Protecting The Colton Bride. Elle James
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his inspection and dug into his pocket for his grandmother’s wedding ring. He wished he’d had time to take it to a jeweler to have it sized properly and fitted into a pretty box for safekeeping. But after they’d made their decision, they’d agreed they had little time to dawdle.
In the past hour, he’d taken care of the animals and informed Jack he’d be leaving. Then he’d arranged for someone to take care of the breeder barn in his absence and check on Halo through her recovery.
He’d barely had time to pack a bag and file a flight plan with the Tulsa airport. In less than thirty minutes, he and Megan would be on their way to Vegas to get married.
Holy smokes! He was getting married.
Granted, it was a marriage of convenience, but it was no less nerve-racking. Megan came from a family far above Daniel’s social class. Hell, for the first ten years of his life, he’d lived on the reservation in a trailer. Megan grew up in the lap of luxury, surrounded by people who took care of her every need. How could he compete with that?
He’d never truly been one of the elite Coltons, either. He’d never felt like he quite fit in.
Now he was marrying into a family known nationwide for their wealth and prestige. Megan’s parents were often in the news attending various events.
Then he reminded himself that she’d given up that lifestyle to come to work for him. She was willing to muck stalls and get her hands into the dirty and not so pleasant tasks of raising horses. Her fancy upbringing hadn’t slowed her down one bit. She was tough and fearless when it came to working with the large animals.
Megan had driven back to her apartment in Tulsa to throw some clothes into a suitcase and get back to the ranch. She’d be here any minute, ready to climb aboard the small plane the Coltons owned.
Damn. Where was that ring? When he couldn’t find the pretty emerald-and-diamond ring, he nearly had a heart attack.
“Daniel!” Ryan Colton, Daniel’s half brother, emerged from the darkness of the hangar into the bright Oklahoma sunlight. “Heard you were heading to Vegas.”
“I am,” he said, digging deeper into both front pockets.
Ryan’s eyes narrowed. “Forget your key to the plane?” His lips twitched.
Daniel’s fingers connected with metal, and the tension in his shoulders released. The ring was safe in his pocket. “No, thank goodness, I have it.”
“Dude, the plane doesn’t take a key.”
His mind on the trip ahead, Daniel ignored Ryan’s comment. “What brings you out to the hangar?”
“Jack informed me Halo was poisoned. What’s going on?”
The tension returning for an entirely different reason, Daniel’s chest tightened. “The lab reported they found poison in Halo’s blood. We have no idea how it happened.”
“Maybe she got hold of something in the barn or in the field.”
“Megan and I went over the entire barn, thoroughly cleaned Halo’s stall and couldn’t find anything that would have poisoned her. We don’t use rat poison in the barn.”
Ryan smiled. “That’s why we have Sleek.”
“Right, and we have too much invested in the horses we keep in the breeder barn to risk storing anything poisonous there.”
“Do you think someone might have given it to her?”
Daniel had considered that option. “Who would want to hurt Halo? She’s one of the best mares in my breeding program, and she’s got the best temperament.”
“I don’t know.” Ryan scratched his chin. “Do you know of any competing breeders who’d go to the trouble of sabotaging your horses?”
Daniel shook his head. “It’s not like she’s a race horse with the potential to win a derby.” He shrugged. “It makes no sense.”
“I’ll nose around and see if I can learn anything that’ll shed some light.”
“Thanks.”
“Hey, on another topic, is Greta back from Oklahoma City?” Ryan asked.
His half sister, Greta, had been in Oklahoma City busily planning her wedding to Mark Stanton, the son of one of the wealthiest families in the state. He missed her expertise with the horses. She was one of the best trainers he’d known.
“Not that I know of.” Daniel checked beneath the plane for any leaks. “Why do you ask?”
“I could swear I saw her at the hardware store yesterday.” Ryan shrugged. “Must have been seeing things.”
“I’ll be glad when she’s done with this wedding planning business.” Daniel straightened.
“You and me both. It’s not like her to get all girlie.”
Megan emerged from the shadows of the hangar and out into the open, rolling a suitcase behind her. She wore jeans, boots and a green blouse that exactly matched her eyes. Her hair was damp but pulled back in her normal French braid. Other than the nice shirt, she looked like she was ready to go to work, not to her wedding in Vegas.
Daniel’s heart skipped several beats. Megan could wear a feed sack and make it look great. With those long legs, the subtle sway of her hips and the way she smiled...his groin tightened, and he wanted to hold her close all over again. Keeping her at arm’s length would be a challenge.
“Hey, Dan.” Ryan waved a hand in front of Daniel’s face.
Daniel barely saw the hand, his gaze on the woman walking toward them.
Ryan turned. “Ah, Megan. Are you going, too?”
Megan rolled her case to a stop, nodding. “Yes, I am.” Her gaze shot from Daniel to Ryan and back.
Daniel took Megan’s bag and loaded it into the plane. “I have a couple more checks. Then we’ll be ready to go.”
“So, what’s in Vegas besides the usual—gambling, wedding chapels and shows? I haven’t heard of any of those involving horses.” Ryan stared at Daniel, then Megan.
A flush of pink rose in Megan’s cheeks. She glanced at Daniel and gave him a slight shake of her head.
Taking Megan’s cue, Daniel replied, “We’re going to see a man about a horse. If the Kennedy Farms deal doesn’t work out, we want to have a backup plan.” Daniel didn’t like lying to his brother, but Megan wasn’t ready to announce their plans, and that was okay with him. He wasn’t certain how he felt about what they were about to do.
“Well, then, I won’t keep you.” Ryan held out his hand. “Be careful. I understand there are some storms heading this way.”
“I’ve already checked the weather. We’re flying north of the system.” Daniel took his brother’s hand.
“Good. We kind of like having you two around.” Ryan shook Daniel’s hand and then pulled him into a hug. “See you in a day or two?”
“It might be closer to a week.”
“A week?” Ryan stepped back, his eyes wide. “What kind of horses take a week to look at?”
Daniel’s lips firmed. “After we stop in Vegas, we’re going to California to check out more horses. I have a meeting scheduled with Marshall Kennedy in Reno in a week. We’ll be back at the Lucky C long enough to regroup and head out again.”
“Sounds like a nice vacation. Wish I could go along with you.” Ryan nodded. “Again, you two take care and come back in one piece.”
“We will.”
Ryan stood back as Daniel helped Megan into the plane and climbed in after her. She settled in the copilot’s seat and Daniel sat beside her, going over the remainder of his