Megan's Marriage

“Yeah, he found me. I was checking the southeast pasture and discovered there was no water in the holding tank. The windmill’s frozen up. There’s no way to fix it without ordering a new part for it.”

“You want me to crawl up there and check it out, just in case something can be done?”

She shook her head. “I already did. The whole thing is worn-out. I need to replace the entire rig, but I can’t. A new part will get us through the worst of the heat. Maybe by fall I can—” She stopped because there was no use talking about the fall. By then, the ranch would no longer be theirs…unless she could somehow produce a miracle.

A sense of futility swept over her.

They both turned at the sound of an engine and watched as a late-model pickup with Travis behind the wheel appeared. He made a sweeping turn and stopped in front of the house.

“Somebody mentioned to me yesterday that Travis was back in town for a few days,” Butch said, rolling a handmade cigarette. “It kinda surprised me when he showed up, asking for you. I didn’t think the two of you were exactly on good speaking terms.”

She turned away from the house and led Daisy into the barn. Butch followed her, placing the newly formed cigarette behind his ear. “We’re not,” she said, leading Daisy into her stall, “but you know how Travis is. He just naturally thinks he’s God’s gift to us all and that we should feel honored that he decides to visit.”

Butch uncinched the saddle and lifted it off the horse while Megan wiped her down. “So what did he want?”

She shrugged without looking around. “He said he wanted to talk to me about something. I can’t imagine what.”

“Maybe he got wind of the trouble you’ve been having. You reckon he might want to buy this place from you?”

She poured some grain into the feed trough of the stall. “He’s not that stupid. Why would he want a place like this? He’s never home. Besides, the Kanes already own a large portion of the county. Why would Travis take on another spread?”

“’Cause his pappy’s young enough and healthy enough to be running their place for a long time, yet. Travis never was one to want to answer to anybody, not even his dad.” Butch grinned at the thought. “Most especially his dad, if you want to know the truth.” He stepped out of the stall and held the door open for her.

She motioned to the nearly empty feed storage bin as they retraced their steps to the barn door. “Did you remember to pick up the grain at the feed store today?” she asked, ignoring the fact that Travis now was leaning against the front fender of his pickup truck, watching, and making no effort to join them.

Butch took his time lighting his cigarette, then he removed his hat and carefully smoothed down his sparse and receding hair before replacing his battered hat. “Yeah, I got the feed. It’s still in the back end of my truck. Ol’ man Brogan said that unless you pay something on the account, he can’t give you any more credit after this.” He recited the message without inflection, studying the horizon.

“So what else is new?”

“It isn’t just you, you’ve got to know that. Everybody in the county’s been hit hard by this drought. It’s been rough. They’re all having to supplement the feed to keep the stock fed.”

“I know.”

“Ranching’s never been a way to get rich, missy. It’s a hard life.”

“You aren’t telling me anything I don’t already know, Butch.” Megan rubbed the back of her neck. “However, the ranch is my life. It’s the only one I know. It’s Mollie’s and Maribeth’s home.”

He awkwardly patted her shoulder. “You’ve done a fine job, missy. A fine job. You took on way too much responsibility trying to look after the girls and run this place all by yourself, but you showed everybody you could do it. Don’t feel bad if you have to give up now.”

She stiffened at the mention of her sisters. “We’ve done just fine so far on our own. You just said it’s nobody’s fault the drought’s lasted so long. Well, it isn’t my fault that all our equipment seems to be breaking down at once, or that the blasted well for the house ran dry last month and we had to drill another one.”

“I never said it was anybody’s fault. Don’t start gettin’ so prickly. All I’m sayin’ is that a young gal like you shouldn’t have to be shoulderin’ such a heavy burden. You should be out enjoying life with friends of your own.”

She gave an unladylike snort. “My friends are mostly married and busy raising families. At least Mollie and Maribeth are old enough to look after themselves.”

He nodded toward Travis. “So when are you goin’ over to find out why he’s hanging around here? He don’t look like he’s plannin’ on going anywhere anytime soon, so ignorin’ him isn’t going to help ya none.”

Once again she looked over to where Travis waited—his long legs crossed at the ankles, his arms folded across his chest—still leaning against his truck.

She glanced to the west before she spoke again. “I don’t suppose this day could get any worse than it already has. I’ll go see what it’s going to take to get rid of him.”

“I wish I had the money you needed. I’d sure give it to you if I did have it,” Butch said in a gruff voice.

She patted his arm and smiled. “I know, Butch.”

“I watched you girls grow up. I seen every one of you in diapers, following your folks around, playing with one another. Rory and June were always so proud of their girls. They wanted the very best for you. Always.”

“I know. Sometimes life just works out different from what we plan…what we want.” Straightening her shoulders, Megan turned away from Butch and headed toward the house, where Travis stood waiting.

Megan was aware of Travis watching her as she crossed between the barn and the house. She was well aware of what he saw—a skinny blond with a mop haircut, a plain face with a mouth too wide and, from the feel of it, a glowing, sunburned nose covered with a smattering of freckles.

Her coveralls were old, faded and wearing thin in some places, while her work boots were too scuffed to be able to tell their original color.

A regular fashion plate, that’s what she was. She was also exhausted and totally out of sorts.

“So what are you hanging around for?” she demanded as she approached him. “What do you want?”

He slowly straightened in his lazy, loose-limbed way. “I told you. I want to talk to you.”

She fought to control her impatience. She couldn’t think of anything that this man could say to her that she would want to hear, unless he planned to announce that he was moving away from Agua Verde County and determined never to return.

Megan came to a stop a couple of feet in front of him and folded her arms across her chest. “What about?”

He glanced toward the house. “Couldn’t we go inside and talk? This may take a while.”

She didn’t want to invite him inside. She didn’t want Travis Kane anywhere around her, the house, or the ranch. Unfortunately, at the moment, she couldn’t think of a single reason he would accept for asking him to leave.

There was no help for it. She’d just have to put up with him and the uncomfortable, itchy way she always felt whenever she had to be around him.

Megan stepped around him and led the way up the steps to the wide porch that led into the kitchen. “C’mon in. Mollie’s probably got some tea made.”

She walked into the large room that was the heart of the house. The kitchen doubled for the family conference room, the homework room, the problem-solving room, or for whatever reason the three O’Brien sisters needed to gain help and support from each other.

The place looked worn and frayed, now that she was looking at it through the eyes of a visitor. Any spare cash she managed to accumulate went back into the running of the ranch, unless it provided necessities for a sixteen-and eighteen-year-old to finish their high school educations.

She found the pitcher of tea, filled two glasses full of ice, poured the tea, then set the glasses on the round table situated in the middle of the room.

Megan waited until Travis sat down before she picked a chair across the table from him and carefully lowered herself. Lordy, Lordy, but she was tired. Not only was she not sleeping well at night, but she was also pushing herself harder with each passing day as though through sheer force of will she could turn the ranch’s fortunes around.

Her body ached with every movement. She longed for a long soak in the tub and promised herself that particular reward for tonight in exchange for having to deal with Travis now.

Travis Kane had always caused problems in her life since she was a kid riding on the school bus. Why should anything be different now?

“So when did you get into town?” she asked, not really caring, but determined to curb her impatience and make a stab at being polite.

“Wednesday night.”

“Mmm,” she responded as noncommittally as possible. She picked up her glass and took a long; refreshing swallow of iced tea.