Home on the Ranch: The Montana Cowboy's Triplets

by Allison B. Collins

  A rich laugh rang through the room, and he knew without looking it was Mackenzie. Her laugh always made him want to sit by her, be drawn into her world, make her laugh even more.

  And it scared the hell out of him. Why did he feel this way? She wasn’t the type to play around with. He knew that, dead to rights.

  But they could be friends. Pals. Buddies.

  Right?

  Sure.

  He watched her lean closer to the kids as they hung on her every word. Little Johnny had crept closer to her, and she put her arm around him as if it were second nature to her. Even Toby, who as the oldest cousin tended to be more standoffish, was sitting close, listening intently to her.

  Hunter resisted as long as he could, till her laugh drew him over.

  “When I was twelve, my dad’s job took him to Aberdeenshire for a while, on the coast of Scotland. It’s a beautiful place, and there are at least three hundred castles in the area.”

  “Castles? Real castles?” Maddy asked. “Like Prince Charming’s castle?”

  “Yes.” Mackenzie nodded. “Some have been restored over the years, so you can visit and tour the inside, see the art and beautiful furnishings. Others are just ruins now—”

  “What’s a ruin?” Johnny asked.

  Mackenzie smiled at him. “Ruins mean just parts of the outside are still standing. Like the rocks and stones used to build the castles of old. Those are the most fun to explore. You can tramp around inside them, playing lord and lady of the castle, and have tea parties and feasts. Or play Scottish warriors, come to rescue the fair princess being held in the castle.”

  “I wanna go to Scotland,” Maddy said, beaming.

  Hunter grinned to himself. Maddy would now be pestering Nash and Kelsey to take her to see a real castle in Scotland. Heck, Nash was so wrapped around her little finger, she’d probably convince him to buy her a castle.

  “Dude, what’re you doing?”

  Kade’s question beside him woke him from his reverie. “What?”

  “You keep sniffing after Mackenzie, Carley will tear a strip off your hide.”

  “I’m not sniffing after anyone, Mackenzie or Carley,” Hunter said. “Mackenzie tells great stories. You should listen to her sometime.”

  Kade looked at the group of kids around her as they all laughed. “Just be careful, especially since she’s living with you.”

  “She’s not living with me. She’s using a room in my cabin since there wasn’t anywhere else for her to go.” He turned to Kade. “Hey, why can’t she use your guest room?”

  “I’ve got too much junk in there. The bed isn’t even set up.”

  “So don’t bug me. My hands were tied. Where’d you want her to stay—the barn?”

  Kade raised his hands. “Just sayin’. You need to stop stringing Carley along. She’s a guest, and not the type of person you want to piss off. She’s a big name in Hollywood—in the news constantly. You piss her off, she tweets and lets the world know how bad she was treated at our ranch. Then reservations drop off, and we lose everything.”

  Hunter had to bite his tongue—he wanted to tell his brother to shut up, but Kade did have a point. However, Hunter had hated always being treated as the younger brother, the kid, who was constantly being told what to do.

  “Just be careful,” Kade said, and walked to the counter for a plate of food.

  Hunter hesitated, then went ahead and walked over to Mackenzie, still surrounded by the kids. She glanced up as he approached, and her smile dimmed just a bit. “Am I interrupting?”

  Maddy popped up and flung herself at his legs. He caught her and lifted her up, kissed her cheek. “How’s my favorite niece?”

  She giggled. “I’m your only niece, silly.”

  “Well, this is true. But—”

  She tapped his cheek. “I know, I know. I’m still your favorite niece.”

  “See?” he asked, tickling her until she laughed.

  “Hey, everyone, can I have your attention, please?” Angus called out. The room quieted—as the family patriarch, he’d always commanded attention. “We’re going to host a dinner dance for the cast and crew a few days from now in the southwest barn, since it’s empty right now. Mrs. Green and her staff can use some extra help, so please sign up here.” Hunter’s dad held up a clipboard, then set it on the counter behind him.

  “I volunteer Wyatt to make pies. Many, many pies,” Hunter hollered above the voices.

  Wyatt looked at him from across the room. “So, a couple for the guests, and five for you?”

  “Make it six. You know I love me some pie.” He set Maddy down, then reached a hand out to Mackenzie to help her off the floor.

  She ignored his hand and rose fluidly on her own. “Can I help?”

  “Nope. You’re one of our guests.” He took a step and leaned closer to her ear. “But you can save me a dance or two.”

  “I don’t dance, but thanks for asking.”

  “Then share some pie with me.”

  “I, uh—” Her cheeks colored prettily, and she ran her hand through her hair.

  “You haven’t lived till you’ve tried Wyatt’s pies.”

  “He bakes?”

  “He bakes, cooks, grills a mean steak, shoes horses, mends fences and is a whiz with anything mechanical.” He stepped close enough that he caught a whiff of her springlike scent. “But enough about my brother. He’s already got a woman. Let’s talk about me.”

  “Oh, go on with ye. You flirt with anyone who doesn’t have a Y chromosome, I’ll bet.”

  He affected a wounded look on his face. “Now, that hurts. Can I help it if women are drawn to me? I’m a catch, didn’t you know? What woman wouldn’t want to be around me?” His flirt-gene automatically kicked in and took him by surprise.

  “Hunter, leave her alone.” Kelsey joined them by the shelves of games.

  “What’d I do?” he asked, enjoying the chase.

  “You’re pushing her into a corner. Literally.” Kelsey pointed at her.

  He looked at Mackenzie—she’d backed up so much she’d reached the corner where the two bookcases formed a V.

  “We’re just talking,” he said.

  “You’re flirting, and she’s wise to not want any of it,” Frankie said as she moved next to Mackenzie.

  He eyed all three women facing him. “Why do I get the feeling you’re ganging up on me?”

  “We have to stick together. There’s entirely too much testosterone floating around this ranch,” Kelsey said, and linked arms with Mackenzie, who then linked arms with Frankie.

  “What’s going on over here?” Bunny asked from behind him.

  “We’re joining forces to keep Hunter in line,” Frankie said. “You in?”

  Bunny scooted around him and linked arms with her daughter. “Can we have tea and cakes while we do it?”

  “Sure thing, Mom,” Kelsey said.

  “Cake?” he asked, and rubbed his stomach.

  Mackenzie laughed. “You’re right. All he cares about is food and flirting.”

  He raised his hands in surrender. “All right, all right. I give up.” He started walking away, then half-turned and caught Mackenzie watching him.

  He liked teasing her, getting her riled up—her cheeks turned pink, and her fiery hair seemed to crackle with energy. She had become a part of his group, his family, even without meaning to. His boys sure adored her.

  And he had to admit he’d gotten used to her being around.

  But what would happen when she left?

  Chapter 8

  Mackenzie hung upside down from the hayloft rail in an empty barn and thought back to the night before with the Sullivans. Hunter had really flustered her. What was he after? Carley already had him wrapped around her fancy fingernails.

  Bugger it. Surely he didn’t expect her
to be another one of his conquests. She kind of liked him—he seemed to be a good father, a good brother, from what she could tell.

  But she couldn’t figure out why he’d want to flirt with her. Carley was beautiful, smart, talented, famous. Mackenzie was just a no one from a foreign country, leaping from one job to the next...literally.

  She pulled herself back upright and hopped up on the railing, carefully sliding one foot after the other.

  The barn door creaked open, and she looked down to see one of the Triples walk in.

  “Miss Mack? You in here?”

  She looked closer, saw a hint of green shirt beneath the coat. “I’m up here, Eli,” she called down to him.

  He took off his miniature cowboy hat and looked up. “Whatcha doing up there?”

  “Working out the next stunt to film. What are you doin’, lad? Why aren’t you in school?”

  “School’s out. Daddy’s teaching us to be like him.”

  A flirt? “What do you mean?” She jumped off the railing, then climbed down the ladder.

  “He’s teaching us to be cowboys!” His grin was so big it stretched all across his cute little face.

  “Well now, that should be fun.” She smoothed a hand across his hair, but the cowlick sprang back up. It reminded her of her little brother Scotty’s hair, though her brothers all had hair that was bright red and wildly curly.

  Her own red hair was usually a bother to her in this job. Doubling for Carley on this movie was actually a decent gig—other than the dreaded fire scene. Mackenzie didn’t have to wear a wig or dye her hair.

  Eli looked up at the empty hayloft where she’d been practicing. “Show me how to do that, Miss Mack.”

  “It’s awfully high. I don’t think your dad would like it, do you?”

  Eli looked down, digging the toe of his boot into the floorboard. “I guess not.”

  The door creaked open again. “Eli?” Hunter poked his head around the door. “Mackenzie. I didn’t know you were in here.”

  “Just laying out the next stunts, then I’ll go over them with the coordinator.”

  “Come on, Eli. Miss Mack is working. We need to get some of our own work in before dinner.”

  She watched as Hunter zipped Eli’s coat back up and helped his son with his hat. Amazing Hunter could be responsible for three little lives, yet act like a kid himself. Or teen boy, she amended.

  “We’ll leave you to it. I think we’ll be late tonight, so if you’re hungry, you might want to eat at the lodge before you head home.” He waved, and led Eli out of the barn, shutting the door tight against the cold.

  Quiet descended again. Quiet led her thoughts to places she didn’t want to go. Worry about her brothers, worry about her job, worry about why Hunter seemed to always flirt with her.

  Sure, she was still gun-shy. Even after years of her mother warning her about men, she’d gotten her heart broken.

  She rotated her neck, then shook herself out, from her arms and hands down to her legs and feet. “Relax,” she muttered to herself. It was crucial she pay attention during stunt work.

  The next few hours flew by as she worked through the routines. After a quick meeting with Brody to discuss the upcoming scenes, she was free to go.

  On her way up the path, she heard children laughing, so she veered toward the sound. At the corral, she saw several Sullivan brothers, Kelsey and Frankie leaning against the railing, watching the action inside the corral.

  She stopped next to Kelsey. “What’s going on?”

  “Hunter’s teaching the boys how to rope steers,” Kelsey said.

  Mackenzie looked in the corral and saw several hay bales, with plastic steer heads stuck on the front, spaced around the area. “Aren’t they a little young for that?”

  Nash pulled his head back to answer her. “We all got started younger than them, so they’re right on track.”

  She watched for a few more minutes as all three boys tried to lasso the fake steers, and Hunter would patiently correct their stance.

  Then Mackenzie noticed Maddy sitting on the bottom railing, facing away from the corral, her little arms crossed over her chest.

  “What’s wrong, Maddy?” She squatted down on the ground in front of the little girl.

  “Stupid boys. They said I can’t be a cowboy ’cause I’m a girl.” She sniffed.

  “Well now, that’s not very fair, is it?” Mackenzie stood up and whispered a question to Nash and Kelsey. Once she had their approval, she climbed up the fence and sat on the top rail.

  She cupped her hands around her mouth. “Hey, Hunter,” she called. She waited for him to look up. “Maddy wants to learn how to rope cows. Can she join you all?”

  “Nah, she’s a girl,” Tripp hollered.

  “She has dolls to play with,” Cody chimed in. “She can make cookies and stuff for them.”

  The look on Hunter’s face was pure shock. “Boys, that’s not nice. Of course Maddy can try it if she wants to.”

  Mackenzie hopped down into the corral and pointed at Wyatt on the other side of the railing. “Your uncle bakes excellent pies, from what I hear. Does that make him girlie?”

  The Triples all looked at Wyatt, and he crossed his arms, affecting a grimace on his face.

  “Welllll...no, I guess not,” Cody said, trailing his boot through the dirt.

  “Remember what we talked about the other day when I taught you all how to tumble like Spider-Man? There’s no such thing as just boy-only or girl-only things.”

  “Well, not some things.” Hunter snickered as she reached his side.

  She punched him lightly on the arm.

  Hunter grinned. “Come on, guys, let her try. See if she likes it.”

  The boys all looked at each other in silence, then nodded as one, which kind of freaked Mackenzie out.

  “Great,” she said, and walked to the corral rail. “Maddy, you want to come learn how to use a lasso?”

  Maddy looked up at her, grinning from ear to ear. She hopped up, then crawled between the rails.

  Mackenzie took Maddy’s hand in hers and walked with her to where Hunter stood.

  “Have fun, Maddy,” Mackenzie said and turned around to leave.

  “Miss Mack, you show me,” Maddy said, pulling on her sleeve.

  “Don’t you want your uncle Hunter to show you?”

  Maddy shook her head, her black curls bouncing. “The Triples said you can do anything.”

  Hunter squatted down next to Maddy. “Miss Mackenzie can do anything in the movies. She didn’t grow up on a ranch. Maybe she doesn’t know how to do this.”

  “I can so do it.” The words popped out before she could stop them.

  Hunter turned his head up and squinted at her in the afternoon sunshine. He stood and took a step close. “You don’t have to do this. There’s a big difference between doing a stunt that can be fixed with movie magic, and real ranch work.”

  “You think I can’t do it?”

  He shrugged. “Just saying there’s a difference between stunt work and real ranch work.”

  She slid a dirty look at him, and held her hand out for the rope. I can do this. I learned how last year. Concentrate. And don’t screw this up or I’ll never live it down.

  Coiling the rope in her gloved hand, she made sure the knot was right, then started twirling it out to the side, then over her head as it grew bigger. She focused on the steer closest to her and let the lasso fly. It sailed through the air, then landed exactly where she wanted it—around the steer’s horns.

  “Awesome. You got it—”

  The words weren’t even out of Hunter’s mouth before she took off running toward the hay bale and flipped over it, and as she went, she grabbed the lasso off the horns. She kept running, twirled the lasso again and let it fly to a practice steer on the other side of the corral.
The lasso landed true, right over the horns.

  Proving her point kept her in action, lassoing and flipping, until she’d “captured” every steer in the corral.

  Raucous applause finally made her look up. All of the family clapped and cheered. It was then that she noticed the assistant director standing on the other side, watching.

  Hunter and his boys stood near the gate, and the look on his face was all she’d hoped for. At least it had shut him up about real versus stunt work.

  “Hey, bro. I’d say she’s the clear winner here.” Nash stuck his arm through the railing and punched his shoulder.

  “So what do ye say now, cowboy?” she asked Hunter as she walked toward him.

  “Well, you’re trained to do that kind of stuff. Flips aren’t part of ranch work.”

  “I don’t do things halfway. What I just did can’t be edited into a movie and have it look right. That is real work. Hard work.” She stopped, close enough to poke his chest.

  He held his hands up and stepped back.

  “You think I can’t do what you do on a ranch?” She stepped forward again, crowding him against the rail his brothers leaned on.

  “I’m just saying this is a real working ranch, real life. We ride, shoot, rope for a living—not do flips and stunts.”

  “Why don’t you put your pennies where your piehole is?” She taunted him before she could stop herself.

  He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

  “What’s wrong? Chicken?” Kade added his own punch to Hunter’s shoulder.

  Hunter took his glove off and stuck his hand out. “You got a deal.”

  His hand enveloped hers. They locked eyes, and she wasn’t sure if he was really angry or not.

  “When and where, cowboy?” she asked.

  “Tomorrow morning,” he said. “That’ll give us time to get chores done and set up.”

  She glanced out the other side of the corral and saw the director talking with the AD. Criminy, I should have checked with Tom first. Before she could move, Tom raised his head, looked at her, then Hunter, and nodded.

  “Aye, that works. See you then.” She waved at the boys, then ducked under the railing.