MacKenzie Fire(59)

I give Ian my death-is-coming-for-you stare and he blinks in response. Then he drinks the entire glass of milk in one large swallow. It leaves a big milk mustache above his lip that he ignores.

“He was too planning on going, right Ian?” I raise both eyebrows into my hairline.

He looks at Andie’s scolding gaze and my unspoken threat and he nods. “Yes. Absolutely. Leaving in a half hour.” He couldn’t be more adorable than he is right now, being my slave with that milk on his lip. I want to eat him up.

I smile and nod. “See? We won’t be gone long.”

“Nope,” Ian agrees, wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand. “We have to get back to feed the calf, so we can’t stay out late.”

Andie shakes her head. “You two are just bound and determined to get yourselves into trouble, aren’t you?”

“Who us?” Ian asks.

I stand up. “Yeah, who us?” My best innocent expression jumps in to save the day. “I’m just being social, getting out of the house, meeting some of Ian’s friends.” I back out of the kitchen down the hallway. “You can go with us if you want, Andie.” It’s mean, but I’m hoping she’ll decline my invitation.

“No, thanks. You guys go ahead.” She says something in a lower tone to Ian, but I don’t hear it. I’m too focused on getting upstairs and finding something decent to wear. I ignore the pain in my head and arm as I mentally comb through the wardrobe I brought with me. Thank goodness I already did my hair and makeup.

I’m inside Mack’s room changing when Ian knocks on the door.

“I’m not dressed. Just wait a second.” I shove my legs into my jeans, breathing hard when it makes my stitches pull and sting like a bejesus.

“You sure this is a good idea?” His muffled voice comes through the door. “I don’t think we should go. You’re still messed up.”

“No, I’m not still messed up. I’m doing just fine, thank you very much.” Everybody is treating me like a baby here. I have fifteen stitches and a bump on my head. Big deal. I burn myself almost daily at work and stand on my feet for twelve hours at a time with my arms up like bird wings. This is nothing.

“Boog’s parties aren’t fun.”

“Boog’s parties have never had me there.”

“You gonna wear your new pants?”

I throw open the door and let him take a long look at me. “You wish.” I know I look amazing. I have my best cleavage shirt on and a pair of skin tight pants that have the pockets bedazzled just the tiniest bit. Ka-chow! Cowgirl awesome? Yes, ma’am. I define the look.

His jaw goes off center and then he backs up. “I’m gonna change my hat.”

I laugh. “Don’t you dare wear that ugly green one.” I actually like the green one, so I’m testing him to see if he rises to the bait.

When I meet him down in the foyer two minutes later I go all warm inside. He has a black cowboy hat on and a black dress shirt tucked into jeans that were absolutely made for his butt.

I have a hard time breathing. Seriously. This man is dangerous. I’ll bet he has all kinds of stalkers and he probably doesn’t even know it. I’m going to be paying extra special attention to the chicks at this party to see who’s giving him those kinds of looks.

“Ready?” he asks.

“Ready.” I look at the coat hooks and frown, distracted from admiring him by my minor wardrobe malfunction. “I don’t have a jacket again.”

He nods. “You’re kind of murder on coats, aren’t you?”

“Superheros do what they have to do, what can I say.”

He takes a puffy black one off the hook. “Here. This is Andie’s. She won’t mind. Try not to get attacked by a cougar in it.”

I put it on and admire myself in the hallway mirror. I do look pretty cute, if I do say so myself. It cheers me up even more. I’m so ready to have a drink and share some gossip. My plan is to get one of these chicks from Baker City to spill the beans … figure out what Ian’s deal is and why Andie doesn’t have any friends here. Kill two birds with one party.

“How’s Candy doing?” I ask as I trudge through the snow to the truck. The knit hat I found in the pocket of Andie’s coat is making me a lot warmer than I expected. Maybe it’ll be worth messing my hair up a little bit to stay warm on some part of my body. My hands are jammed in the pockets but already freezing cold.

“She’s good. She misses you, though.”

I look out towards the barn, feeling like a really bad cow mommy. “Ooooh … maybe I should go say hi before we leave.”

He opens my door for me. “You can say hi when we come back if you want. We need to get to Boog’s sooner rather than later.”

“Why?” I ask, trying to read his expression as I climb up into my seat. As usual he’s got his poker face on.

He slams the door shut and comes around, getting in and buckling up. “Because. People get drunk and stupid after ten.”

“I hear that’s your style of partying,” I say, not looking at him.

“Who says that?” He pulls out onto the rough road that leads to the highway. The headlights make the drifts of snow look like lions. Lots and lots of lions. It makes me break out in goosebumps which then makes my stitches burn.