Wed By Fortune. Judy Duarte

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СКАЧАТЬ Roger had managed to heal from their terrible loss. And it was here that they hoped to help troubled teenage boys do the same thing.

      “You have no idea how happy I am that Sasha-Marie and that jerk finally split up,” Roger said. “I knew it was coming. But you’ll be glad to know I managed to keep my mouth shut about it.”

      Graham placed a hand on his old friend’s back and grinned. “I’ll bet that was tough for a crusty ol’ bird who’s got a knack for speaking his mind, even when he’s not asked.”

      “You bet it was. And not to toot my own horn, but you’ll be glad to know that I didn’t break into the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus when Maddie announced that Gabe moved out of the house.”

      “Good thing you didn’t, Roger. You never could carry a tune.”

      At that, the old man chuckled. “You’re right. My singing would have chased her off for sure.”

      Graham didn’t think so. Sasha had always enjoyed the time she’d spent on the Galloping G. So it didn’t surprise him in the least that she would choose to come here to sort out things.

      “I wonder what her plans are,” Graham said. “Hopefully, Gabe is paying her child support.”

      Roger blew out a raspberry. “I wouldn’t be surprised if, once that guy hit the road, he never looked back. And if he didn’t, it’d be okay by me. Gabe Smith was bad news, wrapped in a shiny wrapper. But Sasha doesn’t need the likes of him. Not with me around, anyway. I’ll look out for her. Besides, she has a college degree. I suspect she could put that to good use.”

      “There’s time to ask her about that later,” Graham said. “For now, you ought to enjoy the time you have with her.”

      “Yep, I intend to. In the meantime, I’m going to go inside and fix dinner. I’d planned to make meat loaf and baked potatoes this evening. S’pose I still will. But if I’d known Sasha-Marie and Maddie were coming, I would have taken steaks out of the freezer. It seems like we have a lot to celebrate.”

      Maybe Roger did. But something told Graham that Sasha wasn’t nearly as happy about the split as her uncle was.

      “You might not want to make such a big deal out of it,” Graham said. “She married the guy and undoubtedly loved him. She probably doesn’t feel like celebrating.”

      “I wasn’t talking about making a big whoopty-do that he was out of her life, although I’d sure as heck raise my glass to that. But I’m glad she’s back at the ranch. I’ve missed her. And I’ve regretted not having a chance to get to know little Maddie. She’s a cutie pie, isn’t she?”

      Yes, she was, at that. “She sure looks a lot like her mama.”

      “You got that right. And she’s just as spunky, too.”

      Before Graham could agree, Sasha and Maddie stepped out on the big, wraparound porch.

      “Looks like it’s time for the tour to begin,” Graham said quietly to Roger. “If she wasn’t expecting, I’d suggest we take horses, which would no doubt please Maddie. But I think we should take the Gator.”

      “Good idea. I’ve delivered my share of foals and calves, but I don’t know squat about bringing a human baby into the world.”

      Just the thought of Sasha delivering at the ranch and not in a state-of-the-art medical facility twisted Graham’s gut into a double knot. He’d better suggest she find a doctor in Austin—and quickly. From the size of her baby bump, she’d need a good one soon.

      Yet even the fact that she was expecting didn’t take away from her beauty. How had he missed the corn-silk color of her hair before—or those expressive blue eyes?

      “We’re ready for that tour when you are,” she said, as she and her pretty Mini-Me daughter stepped off the porch.

      Sasha walked slowly, but Maddie marched right up to her uncle. “Are you going with us, Uncle Roger? Are you going to show us all your horses?”

      Roger blessed the child with a smile and cupped her cheek with his liver-spotted, work-roughened hand. “Not this time, sweetie. I’m going to cook our dinner. But don’t worry. Graham will give you a good tour—and probably a better one than I could.”

      The child looked at Graham with hope-filled eyes—their pretty color reminded him of a field of bluebonnets, blowing in the breeze. “Do you know where my uncle keeps his horses?”

      “Actually, we only have a few right now. But come this weekend, you’ll see five more of them grazing in the south forty.”

      Maddie’s eyes widened. “A whole herd?”

      Graham couldn’t help appreciating her enthusiasm. “Well, it’s not exactly a herd, at least, not a big one. We’ll have our hands full with those five for now.”

      He’d thought his answer would appease her, but apparently, one of her questions merely led to another. “Where are you going to get them?” she asked. “Do you have to ride into the mountains and desert and wilderness to find them?”

      Graham bit back a chuckle. “My friend Chase Parker has rescue horses already on his ranch. He’s going to deliver them to us.”

      “I can’t wait to see them,” she said.

      “Then I’ll make sure you’re around when they arrive. In the meantime, let’s go check out the ranch.” Graham glanced at Sasha and nodded toward the barn. “Come on. We’ll take the Gator.”

      “You got gators in Texas?” Maddie asked, struggling to match his strides. “Do they bite?”

      Graham smiled. “We don’t have any alligators on the Galloping G. I was actually talking about our off-road utility vehicle.”

      He led them to the rear of the barn, where he’d left the Gator parked. Once he helped Maddie into the backseat and secured her with a seat belt, something the previous owner had installed, he and Sasha climbed into the front. Then he started the engine.

      What a turn this day had taken. Graham’s morning had started out in the usual way—a shower before downing coffee and the biscuits and gravy Roger had made for them. Then he’d ridden out to check on the pasture where they planned to keep the new horses.

      When he’d spotted the damage to the fence, as well as the battered front end of the Cadillac Escalade that had been left in the pasture, wheel wells deep in the mud, he’d realized things weren’t going to be as usual today.

      But nothing had prepared him for Sasha and Maddie’s arrival a few hours later, which ensured that, at least for the time being, things on the Galloping G would be far from ordinary.

      He just hoped the changes would be good ones.

      * * *

      While Graham appeared to be doing his best to avoid any big potholes on the dirt road on which they’d been driving, the Gator made a quick swerve, causing Sasha to grab the dashboard and brace herself. She turned and looked over her shoulder. “Are you okay, Maddie?”

      “Yep.” The seven-year-old patted her seat belt and flashed СКАЧАТЬ