MacKenzie Fire(43)

I giggle. “Hey. Easy, little girl. Don’t be so pushy.”

She walks closer and I hold onto the bottle with two hands. “Easy does it,” I say.

A big tongue comes out and swipes at it.

Wow. That’s a long tongue.

I hold it steady, ready for anything. I hope she’s not going to loogie on me again, but if she decides to I’ll probably let her. I’m her momma now.

She opens her mouth, takes the end of it, and then it’s a tug-of-war between us. She slurps and sucks and goobers all over the place as she drinks every last drop. I feel so proud, like I’m the one doing everything.

When she’s done, she dances around in the straw, even kicking up her back legs a little, only falling twice. She couldn’t possibly be any cuter. I cannot stop staring at her. I wonder if they’ll let me sleep out here with her tonight. I probably should. Don’t babies need to eat every couple hours?

“You ready to head out again?” Ian’s hanging over the top of the stall door, looking at me.

It takes a few seconds for me to get my head out of the clouds. “Huh … what? Out? Out where?”

“I’ve got to go do a headcount. If you’d rather stay …”

The idea of having Ian leave my side is unacceptable. Candy is sweet, but Ian is … sweeter. Plus he might need me to do CPR again. “Could there be more babies out there?”

“Possibly. You never know.”

I jump to my feet. “I’ll come.” I pause in the doorway. “See you later, Candy. Take a nap while I’m gone.”

I nearly melt when she turns a few circles and flops down in the straw.

Ian chuckles as we leave the barn.

“Don’t laugh at me,” I say, feeling self conscious. I try to toss my hair over my shoulder, and it’s then that I realize I still have cow goo stuck in it. Oh, how far I’ve fallen. If the girls at the salon could see me right now, they’d take pictures, Facebook them, and never let me forget it.

“I’m not laughing,” he says.

I look over and see the smile on his face. “What’s that grin all about then?”

“Nothin’.” He gets in the truck and leaves me to open my own door.

I sigh, knowing that there are things about Ian that are pretty much hopeless, but that one of them is not the fact that he’s a hunter. He can’t possibly enjoy killing animals … not when he gets so much joy bringing them to life. This makes me way happier than I have a right to be.





Chapter Eighteen





I FEEL LIKE AN OLD pro this time out in the truck. We bounce over rocks and ruts like it’s nothing. I don’t even have to hold onto the oh-shit handle up by the window anymore. All I can think about is Candy. She kind of looks like me, and her name couldn’t be more adorable. I’m like a rancher now.

Ian stops the truck and stares out into the field we were in earlier. He doesn’t say anything, he just looks at the cows.

His sigh of frustration is the first sign that there might be something wrong. The second is when he bangs the steering wheel with the heel of his hand. “Dammit!”

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“We’re missing one.”

“What?” I lean forward and look out the windshield. “A baby?”

“A pregnant cow. She might’ve gone off to have the calf somewhere, but I don’t see where she could be.” He opens his door a crack and looks at me. “I should’ve counted when we were out here before. Wait here. I’m going to see what I can find.”

“No way are you leaving me here!” I grab the handle of my door.

“It’s cold outside. If I need you, I’ll call.” He takes his phone out of his pocket. “Put your number in here.”

I do as he asks and then call myself with his phone, logging his number into my list of contacts.

“Okay, but call right away,” I say, hating the fact that he’s leaving and I’m staying. “I can bring towels and whatever you need.”

He winks at me as he takes his phone back. “Gotcha. Now stay out of trouble. I’ll be back soon.”

“If you’re not back in an hour I’m coming to find you.”

Ian looks up at the sky. “If I’m not back in a half hour, call my dad. I’ll text you the number.”

He leaves me there in the truck and when he’s around the corner out of sight my phone beeps. The text from Ian glows out from my screen.

Here’s my dad’s number. And remember. Stay in the truck, stay out of trouble.

I text him back. Ha. Like that’s going to happen.

He sends me back a smiley face, and I can’t stop grinning. I think we’re friends now. Why that makes me so deliriously happy, I can’t say. I have lots of friends, both men and women. I don’t really need any more, my funeral’s going to be standing room only as it is. But none of them have been able to make my blood boil one second and my panties get all twisted up the next. Not like Ian.

My mind wanders as I stare out at the white expanse before me. I’ve had a few boyfriends I might call serious. None that I’ve lived with, but two that I considered being with long-term. But for one reason or another, I always broke it off with them. It wasn’t a fight or a major upset that caused it. I guess I just got bored or restless. Andie says I need a man who can keep me guessing, keep me laughing, make me feel like I’ve met my match. She’s always said that one day I would meet him … my match, whatever that means.