The rest of the piggycorns who wanted to come inside lie on a quilt in the corner, huddled together, the sounds of their light snoring filling the room.
“Just what I mean—nothing to tell. This morning the piggies got out, and some guy in a big black one-hundred-thousand-dollar SUV almost killed them.”
She whistles. “And was he hot?”
“No.Yes. Very hot. Very rich. He looked at me like I was a dirty farm girl.”
She pumps her eyebrows suggestively. “You could be, given the right man.”
I toss a pillow at her. She catches it to her chest and chucks it back. “Well, what? You could be. You haven’t been with anyone in years, Rowe. I bet those Collins boys are looking good right about now.”
“Oh my God, I’m going to kill you if you say something like that again.”
She laughs. “All right, I won’t. But it wouldn’t hurt to smile a little bit at a man. I mean, what else have you got to do besides save your family farm and destroy Luke and Sally Ray?”
I burst into laughter just as the doorbell pings. Cristina’s eyes flare. “Are you expecting anyone?”
“No. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s Luke with a moving truck ready to take everything.”
“Shut up. Maybe it’s that hot guy from today.” She inhales, getting excited. “Maybe he’s back and wants to date you. Maybe he couldn’t get enough of your whole farm-girl-thing and hasn’t been able to put you out of his mind.”
“Stop it. It’s not him.”
“Well, whoever it is, don’t leave them waiting.” She flicks her hand, and the feathers glued to the end of her sleeve slowly wave through the air. “Hurry.”
The doorbell peals again, and I hoist myself up from the mound of quilts. “I’m coming!”
As I shuffle toward the door, the room tilts. I grab a wall to steady myself. Perhaps Cristina made the margaritas stronger than normal.
Good. Now I’m loose. If it’s Luke, I’m ready to tear into him. What am I saying? Of course it’s Luke.
The pealing doorbell woke up the piggycorns, who are now up and stretching, eager to greet our new guest. They bunch around my legs as I leave the room.
I nudge piggycorns out of my path and yank open the door. “Listen, you, I’ve had just about enough of—”
And then I blink. Because it’s not Luke standing on my front porch.
No. It’s the man from earlier today. The one in the SUV who almost killed me.
He smiles grimly and says, “Hello. My name is Pane Maddox, and I’m here to save your farm.”
