One Texas Cowboy Too Many (Burnt Boot, Texas #3)(86)

“Whew!” Sawyer wiped a hand across his brow dramatically. “You really are diving right into the deep water. Mavis will pitch a bitchin’ hissy if he accepts.”

“That’s her problem.”

Honey Brennan wasted no time getting to Leah and giving her a hug. “I might get disowned for this, but I understand you’ve got a big empty living room where I can throw down my sleeping bag. Do you realize you are the very first from either family to ever sit in the middle section? You’ve broken the ice for the rest of us.”

“I guess I am. I didn’t think of that. To tell the truth, I was so nervous this morning that if Rhett hadn’t held my hand, I’m not sure I could have faced everyone. Does Granny really blame me for the fire last night?”

Honey’s head bobbed up and down. “Oh, yes. It’s your rebellion that caused us to lose our school, and I’m not sure, but you might have caused everything for the past year.”

“Hey, Honey,” Rhett said, “why don’t you come have dinner with us? You can lay claim to which corner of the living room you want if you get thrown off River Bend.”

“I’m not that brave yet,” Honey said.

Betsy looped her arm through Rhett’s and leaned against him. “The preacher said we should love our neighbor. I’d like to do that. You name the time and place.”

“He also said you should love your enemy,” Rhett said.

She backed away quickly. “That ain’t happenin’. Not in a million years.”

“So do you love Tanner?” Leah asked Rhett.

“Sure I do. I’d love to beat the shit out of him,” Rhett said.

Leah slapped a hand over her mouth to keep the giggles from echoing off the church walls. Before she could get control, a little girl tapped her on the arm and she looked down at one of her students—Millie Gallagher.

“Hello. Are you having a good weekend?” Leah asked.

“No, I am not. I’m having a birthday party next weekend, and I want to invite my new friend, Carrie Brennan, and Mama says it ain’t happenin’. But the preacher said we should show love to everyone, and I really like Carrie, and she’s my new best friend at school.”

Leah hugged the child to her side. “I’m so sorry, Millie. But Mama’s rules are the law and teacher’s rules can’t override them.”

“Can we have a party in the classroom?” Millie’s eyes misted, and she sniffled.

“We’ll see what we can do,” Leah said. “No promises about a real party, but we will sing to you on your birthday.”

“Thank you, Miz Leah.” Millie waved at Carrie and skipped across the church to talk to her.

“And so it begins,” Rhett said.

“What begins?”

“The end of the feud. It’ll be baby steps, but we might see it done and finished in our lifetime,” he answered.

“I hope so. There’s my dad and Declan. Let’s invite them both to dinner,” she said. “Hey, Daddy,” she called out and waved.

He and Declan stopped and waited for her and Rhett to catch up.

“How much hay did you lose?” Rhett asked when they were closer.

“Whole barn full of hay. Insurance will take care of it at today’s market price, but we all know in the winter, when it gets scarce, the price goes up. I’m glad no one got hurt.” Russell shook hands with Rhett and then hugged Leah. “Your mama cat is out in my truck in the carrier. She don’t like to be penned up, so I reckon we’d best get on out there and transfer her over into your vehicle so you can take her to her new home.”

“We’d like for you and Declan to come to Sunday dinner at our place. You’ll be our first guests,” Leah said.

“Yes,” Declan said in a hurry.

“That didn’t take long,” Leah said.

“Granny is on the warpath. I’m the one who helped you pack and load up, so I’m in trouble too. I’d gladly eat a bologna sandwich in peace instead of listening to her bitch while I’m having turkey and dressing,” he explained.

“I’d love to have dinner with y’all. We’ll leave the cat and kittens in my truck and take them out when we get over to Rhett’s place—seems strange to call it that after all these years of it being Polly’s place,” Russell said.

“Or to call it Double Shot instead of Polly’s Place,” Rhett said. “I like the name, so I’m leaving it as is.”

“Glad to hear it. Some stuff needs to be changed, but that was the second ranch to get started here back when old man Cleary threw his boots in the fire. He built the general store and settled on Fiddle Creek. Then his brother relocated here and built the bar and named his ranch Double Shot. That was before they even had a post office,” Russell said. “I’m going to catch up with Kinsey and tell her what our plans are, so they won’t hold dinner for us on River Bend. Declan and I’ll see you in a little bit.”

“And thanks.” Declan smiled.

“This is a special day,” Leah said. “It’s the first time I can ever remember that my father, my brother, and I will sit down to the table together.”

“You don’t eat together every Sunday?”

“We eat together as a family every day, but I can’t ever remember a time when Granny wasn’t there or when it was only the three of us,” she said.