Page 40 of The Cowboy Takes A Bride

She was instantly deflated. “You don’t think it’ll work for us?” Maybe he didn’t want to be this close to her; the setting would be more intimate than the house.

“I think it would be great for us, actually. But my folks will never go for it. There’s this tradition about passing down the house, and they’ll want to pass it down to us, especially while Pops is alive to see it.” Jace ducked his head and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “But all this place needs would be a rehab of the bathroom, and my folks could live here. It’s perfect, really. No stairs, lots of space. I could build on a sun room to the back and give them more space.” He looked around and nodded. ”Yeah, I think it’ll work, and it was a great idea.”

Meredith beamed and clapped her hands in excitement. “I’ll start cleaning it out today.”

Jace shook his head. “Don’t go nuts. When I have someone redo the bathroom, it’ll make another mess.”

She pointed at him. “Good point. But I’ll at least wash what I can. When can you get someone out here to do the restroom?”

Laughing, he wrapped an arm around her. “How about we go into town for dinner, and I can talk to a few fellas at the diner?”

Meredith pushed him away, surprised by how natural it felt to have his arm around her. There was something very pleasing about the familiarity of the entire exchange. “You better get to work then so I can get my stuff done. The sooner we do, the sooner we can start on this and give your mom and dad the privacy they deserve.” She spun on her heel and left the building.

“Where you going?” he called after her.

“To get the eggs.” It was freeing to have a task. She liked participating, and knowing she’d come up with the solution for his parents made her stand tall with self-pride. She was not as her dad wanted her to believe—useless. She wasn’t some pawn to be used in his machinations. She was a person with purpose, and now a life. Meredith fairly skipped to the coop. Letting herself into the gate, she made sure to latch it behind her. The space was large, nearly half the length of a football field, and gave the flock range to roam. The coops ran down the center of the space.

After snagging the basket from the fence, Meredith lifted the roof from the first coop and took out the eggs like Marjory had shown her. She hoped Jace was watching.

At the second house, she flipped open the roof, stuck in her hand, and let out a blood-curling scream.

Meredith hopped around the yard, chickens scattering at her feet, flapping her hands in the air wildly, and pausing only seconds to wipe them down her jeans. A basket of broken eggs lay on the ground.

Jace raced to her, jumping the fence. He caught her by the shoulders and gave a small shake. “What’s happened? Are you hurt?”

“I touched it! I had it in my hand.” She gave a violent shiver and wiped her hands again.

“Touched what?” Jace grabbed her hands and inspected them.

“The snake. Bleck. It’s a big fat snake.” She jerked her hands from his and spit on them, rubbing them together immediately following. “I will never get that feel out of my brain. So gross.”

Jace laughed and pointed to the hen houses. “Which one?”

“The second.” She moved back.

Jace lifted the roof then smiled at her from under his arm. “Milksnake. Old wives’ tale is that they drink milk from the cow’s teat. Not poisonous.”

“Oh, my God. I don’t even want to think about that.” Meredith fanned herself, not wanting to show weakness, but had the urge to plop to the ground.

“You know why he’s still in here?” Jace reached in, and with lightening quick reflexes, pulled the snake out. It dangled and coiled from his hand.

Meredith dropped to the ground. “Uh, because he was hungry?” She thought she might puke.

“That’s what brought him here, but not what kept him. He’s too fat to get out the small hole he came in through.” Jace pointed to the bulge in the body of the snake.

“What is that?” Meredith asked before covering her mouth.

“Looks like two eggs. Greedy bastard. If he wants eggs he’ll have to do his share of the work around here.”

“What are you going to do with him?” She rose from the ground, brushing off her jeans, but making sure not to get too close.

“I’m gonna kill him. He’s likely got a den nearby and will be back often. I can’t have him eating the chicks.”

Meredith gulped. She scanned the yard and started countingthe little chicks. Unfortunately, she had no baseline to know if one was missing.

“You okay? You look a little pale.” When Jace stepped toward her, she scurried back.

“I’m a little freaked out.”

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