by Tina Leonard
“I really think,” Frog said, staring at Suz like he wanted to melt into her arms, “that you should let me take you into town for an ice-cream cone, Miss Suz.”
“I’ve got ice cream in the freezer. Sorry, Frog.” She drifted out the door, and Justin looked at his buddy with pity.
“Don’t be discouraged. She’s got a lot on her mind,” Justin said.
“Pretty sure she shot me down,” Frog said, his shoulders drooping.
“It’ll work out, maybe,” Justin said. “Good night, gentlemen.” He headed off to his room, needing to disconnect from all the angst being shared. How to save the Hanging H—if Mackenzie even wanted it saved. He thought again about the murder near the Hanging H that had ruined the haunted house, wondered if that was the reason Mackenzie didn’t want to open it again.
Maybe worrying about Mackenzie was a waste of time. Could be she didn’t want him thinking about her situation. Maybe she’d shoot him down as hard as Suz had shot down Frog. Those Hawthorne girls seemed pretty independent. Wild child Suz with a guy named Frog? Not a chance.
For starters, Frog had to reveal his real name if he was going to get the girl. But Justin figured advice to the lovelorn should stay in Madame Matchmaker’s capable hands, because he had no desire to get involved in small-town love affairs and soap operas.
Me? I’m going to have to get the girl the old-fashioned way.
I’m going to win her.
Mackenzie wasn’t looking for another man, as Suz had pointed out. In fact, it might be easier to be Frog with his insane crush on Suz.
He’d never let long odds stop him before.
* * *
“YOU’VE GOT THE whole thing wrong,” Mackenzie told Ty a week later when she ran into him at The Wedding Diner. “You sent four bachelors to my place on purpose.”
Ty looked amused. “Would you rather I sent four happily married men?”
Mackenzie glanced around the diner, remembering her father bringing her there to have lunch and a piece of cake. They’d had those father–daughter luncheons many times over the years, as he’d also done with Suz, calling them his special times with his children. Maybe he’d done it to give her mother a break from the kids, she thought fondly. She would have understood that—right now Betty and Jade were watching the quadruplets. As much as she loved her children, a mini-break was nice, too. “You won’t believe this, but the last thing I want in my life is a man. I just don’t have room for one.”
He winked. “There is always room for the right man.”
“But I didn’t elect you my matchmaker,” Mackenzie protested, knowing by the gleam in his eye that her friend wasn’t listening to her with any remorse. “When I want a matchmaker, I’ll go to Madame Matchmaker.”
“I’m not stealing any business from her.” Ty grinned. “As far as I’m concerned, I owe you one from the first time.”
“No one could have foretold how Tommy would feel about becoming a father to four children.”
Ty’s expression turned dark. “Look, Mackenzie, not to rub salt in the wound, but Tommy Fields never deserved you. He’d always considered himself a hot item with the ladies. I just believed him when he said he’d changed.”
She shrugged. “I don’t care anymore.”
“I guess you do a little,” he said softly, “or you wouldn’t be so annoyed about the perfectly macho specimens I put out at your ranch.”
She made a face. “So you admit you were being a Nosy Ned when you put that package together and sent it my way.”
“They needed a job. You deserve better choices for a father for your daughters. How am I a bad guy?” He winked at her. “Look, you’re young, Mackenzie.”
“Thirty.”
“Young. You’re beautiful, smart and talented. You deserve a great guy.”
She sniffed. “Why not you?” she demanded, just to wind him up. Ty would never settle down, never.
He looked aggrieved and reached to hold her hand in his. “Your hand is warm from your coffee cup.”
She raised a brow.
“Friends don’t let friends marry inappropriately. And I’m so inappropriate.”
She laughed. “Yes, you are.”
“I would marry you, you know, if I hadn’t sent you better options,” he said, his tone convincing and yet the expression on his face somehow not.
“You’re such a fibber. You’ll never get married.”
“Nope,” he said happily, releasing her hand. “But I’d call it a day and go home happy if you’d get married again.”
“You realize one of those men has a thing for Daisy—”
“That’s a misfire,” he said, frowning. “Squint needs to have his head examined. Think he left a critical part of his brain back in Afghanistan.”
“And one might be developing a thing for Suz.”
He pondered that news. “Not exactly a misfire, but not exactly encouraging, either.”
“That’s my sister,” Mackenzie said. “Speak with respect.”
“I’m just saying she’s young—she’s not pliable.”
Mackenzie laughed. “You mean she wouldn’t allow you to manipulate her. I’m completely on to you.”
Justin walked into the diner. Everybody turned to look at him, and Mackenzie could easily see why he’d draw attention. He was so big and tall and he carried himself well, his aura strong and commanding. Her heart jumped a little.
If she was going to think about dating again, Justin would definitely be high on her list.
He’d be the only man she’d want on her list.
“Hi,” Justin said, sliding into the booth next to her. “Who are we gossiping about today?”
He was muscular and warm beside her. Mackenzie told herself to ignore the sudden hormone surge. “I believe Ty was talking about you.”
Justin eyed Ty. “Matchmaking again?”
Ty laughed. “You know me too well.”
“Does Madame Matchmaker know you’re horning in on her area of expertise?”
“She gave me her blessings.” Ty winked at Mackenzie. “I have to go. Tell your sister no go on the new guys. Those are all for you.”
Ty sauntered off, paid his tab and kissed Jane Chatham goodbye. Mackenzie wrinkled her nose. “He thinks so much of himself.” She noticed Justin wasn’t in a big hurry to shift to the other side of the booth.
After a moment he seemed to remember where he was and moved to the other side. She kind of wished he hadn’t.
“Let me ask you something,” Justin said. “Is there any circumstance under which you’d rethink bringing back your family’s business?”
His question stunned her. “I haven’t thought about it. All my time and energy is devoted to my daughters. In fact, I need to be getting back. It’s about time for their lunch.”
He caught her hand. “Give me five minutes. Then I’ll head back and give you a hand.”
“I didn’t hire you to be a—”
“Hanny.”
She sighed, put her shoulder bag back down in the seat. “That’s such a stupid expression. Only Ty could have thought of it.”
“I like the little ladies.” He looked at her. “I have the strangest sensation you don’t really want to move.”
“Nobody ever wants to move. Sometimes you suck it up and know that life will be good anyway.”
“Yeah.” He rubbed her fingers, and tiny sparks tingled inside her. She realized the diner had gone totally silent, everyone focused on them.
Oh, boy. She discreetly pulled her fingers away, then hid them in her lap.
“Sorry,” he said, glancing around. “I forgot we’re in BC.”
For a moment, she had, too. It had felt like they were in their own world.
Which was probably not a good thing.
The people in the diner—folks she’d known all her life—slowly turned back to their meals, but the buzz around them was low and excited. Definitely the gossip bandwagon was rolling merrily along now. “To answer your question honestly and fairly, I wish I could keep the ranch for the girls. But it’s precisely because of the girls that I won’t.”
“I get it. I really do. I grew up in Whitefish, Montana. I’ll never live there.” He shrugged. “Life moves on.”
“It’s not just that,” Mackenzie began, and the diner door opened again and Daisy walked in with Frog on her arm looking like the cat that ate the canary.
“That’s not right,” Mackenzie said, and Justin turned to see what was going on.
“No, it’s not,” he said.
Daisy and Frog slid into the booth.
“Hello, boss lady,” Frog said. “Justin, thanks for the afternoon off. I’m putting it to good advantage.” He beamed at Daisy, who gave him such a sexy look that Mackenzie thought the napkins at the table might combust.
But then Daisy’s gaze slid to Justin, and Mackenzie knew it was all a show.
Jane Chatham came over. “What can I get everyone?”
“Spice cake and an iced tea for me,” Daisy said. “I want a piece with as much frosting as you can manage, Jane.”
Frog looked besotted. “I’ll have the same. Not so much frosting, though.”
“I’ll just stick with iced tea,” Mackenzie said, wishing she could take off. She would go, except that Justin was looking at her with such an intense stare that her heart pounded. She wasn’t about to leave him to Daisy’s wiles.
That was a terrible thought she shouldn’t even be thinking.
Didn’t matter. “And a piece of spice cake,” she added. Might as well go the whole mile.
“I figured you’d be watching your weight, Micki,” Daisy said, bringing up an old nickname Mackenzie had always despised.
“I’ll have some pecan pie,” Justin said, cutting through the sudden tension at the table. “Hot coffee with that, if you don’t mind, Jane.”
“You should let me tell your fortune, Justin,” Jane said, and Mackenzie looked at Justin to gauge his reaction.
Which was slightly amused.
“If it comes with the pie, I might take you up on it,” Justin said, his tone easy.
It hit Mackenzie that Justin was trying to fit into the ways of BC, which probably weren’t like any other town he’d lived in. Mackenzie hid a smile.
“Do let her, Justin,” Daisy said. “You’ll be surprised what Jane can tell you.”
“I don’t really believe in fortune-telling and horoscopes and hocus-pocus. No offense, Jane,” Justin said.
Jane smiled. “None taken. How’s the family in Whitefish?”
He blinked. “They’re fine, thank you.”
“Knee hasn’t been bothering you as much, has it?”
“No, ma’am, it hasn’t.”
Daisy giggled. Frog looked at her as if a goddess had landed in his sphere and he couldn’t quite figure out how it had happened.
“Four drinks and desserts coming right up.” Jane went off, her stride all-business, as it always was. Mackenzie looked at Justin.
“She doesn’t really tell fortunes as much as she reads people,” Mackenzie told him.
“She listens to gossip very well,” Justin said. “But what the heck. I’ll play.”
“Gossip?” Daisy looked adorably confused; clearly she’d decided adorable was the key to Justin’s heart. “What does gossip have to do with anything?”
“I told her husband down at the feed store today that my father was having a bit of trouble on the ranch in Whitefish,” Justin said. His gaze hooked on Mackenzie’s. “I also mentioned that my knee was doing a lot better.”
Mackenzie shook her head. “When is Ty leaving, anyway?”
“You’re not going with him, are you?” Daisy asked, her tone sweetly horrified. Designed to suck up to Justin’s ego.
“Staying right here.” He leaned back in the booth, winking at Mackenzie. “Not going any place anytime soon.”
Warmth ran all over Mackenzie. She didn’t look away from Justin’s gaze, even though it was hot, hot, hot. No, she didn’t look away, even though Daisy and Frog were kind of gawking at the two of them. Jane dropped off their desserts and drinks, just as they’d ordered, which seemed to surprise everyone at the table.
Then Justin shocked the entire diner by reaching over and placing his cowboy hat on top of Mackenzie’s head.
“Little mama,” he said, “you’re the sexiest thing I’ve ever laid eyes on, and that’s a fact.”
And that was the moment Mackenzie felt herself falling.
It felt unexpectedly wonderful.
* * *
“NO, FROG,” DAISY SAID, glaring past him. He’d tried to plant a kiss on her and she was having none of that, as Justin could have foretold. In the shadows cast by the declining sun just dissipating around the barn, Justin shook his head. In a minute, he’d save Frog from himself—but not quite yet. It wouldn’t hurt him to figure out that he wasn’t quite the gift Daisy had led him to think he was. Oh, there’d be a little bit of ego bruising, but it wouldn’t last long. Frog would snap back.
Frog tried again, a bit oblivious to the fact that he was out of Daisy’s league. He’d really bought into Daisy’s flirtation, which was dumb. Daisy flirted with every man.
Justin walked from the barn to the house on his way inside to find Mackenzie and the babies. “Frog, I need you to change out every single lightbulb in the spotlights and the lanterns on the corrals.”
His demand seemed to jerk Frog out of his Daisy spell. “All right. Night, Daisy.”
“Good night,” Daisy said absently.
Frog ambled off, his shoulders slumping a bit. Mackenzie came outside, looking from Justin to Daisy. “What are you doing here, Daisy?”
“I heard a piece of gossip in town that you might be reopening the Haunted H, Mackenzie,” Daisy said. “I was a little surprised when Jane Chatham told me, because I know how devastated you were when that man died out here. They never figured out what happened to him, did they?”
Mackenzie’s face turned pale as the moon. Daisy looked pleased with herself.
“That was ten years ago, Daisy.” She turned to Justin. “I got your text. You’re welcome to dinner if you’d like.” She closed the door, leaving Justin with Daisy outside.
“What was that all about?” Justin asked Daisy, knowing full well she had something up her tight sleeve.
“Well, if Mackenzie hadn’t slammed the door in my face, I was going to tell her I’d be happy to help with the Haunted H. I’m good with kids,” Daisy said, turning on the cute as hard as she could.
Daisy help Mackenzie? He doubted that. “I’m sure she got the message. Good night.”
He went inside. Mackenzie sat at the kitchen table with the four babies in their carriers, gently wiping their faces. She didn’t look at him.
“So,” he said, going to pick up Haven—she’d already been given the cleaning treatment, so she smelled like sweet lavender. “You going to tell me what happened out here? Or are you going to let Daisy keep digging at you?”
Chapter Ten
Mackenzie didn’t say anything, and Justin thought he heard a sniffle, like maybe she was trying to hold back tears. He didn’t know her well enough to say definitely, but Mackenzie didn’t strike him as much of a crier.
Suz wandered into the room. “Here, give me Thing One,” she said, trying to take Haven from him.
“Get your own Thing,” he said, holding the baby against his chest so Suz couldn’t get her.
Shrugging, Suz took Thing Number Two—Holly—out of her basket, kissed her and then caught a glimpse of Macke
nzie’s face. “Hey! Is he making you cry?” She glared at Justin. “You put Thing One back in her carrier and get out!”
“No!” Mackenzie shook her head. “I’m not crying, and nobody’s putting any Things back!” She laughed, wiping her nose on a baby washcloth. “I wish you hadn’t started calling the girls Things. It makes conversation really interesting.”
“Yeah, well. I’ve been reading Dr. Seuss to the girls as part of their early reading program.” She glared again at Justin. “You’d best watch yourself, Cowboy.”
“Suz.” Mackenzie took Heather out of her carrier and sat down to feed her. Justin couldn’t bear it because that meant Hope was left with nobody to hold her, so he picked her up in his other arm. “Justin didn’t do anything. I just let stupid old Daisy drag up ancient history. I shouldn’t, but it happened.”
“Is she still here? Because if she is, I’m going to kick her ass.” Suz went to the window, but Justin had heard Daisy’s motorcycle roar off a few minutes ago, saving her from the ass-kicking he had no doubt Suz could dish out. “Anyway, what’s she hanging around here for?”
“She had a little outing with Frog.” Mackenzie’s gaze met Justin’s. He got that jolt he always felt around Mackenzie and wished she’d let down her guard just an inch. An inch was all he’d need to get inside her heart.
“Daisy and Frog?” Suz came back to join them. Justin thought it was interesting that Suz looked surprised, and maybe not pleasantly. “Why would he want to take out the wicked witch of Bridesmaids Creek? Quite stupid, if you ask me. But that’s a man for you.” She drifted out of the room with Holly, cooing softly to her.
Mackenzie kissed the top of Heather’s head. “Why was Frog hanging around with Daisy?”
“Because your sister turned him down flat as a very old pancake.” Justin sighed, but the feeling of the two babies in his arms was at least comforting. “He had a momentary brain fart is the best way I can explain it.”
“Frog seems to suffer from that.”
“Yes, but don’t tell Suz. Injured pride has been known to send a man into other arms.”
Mackenzie didn’t look convinced. “Weak argument.”