Courageous. Diana Palmer

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      “Well?” she asked a little hesitantly, because she was concerned.

      Grange smiled. “Bull calf. Mother and baby doing fine.”

      She let out a sigh. “Thank goodness!”

      Grange grinned at her obvious relief.

      “If you’d like to stay for breakfast,” she told the vet, “I’m making biscuits and fresh sausage and eggs. We have hens and he—” she pointed at Grange “—bought us a freezer full of pork sausage and ribs and loins.” She grinned. “We’re rich!”

      They both laughed.

      “You’re very welcome to stay,” Grange told him. “She cooks plenty. And she’s a good cook.”

      Peg blushed. Her eyes sparkled. “Nice to be appreciated.”

      “In that case, I’d love to join you, thanks.”

      “I’ll get busy.” She ran all the way back to the house. Grange liked her cooking. She could have floated.

      2

      “What’s your brother-in-law up to these days?” Grange asked their guest.

      He got a droll look in reply. “Kell Drake always changes the subject when I ask. But he and one of his cronies were reportedly up to their ears in some project in South Africa that involves guns. I don’t bother to ask,” Bentley Rydel added when Grange started another question. “It’s a waste of breath. He was working on something with Rourke, but I hear he’s going overseas with you,” he added with a pointed look.

      “Rourke,” Grange sighed, shaking his head. “Now there’s a piece of work.”

      “Who’s Rourke?” Peg wanted to know.

      “Somebody you don’t even need to meet,” Grange told her firmly. “He’s a …”

      “Please.” Bentley held up his hand, chuckling. “There’s a lady present.”

      “You’re right,” Grange agreed, sipping coffee, with a smile in Peg’s direction.

      Peg laughed.

      “Well, Rourke’s in a class all his own,” Grange continued. “Even our police chief in Jacobsville, Cash Grier, avoids him, and Grier’s worked with some scoundrels in his time. Word is,” he added, “that Kilraven, who used to work for some federal agency undercover in Grier’s department, almost came to blows with Rourke over the woman he married.”

      “A ladies’ man, is he?” Ed asked.

      “Hard to say,” Grange replied. “He thinks he is.”

      “He’s definitely got the connections,” Bentley mused. “Rumor has it that he’s the illegitimate son of billionaire K.C. Kantor, who was once at the forefront of most conflicts in the African states.”

      “I’ve read about him,” Ed replied. “A fascinating man.”

      “He never married. They say he was in love with a woman who became a nun. He has a godchild who married into a rich Wyoming ranching family.”

      “Well!” Ed exclaimed. “The things you learn about people!”

      “True.” Bentley checked his watch. “Gotta run, I’m doing surgery at the office in thirty minutes.” He got up. “Thanks for breakfast, Peg,” he added with a smile.

      “You’re welcome. Tell your wife I said hello. Cappie was a few grades ahead of me in school, but I knew her. She’s a sweetie.”

      “I’ll tell her you said so,” he said with a grin.” See you.”

      The men walked him out to his truck while Peg cleared away the breakfast dishes. She put everything in the dishwasher and went upstairs to see what she had in the way of accessories for her big night at the ball. Cinderella, she thought amusedly. That’s me.

      Peg loved to plant things. Especially bulbs. She knew that next spring, the hyacinths and tulips and daffodils and narcissus bulbs that she was planting now would be glorious in color and scent. Hyacinths, she mused, smelled better than the most expensive perfume. She knew about expensive perfume; she spent a lot of time at cosmetic counters sniffing it. She’d never be able to buy any of that for herself. But she loved to sample the luxurious scents when she went to the mall in San Antonio. She couldn’t go that often, but she always made the most of each trip.

      She finished putting the last of the hyacinths in, and got up from the ground. Her white sweatshirt was streaked with dirt. Probably her hair was, too. But she loved to play in the dirt. So did Jason Pendleton’s wife, Gracie, who’d sent her the bulbs. Gardeners were almost always friends at first sight. There was a kinship among people who loved to plant things.

      Grange drove up at the barn, cut the engine and got out. He walked up to Peg and stared at the long rectangular flower bed she’d put right next to the barn. He frowned.

      “It’s convenient to the source of my best fertilizer,” she pointed out.

      It took him a few seconds to puzzle that out. She was talking about animal waste, which was organic and quite effective. He chuckled. “I see.”

      “Mrs. Pendleton sent me the bulbs. They’re nice ones, from her own garden. You don’t really mind …?”

      He shook his head. “Amuse yourself. I don’t care.”

      “Dad’s gone to the market,” she said, wide-eyed. “Would you like to ravish me while he’s away?”

      He glared at her. This was her usual way of teasing, and it was beginning to get to him in ways he didn’t like. “No, I would not,” he said firmly.

      She glared back. “Honestly, you’re stuck back in the ice age! Everybody does it these days!”

      “Including you?”

      “Of course, me,” she scoffed. “I’ve had sex continuously since I was fourteen.”

      His eyes were growing darker. He was shocked and trying not to show it. Peg didn’t appear to him as a rounder. Was he that bad a judge of character?

      “It’s no big deal!” she exclaimed. “You are such a throwback!”

      He turned on his heel and stormed off into the barn. He didn’t like thinking that Peg was promiscuous. He was too old-fashioned to think it was a laudable lifestyle, regardless of how many people did.

      She followed him into the barn, waving her trowel in the air. “Listen, people don’t have to abide by ancient doctrines that have no place in modern society,” she burst out. “There isn’t one show on television that has people getting married before they indulge!”

      He whirled, glaring. “That’s exactly why I don’t watch television.”

      “You’re just the kind of man who thinks women should be saints and go around in frilly clothes and be seen yet not СКАЧАТЬ