Margot’s Lawman
Page 10
All the sisters screamed, jumped up and surrounded Bisette in a group hug. Margot scooted over to make room for Val who had trouble rushing out of the rocker. Linked together, they rocked each other in support of Bisette finally returning to the singing career she loved.
“Thank you.” Bisette sniffled. “I’m going to miss you all so much. Promise you won’t go too long without calling me, or I’ll be on the first flight home.”
“We will. Plus, we’ll video chat on Sundays when we all come home to have dinner.” Margot kissed Bisette’s check. “I’m proud of you, sis.”
Margot stepped back and let her other sisters reassure Bisette. She wandered to the edge of the porch and gazed across the field. Daddy, you’d be so proud of them. Val’s so beautiful and excited to have her first baby. Bisette is going back to what she loves. Chantilly is living her dream, and I…I need you. I’m so scared I’ve lost Roy Lee.
Chantilly wrapped her arm around Margot’s waist and laid her head on her shoulder. “Stop, sis.”
“What?”
“Stop wishing Daddy was alive and here to bail your ass out of trouble,” Chantilly whispered. “Don’t you think we all have done the same thing at one time or ’nother? It doesn’t help.”
“What will help? Because I feel like I’ve fallen in the silage pile and every day the crap keeps getting deeper.” She rubbed her nose.
“Have you read the letter Daddy left you?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“You never know, it might help. It did me, and it helped Val win back Sam.” Chantilly kissed her cheek. “Go home, get some rest and clear your head. You’re the smartest one out of us girls, you’ll figure out what you have to do.”
Alone at the railing, Margot gazed over toward the Hanson spread. There were too many trees, and a couple miles blocking her from seeing Roy Lee’s house, but her heart knew it was near. The same way she knew she loved Roy Lee.
Three hundred and ten miles out of Pike, Montana, Roy Lee pulled his truck over to the side of the road. He shifted, pushed down the emergency brake, and laid his head back on the seat rest. It was true.
Ryan Anthony Martin was his older half brother. Exactly eighteen months separated them.
The private detective updated him through all the information he’d dug up. He ran his hand across his jaw and pulled on his goatee. The reason his background check came back squeaky clean was because Ryan was a standup citizen.
Despite his poverty-ridden childhood, Ryan had strived to do well through high school, gaining scholarships left and right to put himself through college. During college, he’d worked a full-time job to save money for veterinary school. The guy didn’t have any spare time to get in trouble.
Even when Ryan lost his mother to cancer, he’d thrown himself into making her proud of him. His neighbors and landlords praised the man as honest and hardworking, and even more, they called him a friend.
While keeping in constant contact with his parents during his trip, Roy Lee had listened to them talk and realized they were growing to accept Ryan as Tom Hanson’s son. He swallowed. Even his mom, who’d confided in him before he’d left, worried about what this situation would do to her husband. She also seemed concerned about how Roy Lee would handle the situation, now that his mom had a few heart-to-heart conversations with the man. In fact, she’d taken him under her wing and introduced him properly to the town as their son.
Pike wasn’t ever going to be the same. From here on out, he’d have to share his family with a stranger. One he didn’t even like.
According to his mom, Margot had come and talked to his parents, and apologized for her part in keeping Ryan’s secret. He started the truck. Margot probably had time to work herself into a regular snit.
He was ashamed of how he’d fallen apart over the news. He was a grown man. It wasn’t as if his parents didn’t have enough love to go around, and from all accounts, Ryan wasn’t out to hurt them. Deep down, Roy Lee knew Ryan deserved to know his parents. It wasn’t Ryan’s fault his mom kept him from knowing the man who fathered him.
He’d have to deal with having a half brother. Roy Lee started the truck, pulled out on the road and pushed down the gas pedal. He chuckled. “Maybe I’ll luck out and Cityboy will get tired of Pike and move on.”
Chapter Sixteen
“It’s just you and me, Harley.” Margot leaned over the fence and scratched the pig’s back. “I’m going to run on this side of the pen, and you run on that side. The winner gets…well, it doesn’t really matter. You must beat me, so I can move you on out. That’s the way it works out here in the country. It’s nothing personal. You’ve gotta earn your keep, and if you don’t lose a few pounds so I can sell you as a breeder, you’ll end up on someone’s dinner plate.”
She clapped her hands, leaned forward and took off jogging. “Come on. Come on. Come on.”
Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled and kept moving. Harley gave a startled jump and followed her at a fast walk, his snout twitching in the air. The slop bucket clutched in Margot’s hand was more tempting than any pep talk.
Halfway around the fenced off area, Harley gave up the race and flopped over onto his side. Margot stopped and stamped her booted foot. Granted, Harley made it farther than all the other times, but at this rate, she was going to have to think about sending him to the scrap yard.
“That was real good, Harley, but I expect more out of you. Next time, let’s pump up the effort and finish at least one lap, ’kay?” She walked back to the trough, dumped the kitchen scraps Val sent over from the bar and laughed as Harley ran toward the food. “You’ll do anything for food, won’tcha?”
“Typical man.” Ryan chuckled behind her. “I don’t know any man who turns down the food at Valenciennes’ Place…fresh or day old.”
She turned. “What are you doing here? You’re not scheduled to work today.”
“I was going to go for a jog, but realized I’d left my running shoes here in the backroom. I stopped by to pick them up.” He glanced down at the new pair of brown cowboy boots on his feet. “As you can see, I’ve bought a proper pair of Ropers. They’re pretty hardcore cowboyish, huh?”
Margot grinned. “Between the Hansons and me, we’ll make you an authentic Pike resident, yet.”
He grew serious. “I appreciate everything you’ve done, Margot. I wish I could return the favor and get Roy Lee to smarten up.”
“Roy Lee is Roy Lee, nobody’s gonna make him do anything he doesn’t wanna do.” She lifted her chin. “I screwed up, but he’s hurt me also. He’s been back a whole week, and hasn’t called, shown up or hung out at Valenciennes’ Place. I’m through ignoring the facts. He’s never going to forgive me.”
Ryan’s mouth tightened and he nodded his head. “You know him best, but I can’t help but take most of the blame.”
“That’s not necessary. You’re the innocent person in the equation.”
A car door slammed in the front of the building. Margot brushed her hands off on her jeans. “I better get inside and start my day. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
With each step, Ryan’s gaze burned into her back, waiting for her to break down. He’d hovered over her since Roy Lee left, taking personal blame for the rift between her and Roy Lee. No matter how many times she’d told him her problems had nothing to do with him, it seemed to make him more determined to keep an eye on her.
She swung the back door of the clinic wide open and blocked it with a rock to let the fresh air reach the animals caged up in the holding room. If she kept moving, she’d make it one more day with her heart breaking. As a reward for surviving all the curious glances and innocent questions from the owners of her patients during the day, she planned to crawl into her bed tonight and once again try to cry Roy Lee out of her system.
Roy Lee hauled another tarp out of the barn and covered the stack of lumber and fencing. He whistled an upbeat tune, stepped back and scratched his chin. He still needed to order the hog panels.
“Nobody teach you the proper way to say hello?” Roy Lee stood up and spit. “If you’re looking for a fight—”
“I’m…” Ryan sucked in air and held his stomach. “I’m trying to knock some sense into you.”
Roy Lee laughed. Not a sarcastic “ha,” but a snicker that started high in his chest and grew until he was doubled over and his belly convulsed with humor. Big brother or not, he had a lot to learn. The quickest way to get knocked flat on your ass was to try to tell Roy Lee what to do or not to do.
“What’s so funny?” Ryan bent over and picked his hat off the ground. “I’m not joking. You need your…your ass handed to you.”
The sight of the god-awful hat sitting atop Ryan’s head sent Roy Lee into another fit of laughter. “Obviously, Margot hasn’t told you how ridiculous you look in that hat.”
“What about it?” Ryan crossed his arms. “You wear one.”
“Yeah, one that fits my head.” Roy Lee chuckled one last time and held his hand out. “I’ll make you a bargain. You help me around here, and I’ll help you pick out a proper hat worthy of wearing around Pike.”
Ryan narrowed his eyes. “What kind of stuff do you want me to do?”
“I want to finish buying everything to turn this into the ranch Margot’s always dreamed ’bout, and I got a chicken coop to build.” Roy Lee clapped him on the shoulder. “Then I’m going to kiss her pretty little toes and promise never to be such an asshole again.”
Ryan whipped off his hat and threw it up in the air. “Yeehaw!”
Roy Lee stopped midstep and shook his head in disgust. “First lesson. Don’t. Ever. Yell like that. Again.”
“Sure thing, bro.” Ryan punched him in the shoulder.
Roy Lee groaned. Margot better realize how much she means to me, because it seems I just gained an older brother.
Chapter Seventeen
Wrapped in her big puffy robe, Margot curled up on the couch and stared at the television she rarely turned on. She ignored the fine layer of dust coating the darkened screen. Numb and cried out, she sat waiting for something to happen. Anything.
The total loss of control over her own life left her stumped on how to solve her problems. She refused to contact Roy Lee. He wasn’t the only one who could be stubborn, and she had her pride to think about too.
All day long, she deflected the looks of pity thrown her way, the concerned phone calls from her sisters, and Val delivering her soup at noon. Soup. In the middle of summer! Everyone acted as if she was suffering from the flu rather than a broken heart.
It didn’t help that everywhere she went, and she made a point of running around town in case she ran into Roy Lee, people were buzzing about how happy he seemed to be lately. They speculated about how the new addition to the Hanson family must have something to do with his attitude. She knew better. While she suffered, Roy Lee had moved past their relationship and found something to live for.
She’d always believed when she found the right man, love would solve any of the problems that were bound to come up. She rubbed the sore spot between her breasts. He didn’t even end the relationship like a normal person, he simply forgot about her.
Rrr…ing.
Her hand flattened above her heart and her adrenaline spiked. Roy Lee?
Rrr…ing.
The light on the keypad of her phone glowed in the darkness. She hesitated a second, but reached for the phone. It could be the answering service with an emergency.
She read the caller ID. Florentine McDougal.
Clearing her throat, she sat up and punched the button. “Sis?”
“Hey, Margot.”
“What are you calling so late for? It’s almost two in the morning. Are you okay?” She pulled the afghan over her legs.
“I’m okay.”
“Talk. Something’s bothering you. I can hear it in your voice.” Margot picked at the tassel on the edge of the cover.
“Nah, I woke up and missed home. Missed Daddy. I didn’t want to interrupt the others, and…you’ve always been the one I run to when I need a friendly voice.”
“Aw, I love you. You’ll be okay. Keep your chin up and ride those broncs like you always do.” Margot laughed. “Show ’em all how the McDougal sisters can do whatever any buckle-wearing cowboy can do.”
“Thanks. I’ll try. How are you doing? Any word from Roy Lee?”
“No. He’s back in Pike, but seems to be going out of his way to hide from me.” Margot leaned over and laid her head on the arm of the couch. “I never thought I’d say this, but living in Pike is driving me crazy. I can’t get away from him, even when he’s not around. Everyone wants to talk about him and speculate about what is going on. I don’t know how many times during the day, I want to scream for them all to shut up.”
“Why don’t you talk to him?”
She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I wasn’t the one who walked away after promising to love him forever.”
“I’ll call Val, she’ll talk—”
“No. I’ve already told all the other girls not to say a thing to Roy Lee about me.”
“I guess you know what you’re doing.” A muffled sound came through the phone. “I gotta go, sis. We’re all heading out early for Phoenix for three days, and I still need to hook the trailer up to the dually.”
“Good luck. Call us and let us know how you did.” Margot sat back up. “And thanks for calling…I miss you too.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” She hung up.
Heaviness settled around Margot. Too many changes had come lately and for once, she couldn’t think of how to fix anything. She stood up, shrugged off her robe and slipped her hoody on over her tank top. She needed fresh air.
Downstairs, she stopped and rubbed her hand. She could have sworn someone pulled on her wrist. She glanced inside her office, but no one was here at this time of night. She stepped inside the room and turned on the light.
“That’s strange.” She frowned at the top of the desk.
On the top of a pile of papers she’d removed from her drawer earlier sat a white envelope with her name scrawled across the front. She moved forward and picked up the letter. Stuart’s bold penmanship stared her in the face and she hugged the paper to her chest.
A deep need to hear her daddy tell her everything would be all right had her anxious to read the letter. Maybe Chantilly was right and the letter would bring comfort to her. She carried the envelope outside with her, and sat down on the back steps. In the distance, Harley grunted.
It seemed fitting for her to be out here surrounded by everything she loved. The animals close by, her clinic, her dreams and now her daddy’s message.
With the yard light shining above, she held the unfolded letter to her nose, hoping to catch a whiff of Daddy’s aftershave, but time erased even the tiniest comforts.
Margot Lace,
My beautiful oldest daughter. I never told you near enough how thankful I was for everything you’d done for me.
You grew up too fast, and took on too many responsibilities. I didn’t give you enough opportunities to enjoy a carefree childhood the way you deserved to after your momma died. Instead, you stepped into a parental role for your sisters, helped me take care of the house, and kept order to our busy family. Damned if I could tell you to stop controlling the house though. You are so much like your mother in that way. You’re a strong woman that’ll make any man proud.
By now, you know Roy Lee came to me and explained why you were keeping your relationship secret. I understood. You were always the one who planned everything down to the smallest details. If you controlled the situation, you’d bust your behind making sure you succeed. That’s what got you through college, vet school, and
owning your own clinic fresh out of school. There’s nothing you can’t do when you set your mind to it.
I’m prouder than heck of what you’ve accomplished and yet, ashamed I didn’t take the time to slow you down. Life isn’t about rushing. You have plenty of time to have a little fun in your life.
My hope is that Roy Lee has the patience and love toward you to let you enjoy life a little more. This is your time, Margot. Slow down, life isn’t going anywhere. You deserve everything you’ve wished for over the years, and it is my biggest wish to see you happily married, young’ns of your own, and as many pets as you can bring home. Fill your home with doilies as a reminder of the McDougal lace your momma loved, and named you girls after.
Now, dear daughter, I have a gift for you. By this time, Roy Lee better have put a ring on your finger, or I’ll find some way to kick him in the pants. Knowing him, he’s so enamored he’s probably stuck in enjoying having you in his life, and he hasn’t put his foot down and hauled you off to make it official. That boy has always done things at his own pace, and there’s no changing that.
I’ve included another letter in this envelope to Roy Lee. You can read it if you want, or save it for him. You control how you see fit to handle it. Just know your husband will have the same benefits as Jack and Sam from marrying into the McDougal family.
I love you, Margot Lace, and thank you. Go on with your life, and think back to the past with a smile on your face. There’s nothing to worry about anymore. This is your time.
Daddy
Margot laid the letter on her lap, looked inside the envelope and found a smaller piece of stationary folded inside. She put Roy Lee’s letter back inside, flipped the flap over and ran her finger across the self-sticking seam. Whatever Daddy had to say to Roy Lee wasn’t for her to read.
She let the tears fall unchecked down her cheeks. The emotional reaction to the letter came as no surprise, and despite Stuart’s belief that he never thanked her enough. He did, in more ways than she could count.