by Tina Leonard
“Oh, no!” Before he could stop her, Mackenzie jumped into the fray, and then it was on. He looked at Frog, whose boots seemed glued to the ground. A hundred people either yelled insults or rolled in the dirt, engaged in some kind of combat. The sheriff and his men watched from the sidelines, and Robert Donovan complained loudly to the sheriff about his daughter’s handling at Suz’s hands, despite the fact that Mackenzie was working as hard as she could to drag her off.
“Are you going to do something?” Justin asked Frog.
Rodriguez shrugged. “Personally, girl-on-girl conflict is something a man probably wants to avoid. It’s a no-win situation, or haven’t you heard?”
“That’s nice.” Justin waded in, separated Suz and Daisy. “What the hell is wrong with you two?”
“I’ve wanted to tear you up for years,” Suz said. “You just remember that, Daisy Donovan.”
Daisy flounced off, straight to Frog.
Like a frog wanting out of a skillet, Frog took off. Squint and Sam looked at Justin.
“Are you going to help me separate the rest of these people?” Justin demanded.
“Not our battle,” Squint said.
“Seems to be some kind of bad feelings in the general population around here,” Sam said.
It wasn’t his battle. Why did he feel so responsible?
Because he hadn’t wanted to run. Hadn’t believed in what the town believed in, what mattered to them—the legend that really covered up the last bits of hope they had that their town was going to survive.
It was falling apart.
Mackenzie ran to Suz. “Are you all right?”
Of course she was all right. Daisy was tough, but Suz was tougher. Daisy was sporting a fat lip and a scratch across a cheek, from what he could see at a distance, while Suz looked ready to go another round.
“I’m fine,” Suz snapped. “It’s just time someone taught Daisy Donovan a lesson, and her father, too.”
That was all true. Even someone who was new to town could tell that the Donovans made consistent trouble for everyone. Even the haunted house might not ever rise from the ashes of the past.
Justin looked at the people scrabbling and arguing with each other all along the road—neighbors and friends who loved each other, when the Donovans weren’t yanking everybody’s chain and stealing their dreams—and took a deep breath.
“I’ll run!” he yelled.
Chapter Nineteen
Mackenzie gasped at Justin’s pronouncement. Everyone within earshot quit arguing and battling, which made the rest of the people take a break to find out what was happening.
“You can’t run,” Mackenzie said. “You have a bad knee.”
“It’s fine.”
No way was she allowing this to happen. If he thought for one second he was going to run with Daisy standing at the other end of Best Man’s Fork, she was going to go all Suz on him. Well, not physically, of course, but definitely she was going to give him a piece of her mind.
“Not to me, it’s not fine,” Mackenzie said, glaring at him.
Now that someone else’s annoyance was front and center, everybody grouped around to hear every word.
“I’ll do the run,” Justin said, holding her gaze with his, “if Mackenzie’s at the end of the race.”
Jane Chatham came to the front of the group, clearly in her official position as marshal and rules enforcer. “Typically it’s a bachelorette who—”
“Mackenzie’s single,” Justin said.
“No, Justin,” Mackenzie said. “If you pick the wrong road—”
“I know, I know, keep running because the charm’s broken, and we won’t get married in thirty days, and I might as well be cast out of society because I’ll never marry.” He grinned. “Did I sum it up?”
“Well, you’re pretty close,” Mackenzie said, “because I don’t want to lose you this soon.”
He grinned. “I have a feeling it’ll be fine.”
“It’s supposed to be my run,” Daisy complained loudly. “I ask for the right to put in a champion.”
“A champion?” Cosette wrinkled her nose, checked the papers Jane held. “Is that in the rules?”
“I choose Carson Dare, Dig Bailey, Clint Shanahan, Red Holmes and Gabriel Conyers to run as my champions, as I’m obviously being thrown over here,” Daisy announced loudly, and the entire crowd gasped.
Mackenzie glanced over at the five men in black jackets, boots and blue jeans. Of course the purpose of Daisy’s plan was to keep Justin from winning. Any of those men could outrun Justin, even if he claimed his leg was whole now. “You just can’t stand for anyone to be happy, can you, Daisy Donovan?”
“I’m very happy.” Daisy smiled at her. “And since it’s a charity race, I’ll donate five thousand dollars to the charity of the winner’s choice.”
“Even the haunted house fund?” Justin demanded.
The crowd went totally silent.
“Sure. I don’t care. One good cause is the same as another,” Daisy said. “There won’t ever be a haunted house, but I understand the Hawthorne ranch is underwater these days.”
Mackenzie shook her head. “Actually, we’re in a good place. Thanks.”
“We’ll see.” She glanced at Suz. “Neither one of you makes any money. It can’t go on forever.”
Those were words straight from Robert Donovan’s mouth. Justin smiled. “So, are we doing this thing or not?”
“Justin,” Mackenzie said, “I really wish you wouldn’t do this.”
“You just go pick your side of the road.” Justin winked at her. “I’ll be right there.”
“I don’t get to pick,” Mackenzie said a little desperately. “The sheriff takes the lady in his truck to the finish line. She draws a straw to determine which side she takes.”
“It’s okay.” He kissed her. “I’ll find you.”
“I wish you wouldn’t do this.” What terrified her most was what Daisy’s band of jacket-wearing rowdies would do once they got past the view of the people. The forks wound through forest and brush-lined trails. It was a five-mile run, with no shortcuts. The sheriff and Cosette and Jane had driven it several times to check the distance and condition of the road. “I don’t like it.”
Sam, Squint and Frog stepped up to the line. “We’ll run with him,” Sam said.
“We’re a team,” Frog said.
“Like to keep things even,” Squint said, glaring at Daisy’s gang.
“There’s five of them and four of you,” Suz said. “Are you just itching to get a beatdown?”
Frog grinned. “We kind of thought the fight was weighted toward our side.”
“Very funny,” Dig Bailey said.
“All right, then,” Cosette said. “The rules have been agreed upon—the game begins. Everyone who wants to be at the finish line will pay the race fund five dollars, no charge for anyone under twelve years of age! Monsieur Unmatchmaker, will you please fire the starting gun?”
Philippe grinned at his wife. “I’m honored. Let’s get ready to run!” he yelled, excited to be chosen.
“When’s the last time one of these races was held?” Justin asked Mackenzie.
“When my ex ran it,” Mackenzie said. “Although he didn’t really run it so much as walk it. And he didn’t get to the right lane.”
“He quit,” Suz interjected. “He had a blister on his heel. It wasn’t a race so much as a walk.”
Justin looked at Mackenzie. “So history is indeed being made today.”
She grinned at him. “Actually, history is being made because there’s never been a race like this one. The rules are completely changed.”
“You just remember that there’s never been a race like this one,” Justin said, kissing her.
&nb
sp; “How are you going to run in boots?”
He smiled. “You just get in the sheriff’s truck. The people want a battle, and a battle they’re going to get.”
* * *
JUSTIN WASN’T STUPID. He’d known when he and Mackenzie headed down here that there was going to be a race, and no man attended a race without a decent pair of running shoes. He’d tossed those in his truck, and he’d also tossed in a T-shirt.
“That’s what you’re running in?” Squint demanded, eyeing his jeans as the intrepid three pulled on extreme running gear. Their truck was parked beside his, providing perfect cover for their costume change.
“Yeah. I’m fine,” Justin said.
Frog eyed him doubtfully. Reached over and lightly pounded his leg, scoffing in disgust. “You’re still wearing that leg brace. Your leg isn’t any better at all!”
“My leg is better,” Justin said. “The doc said my knee would take a couple more weeks to fully heal the tear.”
“That’s just great,” Sam said. “You can’t run wearing a leg brace.”
“I can run.”
“Sure, Peg Leg.” Frog’s tone was total disgust. “You realize that if you take that brace off, your leg is frozen for a few days. You have to do therapy and crap to get the tendons and muscles and stuff back to normal. So you can’t take that brace off because it won’t do any good.”
“I wasn’t planning on taking it off,” Justin said.
“Great,” Squint said. “We’re backing up Hopalong Cassidy. For five miles through forest and bush.”
“Here’s the deal,” Frog said. “We’ve got your back. We’re a team. So you run like hell and never look back, no matter what you hear behind you.”
“What are you going to do?” Justin asked. They looked like they were getting ready for some kind of reconnaissance mission, all in black and camo. This was clearly just another mission to them.
“Just planning on keeping things honest,” Sam said. “We’re quite familiar with the way nonbeneficial things can happen in competitive times.”
“Remember,” Squint said. “No looking back. Very critical to your success. You’ve heard about Lot’s wife and the saltshaker?”
Justin forbore a sigh and eyed his stalwart companions. “I really appreciate you guys stepping up on my behalf.”
“Nah,” Frog said. “It’s not about you. It’s about the boss lady.”
Justin smiled. “Yes, it is.”
* * *
MACKENZIE WAS NERVOUS as she rode with the sheriff. Not nervous. Apprehensive.
Maybe Justin was right—maybe this whole legend thing was dumb.
Except it wasn’t. Cosette, Jane and Jane’s husband had been busy taking money for tickets. Most of the town had turned out, since this wasn’t an event that happened often and no one wanted to be left out. It was good for the town, it was good for the people and hopefully it would be good for her and her family.
The amazing thing was that Justin had been game to do it.
“I think you like that cowboy,” Sheriff Dennis said.
“I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t.” Maybe that’s why she was apprehensive—it really, really mattered to her which lane Justin chose.
“I guess we should have all known from how the race went down with Tommy that he was a mistake,” Dennis said.
“It’s hard for me to regret anything because of my daughters.”
Sheriff Dennis smiled. “I’d feel the same way. By the way, I heard through the proverbial grapevine that Tommy was dumped. His little girlfriend went off to greener pastures.”
Mackenzie shook her head. “Somehow it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“True love,” Sheriff Dennis said happily, parking the truck near the end of the thick woods where the paths converged again. “You know, whoever dreamed this race up was a genius. We should hold one every six months just on principle.”
“You know very well who thought it up,” Mackenzie said. “Cosette, Philippe, Jane, her husband and you.”
Sheriff Dennis laughed. “You have to build a town from something. This was as good as anything. And we started this thirty years ago. How would you know?”
“Because I remember my parents talking about it,” Mackenzie said softly. “They always said they were going to try it out one day.”
Sheriff Dennis patted her hand. “They’ll be tickled that their daughter is getting to do it right this time.” He pulled out two straws, then hid them in his beefy palms. “Pick. You either want the right side or the left side of the road. East or west, there can only be one.” He extended his hands to Mackenzie. “Choose wisely, Mackenzie. I’ve always thought of you as a daughter. This time I want you to be happy.”
Her hand hovered over his. “What made you dream up the idea of Best Man’s Fork?”
“There’s a best man at every wedding, isn’t there?” He looked at her, his eyes twinkling. “The spotlight can’t always be on the bride and groom. Guys want to get married more than you ladies think we do. And we want a big deal made of it, too!”
Mackenzie smiled. “That one.” She tapped his left hand, and he opened it.
She stared at the straw in his hand. If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought it sparkled. Twinkled.
“I’ll be leaving you right here,” Sheriff Dennis said. “Good luck, Mackenzie.”
She got out. “Thanks.”
“You know the drill. That right there is your path. In a few minutes, there’ll be all kinds of people swarming the finish line, anxious to see if Justin chooses the right road. Have you got faith in your cowboy?”
She closed the truck door and waved goodbye. Set out for the lane she’d chosen. There was no need to answer Sheriff Dennis’s rhetorical question; they both knew she did or she wouldn’t be waiting here for him.
Sheriff Dennis drove away. Mackenzie pulled out her cell phone and called Jade.
“Hello?”
“How are the girls?”
“They’re darling! Mom and I are having a blast. Where are you?”
“At the finish line.”
“Already?” Jade gasped. “It’s going to go very different this time, you know. This time it’s going to be—”
“Oof,” Mackenzie said as something knocked her to the ground. Her phone flew, shattering when it hit a rock.
“Daisy Donovan! What was that for?” Mackenzie sat up and glared at Daisy, who looked proud of her handiwork. “Do not make me kick your butt today!”
She jumped to her feet.
“I’m not missing out on my chance,” Daisy said. “You’ve already had your turn. Now move.”
“Move?” Mackenzie frowned. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Yes, you are. Either you get in that other lane, or I’m going to make you wish you had!”
Mackenzie raised a brow. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to be right here when Justin arrives.” Daisy pointed to the other lane. “Go.”
“Why don’t you go to that side?”
“Because I know this whole gig is a bunch of hooey. Either the sheriff told you which side to choose or you just called your position in to someone.”
“I was checking on the babies,” Mackenzie said, disgusted.
“And giving her a coded location so that she could call one of the three dunces to clue Justin in on which road to take.” Daisy pointed again. “Go, or you’ll regret making me lose my temper.”
“Daisy, you’re never going to learn. Has your scheming ever gotten you anything you wanted?”
“We’ll know soon enough.”
“Justin isn’t going to marry you.”
“He may not marry you, either. But at least I’ll have the charmed legend on my side.”
&n
bsp; Mackenzie sighed. “You realize that’s about as good as believing in Santa Claus.”
“Which I do. He was a saint, thanks. You know, that’s part of your problem, Mackenzie Hawthorne—you’re not a romantic.”
“And you are?” Mackenzie could feel her brows elevate involuntarily. “Daisy, this is dumb. If you want this lane so badly, you can have it.”
“Good. Because I really didn’t want to have to knock you out and hide you in the bushes.”
There was no point in arguing with Daisy. She’d always wanted what everyone else had; nothing was going to change now. She was Suz’s age, still young, but as tough as Suz could be, Daisy could be tougher. It was as if she missed a key part of her soul that most humans had that made them compassionate.
“I thought you had a thing for Frog,” Mackenzie said.
“Just flirting, nothing serious,” Daisy said. “Move along.”
“Just flirting?” Poor Frog might have actually thought Daisy cared about him. “What about Squint? Are you just flirting with him, too?”
Something strange came over Daisy’s face. “Don’t talk to me about Squint. He thinks he’s special.”
“So he turned you down?”
“He did not turn me down.” Daisy’s gaze slid away. “He said he isn’t available for anything resembling dating, a relationship or even friendship.”
“Ouch.” Mackenzie hadn’t meant to say it, and once the word was out of her mouth, Daisy glowered at her.
“Get over there, and when Justin sweeps me off my feet, you accept your just desserts. You’ve had this coming to you for a long time.” Daisy stalked around a rock, dusted it off and sat down. “Dad’s going to make marrying me very lucrative for Justin.”
“You live in a dream world where Daddy’s money gets you what you want.”
“And you live in a dream world where Daddy’s money didn’t. Get lost.”
Mackenzie went to the other lane, a good thousand yards away, and decided she liked the way the sun dappled the trees and the light breeze touched the lane. There was a tall tree made for climbing, with a slab someone had hammered in it for a seat that rose just above the canopy. There also was a tree swing and a bench, so Mackenzie took the bench and made herself comfortable.