Page 50 of The Rancher
Lyris couldn’t have been happier.
“Thank you, Maddy. I couldn’t do it if you weren’t on board.”
“See, Daddy? That’s the perfect woman for you…for us. She cares about us, not just herself, and she’s not trying to send me off to a boarding school.”
Ray’s eyes widened. “You knew about that?”
“I knew. I also know you turned Marissa down flat.” She kissed his cheek. “Thank you. You’ll never know how much it means that you cared for me first.”
He wrapped his arms around her and looked over at Lyris.
His eyes were bright with unshed tears that rolled out when he blinked.
“I always think of you first. You’re my baby and always will be.” He pulled back and kissed her forehead.
Lyris’s eyes teared up, too, at the happy looks on both father and daughter.
This was her family; he would be her husband, and Maddy would be her daughter. She might not call her Mom, but that was okay. The teen already had a mother, and from what she knew of Francie, she’d been a great mother.
Lyris knew she’d be a great mother, too. She was glad that she would have the chance now. All her dreams were coming true, all because she’d taken a chance and come to Whispering Winds Ranch.
Two weekslater
Lyris wasin the barn checking over the colts and the filly. Colt number two had recovered completely from the poisoning.
She let the babies and their mothers out into the corral attached to the barn. Even though there weren’t any traps in the pastures now, Lyris was still leery about letting them into the small pasture.
Ray walked into the barn. He walked over to Lyris and wrapped her in his arms before giving her a passionate kiss.
“What was that for?”
“I just heard from the sheriff. Ted, Marissa and Scott have all been charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, and for the poisoning of the colt. Ted is singing like a canary. He said it was all Marissa’s idea. He was just following orders.”
“What will happen now?”
“They’ll stand trial and hopefully go to prison. Marissa won’t do well in prison, but I don’t see that she has anyway around it. No matter if she confesses to all or part of the plan, she’ll still do some prison time.”
“She should. All this started because of her greed. She could have hurt someone, even killed the colt because of her greed.”
Ray took her in his arms. “We don’t have to think about them anymore. They are the problem of the justice system now. They are going to look into Francie’s murder now, too, because of what Ted told you.”
She put her right hand over Ray’s heart. “Oh, Ray, I’m so sorry about Francie. Marissa’s greed caused all of this from Francie’s murder forward. I hope they throw the book at her.”
He leaned down and kissed her lips. “We need to look forward not back. I believe Francie would be happy that I’ve found you. And Maddy loves you, too.”
“I love her, but her daddy holds my heart.”
“I’ll take care of it, too. Just as you will mine.”
“I will. Forever, my love. Forever.”
EPILOGUE
December, five months later
Rockland Church in the foothills west of Golden, Colorado
Lyris checkedherself in the full-length mirror. The dress she chose for her wedding was an off-white sheath with spaghetti straps, a lace overlay and a scalloped hem that reached just below her knees. Her dyed to match satin shoes had a two-inch heel so she could dance without her feet hurting too much.
