Because of Fate (Book 1 of Because of Series)

Chapter 9- Bryson's POV

I pressed my lips into a thin line and didn't say a word while I fiddled with the lead rope. My whole body was tense, and I couldn't help but feel a little bit bad for Margaret and her family.

Blake cleared his throat and shifted on his feet, and we looked at him and waited for him to say something.

However, he didn't say a word while he looked at her daughter before he looked at me, slowly blinking, and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in question while I waited for him to say something.

"Are you ok?" Maybelle asked while she furrowed her brows and cocked her head while she studied me. "Gally didn't scare you that bad, did he?"

I hesitated before I shook my head and cleared my throat while I shifted on my feet. "I am fine," I said coldly before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet again. "He didn't scare me that bad." I hesitated before I patted the horse beside my side.

Gal whickered softly and nuzzled my side while he flicked his tail and waited for Maragret to come back. He snorted and shook his head before he nuzzled my side again, and I bit back a small smile while I moved a hand across his side again.

"So... your mom told me that you rode Admiral," Blake said, changing the subject while he looked at her again. He raised an eyebrow in question while he cocked his head, studying her. "Is that true?"

"Yes," she said and nodded in confirmation. "I've ridden him before, but I normally ride Sprite or Bonnie." She shrugged and grimaced before she cleared her throat and shifted on her feet. "I have ridden Clyde before, but I haven't ridden him that much."

"Why not?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "Why haven't you ridden him that much?"

"Well, because I am little, and Clyde can be such a handful sometimes," Maybelle replied. "He was more of a handful that Gally, and Gally is quite the handful."

"Even though he seems to be doing fine now," Blake said, and I silently agreed, even though a part of me thought it was because of Margaret and whatever she told him. "Is he always this calm?"

"No," I heard Margaret say from the trailer. "Ok, Girlie Girl, let's go ahead and get out. Are you going to be as hard as Sprite or not?"

The mare snorted, and that was all I could make out except for the fact that Margaret chuckled.

"Good, good," she said before she cleared her throat and started to lead the mare out of the trailer. "That's a good girl."

"After this, are we going to get the dogs and cat settled?" Maybelle asked while she looked at the trailer. "I think Pickles and Tinie are ready to come out of the truck."

"We will," Margaret confirmed.

"I can go ahead and park your truck where it needs to be, Dear," Mom offered. "If that is ok with you. You do have it still running."

I looked at the truck and sure enough, I saw that it was still running, even though all of the kids were outside and no one was in there, so there wasn't a reason as to why it should be running like that."

"Yes, that is because I have a dog and cat in there," Margaret replied, and I cringed in guilt. "And I would take you up on the offer, but Pickles... does not take kindly to strangers, and May has her hands full with Sprite and Admiral to be of use for you."

"I can take Sprite," Blake offered, and I sent him an annoyed look. He looked at me and winked before he looked in the direction of the trailer where Margaret was coming out with her last horse. "That way Maybelle can go with Mom and take care of your truck. Why isn't she locked up in a cat carrier or something, anyway?"

"She broke it," Travis said from where he was with my niece and nephews, who were still petting that dog. "It was about two hours in, but she broke it. Surprisingly, she didn't get hurt or hurt anyone else, especially Tinie."

"Well, that's because she's a super cat," Maybelle said in a duh tone. "Mommy, will that be fine?" she asked, changing the subject. "Can I go with Mrs. Leselie and help her park the truck?"

Margaret stayed silent, hesitating. She didn't say a word when she finished getting Bonnie out of the trailer and made her way over to us with Bonnie staying quiet and looking at everything and everyone with calm brown eyes.

"She'll be fine with me," Mom promised. "I am sure that Travis has Donovan under control while you get the horses situated?" she asked, and I had a feeling that she raised an eyebrow in question.

I grew still and set my jaw while my heart skipped a beat because I just realized that if she was to go in the truck with Margaret, then that would leave the pit behind with a lot of children, and I knew that a pit could turn at my family in a matter of seconds.

"Well, we can put Dono in the back of the truck, and I can come, too," Travis said. "That way, I can go ahead and help get all of the dogs out of the truck when it's parked. May will have to carry Pickles, though."

"And then we can get the stuff we brought with us out," Maybelle said before she looked at me. "Do I have my own room, or do I have to share a room?" She wrinkled her nose and pursed her lips in annoyance. "Please, tell me that I don't have to share a room with anyone because having to share a small room with two other people is annoying."

"You won't have to," Mom siad with a small chuckle in her voice. "Thankfully, the downstairs apartment has three bedrooms and two baths. There is also enough room for the dogs and cat to be in there, too."

Margaret breathed a small sigh of relief and slowly nodded. "Ok," she said before she cleared her throat and handed Blake the lead rope, and Blake took it without saying a word. "Then let me get my trailer hooked back up, get Dono and the kids back into the truck, and make sure that my cat is "secured" before you drive my truck and park it wherever, Leslie," Margaret said. "Tinie will not give you any trouble at all. After that, I will make sure to get my horses situated before the three of us do anything else."

"Like eating?" Maybelle asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm hungry."

Margaret bit back a small laugh and nodded. "Yes," she said. "Like eating. We will get something to eat after everything else is done."

"Then it's a good thing that I can whip something up fast for you all," Mom promised, and Margart opened her mouth to protest, and I had a feeling that Mom knew that Margaret was about to protest. "Now, now," she said, softly scolding, interrupting her. "I hope you don't have your mouth open to argue with me, Margaret Dear because it is not needed. I do not mind doing this for you at all, so close your mouth." She paused and cleared her throat. "If not, then all you have to do is say "thank you," and we will be even. Deal?"

Margaret gave us a small look that seemed to say, "help," but all we did was shrug and grimace because there was no way in hell we were going to go against whatever plan our mother suggested.

"Sorry, but if you want to argue with her, then you are on your own," Blake teased with a small wink, and Maragert bit back a small sigh before she shook her head. "If not, then I suggest doing what she said for you to do."

Margaret pressed her lips into a thin line and furrowed her brows before she slowly relented with an annoyed sigh and a small nod. "Ok," she said before she cleared her throat. "Then, thank you, Leslie. I do appreciate this a lot. I really do."