Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 47222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
“See?” I attempt to sneer at the brothers. “This is my husband. Now I suggest you get off my land. Our business is done.”
Ranger is a menacing presence and any person with common sense would know better than to trifle with this beast of a man. But to my complete and utter dismay, the McLaughlin brothers don’t turn tail. Instead, they burst into fits of laughter. Cole and Sam clap each other on the back, and Zane literally falls into a heap on the ground, chuckling like a madman. For several moments, the still morning air is filled with the sounds of their cackling and hooting and hollering.
I’m baffled. Ranger could kill each and every one of them with his bare hands. I turn around to look at my husband, to see if he understands this strange reaction. Instead, Ranger just looks pained, watching the men flip out.
Cole, clutching his sides from the agony of laughing so hard, finally speaks. “Well shit, brother. We sent you over here to talk to the girl, not fucking marry her.”
I feel every ounce of color drain from my face. Brother?
“But you know, now that I’ve seen her after all these years, those boobs, that ass. I bet you rub one out inside her every night. Nicely done. You’re a fucking genius!” And with that, the McLaughlins start cackling again.
“What –” I start, looking at Ranger. “Ranger, what are they talking about?” But my husband remains completely silent. His face is rigid, hard, concealing all emotion. But his eyes betray him, their usually bright blue hue now deep and shuttered. My heart starts to pound and I feel dizzy.
“Aww don’t worry, sister dearest,” Sam sneers.
“Look a little confused there, sis.” Zane taunts.
“Allow me to explain,” Cole says, but then cackles again. I glare at him while he catches his breath.
“Somebody tell me what the hell is going on!” I scream. Ranger steps onto the porch, wearing only his jeans. He tries to reach for my hand but I lurch away, confused and unsure who I can trust.
Cole smirks. “Well sis, it goes something like this. Ranger is our brother, the fourth and oldest McLaughlin boy. He went off to some fancy-ass boarding school years ago, leaving us all behind. Guess you never met him in school because he was too smart to attend a simple country schoolhouse with the likes of all of us.”
Behind me, I sense Ranger bristle.
“But he’s our brother,” Cole continues. “So we love him, even if he is a fancy city boy. And I guess you must love him, too. Seeing as how you got married and all.” Cole grins his nasty toothless grin. “He’s blood, McLaughlin blood. And looks like now you are too. Which means the farm’s ours, since you can’t run it without him. You said so yourself.”
“Welcome to the family, Darcy,” Zane snickers and bows to me. “Tell me. Did you change your last name to ours? Are you now a McLaughlin too?”
I stand on my porch, stunned by this information. Ranger is a from the Lazy M?
“No.” I whisper the word, horrified.
I spin toward Ranger and stare at the handsome man, the cowboy who showed up out of nowhere. My husband. It’s too awful to contemplate. He’s related to these men? The very ones who tortured my father and harassed me in school and for decades tried to scare us off our property?
Finally, I work up the courage to say something else. In a quiet, quivering voice, I ask Ranger, “Is it true?”
Silence. My new husband looks at the ground.
Again I ask him, my voice louder and harsher. “Is it true, Ranger?”
He looks up and we lock eyes. “Darcy,” he starts but then shakes his head.
“You need to tell me the truth.”
Grimly, Ranger starts talking. “Things just got crazy, and I was supposed to come over here and talk to you but then I fell off that damn horse and… honestly, I couldn’t think straight and then you took care of me and… I didn’t mean to hurt you… but you’re so beautiful and…”
I hold up my hand, signaling for Ranger to stop his stammering.
“Oh my god, I’ve been such a fool.”
It all makes sense now. How he found my farm, even though it’s miles from anything. Why he’s so good at farming. That he was willing to stay, even though I couldn’t pay him. Never talking about himself. The rush to get married.
“I always thought your last name was McLeod.” I say loud, feeling like a profound idiot. “I never asked around about you, nor met any of your friends and family. I trusted you.”
“Darcy.”
My eyes start to fill, but I refuse to cry in front of these horrible, good-for-nothing men. He was just a poor man, he told me himself. He told me he loved me.