Fergus had surprised her with his call. It had been good but painful to hear his voice. She wanted to see her brothers desperately, assure herself they were all happy, healthy and thriving. Fergus had promised her they were all good. The twins were doing great in university, and Ian was dating a new girl.
Hearing Fergus talk about his own girlfriend made Mackenzie feel ancient. He was only twenty-one, for Saint Margaret’s sake. Much too young to be serious about anyone. Same with Ian. She decided to scrimp even more, and maybe then she could afford a trip home to see them.
A horn behind her broke the stillness of the day, and she jumped, then scooted off the road. She slipped on a patch of ice and scrambled to right herself. Which made it even worse, and she whomped down on her backside into a melting snowdrift.
The truck brakes squealed to a stop, and a door slammed.
“Mackenzie, are you okay? Are you hurt?” She heard Hunter’s voice before she saw him. She looked heavenward and fell back into the snow. Why did it have to be him?
“You should be more careful out here.” He leaned down, arm outstretched to help her up.
“I need to be more careful? You need to not blast the bloody horn at unsuspecting people.” She jerked her hand away from his grasp.
“Sorry. Why are you out walking in this weather?”
She glared up at him, thrust her hands sideways. “Well, duh. How else am I supposed to get to work?”
“You could have asked me for a ride.”
Pushing herself off the ground, she brushed snow off her backside and legs. “I’ve already inconvenienced you enough.” She turned on her heel and headed toward the lodge.
She heard the truck start behind her, and tires crunched on the snow.
“Would you just get in? I’m going the same way as you anyway,” Hunter called through the open passenger window.
“Fine,” she mumbled. “Bloody, blooming bampot, man.”
“I heard that,” Hunter said. “You wound me, you really do.”
She glanced at him, hand pressed against his chest, an exaggerated look of hurt on his face. Despite herself, she laughed.
“I looked it up, you know.”
“What?” she asked.
“Bampot.”
Her cheeks heated. She felt a touch of remorse, but their interactions to this point flashed through her head, and she stomped it down.
“So who’s Fergus? Your husband?”
“What? Why do you ask that?”
“Because your voice sounded like you’d just gotten a puppy on Christmas morning when he called you.”
“Not my husband.”
“Boyfriend?”
“I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Girl as pretty as you should have plenty of boyfriends.”
He thought her pretty? “Don’t be daft. Fergus is my brother.” Searching for a way to change the subject, she remembered the question she’d had earlier while she’d unpacked. “Is there a school on the ranch?”
“No. Oh, for the boys. A lot of the kids on ranches are homeschooled, at least during winter since we’re never sure we can get to town. Sometimes special lessons are done via computers, too, as long as the Wi-Fi is up and running.”
She looked around at the wooden ranch buildings set against the backdrop of soaring mountains covered in snow. What a wonderful place to grow up.
They arrived at the lodge and got out of the truck.
“What time will you be through today?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. Maybe around seven?”
Hunter handed her a card with several numbers written on it. “Call me or one of these numbers for a ride to my place.”
She started to protest, but he held up a hand. “Don’t argue. Just do it. It’s safe on the ranch, but at night, you never know what wildlife you might run into on the path.”
“Thanks. I appreci—” A loud squeal behind her cut her words off.
Carley practically skipped down the path to them and threw her arms around Hunter. “Sweetie! Come have lunch with me.”
Now why can’t she fall on her bum in front of him? Why did it have to be me? Mackenzie pulled her backpack over her shoulder.
“Hey, pretty lady.” Hunter slung an arm around Carley’s shoulders as they walked up the path to the lodge.
Here she’d just started thinking he was nice for calling her pretty. She decided he was natural charmer. He’d be that way with women of all ages, all shapes, all types, handing out compliments to anyone of the female persuasion. Probably even female cats and dogs.
She turned on her heel and walked toward the movie set, scooped up a handful of snow and shaped it into a perfectly round snowball. Aiming at a distant tree, she hefted it through the air. It landed with a soft thud and broke apart in a shower of fragments. She’d do well to remember Hunter’s type, the type her mother had warned her about all those years ago. The type who’d kept breaking Mum’s heart, over and over again.
They’re all the same, daughter. They only want one thing—to make you fall in love with them, then they’ll break your heart. All you are is another tally mark on their scoreboard.
Mackenzie had learned that lesson the hard way. She’d vowed long ago she’d never fall for any man again. Especially a man like Hunter Sullivan.
* * *
Mackenzie dragged herself up the path to the lodge, aching for a cup of tea. She’d gone over and over the upcoming stunt and finally worked out the kinks with Brody, the stunt coordinator. She pressed a hand to her back and stretched. Even as good as it had gone today, fear lingered behind the satisfaction. The fire scene loomed over her head.
“Miss Mackenzie!” a little boy’s voice called out to her.
She turned around and saw the triplets racing up the steps toward her, their father following.
“Hey.” Hunter tipped his hat to her. “We’re going to my dad’s house for dinner. Come eat with us.”
“Oh, no. I don’t want to intrude.”
“No intrusion at all. Plenty of food.”
“Come on, it’ll be fun.” Cody grabbed her hand, started pulling her down a sidewalk curving around the outside of the lodge.
“I suppose I could, if you’re sure your da won’t mind.” She looked back at Hunter.
“I don’t think the triplets will let you out of it.” He grinned.
They followed the walkway to a large cabin. The wood was dark with age, and it looked as if this might have been the original cabin on the property.
Hunter stepped around her and the boys and opened the front door. He gestured for her to precede him, and she walked into a wall of noise.
“Is this a party?” She glanced up at him.
“Nope, just Friday night dinner at my dad’s house.”
A pretty, older woman with perfectly styled blond hair walked up to their little group. “Hunter, it’s about time you and the boys arrived. Dinner is almost ready.” She bent over and tapped her cheek, and the triplets pushed and shoved each other to give her a kiss.
Standing back up, she looked at Mackenzie. “Hello, I don’t think we’ve met yet. You’re Carley, right?”
Hunter kissed the woman’s cheek. “Bunny, this is Mackenzie Campbell. She’s actually Carley’s stunt double. Mackenzie, my stepmother, Bunny Sullivan.”
Mackenzie shook the woman’s hand and noticed the questioning eyebrow.
“She’s staying at our house,” Cody piped up, grinning so big it looked like his face would split.
And there went Mrs. Sullivan’s other eyebrow.
“Oh, you’re the one—I’m so sorry we didn’t have any other rooms or cabins available for you. If something comes open, we’ll get you moved right away.”
Mackenzie smiled at her. “Thank you, Mrs. Sullivan.”
“Please, call me Bunny
.”
A tall man with silver hair and a beard to match walked up to them and put his arm around Bunny’s waist.
“Mackenzie, this is my husband, Angus. And this—” Bunny gestured toward the others filling the room “—is our family. Hunter, introduce her around.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Hunter tucked Mackenzie’s arm under his and led her into the living room. He stopped by a man and a very pregnant woman.
“Mackenzie, this is my oldest brother, Nash, and his wife, Kelsey. Their daughter, Maddy, is around here somewhere,” he said, looking around the room. “Guys, Mackenzie is one of the stunt doubles for the movie.”
“Welcome to the ranch,” Nash said.
“Thank you. It’s a lovely place.”
Kelsey’s face brightened. “You’re Scottish?”
“Aye, that I am.” She elbowed Hunter’s side. “And thanks for getting the country right the first try, unlike some people.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I hope you get to enjoy the ranch and not have to work all the time.” Kelsey rubbed her belly.
“Thank you.”
Another tall, attractive man with dark hair joined them.
“Kade, this is Mackenzie. She’s the stunt—oh, never mind,” Hunter said. “It’ll take all night doing it this way.”
He pulled her to the center of the room. “Hey, everyone,” he called, but the noise level didn’t lower at all. He tried whistling, but it didn’t make a dent.
Mackenzie raised her fingers to her lips and gave a sharp whistle. Everyone stopped talking.
Hunter stared at her, green eyes popping open wide. “How’d you learn that?”
She grinned. “Four brothers, remember?”
“Awesome. You’ll have to teach me how to do that. Hey, everyone, this is Mackenzie Campbell, stuntwoman. Mackenzie, this is the Sullivan family. Follow along. You’ll be tested later.”
Panic bloomed in her stomach, and she opened her mouth to protest.
“Just kidding.” He laughed, the wretch.
“Bloody American,” she mumbled, feeling foolish. But at least she relaxed a little.
Hunter raised his arm and pointed. “Bunny is Kelsey’s mom. Kelsey came to the ranch last summer, bringing her mom and daughter. She’s a physical therapist and runs a program for wounded vets. Their daughter is Maddy, my favorite niece.”
“I’m your only niece!” said a wee lass with curly dark hair.
“Well, that’s true. But you’re still my favorite.” He blew her a kiss, then pointed at the other man she’d almost met earlier. “Kade is next in line—he’s ranch manager and an architect. Toby over there is his nine-year-old son. Then Wyatt, and his bride, Frankie.”
The blond woman smiled and waved at her.
“That cute little guy hanging on Wyatt’s leg is her son—their son—Johnny. Wyatt is the ranch foreman, and he can help with anything you need for stunts. Frankie is the money woman.”
He pointed at yet another handsome man sitting in a chair by the fire, holding a squirming puppy. “Luke is a few years older than me, married to his job. He’s a veterinarian. And saving the best for last.” He spread his arms wide. “Me and my boys.”
She couldn’t help but grin. “Let me guess. You’re the precocious one, the favorite—or so you like to tell everyone.”
“Hey, she’s got your number, bro,” Luke said.
Hunter narrowed his eyes. “Okay, so maybe I will test you. Point out who is who.”
“Challenge accepted.” She faced the room again. “Angus and Bunny. Nash, Kelsey, Maddy.” She nodded to the next man. “Kade and Toby. Wyatt, Frankie, Johnny. Luke—and I didn’t catch the pup’s name.”
She turned to Hunter and his boys, all watching her expectantly. “Hunter, Cody, Tripp, Eli.” She pointed at each boy in turn, then put her hands on her hips. “How’d I do?”
Laughter and catcalls filled the room to bursting.
“Excellent. You got all that in one shot,” Kelsey said. “Even the Triples.”
“The who?”
“The Triples. Hunter’s boys.”
“There must be a story behind that name.”
Kelsey laughed. “Toby couldn’t say triplets when they were born, so he called them triples, and it stuck.”
Hunter leaned close. “How did you get them right the first time?”
“Easy. Cody is in blue, Tripp in red, Eli in green.”
Good thing paying attention to details was so important to her job. It’d helped her impress Hunter...not that that should be important or anything.
He looked at her, with something like...respect? “Pretty good. You catch on quick.”
“Dinner is ready. Come and sit.” Bunny set a bowl of salad on the big table in the middle of the room.
Everyone gathered around the big dining table, and somehow she found herself sitting between two of the Triples and across from Hunter. Dishes were passed, and she’d just taken a bite of fried chicken when Luke cleared his throat.
“Hey, Hunter, isn’t Mackenzie the woman you saved—” Luke made air quotes with his fingers “—yesterday morning?”
She set the chicken leg down on her plate, finished chewing and carefully wiped her fingers on the linen napkin. “You saved me?” She looked Hunter dead in the eye. “You. Saved. Me?”
“That’s the way we heard it.” Wyatt set a roll on his son’s plate. “Right, bro?”
“Now, that’s not what I—” Hunter began.
“Come on and tell us, Mackenzie. Were you relieved to have such a big, strong, handsome cowboy come to your rescue?” Luke smirked.
She glanced at Luke, saw the grin on his face, the wicked gleam in his eye. And just had to play along.
She clutched her hands tight to her chest. “Oh, yes,” she simpered, drawing on her inner Carley. “I was ever so relieved he came to my rescue. I don’t know what I’d have done if he hadn’t saved poor little ol’ me.” She looked across the table at Hunter and batted her eyelashes fast enough to cause a breeze in the room. “My hero.” She sighed deeply, pasting an angelic smile on her face.
Laughter sounded up and down the dining table.
His lips turned up in a slow grin.
She wasn’t used to men smiling at her like that. As if she were the main course on a dessert bar.
A slow heat burned up her chest, and she felt as if she’d been punched.
Not good. Not good at all.
Chapter 4
Hunter unloaded the last of the firewood into the bin outside his cabin, then hauled more logs inside.
With a severe snowstorm brewing, his dad had called a halt to all outdoor activities this morning, including movie production. Nash had picked the boys up from class and would be dropping them off soon. Everyone had been told to hunker down and stay inside.
Mrs. Green, the best ranch cook on the planet, and Bunny had sent extra food back with everyone to their cabins. Hunter had already made sure all the fireplace bins in the cabin were stocked with extra logs.
He headed back outside and walked around the cabin, making sure everything had been battened down. Ice had already formed on the trees and bushes. Long icicles hanging from the eaves had frozen into lethal points.
Going around the corner to the older part, he noticed an open window. He walked up to the wall to close it and saw movement inside. Weird. No one’s supposed to be home this time of day.
Had an intruder slipped inside while he’d been hauling firewood? He hoped it was a person, and not a foraging bear.
He crept forward as quiet as he could and peered through the open window.
A woman stepped out of the tub, and he glimpsed red marks on the backs of her thighs. She turned and faced him.
Boobs.
Naked boobs. Naked legs. Naked body.
His brain f
inally caught up with his eyes. The woman inside shrieked and tried to cover her body with her hands.
Dammit. Mackenzie.
“What the bloody hell do you think you’re doin’? Are you a keeker?”
“Huh?” Dang. Real smooth, moron.
“A peeping tom, you idiot.” She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body.
“Sorry.”
“Why are you looking in my window?”
“Um...” He couldn’t think. Why was he outside her window?
The silence grew. A drop of water slid down her elbow. Steam rose around her, making her hair even more curly and vibrant. Another drop of water rolled down her throat onto her chest, until it disappeared into her towel-covered cleavage.
Their eyes locked, and he couldn’t look away. Her fist clutched the towel tighter in front of her. And here he was, staring at her like a love-starved man. He wouldn’t be surprised to discover himself panting like a dog.
Until now, she’d just been a pain in his ass.
Until now, she’d just been another guest on the ranch.
Until now, he hadn’t understood what it meant to burn with lust.
An icy crack broke the silence. He looked up just as a giant icicle broke free and plunged down next to him.
“You think icicles can be used to kill vampires?” He hefted it up so she could see.
She stared at him. Her eyes crinkled, her brows following suit. Then her mouth pursed just a bit. “You’re crackers. Stark raving blooming crackers.”
“I guess Cody’s fascination with supernatural bloodsuckers must be rubbing off on me.”
“Hunter?”
“Yeah?”
“Go away.”
“Oh. Sure.” Dang, he really needed to get some brain cells to start firing.
At the sound of shouts from the driveway, he forced his burning body to walk around the corner of the cabin. The boys were home. He needed a few minutes to calm down.
Hell, he needed to lay facedown in the snow to cool off.
He’d acted like a teenage boy first discovering girls.
Except he wasn’t a boy. He was a man.
And Mackenzie was a woman.
All woman.
Home on the Ranch: The Montana Cowboy's Triplets Page 3