“That’s a good idea, Debbie Sue.” He urged everyone into a group.
Before getting to his feet, Quint carefully lifted Jake off his knee and set him on Edwina’s station. He carefully touched Jake’s beak and gently tapped it. “I’m not a dickhead, little buddy.”
“Ed and I’ll be over there soon as we sort out everything here,” Debbie Sue said to Billy Don as he herded his little group out the front door. Debbie Sue slammed the door behind him.
Suddenly, quiet prevailed.
“Jesus Christ, are we okay?” Edwina asked. “I nearly shit myself.”
“Jesus Christ, are we okay?” Jake repeated. “I nearly shit myself.”
“Does he have to repeat every damn thing we say?” Edwina asked.
“That’s what parrots do. They mimic,” Debbie Sue answered.
Edwina went to her station where Jake perched, and put out her arm for him to climb on. “I hate to think what might have happened if you hadn’t had an urge to poop,” she told him. “Did you hear that, poopy bird? You saved the day.”
“Aarrrwk. Jake’s a poopy bird. Jake’s a poopy bird.”
Debbie Sue bent down and placed a tiny kiss on Jake’s beak. “We love you, Jake. You aren’t a poopy bird. You’re a hero.”
Jake touched his beak to her cheek. “Jake’s a hero. Jake’s a hero.”
Debbie Sue straightened. “I shouldn’t have told him that. Now he’s going to be stuck up.” She turned to Edwina. “Are Sandi and Nick a couple now?”
“I think so,” Edwina answered. “Next thing we hear they’ll be getting married. Edwina does it again.”
“Did you say something to her? Or to him?
“Not much. I just dropped a hint. They already liked each other. They just didn’t know it.”
“Honest to God, Ed, you should charge for your matchmaking services.
“Nah. I do it for love. There’s not enough love in this world.”
Debbie Sue pointed at her shattered mirror. “Looks like we’re going to be getting you a new mirror.”
“See what I’ve been trying to tell you about chasing criminals? It’s dangerous. It’s a wonder we aren’t all dead.”
“There you go again, Ed. Thinking the worst. Just remember. We didn’t find him. He found us.”
“Call nine-one-one,” Jake squawked.
Epilogue
A year later...
“I’m gonna kill that damn rooster.” Nick buried his head under his pillow.
Sandi giggled and snuggled closer to his side “His feelings will be hurt if he hears you say that.”
“I’m the only rooster in this house that’s got feelings.” His arm came around her and pulled her closer.
She lay there in total comfort against Nick’s big body and listened to the birds tweeting, the hens clucking and the braying of two mules Nick had succumbed to taking from someone he knew. The two mules always brayed to Christian Grey’s crowing.
After a delicious courtship, she and Nick had gotten married six months ago. In an informal ceremony, Buster had been his best man. Betty Ann had been her maid of honor.
She had sold her house in town and moved all fifteen of her animals to his ranch. The chickens had been placed in the pen with the llamas that were protecting them from predators. She had used the money from the sale of her house to buy the section of land adjacent to what Nick already owned. Now, she was a landowner. Together, they had more cattle.
Her business in town was going like gangbusters. Betty Ann was now the manager. The LaBarkery website was up and running and orders were coming in. She had leased a larger kitchen and hired three more women. LaBarkery had been featured in the local magazine.
Nick still drove down to Salt Lick every Monday morning and came back to Midland every Friday night. He was thinking about going back to school to get a PhD and starting his own consulting business.
Jake continued to live with Aunt Edwina and Vic. Lately, he was telling fortunes in the Styling Station and people were driving from neighboring towns to hear his predictions of the future.
Sandi continued to work with We Love Animals, rescuing unwanted creatures and finding new homes for them. Along with Betty Ann, she fought every day not to bring every one of them home with her.
Life was better than it had ever been. Living day to day with Nick’s affection and gentle nature, she was discovering that she didn’t hate men after all.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I want to acknowledge and thank my beta readers—Laura, Carolyn, Mona, Cathy and Tina—for taking the time to read this book and give me comments. But most of all, I thank them for telling me it’s funny. I was out on a limb here and I needed to hear someone say it’s funny even if they were fibbing to me. Their input was invaluable.
ALSO BY DIXIE CASH
I Can’t Make You Love Me, but I Can Make You Leave
Our Red Hot Romance is Leaving Me Blue
Curing the Blues with a New Pair of Shoes
Don’t Make Me Choose Between You and My Shoes
I Gave You My Heart, but You Sold It Online
My Heart May Be Broken, but My Hair Still Looks Great
Since You’re Leaving Anyway, Take Out the Trash
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA Today Bestselling Author Dixie Cash is sister team, Anna Jeffrey and Pam Cumbie. They have co-written 7 zany romance/mystery novels.
Jeffrey also writes steamy romance novels with a mainstream flavor. Her books have won the Write Touch Readers' Award, the Aspen Gold, and the More Than Magic awards. They have placed in the Ancient City Heart of Excellence and the NEC Readers Choice Awards and have been in the finals in the Colorado Romance Writers award, the Golden Quill and Southern Magic as well as the Write Touch Readers' Award, the Aspen Gold, and the More than Magic awards
She is a member of Romance Writers of America and NINC.
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