by Tina Leonard
Justin stared at his friend. It was true. Ty wasn’t husband material.
Neither was he.
Justin sighed heavily. “I think you’re nuts. But whatever. It’s not my town. Nor are these my friends.”
Ty brightened. “So you’ll do it? The lead stallion agrees to head off and leave the pen to the lesser junior stallions?”
“You make it sound like Mackenzie’s ever looked my way twice in a romantic way, which I can assure you she hasn’t. We haven’t spoken that much since I’ve been here.”
“Call it a hunch. Clearing out the pen, as they say. The ladies always want the one they can’t have. Mysterious types seem romantic. Like Zorro.”
Justin shrugged. “I think you took one too many falls off the mechanical bull, Ty, but whatever. I’ll go with you,” he said, “but you better hope Mackenzie never finds out what you’re up to. I have the feeling that little lady doesn’t think she needs any man to rescue her.”
“Mechanical bull! I was no dime-store cowboy,” Ty said, following Justin as he headed back to work. Justin couldn’t stand around examining the holes in his friend’s head any longer. Mackenzie hadn’t given one signal that she might be interested in him in more than a foreman–boss lady relationship.
Still, he had a slightly uneasy feeling about leaving her to the romancing of the Three Dating Daddies—a thought that totally brought him up short.
That’s what one of those men might become: a dad to Mackenzie’s four little girls.
Maybe the most troubling thought of all.
Chapter Five
“You’re going to have to keep an eye on Daisy,” Jade told her as Mackenzie settled her daughters down for an afternoon nap. Late-day sun filtered through the windows of the family room, twilight just arriving at nearly seven o’clock. Mackenzie loved summer days when there was so much cheery sunshine.
She couldn’t be bothered to think about Daisy Donovan.
“I’m not going to keep an eye on Daisy. I don’t care what she does.”
“You do care. All of Bridesmaids Creek cares. Her and her band of rowdies are bent on making certain this town drops off the map for families. That way Daisy’s father can keep buying up the land around here in his quest for mineral rights and selling huge land parcels to the government. Or worse.” Jade flopped down onto a flowered sofa, fanning herself. “As our town bad girl, Daisy lives for herself. My guess is she didn’t come here today to bring you a gift, but to check out the new foreman. Everyone is town has been chattering about the hot guy you’ve got working the place.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m not even going to think about Daisy’s shenanigans. Even if Justin decided to hop on the back of her motorcycle and roar off into the sunset, I wouldn’t think about Daisy.”
Jade laughed. “Methinks you protest a bit too much. So what did you think about the three new guys?”
“That Ty and I are going to have to talk. The men are welcome to stay here and bunk in the bunkhouse, but I don’t know if I have enough work here for three more men.”
“Not unless you reopen the haunted house.”
“Which I’m not going to do.”
“It’s August. We have plenty of time until October,” Jade said.
“I know. But my only priority right now is my babies. We’ll do fine living in a small cottage in town.”
“There might be a miracle. You never know.” Jade got up to stare out the window. “She bugs me—I swear she does. Why are men always so blinded by Daisy?”
“Because she’s beautiful and has a wild streak. There’s nothing blinding about it. It’s human nature.” Mackenzie smiled at her babies. “You girls, however, must promise your mother to grow up to be teachers, nurses and librarians. No motorcycles for you!”
“My goddaughters won’t be Daisies,” Jade said, laughing. “However, I think Daisy may be about to kiss a frog.”
“Not Frog?” Mackenzie hurried to the window. “Poor Frog! Of all of the new cowboys, I’m pretty sure he’s the least suited to Daisy’s charms.”
“Hate to watch a good man fall.” Jade walked away from the window. “In fact, I can’t look.”
“Can’t look at what?” Justin asked, entering the room.
Mackenzie glanced over her shoulder, struck again by how handsome Justin was. She’d gotten a little used to him at the Hanging H, even if she wouldn’t share that with a soul. Still, if he wanted to move on with Ty, she’d understand. She’d be sorry—but she’d understand. “We’re spying.”
“I can see that.” He joined her at the window, and Mackenzie was shaken by the sudden warmth of proximity. Almost intimate, their arms nearly touching. She smelled spicy cologne and strong male, felt body heat and strange sensations sweep over her.
She was awfully glad it wasn’t Justin out there getting far too close to Daisy Donovan’s heart-shaped lips.
* * *
“I’LL TAKE THE night shift,” Justin told Mackenzie as she finished bathing the girls. She put them into soft nighties and touched a towel gently to the light fuzz atop their heads. A little baby oil for the dry spots, and they were like angels ready to be tucked in for the night.
“You don’t have to,” Mackenzie said. “But thank you, Justin. Babysitting isn’t part of your job description.”
“I’ve been thinking about my job description.” He carried Hope and Holly down the hall, so Mackenzie picked up Heather and Haven and followed. She watched the big man settle her daughters ever so gently into their white-ruffled cribs. “This business of Ty bringing on hannies for you, for example.”
“Ty is nuts, and there’ll be no hannies around here, nor mannies. Silliest thing I’ve ever heard.” Mackenzie covered her daughters with light pink blankets and kissed each of them. “Ty doesn’t want to bring those cowboys here to help me as much as he’s looking for a place for some of his buddies to work. I’ll ask around town, see if anybody needs a couple of hands.”
“You know I’m leaving with Ty. Probably day after tomorrow.”
She felt a slight prick at that news. “Then I’ll only need one of the men. Maybe Frog. He seems pretty harmless.” She sighed to herself. And maybe if he were here he’d be less likely to fall into Daisy’s clutches.
“Frog, is it?”
“I can’t get used to a grown man being called Frog.”
“Hiring him on here isn’t going to save him from Daisy.”
She looked at Justin. “Who says I want to?”
“I know something about the female mind. And I heard you and Jade talking about saving him.”
“Jade was talking about it. I personally think Frog can probably take care of himself just fine.” She didn’t look at Justin directly. Just too much sex appeal, too much closeness.
It was the babies. She loved the way he took care of her daughters, handling them like they were delicate treasures.
He moved a strand of hair away from her face, and she tucked it up into her ponytail. “I should catch a shower while they’re down. We’ve hit the four-hour mark at night now, and I take full advantage of those four hours.”
Justin moved away, sat in the rocker. “Go. Get some rest. I’ll keep an eye on them.”
“There’s no need,” she said quickly. “The monitor is on, and I’ll hear them—”
He waved a hand at her to leave. “You need four hours to yourself. I’ll wake you when they start looking for dinner.” A smile tugged at his lips. “Better take me up on my offer. Ty’s taking me out of here tomorrow or the next day.”
“Oh. Okay. Thank you.” She backed up slowly, then turned to hurry down the hall. He was actually leaving. She’d always known he would, and yet she’d hoped— Well, it didn’t matter what she’d hoped.
The fact was, she’d gotten used to Justin being around. But it was more tha
n that, and she knew it. Something about the big man made her feel safe and protected and happy. They weren’t a family, but they’d gotten into a groove that worked, and she’d come to rely on that comfort. Rely on him.
Maybe Jade’s right with that protesting too much stuff. I’ve got a major thing going for this cowboy. I was just trying to ignore it because I knew he’d leave one day.
And now it seemed that day had come.
* * *
JUSTIN SLEPT OFF and on, dozing in the room with the babies. It was weird how much he found himself enjoying taking care of them. As a man who’d never been interested in having children—not one bit—he was surprised by how Mackenzie’s four little daughters tugged on his heartstrings.
He hated the idea of leaving them—all of them. And, somehow, he even hated the idea of Frog staying behind to take his place. Or any of the three men Ty was bringing on to replace him, for that matter.
The only reason he was leaving with Ty was because Ty had brought him here in the first place. He owed it to him out of a sense of brotherhood. Ty wouldn’t ask him if he didn’t need him. Mackenzie didn’t really need him—not like Ty did.
He needed to talk to Ty a bit more, dig into the mission to settle the questions in his mind. But the thing that unsettled his mind the most was how much he hated the idea of three men he didn’t know all that well roaming around the Hanging H and falling for Mackenzie and the girls.
Just as he was beginning to fall for them.
Whether he liked it or not, that was the truth. Justin closed his eyes as he rocked in the chair. The tiny night-light sent a soft glow over the room. An occasional baby snuffle or sigh reached him, the sound somehow comforting and not intimidating at all, not the way he’d thought it would be. During his wilder, crazier rodeo days, the idea of a family had been distinctly unappealing.
Mackenzie was recently divorced. No doubt the last thing she wanted was another man in her life. He couldn’t blame her if that was the way she felt.
At dawn, when Betty Harper appeared in the nursery, Justin felt strangely rested. He smiled at Jade’s mother. “Good morning.”
“Go get some rest. I’ll take over from here. Mackenzie said the babies didn’t even move last night.”
He felt like he hadn’t, either. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so relaxed. “I thought I was awake all night. I didn’t even realize Mackenzie came in the nursery.”
Betty smiled. “I checked on you at five. Everybody was sound asleep, which is a first for the girls. They probably feel comforted with a man’s presence around. Babies do that sometimes. You have a nice deep voice with is probably soothing to them.”
She disappeared from the room. Justin rose and stretched. Haven peered up at him from her blanket, and he had the uncanny notion that she was watching him. Did babies see anything at this tender age?
“Hello, little one,” he said, approaching her crib. Gently he picked her up, held her close. “Good morning to you, too.”
He kissed the top of her head, breathed in the sweet baby freshness of her skin, the scent of baby powder.
“Hi,” Mackenzie said, her voice soft.
He turned and saw she was wide-awake and looking refreshed. “You’re up bright and early.”
“I got a lot more sleep than I have since before I became pregnant.” She came to take Haven from him, and he smelled an entirely different smell: strawberry shampoo, delicate floral soap, sexy woman.
His heart did one of those funny flip-flops he’d gotten used to feeling around her.
“Thanks for watching them last night.” She gazed up at him. “I think I slept so well because I knew you were standing guard.”
Oh, boy. There went the heart. “It was no problem. Part of the job.”
“Not part of the job I hired you to do.” She looked at him funny.
He backed up a step when he realized he was staring at her pink, glossy lips. “It’s the job Frog and Fellows are applying for.”
“That’s Ty’s bright idea. And by now, you know Ty can be a bit of a squirrel.” She smiled. “Babysitting isn’t part of your job description. But thank you.”
Warmth expanded in his chest at her smile. He wondered if he’d ever met a woman he was so blindingly attracted to—and decided in a hurry that was a terrible thought to have about his boss. Definitely a dead end. There was no way on this planet he had any business being attracted to her.
“I’m going to get some coffee. You want a cup?”
“No, thank you. You go on.”
He nodded and turned to leave.
Turned back around, met her gaze. Started to say that sitting up with her daughters hadn’t been work; he hadn’t done it because of Frog and Friends. He’d done it because he’d wanted to. Wanted to make her happy, help her out.
But it was a bad idea to make such a confession. No purpose to it at all, and he didn’t do anything unless he knew the purpose.
Shutting his stupid yap tight before it could say weird, mushy things, he left.
Chapter Six
“Hello, handsome,” Justin heard as he got out of his truck, which he’d parked right in front of Madame Matchmaker’s small shop.
He turned, found Daisy Donovan just about too close for comfort, chest-high, tiny and dangerous. The brunette was dressed in a short denim skirt, brown cowboy boots and a white halter top. She smiled at him mischievously. All the sex appeal being aimed at him had warning bells ringing like mad inside his head.
“Hi, Daisy.”
She wound an arm through his. “Where’re you heading to?”
He wasn’t about to tell her he’d been planning a visit to Madame Matchmaker. The kind of answers he was looking for required discretion. Daisy didn’t look like she did discretion very well. “I was planning to grab lunch.”
“Mind if I join you? I had some things I wanted to talk to you about.”
He did mind—very much. Ty was hitting the road tomorrow and Justin was going with him, so he had a lot to get done. Lunch with Daisy wasn’t on the to-do list.
“I’m leaving town tomorrow, so I’m grabbing takeout. Why don’t you call the Hanging H and let Mackenzie know what you need, and maybe one of the new guys she’s hired can help you out.”
Daisy looked up at him, her dark eyes focused. “We need you here in Bridesmaids Creek.”
He shook his head. If there was any reason he’d stay, it would be for Mackenzie. The reason he was leaving was Mackenzie—or, more to the point, the feelings he knew he was developing for his boss.
He extracted himself from Daisy’s arm. “Bridesmaids Creek survived without me for many years.”
He tipped his hat and pushed open the door of The Wedding Diner. It seemed as if every customer turned to stare at him. Conversation halted.
No, he wasn’t imagining the stares. He nodded to the room at large and headed to the pink stand where Jane stared at him, too, her bright blue gaze curious.
Justin removed his hat. “If you have a booth open, ma’am, I’d appreciate it.”
She nodded and took him to a white booth. He sat, noticing that everyone followed his progress. No one bothered to hide their curiosity. He hoped she’d bring him a cup of hot coffee sooner rather than later. His stomach rumbled. He could have eaten at the ranch—certainly he’d miss the good cooking there.
But today he really felt a need to put some space between him and the babies. And Mackenzie, most of all.
Jane gazed at him intently. “You’re not a settling down kind of man.”
“No, ma’am.”
“But you’re happy at the Hanging H.”
The way she made statements instead of asking questions—like she already knew everything but was only giving him a chance to confirm her thoughts—forced his tho
ughts off the coffee he’d been hunting. “I’ve enjoyed my time out there.”
“But you’re not a family man.”
He looked at her. “I wonder if I can get a cup of coffee, Jane.”
She smiled. “You think I’m digging in your business.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“That’s what we do here. You’ll get used to it. We’re really pretty harmless here in Bridesmaids Creek.” She cocked her head. “You don’t need to worry about us matchmaking.”
His brows rose. “I don’t?”
“No. We’re looking for family men in Bridesmaids Creek.”
She strode off to get his coffee. Justin ran a finger around his collar.
A woman with pinkish hair piled high on her head slid into his booth. “Jane tell your fortune?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
“She just gave you the third degree.” She nodded. “She’ll tell your fortune to us later.” She stuck a hand across the table for him to shake, which he did, slightly out of his element. “I’m Cosette Lafleur.”
“Ah. Would you be Madame Matchmaker?” The French name and the pink-frosted hair seemed like a giveaway.
She looked at him closely. “Absolument. And you should have come to see me.”
“But I’m not looking for a match.”
“That’s what we hear.” She indicated the diner, whose patrons weren’t even bothering to disguise their interest in Cosette’s interview of him. “So you’re leaving.”
“Yes. Tomorrow.” He looked at the grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup a young, bouncy waitress with a nose stud put in front of him. “I didn’t order this.”
“It’s what you get. Miss Jane says you’re looking peaky and some protein and calcium will set you right.” Cosette shrugged. “Nobody really orders. We all get what Jane thinks we need. It works for us. Most of us never get even a cold!”
Great. He had to pick the one place to get away from Mackenzie where he couldn’t get away from talking about her and couldn’t even order a nice, greasy burger.
“Go ahead. Take a bite. That cheese is County Line cheese, made off a local farm. You’ll never taste better.”