The Wedding Wager (20 page)

Kevin said, “Bro, they’re plastered all over your door.”

“Oh, right. Look, they fit in the trucks! Come on!”

Megan and Kevin helped him carry his trucks and action figures outside.

“We need dirt,” said Keegan.

“The horseshoe pit,” said Kevin. “It’s filled with sand. How’s that?”

“Perfect!” Keegan ran ahead, and plopped down in the sand, already pushing it around with his grader.

Megan lowered herself carefully to the ground and began placing action figures inside vehicles. “Build me some roads,” she said, “so these guys will have places to go.”

Kevin knelt beside her on one knee and began scooping dirt with the dump truck. He winked at her and mouthed the word, “Brilliant.”

Megan tapped her temple with one finger and mouthed back, “Genius.” Then she glanced around them. “Umm, I didn’t see your father inside. And I don’t see any other vehicles. Did he leave?”

Krystal’s voice came from behind her.

“Unfortunately, no. Douglas went into town to meet with his lawyers. They’re staying at a hotel there.”

Megan turned. “Oh, hi, Krystal. I couldn’t resist buying some gifts for Keegan and Karla.”

Krystal’s expression remained stern, but her eyes softened. “So I see. Did they teach you this in college?”

Megan shrugged. “My concentration was in Youth Development, so in a way, yes.”

“Hmph.” Krystal watched her youngest crawling through the sand, building roads with on-ramps and off-ramps. “What do you know,” she said. “Well, well. Please see to it that he cleans up before dinner.”

Megan nodded. “I will.”

One corner of Krystal’s mouth turned up. “And you, too.” She turned and moved carefully toward the house.

Kevin sat down in the sand and grabbed a toy car. “Well, well, indeed. Mother is pleased.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

IT WAS A TALKATIVE,
happy group that gathered around the dinner table. Keegan was freshly scrubbed. Instead of an electronic toy, he perched two of his action figures on the edge of the table. He was full of information about highway construction.

“I need a bulldozer,” he said at last.

Kevin said to Megan, “Didn’t you get him a bulldozer?”

“You were there,” said Megan. “You might have mentioned it.”

Kevin grinned. “Maybe for your birthday, Kee.”

Karla came to the table in full face paint. She had tried some shadow effects, and her vampire face looked gaunt and haunting.

Krystal’s eyes widened ever so slightly. “Karla, my dear, you look positively ghastly.”

In vampire voice, Karla said, “Thank you, mother. The One Called Megan gave me a very useful book. Lots of good tips.”

Krystal fluffed her napkin over her lap and murmured, “Lovely.”

Cookie came in with a delicious smelling stew. She set the pot on the table, then stood waiting behind Megan’s chair. Finally, she cleared her throat, loudly.

Karla looked up.

Cookie turned her hands over and asked, “Well?”

Karla raked the air with her black fingernails and hissed.

Cookie said, “That’s more like it. Hold on, everyone, I made rolls to go with the stew.”

Kevin said to Karla, “Distracted?”

Karla used her normal voice to answer. “I’m just thinking about the next chapter and how to add more color to my face. Don’t you think bruising would be cool?”

Krystal lifted her wine glass. “Will you wear bruises to the wedding?”

Megan said softly, “I thought it would be wise to clear it with your mom.”

Karla said, “Not at the wedding. That would be a bad omen. I’ll save the bruises for a different occasion.”

“You can make me decomposition green for the wedding photos,” said Kevin.

“Cool!”

“Dreadful!”

“Sick!” But Keegan was grinning. “Can I be a vampire, too? For the wedding pictures?”

Karla sniffed the air. In vampire voice, she teased, “Did someone forget his garlic?”

Keegan pulled it out of his pocket and rubbed it on his head. “Safe now.”

Cookie returned with a basketful of warm rolls.

“They smell heavenly,” said Megan.

Cookie beamed as she returned to the kitchen.

Krystal dabbed at her lips with her napkin.

“Karla, Megan tells me your ability to apply theatrical makeup is quite an unusual talent.”

Karla froze.

Megan could practically see the girl’s wheels turning. It was clear that Krystal had never before considered her daughter’s behavior in the light of creative expression.

At last Karla mumbled, “Thanks.”

It was equally clear that the next few words stretched Krystal’s maternal instincts to the max.

“If we’re going to get creative with wedding photos, I would very much like to resemble Morticia Addams.”

Karla’s eyes flew open in disbelief. “Are you kidding me?” Her vampire voice dissolved into a teenage squeal.

“I’m quite serious,” said Krystal. “I always enjoyed that program, and the cartoon series before that, and Morticia was an excellent mother and role model.”

“Oh, my God! That would be totally awesome! Do I have a budget?”

Krystal allowed herself a small smile. “You may consider yourself funded.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

MEGAN AND KEVIN
exchanged
glances of shared appreciation during the rest of the meal as Karla bubbled over with ideas. It had taken Kevin half an hour to convince his mother that trying a different tactic with Karla might produce different results.

By the end of dinner, it was also clear that Krystal’s seamstress would require reinforcements. But Krystal didn’t seem to mind.

After dinner, Kevin took Megan for a stroll through the stables.

Megan smiled to herself when he took her hand. His broad shoulders and handsome features seemed completely at home on the ranch.

Kevin stopped by a stall where a pale palomino nickered a greeting.

“Hello, Honeybun. Yes, I have some sugar cubes for you.” He held his hand out flat and Honeybun nuzzled his palm. The sugar cubes were gone.

“Here,” said Kevin, pulling Megan’s hand up. “Make friends.” He set two sugar cubes on Megan’s palm.

Honeybun’s lips tickled Megan’s fingers as she accepted the sugar.

“Her lips are so soft,” marveled Megan.

“I take it you haven’t had much experience around horses.”

“None. I used to pray for one when I was a little girl. The closest I got was a toy barn and some plastic animals for Christmas one year.” She stroked Honeybun’s nose.

“You’ll have time to learn as much as you want here.”

Megan cupped Honeybun’s chin in her palm. “Kevin, your mother said that after the wedding I would be the lady of the house. Does that mean you plan an extended stay here on the ranch?”

“It’s necessary,” he said. “Once I inherit, I’ll have to get much more involved in the running of the place. Zach has kept me posted over the years, even when I didn’t want him to. I think Zach was the only one who ever really expected me to fulfill the terms of the trust.”

“But your mother arranged a wedding for you!”

“For us,” said Kevin softly. “You know, a week ago I didn’t think I could do it. I thought we were going to lose it all to my father’s moneymaking schemes and Wall Street wagers. I’d been looking for someone who could basically just stand next to me and say, ‘I do.’ And then you walked into the office.” He paused to move a lock of her hair behind her ear. “You were a vision, with your angelic beauty. You practically glowed.”

Megan blushed at the compliment. “I probably did glow,” she said. “Six months in the hospital leaves a girl rather pale.”

Kevin’s smile loosed an internal flock of butterflies.

“I’m just saying,” he continued, “when I placed that ad in the paper, I never expected I would actually find someone I could love.”

Megan’s heart pounded and her lips parted.

“Love?” she whispered.

Kevin leaned in and kissed her warmly.

Megan melted against him, letting the kiss take over. A tiny voice in the distance of her mind was asking how his lips could be so soft and warm and still deliver an electric charge? Should she ask Kevin about that? Maybe later. Next week would be soon enough. Could she stay here in the stable, kissing Kevin, for seven days? Easy. Maybe even forever.

Honeybun had different ideas. She pushed Kevin with her head and he had to step backward to keep his balance.

A moment later Zach’s voice floated on the evening air.

“I’ll just check the tack room.”

Megan giggled. “Honeybun was telling you someone was coming.”

Zach entered the stable.

Kevin wiped a hand across his mouth and scuffed at the hay-covered floor.

“You two lovebirds looking for some privacy? Or are you hiding out from your father?”

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

KEVIN’S JAW TENSED
and his
hands balled into fists. “I thought he was staying at the hotel with his legal team.”

“Evidently not,” said Zach. “Just thought I’d give you a heads up.” He nodded at Megan. “Ma’am.”

Kevin turned to Megan. “I’d better go inside and see what’s going on. You can wait out here if you like. Dad never sets foot in the stables. That’s probably why I used to spend so much time out here.”

“No,” said Megan. “I ran from him once because he caught me off guard. I won’t let that happen again. I’ll go with you.”

Kevin straightened his shoulders, feeling once again that Megan was more than worthy of his affection.

Together, they entered the house through the kitchen. They could hear Douglas Wake in the dining room, raging at Karla.

“I’ve had it with this vampire crap! You’re going to school in Switzerland. I’ve already reserved a spot for you.”

Krystal stood clutching the back of a dining room chair.

“Douglas, let’s discuss this privately.”

“I’m through with private discussions,” he roared. His green eyes glinted cold and hard in the light from the chandelier. “I’m stating out loud and with witnesses,” he stressed as Kevin and Megan entered the room, “that I am fed up with this costumed nonsense! Last month she told the wife of one of my managers that the low-necked dress she was wearing attracted vampires like corpses attract maggots! You heard her. You were there!”

Krystal’s voice of reason countered with, “That woman barely had a dress on at all.”

“That’s not the point! The school officials told me we can deliver Karla any time because they offer a year-round curriculum. So I’m putting you on notice, young lady.” He shook his finger at Karla. “Once this ranch transfers to my control next week, you are headed for Switzerland!”

Karla’s reaction startled Kevin. She transformed herself from a quiet meek costumed child into a shrieking hellcat. She held her fingers like claws and slashed them through the air as her father approached. She alternated between shrieking and hissing, and she half-crouched as she bounded around the perimeter of the table, avoiding his grasp.

“You insufferable little brat! Your mother got you out of that hospital way too soon.” He turned long enough to snap at Krystal, “You think I believed that cockamamy story about them not wanting to keep her? I know what you did!” Back to Karla, “Hold still!” He grabbed for her.

Karla eluded him by scuttling under the dining table, surrounding herself with chairs. She huddled there, hissing and clawing whenever her father made a move.

Kevin had had enough. He stepped into his father’s space, forcing Douglas to back up a foot.

“Enough! Stop this nonsense now.” His voice was deep and firm, and it carried the implicit promise that if Douglas did not stop, Kevin would make him regret it.

Douglas Wake puffed up and glared at his oldest son.

“You’ve got some nerve showing up to meddle in family affairs after all these years. You abandoned her!” He pointed at Karla. “And you abandoned your mother! But here you come running back when you smell money.”

Kevin drew himself up his full height. In that moment, he realized that he was now taller than his father, and his summers as a lumberjack had added forty pounds of muscle to his frame. In measured tones, his anger barely under control, he spoke.

“I did not abandon anyone. You chased me away at eighteen. But at least I was ready for college. Now you’re trying to send Karla away before she’s old enough to fight back! You will never control this ranch, and you won’t send my sister away for being different, either.”

Douglas had to bend his head back to look Kevin in the eye. That fact was not lost on him. Nor was the very real presence of Kevin’s physical bulk. His complexion darkened, but he said nothing.