MacKenzie Fire(10)

She disappears, leaving me to stare at my sorry self in the mirror. I move my mouth this way and that, making sure to get all the mascara and other makeup off my face with the washcloth I find under the sink.

My mind wanders as I clean myself up. Am I deficient or can I pull this together? I frown at the very idea of being incapable. Of course I can. I can totally do this country thing and do it with style. Other people do it and they can’t be half as awesome as I am. I just need to figure out a few things first. Like how to walk on ice and snow without landing on my ass. And how to deal with Ian and my growing hormonal problem where he’s concerned.

I’d say he’s like an older brother with the way he makes me want to harass and tease him, but no girl should ever feel the way I do about Ian towards a brother. Ick. No, Ian is way too cute and way too sexy for him to be anyone’s older brother.

The question is, what do I want to do with all these feelings? Hmmm … a little sexy time while I’m out in the middle of nowhere might not be too awful… Could I do that with Ian? Do I want to do that with Ian? I’m thinking maybe I do. Just the idea makes my blood pump faster and my neck gets all blotchy.

I definitely need to learn how to walk properly out here. That way, next time he tries to drive off, I can keep up with him and make him take me along.

I smile at the plan that’s forming in my mind, without questioning my motives for a second. I’m just here to have some fun, and there’s no reason in the world that I shouldn’t fill my time with some goofing around while I wait for that sweet little baby to be born. I can hang on the ranch. I can be a cowgirl. Ian doesn’t think I can, but I’ll show him. He has no idea what he’s in for. City girl, my butt.

I smile at my reflection and wink. This trip is going to be so much more entertaining than I imagined it could be.





Chapter Four





A STEAMING MUG OF TEA is doing a good job of thawing my body, inside and out. I cup the sides of it to bring my fingers back to life. Andie sits across from me, drinking some herbal concoction that’s supposed to relax her uterus or something. I’m not exactly sure I want to see a relaxed uterus anywhere around me, but I don’t say anything to Andie. I’ve seen pregnant girls go nuts before and it ain’t pretty. And besides, if you can’t relax your uterus around your best friend, who can you do it with? I sigh, praying I won’t see anything weird. I don’t have the strongest stomach in the world.

“So what’s Ian’s deal?” I ask, totally cool-like. Andie will never suspect my motives are to find his weak spots. Ian MacKenzie? Oh, yeah. Challenge accepted. You are so going down, mister.

“What do you mean?” She takes a sip of her drink.

“You know … why’s he so cranky all the time? What’s he do here? Is he seeing anyone?”

“Do you want me to answer the last question first?” Andie asks, barely holding back a smile.

I shrug, like I’m not picking up her hint. “Whatever. Doesn’t matter to me.” Because I’m super cool and you have no idea what I’m up to, Andie, so don’t even try it!

“Well, let’s see … he’s not seeing anyone as far as I know. I really don’t know a whole lot about his current social life other than he goes out to the local bar a lot and drinks more than anyone would like. He never brings girls back here but he also doesn’t always come home every night, so you can do the math on that one.”

“Interesting. Anyone you know that he’s been with?”

“Not really. Just his ex-fiancée, Ginny. And I don’t think he’s been with her since the break-up.”

“Ex-fiancée? I remember you saying something about her before. How’d she become an ex again?”

Andie leans over her cup a little. If I’m not mistaken, she looks a little guilty. “When Mack went to Las Vegas, the night I met him, he was there to celebrate Ian’s engagement. It was his bachelor party.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember that. You ruined the party for everyone.”

“Hey!” She throws a plastic napkin ring at me.

I duck and stick my tongue out at her. “Missed me.”

She glares at me for a second but then continues. “Anyway, when he got back, rumors were flying about the whole thing being a bust because one of the guys disappeared all night with some girl, and Ginny thought it was Ian, so she did something stupid and Ian found out about it and that was the end of that.”

“Whoa. Back up. What did Ginny do, exactly?”

Andie looks around, checking to see if anyone’s listening. Lowering her voice, she answers. “She made a move on Mack.”

“Whaaaat?” I look around too and lean in closer. “She made a move on your man? Ian’s brother? What kind of skanky ho makes a move on a guy’s brother?”

“The kind that’s named Ginny, I guess. I’ve only seen her around town a couple times. I don’t know her at all.” Andie leans back in her chair. “They were together for a really long time.”

“Hmmm … so Ian’s probably really bitter on women, huh?”

“Not too bitter, since I guess he’s sleeping with some. But he’s bitter on love, I can tell you that.”

And since I’m not interested in love, that doesn’t bother me one bit. “So it’s been, like, years now, right? Since the break-up, I mean?”