Wed By Fortune

After the sheriff left and the tow truck drove out with the SUV, Graham picked up the tools and supplies he’d left in the south pasture and took them to the barn. He hated to leave the repair work on that downed fence unfinished, but he’d do it for Roger. Fortunately, they didn’t have any horses grazing out there now. But they would, once his friend Chase Parker delivered them on Friday.

His friend, huh? If that Robinson-Fortune family connection was true, Graham and Chase would be more than friends. They’d actually be related, since Chase was married to Lucie Fortune Chesterfield.

After putting away the tools and supplies, he went in search of Roger and found him leading Lady Jane from the pasture toward the barn.

“What are you doing?” Graham asked. “I thought you’d be inside, talking to Sasha-Marie and getting to know little Maddie.”

“I was in there. For a while.”

“How’d it go?”

“Okay, I guess. Maddie is a little chatterbox, which might prove helpful in piecing together what’s going on. She mentioned that her daddy moved out of their house and into an apartment near his work.”

“I’m sure that’s true. Sasha told me that she and Gabe are separated.”

Roger merely nodded as he continued toward the barn, the roan mare walking alongside him.

“What are you doing with Lady Jane?” Graham asked as he followed behind.

“That little girl loves horses, and I figure she’d like to ride a real one instead of her mother’s sofa. So I’m going to stable Lady Jane so she’ll be closer to the house.”

“Good idea.” Lady was a gentle mare and would be a good mount for a beginner.

Once they entered the barn, Graham opened the gate of an empty stall. “I assume you and Sasha had a chance to talk.”

“Just enough to break the ice some, but not enough to get back on steady ground again.”

“I got the feeling that she plans to stay for a while,” Graham added.

“Yep.” Roger removed the lead from Lady Jane’s halter, then closed the gate. “I suspect she came here to lick her wounds, which is fine by me. The Galloping G is the perfect place for her to get back on her feet.”

He was right about that. It was at this ranch where Graham and 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.”