by Tina Leonard
“How is my name written on Justin?”
“I think it’s the way he watched your every move in that meeting. He’s the real reason you’re reopening the place, isn’t he?”
Mackenzie shook her head. “My decision is about my daughters. And Suz. I know Suz can take care of herself, but the Hanging H is still her home and she wanted to remain there. Just about the easiest way I know to do that is to do what I know best, running a circus.”
Jane smiled. “We’ll all help you.”
“Thank you.”
“But you have powerful enemies in this town,” Jane said, her voice suddenly changing. Mackenzie had heard that tone before. An icy premonition tickled at her.
“Enemies who would rather see the Hanging H burn than come back to life,” Jane said softly. Mackenzie gasped and grabbed Jane’s wrist. Jane jumped, her eyes settling on Mackenzie.
“Gracious! I’ve left you sitting with no tea and no cake, Mackenzie.” Jane hopped up from the booth. “I got so excited to see the babies I forgot about serving you. Please excuse me!”
She hurried off, not taking Mackenzie’s order, because she wouldn’t have, anyway. But she also didn’t remember a word of her warning, because that was how Jane’s visions worked. She literally didn’t remember having visions sometimes.
But Mackenzie would never forget it. Jane’s words slid through her memory like an icy wind. Her premonition was too terrible to contemplate. Surely Daisy and her gang of rowdies wouldn’t burn down the Hanging H just to make sure it never came back to its former glory.
But even she knew anything was possible.
Jane set a piece of frosted strawberry cake and a glass of iced tea in front of her. Mackenzie knew she couldn’t eat a bite. She sipped at the tea, trying to clear the fear from herself. The babies lay still for the moment in their carriers, and Jane bent down to coo over them.
“You young ladies have no idea how much fun you’re going to have as you grow up. It’s not many kids who get to grow up in a true haunted house!”
Jane must be wrong. The Donovans didn’t want the Hanging H enough to get it by foul means.
She remembered Robert Donovan with his astounding offer to take care of the girls’ education, to buy her a home, and she swallowed hard. Jane knew everything. She’d been born here, as her mother and her grandmother had. The names of the first settlers who established and named Bridesmaids Creek were on a stone in the courthouse, and one of those names was Eliza Chatham, Jane’s great-great-great-grandmother. “Why do you think Robert Donovan wants the Hanging H so badly?”
“It’s very valuable real estate due to its location,” Jane said without hesitating. “He’s planning big things for Bridesmaids Creek.”
Mackenzie sat very still. “Some of which we’ve managed to thwart.”
“Yes, but he’s still bought up a lot of Bridesmaids Creek establishments and land just the same.” Jane smiled when Holly grabbed on to her finger. “Your ranch just happens to be the crown jewel.”
She blinked. “How?”
“Mineral rights, I’d say. You’ve heard about all the new shale drilling going on.” Jane got up. “There’s some theory that your land might hold some undiscovered secrets. You should consider making certain the mineral rights to your land are held by you and nothing that Tommy can lay claim to.”
“Tommy!” Mackenzie shook her head. “We weren’t married long enough for him to have a claim. The divorce is final. He can’t sue me for anything.” Her mind whirled. “What else should I know?”
“That your cowboy has dubbed himself something of your protector, and that’s nothing to sneeze at,” Jane said and went off to serve some customers.
Mackenzie looked at the strawberry cake. Beautiful and no doubt tasty as always, but Mackenzie couldn’t eat it.
Justin considered himself her protector? She didn’t need a protector.
Who was she kidding? She needed all the friends she could get. And a man who really seemed to want to help take care of her ranch—wasn’t that almost a fairy tale come true?
* * *
DAISY WAS WAITING for her on her porch when she got home. Mackenzie lifted the carriers from her van and set them on the ground, trying hard not to wish that Daisy would simply turn into a toad and hop away.
She came over to help her carry the babies inside instead.
“It wasn’t my idea to go after your land when you fell behind on your taxes,” Daisy said as she carted Haven inside.
Mackenzie wished she had four arms so she could carry all her babies at once. She really didn’t want Daisy near them, though she supposed she was being terribly ungrateful. But Daisy never gave without taking, and what she took usually left you with a painful hole somewhere. “You don’t have to help. Thanks.”
“I want to. I wish I had a baby.” Daisy went back for Heather and set her inside the den beside Haven as Mackenzie toted Hope and Holly. The babies set up a huge wail, Hope spit up and Mackenzie had a strong urge to create a little mayhem herself.
“Look.” Mackenzie sighed and tended to Hope’s dirty dress. “It doesn’t matter about the lawsuit. I’m just back from my lawyer’s office, and the ranch and all its holdings are airtight and in no danger, from your father or Tommy or you. So, if you don’t mind, please go away. I have a million things to do, and sparring with you isn’t going to be part of the game plan.”
Daisy looked at her as she went to the front door. “You know, when we were growing up, I always wished I was you and Suz. You had everything. You still do.”
Mackenzie frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“You had two parents who loved you. A haunted house that was all anybody in Bridesmaids Creek ever talked about.” Daisy shook her head. “You and Suz were like princesses.”
Mackenzie had certainly never felt like a princess, and she knew Suz would laugh out loud at such a notion. “Your father wouldn’t try to buy this ranch just because you want it, would he?”
“Of course not.” Daisy shrugged. “Dad doesn’t discuss his business deals with me. But I think he’d heard through the grapevine that you wanted to sell. He was trying to help you out, like he would a charity or a struggling business.”
Mackenzie’s eyes went wide. Suz came speeding into the den, Justin not far behind. He came to stand beside Mackenzie, his warmth comforting.
“It’s true,” Daisy said. “You Hawthorne girls always had everything.”
She left with a lingering, almost inviting, glance at Justin. He looked down at Mackenzie, searching her eyes, gauging her mood.
“Okay, Miss Fussbucket,” Suz said, bending down to pick up Holly and comfort her. “Gracious, ladies, the wicked witch is gone. You can all relax and stop crying. Uncle Justin can’t stand to see a woman cry.”
“That’s right,” he said softly. “You’re not going to, are you?” he asked Mackenzie.
“Of course not.” She went to wash Hope up, trying to settle her nerves. Darn Daisy, anyway—always looking for a way to get under someone’s skin.
And yet something about her story had rung so true, so honest.
“So what was Daisy doing here?” Suz demanded when she returned with a fresh dress on Hope. “Doing what Daisy does best, showing that the apple really doesn’t fall far from the old tree?”
“You need a Daisy alarm,” Justin said, bringing baby bottles from the kitchen. “She sat on the porch for an hour waiting on you. I couldn’t convince her that you’d gone to visit family in another state.”
“Because we don’t have family in another state,” Suz said. “Nice try. Unlike Daisy, we’ve been in BC since we first saw daylight.”
Mackenzie sat on the sofa and picked up a bottle to start feeding Hope. “I think that’s part of Daisy’s problem. She claims she was always jealous of us.”
“The girl who has it all? I doubt it.” Suz plunked down with Heather and grabbed a bottle from Justin. “Don’t let her work on you. You know that’s what Daisy does best, gnaw away at something until it finally cracks.”
Mackenzie smiled at Justin as he carried Holly to the window to check the front of the house. “We could turn the tables on her. Include her.”
Suz’s jaw dropped. “Include her in what?”
“The planning and setup for the haunted house. Put her in charge of a committee.” Mackenzie caught Justin’s expression and had a sudden flash memory of his kiss that morning. Jane’s words about the handsome cowboy living with her made her look away.
What a silly rumor.
“Jane had a vision while I was at The Wedding Diner today,” Mackenzie said, and Justin made what sounded like a scoffing noise.
“Oh?” Suz perked up. “I hope it was a juicy one!”
“You don’t really believe in that nonsense,” Justin said. “Isn’t that just another way to sell Bridesmaids Creek’s many tales of make-believe? Kind of like the small towns who rely on their ghost stories and sightings for tourist trade?”
Suz gasped. “Justin! Those are practically fighting words in BC! Our livelihood depends on our small-town charms!”
He looked at Mackenzie, who shrugged. “It was a real vision.” There was no mistaking it when Jane went into a trance.
“So? So?” Suz prompted.
“She said the Hanging H is going to burn to the ground,” Mackenzie said.
The babies all set up a tremendous wail, despite their bottles, almost like a sudden attack of four-way colic.
“Gosh!” Suz scrambled to grab Haven, who’d been so patient about waiting her turn. “You’d think they knew what we were talking about!”
Justin’s mouth was set in a firm line the next time Mackenzie looked up. It had taken a full five minutes to calm the babies, but what Jane had seen still hung in the air, a specter that probably wasn’t going to go away anytime soon.
“Look,” Justin said slowly, “I’m no expert on BC. But I don’t believe in spells or magic or visions. A bull rider might be superstitious, sure, but most of the time he’s thinking about winning, not getting crushed under a bull. He can’t afford to think about negative karma. I think it’s best if you don’t let word become deed, in Jane Chatham’s case.” He shrugged. “Not that my opinion counts for anything.”
Suz’s eyes were wide. “It is a terrible thought, Mackenzie.”
She felt horrible that she’d brought it up. She’d just wanted so badly to get it off her mind, out of her head and into the daylight where it could be laughed away.
It just wasn’t a laughing matter.
“It’s okay,” she said quickly, wanting to soothe the horrified look from Suz’s eyes. “I shouldn’t have told you.”
“Of course you should have,” Justin said, crossing back to the window. “Because you can’t handle everything yourself. That’s what friends are for, to share the load.”
“That’s right,” Suz said. “We can’t let Daisy and Jane and other people deter us from our goal, which is to bring the Hanging H back to all its wonderful splendor. I think Mom and Dad would be proud of us, don’t you?”
Mackenzie looked at her little sister. In spite of her worldliness, Suz would always be her best friend and her connection to the family they’d once been. Suz was tough, but she could also be that child who tagged along after her big sister looking for reassurance. She remembered the scare when Suz had fallen from a tree, breaking her arm, and the late-night run to the emergency room in Austin when Suz had come down with meningitis. It had been so scary, such a frightening time. Mackenzie had been terrified she might lose her only sibling—the tiny baby her parents had brought home one day and allowed her to name. Betty Harper had come to babysit Mackenzie while her parents had taken Suz to the hospital, and Jade had comforted her, telling her she’d always be her friend.
Mackenzie caught Justin’s gaze on her, and she needed desperately to change the subject. “Jane isn’t all about visions. She also mentioned some folks in town seem to think you’re living with me.”
“Oh?” He raised a brow, seemed amused.
“I just mention it in case you’re worried about your reputation.”
He laughed. “A lot of BC gossip tends to be about this place, doesn’t it?”
“It’s not surprising when it’s a onetime haunted house and one of the owners has four children all at once. Tends to make folks talk,” Suz said practically.
He shook his head and turned away. Mackenzie caught him smiling, though. The only reason she’d brought the rumor up was to get his reaction and test that rebel reputation he held so dear.
“Guess I’d have to be pretty thin-skinned to worry about a rumor,” Justin said.
“One never knows how a man feels about being the subject of such a rumor,” Mackenzie said, knowing she sounded prim.
Suz laughed. “Men love it when ladies talk about them. Justin has all kinds of a reputation in town for being a major ladies’ man.”
Mackenzie stared at her sister. “How do you know that?”
“Because people don’t just gossip about the Hanging H,” Suz said. “They also gossip about newcomers. And the newcomers du jour are Justin and the three hunks we’ve hired on. Justin’s right about this place being a gossip factory.” Suz kissed the baby she held as she looked at Justin. “I’ve heard everything from you’re married, to you didn’t really leave the circuit because of your knee but because your heart was broken by a cheating fiancée, to—”
Suz’s teasing words came to a stop. Justin’s expression had turned grim. He put his baby gently onto the pallet, astonishing all of them, and walked out of the room. They heard the kitchen door close.
“Gosh! Was it something I said?” Suz asked.
Apparently so. But clearly Justin wasn’t about to deny any of the rumors.
Chapter Fourteen
Ty strolled into the kitchen the next day, pretty much grinning from ear to ear.
“Why are you so disgustingly happy?” Suz demanded.
“Life is good. Why shouldn’t I smile?” Ty glanced at the four babies Suz and Mackenzie had put in the kitchen in a playpen while they did some baking. It was never too early to begin baking and freezing the treats the Haunted H was known for. “Anyway, I heard the big meeting is being held here today to discuss opening this joint back up.”
“You missed it by a day,” Mackenzie said, slightly miffed with Ty. The way Justin had lit out last night made it obvious that he wasn’t the no-strings-attached bachelor Ty had portrayed him as—which was worrying, since Mackenzie recognized she’d begun falling for her foreman. “How does it feel to know that your usually sterling gossip line has failed you?”
Confusion crossed Ty’s face. “The meeting was yesterday?”
“Yes, it was. And we are open for business,” Suz said. “Do you want an assignment? We could put you in charge of the petting zoo. Maybe the carriage rides or the toss-the-water-balloon-at-the-clown game. That would be my choice for you.”
Ty sank onto a barstool. “You can’t reopen.”
Mackenzie looked up from diapering Hope. “Why not? Everyone who was here for the meeting voted the idea in unanimously. They’re looking forward to bringing tourists back here. Except for the Donovans, obviously. They were ‘no’ votes, but they don’t count.”
“I get it,” Ty said. “But Justin’s leaving.”
“We don’t need Justin,” Suz said. “We can stand on our own two feet.”
“What do you mean, Justin’s leaving?” Mackenzie demanded, her heart skipping a beat.
“He called last night. Said he was ready to take me up on my offer. I’m here to pick him up. Didn’t you know?” Ty as
ked, looking at her closely.
“Like any employee, Justin’s free to give notice whenever it suits him,” Mackenzie said, fibbing through her teeth so Ty wouldn’t know how stunned she was. She felt Suz’s stare on her.
Ty shifted uncomfortably. “He didn’t sound too good when he called. He sounded like he had a lot on his mind, needed to unwind.”
“Justin’s personal affairs are his own business,” Mackenzie said, dying a little inside.
“You’re not as smooth as I thought you were,” Suz told Ty, who looked a little disturbed by this news.
“If you’ll both excuse me, and keep an eye on the babies,” Mackenzie said, “I’m going to go hunt up my foreman. I’ll let him know you’re here.”
She went out the door, heading across to the barns, anger carrying her boots across the dirt-and-stone path quickly. Justin was in the paddock behind the barn, working with a large chestnut. Mackenzie went up to him slowly so she wouldn’t startle the horse.
“Ty’s here.”
“Great. Thanks.” He patted the horse on the neck, praising it for its good work. “Listen, about yesterday, I want you to know that none of that gossip Suz was teasing me about is true.”
He walked the horse to the barn, and Mackenzie followed. “Is that why you’re leaving? Because of the gossip?”
Justin shook his head. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Mackenzie stopped, eyeing him as he hosed the horse down. “Ty says you called him to say you’re ready to hit the road again.”
Justin nodded. “I’m ready to help him out. But I have no intention of leaving anytime soon.” He glanced at her. “Did you think I was leaving? Is that why you came out here with a full head of steam? I could tell by the starch in your march that you were pissed about something. Had no idea it was me.” He grinned. “On the other hand, I kind of like the idea that it would matter to you if I left.”
“Of course it would matter. You’re the foreman.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Were you testing me? My feelings?”