Mastering Macie [The Men of Treasure Cove 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Rebecca Joyce

  “In the barn, looking for Tabby,” the man said.

  “Doc, stay with Rusty,” Travis shouted. Grabbing a gun, Matthew followed the Quinn brothers out to the barn. Adrenaline flowed fast in his veins. He felt hot, wired, and ready for action, something he hadn’t felt in years. He had gone soft living in the city. Being back home had everything that was engrained in him from birth rushing back to the surface. He felt alive for the first time in twenty-six years.

  “Fan out. No one leaves,” Travis ordered.

  The barn was eerily quiet. Not even the livestock were making noise. Matthew could see the blood from Rusty on the floor, along with a wrench splattered with blood. Walking over the weapon, he kicked it out of the way, moving down the long walk, past the stalls, stopping when he heard a whimper.

  “Tabitha,” he whispered as Tucker ran toward the tack room.

  “I’ve got ya, Tabby. It’s all right,” he cooed to his daughter as his other brothers each petted her.

  “Baby girl, where’s Momma?” Travis asked, wiping her tears.

  “He kilt Momma.” She cried harder, clinging to Tucker. “He kilt her!”

  “Who, Tabitha?” Matthew said, brushing her hair from her face.

  “Tabitha, baby, you have to tell us who hurt Mommy,” Tate said, rubbing her back. However, Tabitha wasn’t listening to anyone. His granddaughter’s uncontrollable sobs were breaking his heart. He walked away from being a father because of the unknown. He was scared and didn’t know what to do. He was young and stupid. However, standing in that room, watching his flesh scared and crying, every paternal feeling he never knew he had came rushing forward. He didn’t know who made his granddaughter cry, but when he got his hands on the son of a bitch, he was going to put a fucking bullet between their eyes.

  After searching the barn with no luck, he returned in minutes.

  Emma was nowhere to be found.

  It didn’t take long for all the men and some of the ranch hands to saddle up. He knew what they were going to do, and he wished he was going with them, but he refused to allow anyone else to watch his granddaughter. “Where are you guys going first?” Matthew asked as Andy came out holding Tabitha in his arms.

  Her little face was red and splotchy. God, she was killing him. He wanted so much to hold her, but she wouldn’t let him. He didn’t blame her. She didn’t know him. She was comfortable with Andy. He was always the personable one, the nice one. Matthew just hoped that someday, she would let him hold her.

  “We’re gonna check the property. If she isn’t here, then we’re going to have to fan out and head to the neighboring ranches. He couldn’t have gotten far. Braxton has already called into the office, and the boys over there are combing the town. You just keep an eye on your granddaughter. Not a scratch, Doc, I mean it,” Travis said, pulling on his reins and galloping away.

  “Don’t worry so much, Doc. We got the easy job.” Tucker smiled galloped off.

  “She likes The Lion King. It calms her, and for God’s sake, no sugar! That girl will be bouncing all over the place within twenty minutes,” Tate informed them, taking off after his brothers.

  “I feel like I should be doing something more,” Andrew said, looking at him.

  “I think we have done enough already. That girl hates us. Let’s just take care of Tabitha and watch The Lion King.”

  “Doc?” Tabitha whispered.

  “Yeah, baby girl?” his brother softly said, patting her back.

  “The pond.”

  “What about the pond, sweetie?” Andrew questioned.

  “That’s where he took Momma,” she barely said, hiding her face once again in Andrew’s shoulder, whimpering. Matthew looked at his brother, and when Andy nodded, Matthew walked into the house, grabbing the last rifle in the cabinet.

  “Come on, Tabitha. Let’s go hunt us a pesky wabbit.”

  “Elmer Fudd?” she said, looking up at him with a smile.

  “Yeah, little one, only this time, this Elmer Fudd ain’t gonna miss.”

  * * * *

  Matthew was exhausted. After leaving Emma in the loving hands of his brother and the Quinn brothers, he headed home. Now that Emma was free of that bastard who was hunting her, she could start to live her life without a shadow hanging over her. Matthew knew she was in capable hands, and he trusted the Quinn brothers to take care of her.

  Emma was so much more than he could have ever hoped for. She had grown up into a strong, beautiful woman. To add to his delight, he also met his granddaughter, Tabitha. His heart was full of joy. The little sprite looked so much like his mother. It was awe inspiring, and yet, she favored her mother, just the same.

  He knew his return to Treasure Cove wasn’t going to be an easy one, but now that his daughter had returned home where she belonged, he just couldn’t see going back to the city. Even he could admit that himself. The chaos, loud noises, and crime were getting to him. He’d been suffocating and hadn’t even known it. Being back home, with the wide-open range, he took a deep breath, one he hadn’t taken in years.

  Pulling into the driveway in front of his family home, he sighed.

  He was finally home.

  Grabbing his bags from the trunk of his car, he walked up the porch steps and walked on in. Nothing had changed.

  It was as if he was twenty-one again. Those same feelings he had the day he left plagued him, and for the first time since returning, he wondered if he was making the right decision. Within the last couple of hours, a lot had changed. He was no longer just Matthew Jenkins, attorney. He was now, Matthew Jenkins, father and grandfather. A slow smile formed and his heart warmed just thinking about them.

  Yes, he had done the right thing. It may have taken twenty-six years, but he was looking forward to what lay ahead. There was no way he was going to go back to his former life.

  He was officially home for good.

  * * * *

  Andrew stood on the front porch of the Quinn family ranch, looking out as the sun started to set. It had been a hell of a day, and looking back, he would not change a single thing. He wasn’t happy that after all this time, his older brother finally decided to come home, but he was glad he did. He missed his brother, and from the looks of him, life hadn’t been very good to him. He looked tired and worn out. His blond hair grayed at the temples. Worry lines marred his face, and the dark rings under his eyes told him Matthew wasn’t sleeping well.

  Oh, he knew Matthew was some fancy lawyer in California, but Andy could see the stress of his job written all over his face. That was one of the reasons he chose to stay close to home and not work in one of those big, fancy hospitals. He was comfortable here, working and taking care of the local folks. It afforded him time, which a major hospital wouldn’t.

  That and he could spend time with Macie.

  Just thinking about the fiery woman made him smile.

  He knew that right now, she would be gabbing up a storm and working her delectable little ass off at the diner. He wished she’d just give up her stubborn nature and allow him to start seeing her on a more friendly basis, but he knew she wouldn’t. She harbored some deep-seated anger, and every time he tried talking about it, she would become extremely volatile. After being yelled at a couple of times, he just gave up. His gut was telling him that it all had something to do with him and possibly his brother, but he couldn’t figure out what. All he could remember was ever being nice to the woman. Yet, apparently, he had done something, and until she was ready to tell him his mistake, he was just going to have to suffer through the pain and misery of her temper.

  “Hey, Doc.”

  Andrew didn’t turn to acknowledge Travis Quinn. He knew the man, watched him grow into a fine, upstanding citizen. He couldn’t be more proud to have him love his daughter. Travis and his brothers were good men, all of them, and they were going to be wonderful husbands and fathers. “Hey, Travis. Is she still sleeping?”

  “Yeah, Tate’s with her, and Tucker just got Tabby down. It’s been a hell of a da
y, huh?”

  “Guess you could say that.”

  “I wanted to thank you for what you did.”

  “What do you mean? I didn’t do anything. You’re the one who got Emma away from that bastard.”

  “True, but you’re the one who shot him.”

  “Nah, I missed. Matty had the kill shot. He always was the better shot than me.”

  “Well, you got the fucker, and that’s all that matters. Thank you.” Nodding, Andrew really didn’t know what to say to the young man. He didn’t feel like he did anything special. Hell, he would have done it for anyone he cared about, but guessing that it was his daughter, he figured that it meant something more. The only problem was he didn’t do it. Matthew did, and as usual, Matthew was the one who deserved the praise.

  It had been like that between them since birth. Matthew was the smart one. Matthew was the athletic one, the one with all the friends and glory. He just tended to ride his brother’s coattails. That was until Matthew left.

  He still didn’t know why his brother did it. He had tried to talk to him about it, even asked him to come home, but Matthew refused, leaving him to deal with the fallout and all the unanswered questions.

  Now that Matty was back, he was going to have to come clean because Andrew fought long and hard to make a name for himself here in this town, away from the stigma of Matthew Jenkins.

  “I better get going. Call me if you need anything.”

  “All right, Doc, and thanks again, for everything.”

  “No problem.”

  On the drive home, Andrew thought of many things, and with so many unanswered questions, he was just too damn tired to get into a fight with his brother tonight. Deciding to hash it out tomorrow, Andrew pulled into the family drive and cursed. “Fuck! That bastard is not staying here.”

  Storming into the house, he walked straight for what used to be Matthew’s room. Throwing open the door, he stopped. The room was empty.

  “Oh hell no!” he shouted, walking to the door at the end of the hall.

  Kicking the door open, he yelled, “This is my room. Get the fuck out!”

  Chapter Three

  By morning, the whole town had heard what happened out at the Triple T. Though everyone was happy that Emma was now safe, the gossip mill was running high as the town talked about the return of the wayward Jenkins brother.

  She didn’t know what to think. She was still trying to get her heart to stop racing. It had been twenty-six years since she last saw him. She was just a little girl back then, but not anymore.

  The pain hit her quick as if it was just yesterday. The soul-crushing pain, which made her heart hurt and her stomach churn. She knew it was all in her mind. She had gotten over it a long time ago, but with his return, it brought back all those old feelings she had pushed aside and forgotten about.

  She didn’t know what she was going to do when she saw him, and she knew she would soon. Not many people in this town could avoid everyone for very long. It was only a matter of time before he walked into her diner. Only this time, she was going to be prepared for him. She wasn’t going to fall back into that same trap, as she did so many years ago.

  No, what she needed to do was get her mad on. She still blamed him for running away with his tail between his legs, but mainly she blamed him for the aftermath. It was his fault for what happened the day after he left, and she was never going to forgive him for that, ever.

  The front door opened, and the bell chimed. Looking up, she smiled, forgetting the past as the pretty little librarian of Treasure Cove walked in.

  “Janie! Hi, hang on one sec, and I’ll have your pie ready in a sec, okay?” she shouted from the kitchen, grabbing a to-go box and slipping a nice slice of apple pie into it. Macie liked Janie Potter. She was as sweet as could be but rarely spoke. Shy, the little librarian came into her diner every Friday and ordered the same thing for the last eight months. Dependable and consistent, Macie knew that when Janie walked in the door, all she had to do was look to her left and sitting at the end of the bar would be her cousin Jeff.

  What a boob. He is just sitting there as if he is invisible. Mooning over something he ain’t gonna get unless he gets off his ass. Dork.

  Walking out the swinging doors, she handed Janie her slice of pie.

  “Thank you,” Janie replied softly.

  “Hey, Janie, I’m having some girls over this weekend for a spa thing. You want to come over? I’ll have all kinds of goodies for us. We can get facials, pedicures, manicures, the whole works,” Macie asked, leaning against the counter.

  “Thank you for the invitation, but I must decline.”

  “Okay, sweetie, but the invitation is open anytime.” Macie smiled, knowing damn well she was going to say no. She had been trying for the last five months to get that girl to open up. There was a story behind those pretty eyes, and Macie was determined to find it out.

  “Thank you,” she replied and quietly left as if she was never there. Sighing, Macie watched her leave then turned to her cousin and smiled.

  I may not be able to get Janie to talk, but I sure as hell can fuck with my cuz!

  “So, Jeffery, I have a question for you,” Macie said, walking toward him, cutting him off before he could run for cover.

  “Yeah?”

  “Just what in the hell is wrong with you?” Macie asked, stopping in front of him with her hands on her hips.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. And just so we are all clear, and I am sure everyone in this diner will want to know also, how much longer are you gonna do nothing and let Janie keep on walking away?”

  She wanted to laugh as shock and then fear crossed her cousin’s face. Only a couple years older than Jeffery, she had grown up with him and his siblings. Never having a brother or sister herself, she loved the time she spent out at the Hicks Ranch. It was some of the best times of her life. Moreover, knowing her cousin as she did, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that the big lug before her was head over heels in love with the little librarian, only he was too chicken shit to do anything about it.

  “Jeffery Aaron Hicks, I asked you a question. Your momma raised you to answer a lady. So are you gonna just sit there like a deer caught in the headlights, or are you gonna respond?”

  “Macie, I just came in here for coffee,” he replied, dodging her question.

  “And I’m Donald Trump!” Braxton Connelly said, walking into the diner with Bud Jenkins, Daniel Meyer, and Keith Morris. “Dude, you have it so bad, it’s ridiculous.”

  “He’s right, Jeff. You’ve got it bad. I’m beginning to wonder if you are losing your touch,” Keith said, sliding up to her. “Hey, gorgeous, so when are ya gonna put me out of my misery and go out with me?”

  “When you grow up. Boy, I am damn near old enough to be your momma. Go, all of you, and go sit. I’m gonna get to the bottom of this mess right now. Get!” Macie shouted, removing his arm from her shoulder and shooing the boys to the nearest booth.

  “Freeze, turkey! Sit your butt back down. I ain’t done with you,” she shouted before Jeff could make a clean getaway.

  He groaned and sat back down.

  It only took her a minute to get the boys’ orders, and soon she was leaning across the counter and looking him straight in the eye.

  “Jeffery, baby, this has gone on long enough. You’ve come in here every Friday, ordered your coffee, and waited. For damn near a year, you have been sitting on that damn stool like a lovesick teenager. You either do something or move on. It’s not healthy, and besides, your brother is waiting, too. You know how it works. You’re the oldest. You have to make the first move. He likes her, too, but unless you do something soon, some other rancher is bound to snatch her up. So either shit or get off the pot. Are we clear?”

  Macie heard the snickering behind her as Jeffery scowled at them. She wanted to laugh, too, because honestly this whole mess was just downright funny as hell. However, she figured it would only get her cousin’s temper go
ing, and she didn’t want to do that. That was one thing all the Hicks family members had in common, a nasty temper. Oh, she tried to curb hers many times, but after failing miserably, she just gave up and let it out when it was warranted.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Good. So what are ya gonna do? ’Cause I wanna help,” Macie asked, refilling his cup.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Well, ya better figure something out, because doing nothing hasn’t gotten ya shit. Have you even talked to her yet?”

  “No.”

  “Been to the library?”

  “No.”

  “Do you have a library card?”

  “No.”

  “Damn, boy. This is too easy. Go get a library card!” She smiled.

  “I don’t like to read, Macie. Books don’t interest me.”

  “Well they interest her!” she shouted, and instantly the diner erupted in laughter.

  The crackling of Braxton’s walkie-talkie alerted the room. “Sheriff Connelly, you there?”

  “Yeah, Missy, go ahead,” the sheriff responded.

  “Fire at the Old Mill. Fire and ambulance is en route.”

  “On my way,” Braxton said, getting to his feet. “Damn, and I so wanted to know how this conversation was going to end. You boys take notes. I want to know how long before Jeffery baby cracks under pressure.”

  “Fuck off,” Jeff muttered. The sheriff of Treasure Cove grabbed his sandwich and hurried out the door. When she turned back to her cousin, she saw a gleam of retribution in his eyes. She didn’t like it one bit. He was up to something.

  “So, Macie, answer me this, since you are in the mood to talk about relationships in all. Have you talked to Matthew yet, or are you avoiding the inevitable?”

  “Get out of my diner, you ungrateful heathen!” she shouted, jumping to her feet. If the laughter was loud before, it was downright deafening now. It was one thing to put Jeff on the spot, but she wasn’t going to have the conversation turned back on her.

  She didn’t stop him when he leaned over and kissed her cheek, but she froze when he whispered. “You’re going to have to face him eventually. Be careful, cuz. Your heart is starting to show.”