Meagan's Marine (Halos & Horns)

Meagan's Marine (Halos & Horns) by Lori Leger Page A

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Authors: Lori Leger
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how long
will you two be in my glorious state?”
    Tex hooked a thumb toward his sister.
“Annie Oakley here’s got a race tonight and tomorrow, so we’ll be heading out
on Sunday.”
    Haley spun around to face her brother.
“Who the hell is Annie Oakley?”
    Tex stuck his finger in her face. “Watch
your mouth.”
    Haley’s mouth fell open. “You’re joking,
right? For saying the word hell?”
    He flicked the tip of her nose. “Nope,
for not knowing who Annie Oakley is. You being’ a horsewoman and all, you
should know everything there is to know about her.”
    “Oh please…”
    “So!” Mitch interrupted the bickering
siblings. “You’ve got a horse race at Delta Downs? You betting or riding?”
    Haley’s brow furrowed in a pretty,
little frown before she and Tex burst into laughter. “Not horse racing, Mitch.
Barrel racing. The only thing I race against is the clock.”
    “That’s right! I heard there was a rodeo
at the coliseum this weekend. Barrels—Is that where they do that figure eight
thing in an arena?” Mitch waved his finger in a figure eight pattern in the
air.
    “Three barrels, so it’s a cloverleaf
pattern.”
    He nodded, pointing at her. “I was watching
some of that the other day. That stuff can get dangerous.”
    “Not if the horse and rider both know
what they’re doing. Barrels are Dakota’s favorite thing to race.”
    “You ride a male horse?”
    “A gelding, you mean? I have, but Dakota
is short for Miss Red Dakota. She didn’t care for roping calves, and barely
tolerated poles and break-a-way. But if she sees a barrel, I have to hold her
back. My event starts at two o’clock, and I need all the support I can get.”
    “I’ll be there.” Mitch nodded, wondering
if Meagan and Buck would enjoy watching something like that.
    ****
    Mitchell watched Haley’s race, amazed at
the speed and agility of both horse and rider. Haley and her Miss Red Dakota
operated as a single unit, leaning and turning as one, building speed and slowing
to circle incredibly close to the barrels, missing them by a hair.
    Tex whooped loudly when his little
sister rounded the last barrel and sped back to the starting point. “That’s
what I’m talkin ’ about, Haley girl! That was a clean
ride and slick as a greased pig. Damn, that girl can ride, can’t she?”
    “Yes sir. It looks like she’s been doing
that all her life.”
     “Close to it, I want to say she
first got on a horse at two and they’ve been her life since then. I think if
mom had let her sleep in the stables with them, she would have.”
    Being that Haley was the last to ride in
her group, they didn’t have to wait long to hear she’d won that round of the
barrels competition. After rousing applause, he stood to follow Tex down the
metal steps of the bleachers.

 
    chapter 8
    Birthdays, Brawls, and Brothers in Arms
     
    The three of them entered Red’s club
around eight p.m. at Haley’s anxiousness to get her evening of legalized
drinking started early.
    Mitch led them straight to Meagan’s end of
the bar, just in time to witness an unruly customer giving her a hard time.
    “Come on baby, what other tricks you got
up your sleeve?”
    “I’d be willing to show you more but I
have customers,” she said, sounding apologetic. He grabbed her arm, jerking her
to an abrupt halt as she turned away from him.
    She turned slowly toward him. “If you
don’t want to be banned from this place for life, you will take your hands off
of me right now.”
    He released her immediately and raised
both hands. “All right. No harm done!” He spun on his barstool and walked away,
grumbling to himself.
    Meagan shook her head and grinned at
Mitchell’s approach. “I almost hate to start the bartender tricks. There’s
always one guy looking for a little more than I have time for.”
    Mitch’s gaze followed the dude she’d
just chased away. “I think that one wants something more substantial than a
flame throwing orange.”
    “Oh

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