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Something her mother noticed since she slid her comforting touch over Megan’s hand. “Ladies do not need to hear this conversation,” she snapped at the men. “Take it outside and sort this out.”
Dad turned and glared.
Mom glared right back and pointed to the living room door. “Go.”
Megan stared at Nash. Look at me. I’m here. Look at me.
He didn’t look. He followed her dad outside.
Megan’s heart sank.
“So.” Jenny finally broke the silence. “A baby?” She smiled from ear to ear, and with all the anger gone from the room, the only thing left was love. So much warmth. “I admit I wasn’t expecting that. I thought a wedding was in our future.”
Megan returned the smile, though it felt forced. “We seem to have skipped that part.”
Jenny’s mouth twitched. “Sometimes things are best done out of order.” She rose then wrapped her arms around Megan tight. Megan sank into the hold, feeling like she needed the hug more than ever. When Jenny leaned away, she kissed one of Megan’s cheeks, then the other. “A baby. I’m finally going to be a grandmother. You’ve made me very, very happy today, Megan. I’m so excited for you and Nash.”
Megan’s smile felt a little more honest now. “Thanks.” She placed her hand on her belly. “I’m really happy.” She turned to her mother, finding her expression soft. “Are you?”
“Of course, I’m thrilled.” Her mom grabbed her hand again with both of hers. “I’m also happy you finally told us.”
Megan took in her mom’s smug look. “You knew I was pregnant?”
“I’m your mother, Megan,” her mom chided. “You have become very emotional, in a way you weren’t before. Then you stopped drinking beer when you came over.” She smiled softly and patted Megan’s hand. “You always drink beer with your father, honey.”
Before Megan could respond, an earsplitting crash came from outside.
Megan frowned. “That can’t be good.”
“No, it can’t,” Jenny said, then rushed outside.
By the time Megan reached Jenny on the porch, she realized her father had picked up his favorite porch chair and tossed it at Nash, who stood next to the rubble, his hands in his pocket, the smuggest look on his face.
She turned to her dad, aghast. “You threw a chair at him?”
They both ignored her, and her dad growled at Nash, “You irresponsible prick. How could you do this to her?”
Nash arched the most arrogant eyebrow. “I didn’t do anything she didn’t want.”
Oh, the egotism that dripped off his tone. They were going to kill each other. “Would you two stop it?” Megan said.
“You did this on purpose?” Dad growled, pointing at Nash. “All to get to me.”
“This has nothing to do with you.” Nash snorted. “Get over yourself.”
Dad trotted down the stairs and got into Nash’s face. “This will only happen over my dead body.”
Nash grinned. All teeth. “As long as I can do the killing part.”
Megan glanced right, realizing they weren’t alone anymore. The Irish Creek cowboys and farmhands were all watching the show now. News of this would spread through River Rock. Megan looked back at Nash’s red face, the veins bulging on the sides of his neck. She studied her dad’s furious eyes. She sighed and glanced down next to her on the porch, picturing her little girl or boy here watching this.
“Megan, dear,” Jenny said tenderly, placing her hand on Megan’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“I hate this,” she admitted, placing a hand on her belly, feeling more protective of the innocence inside her than ever. All anyone in town would hear was that Nash and her dad were fighting. They wouldn’t know how happy Megan was that she was pregnant and how excited she was about the baby. Hell, how happy she was with Nash. When he wasn’t fighting with her dad, of course.
On the other side of her, her mom took Megan’s hand. “Let them get out what they need to get out.” She hesitated, watched the testosterone fly around, then addressed Megan again. “But I never raised you to put up with it either.”
Jenny gave a firm nod and took Megan’s other hand. “We’ve lived with this feud for a very long time. The only way to survive it is to stand above it. Nash will either follow you or he won’t.”
