Texas Wild: The Gallaghers of Sweetgrass Springs Book 2

by Jean Brashear

  “It’s harder to accept thanks than to give them,” she’d said. “But you have to. You’ve given this place a boost you can’t fully appreciate, and if you hide out at Rissa’s, I swear I’m coming after you with a shotgun.”

  What was it with these women and their weapons? He grinned at the image of tiny, fierce Ruby. There had been a smile in her voice, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t come grab him by the ear as she had when he was a boy.

  Even more, though, as she’d pointed out, he’d embarrass Ian if he didn’t show.

  Well, hell.

  Just then his eyebrows flew upward as one tall drink of water with legs he hadn’t yet seen nearly enough of came sauntering down the lane toward him.

  Holy…wow.

  Miss Rissa, you have got some legs on you, girl. Legs right up to her ears, long and curvy, enough to make a man’s mouth water. He’d felt them wrapped around his waist, but he hadn’t been able to see her like this, when he could simply look his fill—because he was too far away to grab her and go at it again.

  Wonder if I could get her naked if I show up tonight?

  That would almost be worth it.

  Who was he kidding? He’d crawl all the way to Sweetgrass to get his hands on her again.

  Or…we could stay here. Move this to the bedroom.

  An image of Ruby on the warpath vied with the vision nearing his porch.

  Life was just not fair, damn it.

  He opened the door at her knock.

  “Damn, Miss Rissa. You clean up mighty fine, woman.” Before temptation to pull her inside and face Ruby’s wrath later overcame him, he made himself step out onto the porch and close the door behind him.

  But he didn’t even try to resist the temptation to kiss her.

  Whatever retort she meant to make was swallowed up in the heat of his kiss. Every last thought scattered as Mackey drew her in close and brought her body against his.

  Her worries took a back seat, too, as she twined her arms around his neck and rose to tiptoe to get closer.

  He cleaned up mighty fine himself, all bad boy sexy in a black shirt and well-worn jeans.

  And the man could kiss. Seriously, stunningly, take-your-mind kiss.

  Some time later, he drew back a little, his breathing heavy as well. He rested his forehead on hers. “You have no idea how badly I want to take you inside and forget everything else.”

  Oh, I do. Maybe as badly as I want the same. She exhaled. “But we have to go, right?”

  His chuckle wasn’t steady. “Ruby’s threatened to bring out her shotgun.”

  Rissa chuckled. “She took down some bad guys who were after Scarlett recently. Well, Ian had beaten them already, but she made sure they didn’t try to escape.”

  He reared back. “What’s this?”

  She relayed the story of the mobsters who’d followed Scarlett from New York where she’d been slated to be the prosecution’s star witness. As she spoke, she forced herself to step back and try to collect her scrambled brains.

  “Well, how about that? Some excitement for Sweetgrass, eh?” He grinned. “Ian always was the white knight type. The all-American boy.” He showed no chagrin, though he had plenty of reason to. Ian and David had escaped the worst of the censure over Four Horseman pranks.

  The man before her hadn’t fared so well.

  “This town takes care of its own.”

  “The way you do with Eric.”

  She shrugged. She couldn’t let that discussion get started without ruining the night for Mackey, so she dodged. “And you with a fire truck.”

  He shook his head. “I’m not part of the town,” he said, his expression wistful.

  “I think you’re wrong, but regardless…” She caught his hand and pulled as she descended the porch steps. “Tonight you are. Our very own Daddy Warbucks,” she teased.

  “Bite me,” he retorted, but she could hear the smile in his tone. Then he sighed elaborately. “I don’t suppose you could get sick all of a sudden and need me to take care of you.”

  She glanced over at him while still tugging him along. “Yeah, you’re a regular Florence Nightingale. I’ve always thought that.” She turned away and began clucking.

  Mackey laughed. “All right, all right, I’m coming.”

  A few minutes later they pulled into town, and it looked like every last person in Sweetgrass was present. Mackey parked and glared through the windshield. Shook his head. Blew out a breath. “Okay. Let’s do this.” He glanced over. “Don’t you dare get out until I open the door for you.”

  “What? I don’t need the lady treatment.”

  He waggled his eyebrows. “But I’m the hero, right? The hero wants to see you climb down from this truck in that short skirt.” His mock leer made her laugh.

  She did her best imitation of a lady, keeping her knees primly together as she accepted his hand while emerging.

  “Spoilsport,” he whispered in her ear. “We will discuss this later.” His grin was pure sin.

  Then the people started pouring out of Ruby’s, clapping and cheering.

  “How you doin’, son? That’s a real good thing you done.” Harley Sykes clapped him on the back. “Always knew you’d go far.”

  Mackey bit back a grin. Harley Sykes had told him more than once that he’d wind up in prison, for sure.

  He found himself getting swallowed up in a human wave carrying him inside. He grabbed for Rissa’s hand like a lifeline. Dragged her up close.

  She resisted, so he bent and murmured in her ear. “You have to save me.” He wasn’t completely kidding. The things he’d done, both in the military and the stunts he performed, weren’t performed in public, weren’t meant to draw attention to him personally. This felt…weird, all these faces turned to him, eyes shining, smiles wide.

  He was on the hot seat, and he wanted off.

  “Suck it up,” Rissa said, going up on tiptoe. “You can deal.”

  “Mackey!” Samantha cried out and raced through the crowd, Eric close behind her.

  He bent and picked her up. Propped her on his hip.

  “Do you like your party?” Her eyes were wide and shining.

  He couldn’t burst her bubble. “It’s a really good one.”

  She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. He was astonished at how great it felt. Then he felt a small hand touch his leg and looked down at Eric. “Hey there, dude.” He shook his head, smiling. “Some kind of deal, huh?” He ruffled the boy’s hair. Eric drew closer, and Rissa settled him in between her and Mackey.

  Almost like a family.

  Whoa. Hey, now. Not your family, any of them. Not your town.

  But damned if it didn’t feel like that, at least a little.

  “Mr. Mackey! Hey, it’s me, Abby!” One of Veronica’s twins skidded up, her quieter twin in tow. “Remember us?”

  “Well, of course I do. Samantha, you know Abby and Beth, right? Eric, you all know each other?”

  Eric leaned against him and shrugged, but before Mackey could say more, Veronica approached. “Hi, Mackey.”

  “Hey, Veronica. Good to see you.” He glanced at the tall young man next to her. Something looked familiar about him, but before he could place what that might be, she introduced them. “This is my son Ben. Ben, this is one of your dad’s oldest friends, Mr. Mackey.”

  Mackey extended his hand. “Just Mackey is fine. Glad to meet you. Your dad was a great guy. One of those down-deep good ones.”

  The boy’s dark blue eyes filled with both sorrow and pride. “Yes, sir, he was.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss. I never knew a better man.”

  Rissa stepped in and saved them all from too much emotion. “Yeah, that’s why he was always leading your dad astray.”

  “Hey, now,” Mackey protested, grateful as hell to her.

  Veronica’s sad eyes brightened with her fond grin. “Nobody forced him, right?”

  “That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.”

  “All
right, all right.” Ruby cut through the crowd like a hot knife through butter. “Everybody take a seat. Your food’s gonna get cold. Ian?”

  His buddy crossed the floor toward him, hand outstretched to shake.

  Rissa took Samantha from him and before he could grab Rissa and keep her by his side, she made her way across the room to Celia.

  “Paybacks are a bitch,” Mackey said beneath his breath, returning the handshake.

  Ian’s one dimple flashed. “No good deed goes unpunished. Suck it up for now.” Then he turned to the crowd. “Listen up, folks.” Instantly they got quiet, Ian’s natural leadership clear.

  “My old buddy Randall Mackey here—” He clapped one hand on Mackey’s shoulder. “—though some of you know him more properly as Satan. Or That Wild Mackey Boy.”

  The room erupted in laughter.

  “I am relieved that I kept the boy from jail,” said Judge Porter in his stentorian tones. “Lord knows he was up in front of my bench often enough.”

  Mackey couldn’t help but smile at the old man who’d more than once tried to put the fear of God—or at least the law—into him.

  “I had to ground him a time or two myself,” said Ian’s dad Gordon with a wink.

  Ian grinned and continued. “Seriously though, folks, Mackey has done us proud. He had a distinguished career as a Navy SEAL, receiving three Purple Hearts and the Navy Cross, awarded for great risk in extreme personal danger. I think he’d be there still, fighting for all of us, had his injuries not prevented him from returning to active duty.”

  At that, someone began clapping, and soon the room was filled with applause, the entire group rising to their feet.

  Mackey squirmed. He hoped to goodness Ian didn’t expect him to speak right now because he wasn’t sure he could.

  At last Ian waved them back to their seats. “He’s gone on to have quite an impressive career as a stuntman in Hollywood—” Ian flashed a quick grin. “—and since there are children present, we won’t discuss how much the ladies have taken to him. Best I recall, he always had a harem around him even in junior high.”

  Mackey grimaced. “Cut it out.” His face felt hot, and he looked at the ground, his jaw flexing. “C’mon, man…”

  Ian clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m making him uncomfortable, but that’s just tough. Once again, Mackey has demonstrated himself to be a hero. Thanks to him, none of us has to watch our property burn to the ground while we stand by helplessly waiting on a fire department to come from forty miles away or more.” He turned to Mackey. “On behalf of every last man, woman and child in Sweetgrass Springs, I want to say that we don’t know how on earth we can ever repay you for what you’ve done for us, but you have our eternal gratitude, my friend, along with a standing invitation to come back home to Sweetgrass whenever it suits you. Or better yet, just don’t leave at all.”

  Shouts and cheers erupted, and the applause began again.

  As uncomfortable as he was, Mackey had never been more touched in his life. These were good people. Not perfect, no, and all with their own foibles, their own troubles. But at their core, they were good hardworking folks just trying to make a life and raise their children the best they knew how.

  At that moment he found Rissa, and their gazes locked.

  He wanted to accept Ian’s invitation to stay more than was sensible. More than was feasible.

  As people swarmed him to shake hands and deliver hugs, Mackey was grateful Ian hadn’t asked him to say anything. He didn’t have words for what he was feeling right now. Grateful as he was, he desperately wanted out of here, away from all this emotion, all these people who felt like family and friends.

  His life wasn’t conducive to staying in one place, and anyway, he had other people depending on him back in California. He couldn’t simply chuck everything and relocate, even if he had the first clue what he’d do here.

  Getting to the booth that had been set aside for Ian to host him took a while. Once he finally made it over, and the diner returned to a babble of conversation that wasn’t centered around him, Mackey took his first deep breath in a while.

  Scarlett was waiting beside Ian and stood on tiptoe to hug Mackey. “You look gobsmacked,” she whispered.

  “I am. I didn’t ask for this.”

  “But Ian doesn’t know how else to thank you. None of us do, but for the peace of mind you’ve given the man I love, if you think of anything at all I can do, you just say the word.”

  “I don’t need anything. I’m only lucky. I knew some people who made me a good deal.”

  She patted his shoulder. “You just keep telling yourself that. I live with a hero. I get it.”

  “But you don’t actually live with him, right? What are you waiting for?”

  She grinned and smacked his arm lightly. “You’re not turning this around on me.”

  “I can try.”

  “Sit down,” she ordered. “I am going to feed you the best meal you’ve ever had in your life.”

  Given her cooking, that was saying something. He complied, and as Ian sat down opposite him in the booth, Mackey glanced around. “Where’s Rissa?” He scanned the room. “Why isn’t she here?” He started to rise.

  Ian stayed him. “She’s more fragile than she looks, Mackey. Don’t toy with her.”

  “I’m not toying.” At last he spotted her halfway across the room, sitting with Celia and the kids. He frowned. Was she there because she didn’t want to be with him?

  “Then what are you doing?” Ian asked. “No matter how much I owe you, I won’t stand for you breaking her heart.”

  Mackey watched her, hoping to catch her attention, but she relentlessly refused to turn around.

  As connected as he felt to her, could she not sense his focus on her?

  “Mackey…” Ian kept his voice low. “I’m serious.”

  Damn it. He didn’t know what was the right thing to do.

  “Don’t make her the focus of attention. She won’t thank you,” Ian said.

  Reluctantly Mackey drew his gaze away from her and back to his friend.

  “You’ve already gotten to her,” Ian observed.

  “She’s gotten to me.”

  “How bad?”

  Mackey had to look at her again, and the urge to go to her, to drag her over here if need be, was powerful.

  “Bad.” Then he noticed that more than a few were looking back and forth between him and Rissa. “I want to do what’s best for her, but—” He looked at his friend. “—I don’t know what that is.”

  “She’s dug in here. If you can’t or won’t stay, it’s kinder to leave her alone.”

  Mackey thought about the kiss they’d shared earlier, both hot and sweet. Yes, the sex between them was torrid and crazy good, but Rissa was becoming more to him. How much more, he’d have to ponder.

  “Look,” Ian said with concern in his voice. “What you two do in private is your own business, but don’t make a spectacle of her, all right? She has a hard enough time as it is. People don’t need to know that she got dumped if that’s where this is going.”

  Dumped? He wouldn’t—

  But realistically, how could they carry on a long-distance relationship?

  She’d said it was just sex. Just scratching an itch. Was it still? He’d revealed more of himself to her than anyone in his life, and he didn’t know how to feel about that.

  She’d kept his confidence, though, about the nightmares, he could tell from the unchanged reactions of others. People got nervous around vets with flashbacks. That she hadn’t talked behind his back meant a lot.

  Still, the last thing either of them needed was to get seriously involved, but their relationship was becoming more than a hookup for him. Unnervingly so.

  What was it for her, though? He really didn’t know. She was by turns innocent and a vixen. Sexy as hell but surprisingly sweet.

  She did, however, have a whole lot to deal with. Ian was right about that. He exhaled. “But what if she thinks I’m
ignoring her because I don’t care?”

  Ian rubbed the back of his neck. “Women are complicated as hell. Love only makes it worse.”

  Love? He didn’t—

  But he could, he sensed. Only too easily.

  Whoa.

  Still, he couldn’t stand it if he hurt her. “You got a pen?”

  Ian shook his head.

  Jeanette walked by, and Ian started to speak to her, but Mackey shook his head. He wouldn’t entrust Rissa’s heart to just anyone. Instead, he glanced around for the young waitress, Brenda, and signaled her over.

  “Hi,” the shy young woman greeted him, a blush on her cheeks.

  “Hi there,” he responded. “Do you happen to have a pen I could borrow?”

  “Um, sure,” she stammered, handing him hers.

  “Would you mind waiting a second?” He started making a note on his napkin without waiting for her reply. Then he folded it up and handed it to her. “Would you please do me a favor and take this over to Rissa Gallagher? But don’t make it obvious, if you could do that for me, please?”

  “Sure, um, of course, Mr. Mackey.”

  He smiled at her. “Just Mackey.” He started to reach for his wallet. “Here, let me pay you.”

  “Oh, no. No, I couldn’t. Not after what you—” She scooted away, headed for Rissa.

  Mackey watched her go, and hoped he’d done the right thing.

  “Why is Mackey over there?” Samantha asked. “He should be with us. He’s ours.”

  “Honey, Mackey doesn’t belong to us, and tonight is his night,” her mother said gently.

  “I want to sit with him,” Samantha pouted.

  Me, too, Rissa thought as she studied a menu she knew by heart, just to have a reason to keep her head down. She wished she had her own truck so she could leave. Plus she felt really stupid in this ridiculous skirt. She glanced up and saw Eric’s downcast face, and she completely understood.

  It did feel like Mackey belonged to them…but maybe she needed this wake-up call. Clearly she’d let herself stray too far from reality.

  He didn’t belong to them. He was only visiting. He didn’t even belong on her ranch.