The Rebel Cowboy's Quadruplets

by Tina Leonard

  A grilled cheese sandwich was just bread and cheese. Nothing fancy. He took a bite, not expecting much. “That’s good stuff,” he said, surprised.

  Cosette looked pleased. “So, back to you leaving. It’s too bad you have to go, but Ty said he misjudged you.”

  “Misjudged me?”

  “Ty thought you were probably a man looking for a change in your life. A family man in disguise.”

  That would be odd. He and Ty had never discussed it. “I’m pretty certain I’ve never misled anyone about the fact that I like life on the road.”

  “That’s the problem, then, isn’t it? Expectations?” She beamed. “Ty shouldn’t have tried to put you in a position you wouldn’t be comfortable with.”

  “Are you saying that Ty had me hired on at the Hanging H so I’d fall in love with Mackenzie?”

  “Or at least the babies. It’s very hard not to fall for those little angels.” Cosette glanced up, her smile widening. “Hello, Mackenzie.”

  He started a little, surprised when Mackenzie slid in next to Cosette and hugged her.

  “How are you feeling?” Mackenzie asked. “Your stomach virus has gone?”

  “All gone. That soup you sent over for me did the trick. Thank you, dear friend.”

  Justin ate his sandwich, needing strength after everything he’d heard. Ty wouldn’t have brought him to Bridesmaids Creek on a matchmaking mission. His buddy wouldn’t have hung him out to dry like that.

  But there was no denying that the “bait”—if Mackenzie had been Ty’s bait—was worthy of any hook. If he were wired a little differently, if he could consider staying in one place with one woman, Mackenzie would be the one.

  Whoa. That was a very strange thought.

  She looked at him, her smile innocent and carefree, and he wondered why he hadn’t seen it before. Apparently all of Bridesmaids Creek had seen it.

  His buddy, best friend, old pal Ty had set him up.

  It was a blind date without the date. Nothing more than the same service Madame Matchmaker might provide. And now Ty was pulling the plug, because Justin wasn’t a settle-down kind of man, and Ty had found three better victims: Sam, Squint and Fish. No—Frog.

  A jealous streak ran up his back.

  Which was exactly why he had to leave tomorrow.

  “It’s such a shame Justin has to go,” Cosette told Mackenzie. “He was just telling me how much he was going to miss your little girls.”

  He hadn’t said any such thing. Justin’s mouth opened to deny the woman’s claim; then he realized what a schmuck he’d sound like if he did. So he nodded and spooned his soup a little faster. Maybe if he kept his mouth busy, he’d keep his foot out of it.

  Mackenzie looked at him, her expression polite. “Justin has been a big help at the ranch. And with the girls.”

  Justin swallowed uncomfortably. Why did he feel so guilty? Did Mackenzie know that her friend Ty had tried to set her up? There were few secrets in Bridesmaids Creek. She had to suspect.

  Then again, she’d never given him half a signal that she was interested in him. Hadn’t put up much of a fuss when Ty had mentioned they were leaving town, had seemed okay with the new hands.

  Maybe he should probe that little situation a bit.

  “The new guy should work out well at the Hanging H,” Justin said a bit gruffly, not completely able to work out the jealous kink he got about Toad. Or whatever the man’s name was.

  “You mean guys,” Mackenzie said. “Ty talked me into taking all three of the new hands on.”

  Good ol’ Ty. If one bachelor didn’t pan out, Ty had planned for backup. His friend was almost diabolical with his matchmaking.

  “I hear through the BC grapevine,” Cosette said, “that your sister is coming home tomorrow, Mackenzie.”

  Sister? He looked at Mackenzie, noticing instantly that she didn’t smile, only nodded gravely.

  “Yes. Suz will be home.”

  Good. Then Mackenzie would have more help, and he’d feel less like a heel for running out on her. Wasn’t that what he was doing?

  “What are you going to do?” Cosette asked in her sweet, lilting, French-accented voice.

  Mackenzie shrugged. “It’s her home, too. She can always come home to the Hanging H.”

  “You don’t need a fifth child,” Cosette said, and Mackenzie stirred the tea she’d poured a half a packet of sugar into and shrugged.

  “Maybe she’s changed,” Mackenzie said.

  “How old is your sister?” Justin asked, curious. The ladies’ chatting had turned a bit ominous.

  “Suz is twenty-three,” Mackenzie said.

  And Mackenzie was thirty. Not an uncommon age gap between siblings, but it didn’t sound like they were entirely close.

  Still, Mackenzie’s family problems were none of his concern, and as Cosette had pointed out—much to his chagrin—he had no need to worry. He was being dragged off by Ty because he wasn’t looking for a family. And family skeletons were one thing he made every effort to avoid.

  * * *

  JUSTIN KEPT HIMSELF from helping put the babies to bed that night, though it was a ritual he enjoyed. He liked the smell of lavender-scented soap and the sweet sounds they made when Mackenzie slipped them into their cribs. They always looked so darling in their little nighties. Strangely enough, although most people wouldn’t find four babies peaceful, that was exactly how he felt at night in the nursery.

  Peaceful.

  He loved watching Mackenzie do her mom thing, too. It was such a soothing sight as she lovingly slipped her daughters off to dreamland.

  He was going to miss it. He’d been lucky that she’d allowed him to become part of the nightly ritual. Part of him wished he could stay at the Hanging H, because he sure did like it here.

  On the other hand, now that he knew the price of staying, there was no reason to do so.

  They left the nursery, the night-lights glowing softly in the wall sockets, the girls conked out from their busy day and all the good loving from their mother.

  So he didn’t say he would miss the girls—and Mackenzie—though he knew he would.

  Mackenzie went into the kitchen, and he followed. Here was where he usually said good-night every night, another ritual, this one more professional. They put the babies to bed, they walked into the kitchen and he said sayonara.

  “Thank you for everything,” Mackenzie said. “You’ve been a big help. I’ll admit that when Ty sent you here, I had my doubts.” She pulled a cake dish toward her. “Betty left the coffee on and a pound cake she baked. You don’t want to leave without tasting Betty’s pound cake.”

  He found himself nodding before he even sat down, glad of the excuse to stay. “I’ll take you up on that offer. Thanks.”

  She poured him a steaming mug of coffee he suddenly realized he didn’t want. She cut him a fragrant slice of cake he suddenly didn’t want, either.

  And when Mackenzie passed him to rinse off the knife, he reached out and caught her hand. “I’m going to miss this.”

  Her face held surprise—then she smiled. “Thank you.”

  He noticed she didn’t take her hand from his, so he did the only thing he could. He set her cake knife on the counter and pulled Mackenzie to him. She stared up at him with those beautiful brown eyes, and he kissed her lips, ever so lightly, just in case she didn’t want to be kissed. There was still time to stop before it was a full-blown kiss. He’d know in a second if he’d gone someplace she didn’t want him to go.

  Mackenzie didn’t move—she stayed still as the night, waiting—and Justin was never so glad of anything in his life. He pressed his lips against hers, letting himself sink into the sweetness. He heard rain begin spattering against the windows, but that was the outside world. In this warm, cake-scented kitchen, he held
the softest woman in the country in his arms, and she was responding to him.

  The back door blew open. Mackenzie and Justin jumped apart. He stared at the woman in the doorway. She was dripping from her head to her toes, her boots muddy, her jeans ragged and pocked with deliberate tears. She dropped a dirty duffel bag onto the floor. But it was her short pixie hair, blond with blue streaks, that stopped him, not to mention the cheek stud and the dark glaring eyes.

  “Suz!” Mackenzie flew to hug her sister, enveloping her.

  Suz stared at him over Mackenzie’s shoulder. “Who’s he?”

  “This is Justin Morant.” Mackenzie sounded uncomfortable. “He’s the foreman. Until tomorrow, that is.”

  Suz didn’t move to shake his hand. Didn’t leave her sister’s arms.

  “What’s he doing in the kitchen at this hour?” Suz demanded.

  Damn good question. He grabbed his hat, went to the door. “I’ll say goodbye tomorrow before I go, Mackenzie.”

  Suz glared, willing him gone. Mackenzie nodded. “Thank you.”

  Ouch. He nodded and headed out into the rain, leaving the cake and the coffee behind.

  The kiss stayed with him.

  Chapter Seven

  Justin came upon Frog, Squint and Sam spying on the house from the bunkhouse. “What the hell, fellows?” he demanded.

  “Didn’t you see her?” Frog asked. “That little bit of darling that roared up on the motorcycle?”

  He hadn’t seen a motorcycle, hadn’t heard one, wouldn’t have noticed one if it had run over his foot. All he’d been focused on was Mackenzie in his arms. He didn’t think he’d ever forget that.

  She was all woman, gentle and sweet-smelling. Curves. Heaven.

  No wonder her sister was so protective of her. He would be, too.

  “That darling is too much for any of you to handle.” He hung his hat on the hook and went into the kitchen for a much-needed beer, eschewing the temptation to spy on the kitchen, which faced the bunkhouse.

  “Who was she?” Frog asked.

  “Little sister. Nothing for you to worry about.” Justin flung himself onto the leather sofa.

  “I’m not worried about her,” Squint said. “If I can’t have Mackenzie, I’ll be happy to—”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Justin scowled at the three stooges he was stuck with for the moment. “No one said you were getting Mackenzie or Suz.”

  “Suz,” Sam said dreamily. “I could have guessed she had a pretty name.”

  Justin mentally rolled his eyes. “Again, who said those women were available? You work for them. You can’t hit on them.”

  They looked at him, grinning.

  “If you had understood your assignment,” Frog said, “you would have known that romancing is what we’re all here for. We’re all bachelors looking for a good wife and a home.”

  Justin blinked. “What assignment?”

  “Didn’t Ty tell you? In this town, the ladies are looking for a husband any way they can find one,” Squint said. “And we are all preapproved to join the race to the altar.”

  “Where did you get a name like Squint?” Ty asked.

  “Name’s John Squint Mathison,” the tall man said. Justin supposed he was a decent-looking fellow, the kind a lady might call a hunk. “I got Squint in the military.”

  “I don’t like it,” Justin said. “It sounds a bit shady.”

  “Au contraire,” Sam said with a flourish. “If you’d been in the mountains of Afghanistan with us, you’d have wanted this one and his peashooter at your back. We called him Squint-Eye, Squint for short, for certain reasons best not discussed. But you can trust it was a badge of honor.”

  “Yeah, well.” He looked at the gentle giant next to him. “I guess I don’t want to know what Frog is derived from,” he said, feeling a little sour that these gentlemen would be staying and he’d be going. Gentlemen, indeed. More like woman-hunting, non-commitment-phobic, nice guys.

  They shook their heads solemnly, and he sighed.

  “What makes Ty so sure that Bridesmaids Creek is so ripe for marriage-hunting males?”

  “Did you get a load of that beauty that pulled up on the motorcycle yesterday?” Sam’s eyes went round.

  “Daisy Donovan? Yes, I did.” Justin shrugged.

  “She’s fine. And she invited us all to a special gathering.” Frog looked pleased. “I’d marry her in a heartbeat.”

  From what he’d heard about Daisy, Justin didn’t think that was necessarily a good idea. He sipped his beer, studied the eager bachelors in whose capable hands he was leaving Mackenzie.

  “Don’t worry,” Squint said, as if reading his mind. “We’ll take care of everything. We’ve figured out your routine.”

  They knew what he did outside the house. Inside the house with Mackenzie and the babies, they had no idea.

  He’d like to keep it that way.

  * * *

  “I’M SO GLAD you’re home, Suz,” Mackenzie told her sister when she wandered back into the kitchen, freshly showered and wearing comfortable pajamas. Mackenzie passed her sister the slice of pound cake she’d cut for Justin and made her a hot cup of tea. “How was Africa?”

  Suz sat on a barstool and glared at her sister. “Africa was beautiful. I think we did a lot of good with the limited resources we had. We can talk about that later, after I’ve seen my nieces again. And after we talk about that cowboy you were in here sucking face with.”

  “I was not,” Mackenzie said, placing the teacup in front of her sister and pushing the sugar bowl close, “sucking face with the cowboy.”

  Suz shook her head. “I do believe if I hadn’t walked in, this kitchen would have seen some action.”

  Mackenzie looked at her little sister with a noncommittal shrug. “I doubt that.”

  “Do not fall into another man’s arms just because what’s-his-face went off with what’s-her-face.”

  That familiar sting lodged deep inside her, yet stinging less than it once had. “I am not falling.”

  Pants on fire. It had been wonderful for the few seconds Justin had held her in his arms. The feeling had shocked her when he’d pulled her close against his broad chest, right up to his hard body. She’d watched him many a time from this kitchen window, admiring the muscles and the quiet, steady, strong way he went about his work. Being held by Justin had sent her heart rushing out of control.

  “Oh, no,” Suz said, staring at her sister. “I’ve seen that look on your face before.”

  “What look?”

  “That about-to-fall look.”

  “I am not about to fall. In fact, Justin’s leaving tomorrow. So falling is out of the question.”

  Suz shook her head, started in on the pound cake. “It’s rebound. Surely you know that.”

  “So what?”

  “I mean,” Suz said, her mouth full, “if you were the type of woman who would just kiss and quit, that would be one thing. But you kiss and marry. And that’s a problem.”

  Mackenzie laughed. “If you knew Justin, you wouldn’t worry. He is so not the marrying kind. Everybody knows that.”

  “Everybody can’t know that, because he was only here a short time.” Suz was being practical. “You don’t know for sure.”

  “Regardless, he’s leaving tomorrow.” She wasn’t entirely happy about that, but Ty could be inscrutable about anything and everything. Certainly Justin hadn’t argued about leaving.

  So it was for the best.

  “Anyway,” Suz said, sipping her tea, “how are my angel cakes? I peeked in on them, and they were sleeping hard. Haven sucks her thumb, you know. It’s cute.”

  “She doesn’t do that when she’s awake.” Mackenzie smiled. “They’re amazing. There’s not a day I don’t thank Heaven that I h
ave them.”

  “Yeah, well,” Suz said gruffly. “It was the least Knucklehead could do for you.” She sniffed. “You look good.”

  Mackenzie smiled. “Do I?”

  “Yeah. You gained a little weight. You look rested.” Suz sniffed again. “In fact, you look beautiful.”

  Mackenzie stared at her normally unsentimental sister. “Why are you buttering me up?”

  Suz laughed. “I’m not. I’m being my typical honest self. Some days it’s brutal, and some days it’s all good news. You really do look great. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s told you that recently.”

  “Believe it or not, the cowboy, as you call Justin, and I don’t have some hot love affair going. Before today, we hadn’t spoken more than twenty minutes at one time.”

  “I don’t think talking’s what’s on his mind.”

  “He’s been nothing but a gentleman. If you’re done with your snack, I’m going to tuck you onto the sofa and turn on the TV. I may look great, but you look like the flight was long.”

  Her sister followed her from the kitchen. “It was long and hellish. I always say I’m quitting the Peace Corps. But then I don’t. I can’t. It’s in my blood.”

  Mackenzie settled her sister in her old room, spreading a soft blue-and-white afghan over her that Betty had knitted. Suz had the reputation for being a wild child—she was tough and a little wild. But she had such a good heart. And she’d go places no one else would go, in the quest to do what few others wanted to do. Or could do. She gazed at her sister tenderly. “How long are you here?”

  “Not long.” Suz’s eyes started to close. “Just until I determine that you’re not suffering too much without me. And until I make sure you don’t do something dumb, like fall for a cowboy with a restless leg.”

  Mackenzie brushed Suz’s blue-streaked hair away from her forehead. “Restless side, darling. Restless leg is something entirely different.”

  “No, I’m pretty sure I’m worried about his restless leg.” Suz’s eyes drifted shut. “It’s always so good to be home. This will always be our home, won’t it?”