Her Stubborn Cowboy

Chet pulled open the passenger’s-side door, and between them both, they got the tiny goat wrapped in the blanket. It needed milk, and they didn’t have much time before it lost its strength, and that would be fatal.

“Go around and put it in Reverse,” Chet said, pulling Mack clear of another pothole as he spoke. She leaned into him as he tugged her to the side, her slight weight colliding with his chest. “Easy does it,” he said, boosting her back up. He didn’t dare let his mind go to the possibilities of her in his arms.

Mack met his gaze and a smile crinkled at the corners of her eyes. Just as quickly, she was out of his arms, and she hurried around the back of the truck to hop into the driver’s side. The rain came down in a steady sheet, and Chet was pretty sure that there wasn’t a part of him that was dry at this point, but it would be a while before he was back home, so it was better not to think about it.

Chet levered his body against the grate of the truck and shouted, “Now!”

The wheel started to spin and he pushed against the grate with all his strength. His boots slid in the mud, and he could hear the tires tearing into the side of the pothole. When it stopped, the truck sank even farther down. This wasn’t going to work.

Chet stood up and went around to the window.

“It’s no good,” Chet said. “We’re only digging deeper.”

Mackenzie locked eyes with him for a moment, then nodded. She reached for the bundled-up little goat and cuddled it close against her chest.

“I guess we’d better walk, then,” she said. “What’ll I do about the truck?”

He took her by the arm, helping to lift her back down to the ground. She bent her head against the rain, and he slammed the door shut behind them.

“This is why you have neighbors,” he said, raising his voice above the drum of the storm. “Andy and I used to get our truck out of potholes all the time. I just need some twine and a two-by-four. But first things first.”

They picked up their pace, rushing through the slanting rain toward the blurred shape of the barn. The road was slick with mud, and at one point, Mackenzie slipped, falling heavily against him. He caught her and kept a solid arm around her waist after that. She felt good in his arms—warm and slippery and soft. He wasn’t supposed to even entertain thoughts like these right now. He had bigger issues—like holding what was left of the Granger family together and not losing his ranch, both of which he’d fail at if he let his attraction to Mackenzie get in the way. Mack was a distraction he couldn’t actually afford.

“You were right about neighbors, Chet,” she said as they finally made it to the barn and ducked under the eaves. “I have no idea what I’d have done without you. I suppose I owe you one.”

She was so close to him that he could feel her breath and the way she shivered. She looked down at the tiny kid in her arms, and he was tempted to put his arms around her and warm her up, but he couldn’t guarantee that he’d stop there, so instead, he shot her a grin and said, “We’ll figure it out.”

A few ideas—none of which were appropriate—flitted through his mind, but he shoved them back. The more prominent thought right now was that he couldn’t get her truck out of that ditch without another body, and he knew exactly who he’d need to call. He ran his ranch on a skeleton crew—money being tight lately—and his own workers were tending to his herds right now. That left one person with nothing at all to do except sit around Chet’s house and feel sorry for himself...

He’d been hoping to keep Mack to himself for a little longer, but it looked as though he’d have to haul Andy out here and share some of that glory.

Blast.

* * *

MACKENZIE SAT CROSS-LEGGED inside Butter Cream’s stall, holding the tiny brown goat up to the mother’s teat. Butter Cream stepped away every time the kid’s little mouth made contact.

“Butter Cream, this is your baby,” she said firmly. “Come on now.”

She offered some hay for Butter Cream to eat out of her hands, but the goat sidled away again as the tiny kid tried to latch on. Mackenzie felt tears of frustration rising. The baby was hungry and bleated plaintively, a weak, wavering cry. She guided the kid’s head forward once more, and the barn door banged open, making Butter Cream startle and stumble forward, stepping heavily on Mackenzie’s hand.

“Ouch!”

Chet came inside, and behind him came his brother. She couldn’t get a clear look at Andy, who was the smaller man of the two, and she caught her heart speeding up. She hadn’t seen or heard from Andy Granger since the day he broke up with her, though she’d gone over what she’d say to him a hundred times if she ever got the chance. And here it was.

When Andy finally came up to his brother’s side, she was surprised to see that he’d changed quite a bit. He was still several inches shorter than Chet, but the years had made more of a man of him. His physique was still fit, although broader now that he was fully grown, and his red hair had darkened into something closer to auburn with a few strands of silver. Andy glanced around nervously, and when his gaze fell on her, he gave her a tentative smile.

“Mackenzie Vaughn,” he said, his voice low and warm. “Is it ever good to see you.”

She hadn’t expected that, and she pushed herself to her feet. “Hi, Andy.”

“It’s been a while.” Andy came up to Butter Cream’s stall, and Mackenzie opened the door, letting herself out.

“A long while,” she agreed.

Andy leaned in to give her a hug just as she was about to move away toward the barn sink, and they had an awkward collision and a back pat. Andy laughed uncomfortably.

“Sorry—should have warned you,” he said.

“It’s okay. I was going to—”

“Yeah, yeah.”

This couldn’t have gone worse, even in her most vivid imagination. In her mind, she’d always given him some searing comment about his inability to appreciate a good woman, but she couldn’t pull one together for the life of her. And suddenly it didn’t seem to matter so much.

“Chet, I think I’m going to have a bottle baby on my hands.” She turned to the older brother, who stood behind Andy with his arms crossed over his broad chest. His gray eyes were focused on her, and she felt a blush rise in her cheeks.

“I’ll get you a sterilized pail to start milking,” Chet said, and he tossed her a small teasing smile. He knew exactly how awkward this was.

“I can get that,” Andy said, his old charming smile coming back. “If you tell me where it is, I guess...”

“I’ll get it.” Chet cast his brother a flat look and strode off toward the back of the barn.

“So...” Andy said, once his brother was out of earshot. “I hear you inherited this place.”

“I hear you got engaged,” she countered.

“I did.” Andy laughed softly. “Unfortunately, we just broke up.”

Shaky relationships were Mackenzie’s forte, and she gave him a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry about that.”

Andy shrugged. “We were together four years, so it’s complicated.”

“I imagine.” Somehow, when she’d pictured this scene over the years, she’d never included all of their respective baggage in the picture. This wasn’t about proving a point anymore.