The Rebel Cowboy’s Quadruplets

“Look. The idea came to me after I’d sent you here.” Ty looked at him patiently. “I realized that Mackenzie didn’t just need help bringing back the old place—she needs a husband and a father to those children. I’m the man who fixed her up with the loser, so I’m going to put it right.”

“Why don’t you just put your own neck into the marriage noose and save everybody some agony if you feel so guilt-ridden?”

Ty put up his hands as if to ward off the very idea. “My conscience is guilty but not stupid.”

Justin stared at his friend. It was true. Ty wasn’t husband material.

Neither was he.

Justin sighed heavily. “I think you’re nuts. But whatever. It’s not my town. Nor are these my friends.”

Ty brightened. “So you’ll do it? The lead stallion agrees to head off and leave the pen to the lesser junior stallions?”

“You make it sound like Mackenzie’s ever looked my way twice in a romantic way, which I can assure you she hasn’t. We haven’t spoken that much since I’ve been here.”

“Call it a hunch. Clearing out the pen, as they say. The ladies always want the one they can’t have. Mysterious types seem romantic. Like Zorro.”

Justin shrugged. “I think you took one too many falls off the mechanical bull, Ty, but whatever. I’ll go with you,” he said, “but you better hope Mackenzie never finds out what you’re up to. I have the feeling that little lady doesn’t think she needs any man to rescue her.”

“Mechanical bull! I was no dime-store cowboy,” Ty said, following Justin as he headed back to work. Justin couldn’t stand around examining the holes in his friend’s head any longer. Mackenzie hadn’t given one signal that she might be interested in him in more than a foreman–boss lady relationship.

Still, he had a slightly uneasy feeling about leaving her to the romancing of the Three Dating Daddies—a thought that totally brought him up short.

That’s what one of those men might become: a dad to Mackenzie’s four little girls.

Maybe the most troubling thought of all.

Chapter Five (#ulink_d293e032-c404-5bad-a9f8-cbcbf1e11751)

“You’re going to have to keep an eye on Daisy,” Jade told her as Mackenzie settled her daughters down for an afternoon nap. Late-day sun filtered through the windows of the family room, twilight just arriving at nearly seven o’clock. Mackenzie loved summer days when there was so much cheery sunshine.

She couldn’t be bothered to think about Daisy Donovan.

“I’m not going to keep an eye on Daisy. I don’t care what she does.”

“You do care. All of Bridesmaids Creek cares. Her and her band of rowdies are bent on making certain this town drops off the map for families. That way Daisy’s father can keep buying up the land around here in his quest for mineral rights and selling huge land parcels to the government. Or worse.” Jade flopped down onto a flowered sofa, fanning herself. “As our town bad girl, Daisy lives for herself. My guess is she didn’t come here today to bring you a gift, but to check out the new foreman. Everyone is town has been chattering about the hot guy you’ve got working the place.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not even going to think about Daisy’s shenanigans. Even if Justin decided to hop on the back of her motorcycle and roar off into the sunset, I wouldn’t think about Daisy.”

Jade laughed. “Methinks you protest a bit too much. So what did you think about the three new guys?”

“That Ty and I are going to have to talk. The men are welcome to stay here and bunk in the bunkhouse, but I don’t know if I have enough work here for three more men.”

“Not unless you reopen the haunted house.”

“Which I’m not going to do.”

“It’s August. We have plenty of time until October,” Jade said.

“I know. But my only priority right now is my babies. We’ll do fine living in a small cottage in town.”

“There might be a miracle. You never know.” Jade got up to stare out the window. “She bugs me—I swear she does. Why are men always so blinded by Daisy?”

“Because she’s beautiful and has a wild streak. There’s nothing blinding about it. It’s human nature.” Mackenzie smiled at her babies. “You girls, however, must promise your mother to grow up to be teachers, nurses and librarians. No motorcycles for you!”

“My goddaughters won’t be Daisies,” Jade said, laughing. “However, I think Daisy may be about to kiss a frog.”

“Not Frog?” Mackenzie hurried to the window. “Poor Frog! Of all of the new cowboys, I’m pretty sure he’s the least suited to Daisy’s charms.”

“Hate to watch a good man fall.” Jade walked away from the window. “In fact, I can’t look.”

“Can’t look at what?” Justin asked, entering the room.

Mackenzie glanced over her shoulder, struck again by how handsome Justin was. She’d gotten a little used to him at the Hanging H, even if she wouldn’t share that with a soul. Still, if he wanted to move on with Ty, she’d understand. She’d be sorry—but she’d understand. “We’re spying.”

“I can see that.” He joined her at the window, and Mackenzie was shaken by the sudden warmth of proximity. Almost intimate, their arms nearly touching. She smelled spicy cologne and strong male, felt body heat and strange sensations sweep over her.

She was awfully glad it wasn’t Justin out there getting far too close to Daisy Donovan’s heart-shaped lips.

* * *

“I’LL TAKE THE night shift,” Justin told Mackenzie as she finished bathing the girls. She put them into soft nighties and touched a towel gently to the light fuzz atop their heads. A little baby oil for the dry spots, and they were like angels ready to be tucked in for the night.

“You don’t have to,” Mackenzie said. “But thank you, Justin. Babysitting isn’t part of your job description.”

“I’ve been thinking about my job description.” He carried Hope and Holly down the hall, so Mackenzie picked up Heather and Haven and followed. She watched the big man settle her daughters ever so gently into their white-ruffled cribs. “This business of Ty bringing on hannies for you, for example.”

“Ty is nuts, and there’ll be no hannies around here, nor mannies. Silliest thing I’ve ever heard.” Mackenzie covered her daughters with light pink blankets and kissed each of them. “Ty doesn’t want to bring those cowboys here to help me as much as he’s looking for a place for some of his buddies to work. I’ll ask around town, see if anybody needs a couple of hands.”

“You know I’m leaving with Ty. Probably day after tomorrow.”

She felt a slight prick at that news. “Then I’ll only need one of the men. Maybe Frog. He seems pretty harmless.” She sighed to herself. And maybe if he were here he’d be less likely to fall into Daisy’s clutches.

“Frog, is it?”

“I can’t get used to a grown man being called Frog.”

“Hiring him on here isn’t going to save him from Daisy.”

She looked at Justin. “Who says I want to?”

“I know something about the female mind. And I heard you and Jade talking about saving him.”

“Jade was talking about it. I personally think Frog can probably take care of himself just fine.” She didn’t look at Justin directly. Just too much sex appeal, too much closeness.

It was the babies. She loved the way he took care of her daughters, handling them like they were delicate treasures.

He moved a strand of hair away from her face, and she tucked it up into her ponytail. “I should catch a shower while they’re down. We’ve hit the four-hour mark at night now, and I take full advantage of those four hours.”