men for our various purposes. Glancing at my watch, I figured we had just enough time for me to take the Verica Blythe fan club to meet her before dinner. With a jerk of my head, I indicated to them to follow me. The brothers took no notice of us as we passed, and seeing Daniel so animated and joyful to be with most of his brothers made me grin like an idiot. Pete met us as we headed toward the stables and stopped us from advancing.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” he admonished.
“Logan surprised Daniel; they’re taking some time to catch up. I thought it best if we came to check on Pretty Dancer and say hi to you and Verica,” I explained.
“Well, that’s at least part true,” he groused. “C’mon, she’s nervous to meet everyone and offering to stay with my Dancer for the evening.
“Well, that’s just silly,” I argued. “Let’s go get the poor girl.”
“Be my guests,” Pete replied. He held out a hand and we strode past him. My friends fell into a hush as we neared the medical suite and I told them what had happened to put Dancer, and Verica, there. When I pushed open the door to the suite, I was thrilled to see Verica hand-feeding the bay mare, who was no longer in her sling and was resting comfortably in a stall.
Verica blushed and rubbed the damp grain in her palm down
her jeans as I introduced her to my friends in turn. What began as awkward and stilted, as Amanda, Tracy, and Freddie took turns shaking hands with the young jockey and regaled her with their “where I first heard of Verica” stories, soon felt like long lost friends. We were discussing the after-dinner ride we planned on taking together and promising Tracy we’d find her a nice, gentle nag to ride for her very first attempt, when Daniel and his brothers strolled up. From the look on Daniel’s face, they were looking for us as much as they were coming to check up on Dancer.
Another round of introductions and Hannah was already ringing the bell for dinner. The flush in her cheeks rose as we rounded the house and climbed the stairs like a pack of half-starved coyotes, filling in empty seats and good-naturedly fighting over thick cut ribs and home fried potatoes. I could see Daniel watching me across the table, picking at his food, and my stomach fluttered. Just as I sent a questioning look across to him, he stood and cleared his throat.
The table went silent, and all eyes were riveted on him. For the first time, I saw him truly nervous. He rubbed his hands on his jeans, and took one breath, then another. The silence lengthened, and Jackson, sitting next to him, muttered something that I couldn’t hear, that made Tracy and the others nearest him chuckle at his expense and brought crimson to his tan, weathered cheeks. He chuckled and cleared his throat.
“I am so glad to see my brothers, my best friends, and our new friends around this table,” he began. “I only wish George was here, too, but I guess I finally have something to tell him in my emails.” He laughed, but there was sadness behind it. Jackson threatened to set up a red light if Daniel didn’t cut it short so he could get back to eating, and Hannah shushed him from the end of the table. Daniel looked across at me, and spread his hands in surrender. I gulped and stood.
“Yesterday, we had the good fortune to be able to save Pretty Dancer from an untimely death by snake bite,” I began. “Little did I know, when we saw her improving and realized that she would be okay, that my night could actually improve.” The people who had already heard our news made sounds of agreement and were shushed again by Hannah. “I’m glad that we get to share our good news with y’all, that Daniel has asked me to marry him, and I have happily accepted,” I rushed and sat quickly. Daniel winked at me from across the table and too late I realized that I’d been had.
“I’m going to get you for this,” I mouthed at him. He just wiggled his eyebrows and popped some cornbread into his mouth as Logan jumped up from his seat and gave him a “bro hug” across the shoulders and a noogie for luck. Only Tucker looked less than thrilled with the news, which stung, but I tried to ignore it and focused on the congratulations that were pouring in from around the table.
Daniel had also noticed Tucker’s reticence, and cocked his head to one side at him. I saw a look of significance pass between them, and my stomach clenched in worry. Dinner only became more raucous as I fielded a volley of questions from the women about my attendants and venues and even if I had a dress in mind. I would have felt sorry for myself, if I wasn’t also hearing the mockery being heaped on my husband-to-be in the form of ball-and-chain jokes the occasional sound of a whip being cracked to punctuate the conversation.
Daniel beamed, and so did both of our mothers, just as he had predicted. Patty cleared away dinner with the help of a couple of ranch hands, while both our mothers and my friends cornered me and Daniel disappeared with his father and brothers.
By the time I was ready to take the girls out for their first ride of the property, my mother and Hannah were as thick as thieves, shortlisting venues and designers for the gown and flowers. I left them to it. After all, there was plenty of time to dash their dreams, veto their fancy dresses, and tell them we’d already decided to marry in the garden.
I led my friends to the stable, wondering how much trouble I’d created for myself by leaving the two mothers alone together and where Daniel was, if we were supposed to be celebrating together.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Daniel
I was grateful for the distraction of friends for Rachel, as Tuck filled me in on the slander campaign being run in Austin and even at Texas A&M against my girl by none other than Sara Abbott, Jason Steed, and my two least favorite ex-employees. I was shocked at the reach that the two ring-leaders had and the dedication they gave to their evil craft.
I wanted to be excited that I was getting married, but couldn’t begin to imagine the trouble that I and the school could receive if our engagement was used to prove any of the lies being spread.
“My personal favorite was that you turned down a much more qualified male (who of course, has no name) in favor of Rachel because she seduced you at her interview,” Tuck relayed archly.
“Don’t I wish,” I shot back, and was rewarded with barks of laughter from my brothers. Pete had joined us, not wanting to miss a minute that Logan and Tuck were on the ranch. He made a few offers of violence against Jason, but we all knew even as we painted happy pictures of smearing his face across the cement of his own driveway, that as usual, Sara was the real impetus behind the rumors.
Immediately, Jackson volunteered that we needed to keep it from Rachel as long as possible, but I knew if she found out later, it would be to my own disaster. I reminded Tuck about how Sara had worked both of us against each other when she was dating him, and he mentioned off-hand, that she needed a taste of her own medicine. That’s when Logan perked up, straightening his shoulders and grinning.
“Is she still dating the partner at your law firm?” he asked Tucker, who affirmed that indeed she was, much to the detriment of my younger brother’s career. “So what happens if she has fires to put out and doesn’t have time to smear Rachel anymore?”
Jackson’s eyes lit up and he took off back toward the big house, clapping Logan on the back as he passed.
Logan shrugged and pointed behind me. The girls were riding through the gate to the high pasture, single file. I watched as the slight figure of my bride-to-be led the others with confidence, head high, her long hair flowing out behind her. Hugh closed the gate behind them, and as she crested the first ridge, she waved to us before disappearing down the other side.
Jackson returned shortly with his laptop and suggested that we take to the veranda. Rachel’s brother Caleb and our fathers both joined us. Tuck gave them the shortened version and after a shared look, they turned back the way they had come and closed the front door behind them.
“Christ,” Tuck blurted. “You’d think they’d have at least offered a suggestion first.” He ran his fingers through his hair and pestered Jackson to pick up the pace of whatever “computer fuckery” he was performing. With a shake of his head, Jackson spun the laptop so that all could view the monitor and grinned.
“We could be fucking spies,” he stated with his hands clasped behind his head. “We could get her to say something on video and upload it. Better, we could catch the two of them together, and anonymously post it everywhere, make it go viral.” He leaned forward and folded his arms, resting his elbows on his knees. “It’s what she does, right? Only it’s a lot harder to make it go away when it’s true.” Tucker looked at Logan, then at me. Jackson and Caleb exchanged fist bumps.
“We could do it,” Caleb interjected. “Jackson and I could do it. She’s never even seen me before.” Logan nodded his head.
“Me, either. Put my hair up in a man-bun and get some skinny jeans, and I’d just be another hipster in Austin, totally camouflaged,” he added to the narrative. I looked over the last horizon I’d seen Rachel ride over.
“I have to talk to Rachel first,” I demanded. “We can’t go off on this without knowing that Tucker has a risk here. I don’t want him getting demoted or fired over this.” The guys all nodded their agreement.
“No kidding, you can’t,” interrupted my dad, who, along with Rachel’s brother, had returned – beers in hand. As they passed the cold bottles around, Jackson explained his idea for them, and how they could make it
work without ever coming back to the Hargrave family.
“I don’t know,” I mused. “I’m more of a throw some punches, do a shot, and go home, kind of guy. This cloak and dagger stuff is too complicated for me.”
Jackson argued for a moment about the merits of anonymity, but I felt wrong for not being honorable and spying on them.
“Dad,” Jackson was chewing his lip, which usually meant he was upset and choosing his words carefully. “Tuck needs to get his life back, and Sara needs a fitting consequence for her actions. She uses the internet to hurt people.” He began to list her indiscretions and my jaw dropped at the sheer volume of malicious gossip that had been started or propagated by her. Each member of the Hargrave family could name someone they’d discovered had been put through the ringer by her or her mean girl squad of tennis playing, country club attending, puppy-kicking debutantes.
“Are we lowering ourselves to the level of our adversary if you do this?” I asked hesitantly. I was a turn the other cheek, kind of guy. I didn’t want a war with someone who had so much more practice being terrible to people.
“No, sir,” Caleb actually responded before Jackson could say a word. “This is just what goes around, comes around. We won’t lie, or make things worse than they are.” I frowned.
“I’m sorry, I can’t get behind this.” I sighed. “I know Rachel won’t take part in something that hurts someone else, even if the parties involved more than deserve it.” Jackson and Caleb exchanged a look.
“Bro.” Jackson gave the laptop to Rachel’s brother and put his hand on my shoulder. “We aren’t saying go on the offensive here. But we’re going to make the video, just in case.” He grinned evilly. “She starts making trouble for Rachel, we got her covered.” I sighed and nodded my head.