Branded for You (2 page)

Megan slid the dishware box inside the truck then headed back into the house where she grabbed another box. It only took a few more trips by both Tess and Megan before the truck was loaded. The last things they loaded were the kitchen table and chairs. With the leaf out, the table wasn’t too heavy.

Just as Megan started to follow her sister back into the house, a gold car she didn’t recognize pulled into the driveway and the driver parked. Megan frowned and narrowed her gaze then felt a rush of pain and anger as her ex-husband got out of the car.

“Hi, Megan,” Bart said as he shut the car door behind him. He walked toward her, his expression pleasant as if he was just a good friend. His cologne, as usual, was nearly overpowering. He glanced at the moving van. “You’re moving? Did you sell the house?”

Megan straightened and raised her chin. Like hell she was going to engage in a conversation with him. “What do you want?”

“Where are you moving to?” he asked.

It was none of his business and she wasn’t about to tell him anything personal. She gritted her teeth before asking, “Why are you here?”

“I keep forgetting to pick up my golf clubs,” he said as he looked toward the front door. “I came by to get them.”

“You’re too late.” Megan tried to remain calm. His presence made her feel anything but. “I donated all of the crap you left to the Salvation Army.”

“You what?” Bart’s features turned from pleasant to angry. “Those were mine.”

Megan shrugged and had the desire to laugh. “I told you at least ten times in the last seven months to get your stuff. You never bothered to come by. What was I supposed to do, deliver them to you?”

“You b—” he started.

“Get out of here, Bart.” Tess’s voice came from behind Megan, cutting off Bart’s sentence. “Megan doesn’t want anything to do with you.”

Bart ignored Tess. “You owe me for those clubs,” he snarled at Megan.

“You should have taken them with you when you left with that woman.” Megan hoped her features looked calm and didn’t show the churning anger inside her. “You didn’t, so, your loss.”

“Go buy yourself some new ones.” Tess came to stand beside Megan, arms folded across her chest. “And stop bothering Megan.”

“Get out of here.” Megan had to fight not to clench her hands into fists.

Bart looked like he was going to tear into her verbally like he used to. Instead, he turned and strode back to the car. He jerked the door open, climbed in and started the vehicle, then backed up the vehicle. The tires spun in the gravel as his car shot out of the driveway.

“I sure didn’t need that.” Megan sighed. The last thing she’d wanted imprinted in her mind before leaving New Mexico was her ex-husband’s snide features.

“Ignore him.” Tess took Megan by the arm. “Fart’s a loser. Come on in and we’ll give the place a once over.”

Tess drew Megan back into what had been her home and now was nothing but a shell. “It cracks me up every time you call him that,” Megan said

“Well he isn’t deserving of respect,” Tess said. “And besides, with all that awful cologne, the guy stinks, so it fits.”

Megan laughed. “Thanks Tess, I needed that. I need to just get him out of my mind.”

When they were finished making sure that everything was out of the house, Megan stood for a moment in the doorway as Tess and Jenny waited outside for her. Megan looked over the living room that now only had the cable from the satellite TV sticking out of the wall. The shutters were closed tight, no sunshine leaking in. The place looked stark and naked and felt as hollow as her heart.

Megan thought about the five years she’d spent in this house. She had wondered if she’d miss the place but as she looked over the empty living room and kitchen, she knew she wouldn’t.

She smiled to herself. Everything would be fine. Life was good and she had a new life just waiting for her to grab onto and hold on for the ride.

Chapter 2

Megan shaded her eyes with her hand and looked up at the Ferris wheel as it turned against the clear late September sky. A breeze brushed her cheeks as she watched the small figures in the colorful seats and she shivered, more from a memory than from the cool air.

Thoughts of the last time she had been on a Ferris wheel went through her mind. Her cousin had scared her to death by rocking the seat when they were stopped at the very top and she’d been so sure they were going to fall to their deaths. She hadn’t been on a Ferris wheel since.

She turned her attention toward the ticket booths where a steady flow of people entered the fairgrounds. Her sister and niece should be here at any time. Tess didn’t normally run so late.

It was a Thursday and Tess had planned to take the afternoon off from the restaurant. What was keeping her?

Megan wiped her palms on her jeans, brushing dust from them as her gaze drifted over the crowd at the Yavapai County Fair. People walked to and from the exhibit halls housing vegetables, jams, canned foods, arts and crafts, and any other number of homemade or homegrown items. The prizewinners were draped with blue, red, and white ribbons indicating the prize won, and the best of each class were pinned with champion purple rosettes.

Other people headed to the carnival side of the county fair from which a cacophony of sounds emanated. Smells of corndogs, cotton candy, fry bread, and popcorn drifted over from the carnival and she pressed a hand to her belly, which rumbled from hunger. She really needed to watch what she ate, but the carnival food smelled so good. Her hips would never forgive her but she wanted a churro in the worst way.

While she waited for Tess and Jenny, Megan wandered toward the livestock building to watch the 4-H kids handle sheep, calves, and hogs they’d raised for show. Many of the animals would be auctioned off sometime this weekend with the champions taking home the highest dollar amounts.

As she reached the livestock buildings she saw that the place was alive with 4-H’ers feeding and watering their animals and preparing them for show. People wandered up and down the straw strewn dirt aisles, admiring the livestock.

Megan walked up to an arena fence and put her hands on the top rung as she watched a group of 4-H’ers showing Suffolk sheep. The black-faced and black legged lambs’ white wool was shaved down almost to the skin.

A burning sensation caused a prickle at her nape. She felt like she was being watched. She glanced over her shoulder and a flutter traveled through her midsection when she saw that a cowboy was directly behind her…and he was looking right at her.

He was tall and muscular and his back was up against a cottonwood tree, thumbs hooked in the pockets of his dark blue Wrangler jeans that molded muscular thighs. He wore a light blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the hair on his forearms was golden against his tan skin. He pushed up the brim of his western hat with one finger as he looked at her.

The tips of her ears burned as she glanced away, turning her attention back to the 4-H kids in the arena. The dangerously sexy cowboy couldn’t have been showing interest in her. Men as sexy as this one seemed to prefer women with cute, petite figures rather than ladies with full curves.

She tried to pay attention to the 4-H’ers but she still had the feeling that he was watching her. It was all she could do not to look over her shoulder again.

“Know any of the kids out there?” a deep voice said just behind her.

Startled, she glanced at the man who had spoken and saw that it was the sexy cowboy who had been watching her. She met his blue eyes that were the color of faded denim as his lips curved into a slow, sensual smile. Heat flushed through her from her head to her toes.

It took her a moment to compose herself. She shook her head. “I don’t know anyone here. I’m waiting for my sister and my niece.”

He moved beside her and looked at the girls and boys who were showing the lambs. He rested one arm on the top rung of the fence as he gestured to a boy on the end. “That’s my nephew, Brian.”

It gave her an excuse to look away from the cowboy so she studied the boy. “He’s a cute kid.”

“He is.” The man spoke in a low drawl and she glanced back to him. “I’m Ryan McBride,” he said and held out his hand.

“I’m Megan.” She offered him a smile as she took his hand. “Megan Wilder.”

The warmth of his touch traveled straight through her. His grip was firm, his hand callused from hard work.

“When is your sister getting here?” he asked as he released Megan’s hand.

“Tess was supposed to be here already.” Megan dug in her pocket and grasped her cell phone. “I think I’d better call her.” When she pulled her phone out of her pocket she saw that she’d missed a call. “Looks like my sister called and left a message.”

Megan brought the phone to her ear and listened to the voicemail.

“Hi, Megan.” Tess sounded a little harried as she left the message. “Jenny has a fever so I need to keep her home. Sorry we have to miss out on spending time with you at the fair.” Tess ended the message with, “Call me tonight.”

Megan lowered the phone and met Ryan’s gaze. “My niece has a fever so they’re not going to make it to the fair. Looks like I’m on my own.”

“I’ve got a better idea,” he said with a smile. “Why don’t you spend the afternoon with me?”

Her eyes widened a little in surprise. “I don’t know you.”

His lips curved with amusement. “No better way to get to know me.”

“I can’t argue with that.” She glanced toward the ring where the 4-H’ers were being presented with blue, red, and white ribbons. Brian was accepting a large purple ribbon with a rosette. “Looks like your nephew just won the grand champion prize for his lamb.”

The crowd around the arena clapped. Ryan and Megan joined in.

“Is that why you’re here?” she asked Ryan as the 4-H’ers walked their lambs out of the ring. “To see your nephew?”

“In part,” Ryan said. “I’m also a 4-H leader. I help a group of local kids raise cattle.”

“That’s great.” She smiled. “It must be rewarding.”

He gave a nod. “It is.”

“Do you have any more kids in your 4-H club showing livestock now?” she asked.

“My 4-H’ers finished up this morning.” He gestured to the livestock building. “Have you had a chance to walk through?”

“Not yet.” She shook her head.

“You’re new in this area.” He rested one arm on the top rail of the arena fence as he studied her. “How about letting me show you around?”

She tilted her head to the side. “How do you know I’m new?”

He gave her a teasing grin. “I have a sense about these things.”

“Are you sure about that?” she asked.

“No doubt in my mind.” His blue eyes held hers. “So how about it?”

The way he looked at her made heat travel straight through her belly. She swallowed. “All right.”

He gave a sexy little smile. “We can start in the livestock building.”

She slipped her hands in her back pockets as they walked side-by-side under the rooftop that covered the livestock. It was open on all sides, the shade cooling the air even more. They headed down dirt aisles that were well kept. Smells of livestock, manure, dirt, and hay were heavy on the air.

As they strolled down the aisles, adults, teenagers, and younger children greeted Ryan. He stopped to talk with the kids, admiring their bulls, dairy cows, and calves, and congratulating the prizewinners. She gathered that he’d taught a lot of the 4-H’ers about raising and showing their animals.

“These kids will take their livestock to the state fair at the end of October,” he said as they moved on to the sheep and dairy goats. “Our 4-H’ers represent us well.”

As they walked, she enjoyed talking with Ryan and listening to stories he recounted about some of the kids he’d worked with over the years. He was easy to talk with and he made her feel comfortable, as if she’d known him for a while rather than just having met him. From the number of people who greeted him, it was clear he was well known and well liked.

After they’d made their way through the livestock buildings, including the building that housed chickens, ducks, and geese, they went through the exhibit halls. In the exhibit halls it was a little quieter and not as many people stopped Ryan to talk.

“Did you move here or are you just visiting?” Ryan asked as they looked at a quilt exhibit.

“I moved to Prescott a month ago to be closer to my family.” She pushed a lock of shoulder-length brown hair behind her ear. “For the time being I’m staying with them but I plan to buy my own house as soon as things settle down.”

Before he could ask her more questions about her family, she hurried to ask him questions. “Where do you live?”

“I have a ranch just outside of Prescott Valley,” he said. “I raise cattle and horses, and have a small flock of Suffolk sheep.”

“Are you related to Officer John McBride?” she asked.

Ryan nodded. “John is my cousin.”

“He almost ticketed me for speeding.” She gave Ryan a rueful smile. “I wasn’t paying attention to my speed on the highway the day I moved here. He was nice enough to let me off with a warning.”

Ryan laughed. “So you’re a little speed demon?”

“I have a lead foot at times.” She shook her head. “I really need to watch my speed better.”

“Where are you from?” he asked.

“Albuquerque.” She glanced at a photography exhibit and stopped as she spotted a picture of a cowboy riding a bull. The shot was so clear, so vivid, that she half expected the image of the cowboy and bull to move. “I don’t know a lot about photography, but that’s a terrific shot.”

“That’s my youngest brother, Creed. He’s a world champion bull rider.” Ryan came up beside her. “He’s newly married to a gal who’s from the San Rafael Valley in the southern part of the state.”

“How cool, to have a world-famous bull rider in the family.” She noticed the purple rosette next to the photograph. “I must have good taste. It’s the exhibit winner.”

“What did you do in New Mexico?” Ryan asked as they continued walking.

She shoved her hands in her front pockets. “I’m a graphic designer.”

“What are you going to do in Prescott?” he asked.

She glanced up at him. “I’m going to continue what I was doing. I can work from home since my business is Internet based.”