The brothers eyed each other and Mac’s hold on Dani’s hip tightened.
Nate laughed, brows raising. “Well now, this is new. Haven’t seen this side of you before, man.”
Mac released her hip and a small smile crossed his face. “Maybe if you came home more often, you would.”
“So you did miss me, huh?” Nate asked, grinning.
Mac laughed. “Maybe.”
“You know you did.”
“Nate, this is Dani Jones,” Mac said. “She’s heading up the renovations around here.”
Nate tossed the paintbrush on the rail and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Dani shook his hand and avoided his eyes, a bead of sweat trickling over her temple. “Nice to meet you, too.”
He smiled at her then turned to Mac. “I can see you’ve got enough help here, so I’ll find Cal and lend a hand elsewhere. Though I’d like to see my two beautiful nieces and cool nephew before I get started. Where are they?”
Mac gestured toward the front door. “Inside, second floor. And Nate? Thanks for coming. I know it probably cost you this time of year and I appreciate it.”
Nate paused on the threshold, his carefree grin faltering. “All you ever had to do was ask, Mac.”
After Nate left, Dani slumped back against the wall. “That was so embarrassing. I honestly thought he was you at first.”
Mac rubbed his hands over her upper arms, a rueful expression crossing his face. “Sorry about that. Old habits die hard, it seems. Used to, we got a kick out of pretending to be each other.” He shrugged. “I didn’t expect him to come home this soon—if at all.”
Dani frowned. “What did you mean when you said you knew it would cost him to come here?”
“Money. The circuit’s busy during the summer and I’m sure he had to ditch several competitions to help me out. Nate rarely comes home and it’s usually never of his own volition. We haven’t been all that close, lately. He likes chasing bulls too much.” He grimaced. “And women. Which may have been one reason why I overreacted just now.”
The sour note in his voice made her smile. He’d had the same look on his face when Scott had called. “So this other side of you—the one he’s never seen,” she prompted. “Which side might that be?”
He smiled then kissed her gently. “The jealous one.” His lips moved against hers as he asked, “And those secrets he mentioned. Which ones might those be?”
Her heart kicked her ribs. That I’m not perfect. That I messed up, but I love you. That I hope you’ll be able to forgive me.
She cupped his jaw and pressed her forehead to his, the truth and lies tangling so tight in her throat she could barely breathe. “We can talk about it later,” she said. “Right now, let’s work on saving your ranch.”
Chapter Nine
Mac slipped a finger under the collar of his T-shirt and tugged. Damn, it was hot. Too hot to be standing outside on the deck, waiting for a load of lawyers to arrive.
Tim nudged him with an elbow, shifting from one boot to the other at his left. “They were supposed to be here half an hour ago. Think they got lost?”
Mac rubbed the knot at the base of his neck and peered down the long driveway. Not a car in sight. “Could be.”
“Could be they stopped to stretch their legs or something,” Nate said at his side, staring at the driveway. “It’s a damned long trip from New York.”
“Could be they’re just not gonna show,” Cal said, walking up behind them. He plucked a bright strawberry from the plate in his hand and popped it in his mouth. “Might have decided to go to some fancy hotel instead.”
“They didn’t change their mind,” Mac said, though the possibility had occurred to him more than once. Taking the plate from Cal, he shook his head. “Didn’t you hear Dani say these were reserved for guests?”
“Yeah, Cal. They’re for guests.” Nate reached over, snagged a strawberry and took a bite. He groaned, clearly enjoying it, before saying, “And stop looking at me like that, Mac. Technically, since you invited me, I’m your guest.”
Mac cocked an eyebrow. “Really? You didn’t seem like a guest last night when you were barking orders at me.”
“I wasn’t barking orders at you. I was just offering advice on how to mow the fields properly and make a good first impression. Look at that.” He gestured toward the neatly manicured grass beside the driveway. “Look at those beautiful straight lines. There’s no way you would’ve pulled that off on your own.”
Mac smiled. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah.” Nate went for another strawberry.
Mac covered the plate with his hand and bit back a laugh. “Leave the damned strawberries alone. And you’re not a guest, you’re family.”
Nate flashed that cocky grin of his and pressed a hand to his chest. “You hear that, boys? My brother just admitted out loud, to God and everyone, that we’re related. Things are looking up for me.”
Mac shook his head. “Things would always look up for you if you’d stay in one place for more than a week at a time.”
“Well, count ’em.” He held up two fingers. “I’ve been here for almost two weeks now.”
“I know.” Mac smiled, recalling the dozens of piggyback rides Nate had given the girls and the several trips he’d taken with Jaxon to the fishing hole at Sugar Falls. “Wish you’d think about staying a while longer. The kids have been in hog heaven having you around again.”
Nate sobered and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ve missed ’em. They’ve grown so much since I last saw them.”
Mac eyed him, noting the slight sag of his shoulders and closed expression. He’d been gone for more than seven months this time out, moving from one competition to another. He’d looked tired when he’d arrived—exhausted, even. So much so, it worried him. And he’d forgotten how good it felt to have his brother back.
“This is still your home, Nate.” Mac bit his tongue. “At least...until the bank takes it.”
Nate looked up, his smile returning. “That’s not going to happen. Dani’s too ambitious and you’re too stubborn. After all the work you’ve put in sprucing this place up, there’s no way this ranch won’t turn a profit.”
“We,” Mac stressed. “We did this.” He glanced at Cal and Tim. “All of us.”
They’d worked their tails off overhauling this place and it’d never looked better. Every one of Dani’s ideas had pulled together better than he’d hoped. Now all they needed were customers.
Mac cringed and grabbed a strawberry, biting into it nervously. “Let’s just hope they show.”
“They’re here,” Dani said, walking swiftly onto the deck. “The driver just called and said they’re turning onto the driveway now.”
She carried a tray filled with glasses of lemonade, ice clinking in the glasses while the kids followed close behind her. Jaxon and the girls carried baskets of fresh fruit, excited looks on their faces.
Dani stopped, looked at the half-eaten strawberry in his hand and frowned. “Mac, I said those were for guests.”
“I tried to tell him that,” Nate drawled.
Mac rolled his eyes and smiled. “Yeah. It’s just like old times having you back, Nate.”
“I told you you missed me.” He laughed then headed down the walkway with Cal, Tim and the kids, saying over his shoulder, “Keep him straight, Dani.”
Dani smiled back at Nate. Friendly but reserved. And without the bright look in her eyes Mac had grown accustomed to.
He set the plate of strawberries aside, wondering what was up between her and Nate. They’d gotten along well over the past week and a half but he’d noticed Dani didn’t behave like herself around his brother. She was more quiet than usual and it seemed to be more than just residual embarrassment from their first awkward encounter. And Nate, uncharacteristically serious in tone, had begun f
ishing for information, asking Mac how he and Dani had met and where she was from.
Mac frowned. What had she said to Nate that day that made her so uncomfortable? On more than one occasion, he’d asked Nate but he’d been no help. Nate just brushed him off, saying it wasn’t his place to share and he was sure she’d get around to telling him herself. Which made him think it might have been too personal to repeat.
“Are you nervous?”
Mac glanced up, taking in Dani’s shaky smile and cute look of concern.
“Because there’s no reason to be.” She rose on her tiptoes, balancing the tray of drinks carefully, and kissed his cheek. “Just be you. Wonderful, fantastic you. And they’ll love this place as much as I do.”
Her words were solid. But he noticed the slight tremble in her arms, and her chest lifted against his arm with rapid breaths.
Something shifted in his chest as he considered the possibilities. Clearly, she was worried, too. But she was standing by his side, reinventing Elk Valley Ranch, hoping for the best and attempting to support him through the potential worst should it happen. As though she might feel as strongly for him as he had for her. It had certainly felt that way at the overlook when she’d used the word love.
He helped her balance the tray with one hand and caressed her nape with the other. “You remember what you said last week? About us being in this together?”
She nodded, relaxing beneath his touch.
The feel of her silky skin and supportive presence soothed him on the inside, slipping into his veins and making his heart swell within his chest. Just as it had for weeks now.
It hit him hard then. How happy Jaxon was playing baseball with her in the field in the afternoons. How much the girls smiled when she read them bedtime stories and braided their hair. And how much he looked forward to seeing her face each morning, realizing that every day he spent with her filled him up more on the inside. In a way Nicole never had.
The bittersweet thought shot a bolt of pain through him, leaving a guilty trail in its wake. But despite it, he couldn’t stop the next words from pushing past his lips.
“Us,” he whispered. “I like the sound of that.”
Her lips parted as she looked up at him, her cheeks turning a pretty pink. “Me, too.”
An engine rumbled across the valley, pulling his focus from her. Two stretch limos appeared, moving slowly down the slope of the last hill, then drew to a stop in front of the lodge. Cal, Tim and Nate walked to the driveway and smoothed a hand over their collars and belts. The girls set their baskets aside and ran up to one of the limos, cupping their hands and peering in the tinted windows.
“Girls, stop that,” Nate said. He and Tim scrambled after them as they ran to the next limo, laughing.
“Dad,” Jaxon shouted. “Nadine and Maddie are going to scare them off.”
“Hope you got enough lemonade,” Cal said, glancing up at them. “It’s hot as blazes out here.”
Mac looked at Dani, finding the same apprehension he felt reflected in her eyes.
“Well,” he said, digging deep for what he hoped was a sincere smile. “Looks like they just got their Elk Valley welcome, so let’s get this party started.”
* * *
ONE WEEK, SIX HIKES, seven trail rides and ten team-building sessions later, Jack Austin and his team packed their bags, ate dinner in Elk Valley Ranch’s banquet hall then headed back to New York. On the way out, Jack handed Mac a check for an amount so big he had to sit down and double-check the figure twice.
“You sure he made that out right?” Nate asked, leaning across the banquet hall table and studying the check.
“Yep,” Mac said. “He handed it to me at the door. Told me it included gratuity.”
Nate’s brow furrowed. “But I thought you and Dani included that in the original quote.”
“We did.” Mac smiled, glancing at Dani as she and the kids cleared the dirty dishes from another table then walked into the back kitchen. “He said he didn’t think I was charging enough, so he increased it.”
Nate sat back in his chair. “Well, damn. We actually managed to pull this off, huh?”
Mac nodded slowly. “Enough to hold the bank off for another month or two. And that’s not even the best part.” He retrieved a piece of paper from his pocket and held it up, tapping the name scrawled in ink toward the bottom. “Jack mentioned he recommended us to a few of his friends and Ann said she already got a call from one of them this morning. Said the guy’s secretary asked if he could stop by Monday morning to take a look around before reserving.”
Nate leaned closer and read the name. “Daniel Vaughn.”
“Yep. And something tells me that if he’s a friend of Jack’s, he must have money.” Mac put the paper back in his pocket. “Something we definitely still need.”
The double doors to the kitchen swung open and Dani and the kids walked out with empty trays, ready to clean off another table.
“Hold up,” Mac said, jumping to his feet and crossing the room. “You four have cleaned enough tonight and I just gave everyone else the night off.” He took the trays then stacked them on the table. “Nate and I will take care of the rest.”
“Did they like the place, Dad?” Jaxon asked.
Mac nodded. “They sure did. We’ve got another big spender stopping by Monday to take a look at the place and more guests than usual just checked in this morning, which means business is looking up.”
Dani moved close and whispered, “Did you make enough to get by another month or two?”
Mac smiled. “Yeah. And possibly a third.”
Her eyes lit up and she clasped her hands together, laughing. “That’s wonderful.”
“I think this calls for a celebration,” Mac said. “Maybe we could give the new guests something special and have a dance tomorrow night, here in the banquet hall, around eight?”
The girls whooped and started dancing, their blond curls bouncing.
Mac glanced at Nate. “You up for a party? We all deserve a night of fun and it’d give the staff a chance to run through a formal event for the first time. They’ll need the extra training if the guests keeping pouring in.”
“I’m down with that.” Nate stood then walked over and hugged Nadine and Maddie. “Just as long as my two favorite girls save me a dance.”
“Sure will.” Nadine grinned at Dani. “You gonna save Dad a dance, Ms. Dani?”
Mac waited, a slow heat building within him as Dani ran her eyes over him.
“There’s a good chance I will,” she said, smiling.
“I certainly hope so.” Mac glanced at his watch. “All right, kids. It’s time y’all head back to the lodge and wash up.”
“I’ll take them,” Dani said. “Come on, guys.”
The three of them headed out the door and Dani followed.
Mac watched her walk away, visualizing how long the walk was from the lodge to her cabin. There were eight hundred and sixty-two steps from his front door to hers. He’d counted during his walk to see her yesterday morning, hating how much distance was still between them.
Catching up with her, he took her hand and tugged her close. “Why don’t you stay at the lodge with us tonight instead of going back to the cabin?”
She hesitated, blinking up at him in surprise.
He bit his lip and looked over his shoulder. Nate had his back to them, collecting dirty dishes. “I mean, we have all those updated rooms and two of them are empty at the moment.”
A teasing light entered her eyes and she whispered, “Is that the only reason?”
He laughed. “For tonight, yeah.” He leaned down and brushed his lips across her cheek. “You’d be closer to us and it’d sure be nice to see you first thing in the morning.”
Her thumb smoothed across his wrist, making him weak at the knees. God help him, he wanted her ha
nds on him. Wanted his ring on her finger. Wanted her beside him every night and in his life every day.
“I’d like that,” she said. “Good night, Mac.”
He bent his head and kissed her, savoring the soft feel of her mouth beneath his and the pleasurable throb in his chest. “Good night.”
He waited until she walked through the door and out of sight, then returned to the table and started stacking dirty dishes.
Nate paused beside him, forks clutched in his hand. “In the two weeks I’ve been here, you’ve basically overhauled the ranch, led team-building exercises—which, by the way, I never thought I’d see you do—and now, you’re about to wash dirty dishes.” He whistled long and low. “You’ve got it bad, brother.”
Mac’s hands stilled on the tray, that familiar pang of discomfort returning. “Yeah. I do.”
Nate dropped the forks on the tray and started gathering up glasses. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“Maybe it is.”
“How so? She’s single, you’re single—”
“I wasn’t always.” Mac tightened his grip on the tray, feeling Nate’s eyes on him. “You know I was going to leave with you that day, right? That if Nicole hadn’t been pregnant with Jaxon, I would’ve left Elk Valley years ago. Even if she decided not to.”
Nate nodded slowly.
“I loved Nicole. I swear I did.” He blinked hard and shoved his hands in his pockets. “It was both our faults. We both put ourselves in that position. But I...” He gritted his teeth. “I resented not having the choice. And then I think of what my life would be like without Jaxon and—”
His voice broke and he looked away, focusing on the dark night outside the window.
“And you feel guilty?” Nate asked.
“Yeah.” He swallowed hard. “And it’s not just that. A while back, Maddie asked me if I still loved Nicole. I told her I did and that was true to a certain extent. But what I have with Dani is different. I don’t know if it’s because I was still so young when I met Nicole. That maybe that’s why everything feels so different with Dani. So new and powerful.” His throat closed. “I want Dani in my life but it’s not just me. Everything I do has an impact on Jaxon, Nadine and Maddie. I’d be taking a risk for them as much as for myself.”
A Home with the Rancher Page 14