LITMIR.BIZ

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Mackenzie began.

      “You need help out here,” Ty said.

      Justin didn’t say anything, and a bit of unease began to hit Mackenzie. Did he want to leave? Maybe he’d told Ty that he wanted to. She looked at his face, hazel eyes giving away nothing, his dark hair awry as he ran a hand through it. He looked distinctly uncomfortable.

      As Ty had noted, Justin’s knee was better—not well enough to ride or run a fast race, maybe, but better—and the last place he wanted to be was stuck here with her and four little baby girls.

      “I’ll get that,” Mackenzie said when knocking erupted on the front door. “Might as well give the candidates a grand tour, let them know what they’re getting themselves into.”

      Justin glanced at her, his eyes widening like he was surprised by her comment. She went through the den, checking the babies quickly—still sound asleep, as was Mrs. Harper in the corner chair—and opened the front door.

      Whoa. So much testosterone, so many muscles. “Hi,” Mackenzie said, a little startled by all the masculinity crowded on the front porch.

      They took off their hats.

      “Ty sent us,” the tallest one said with a rascally grin. “He said the Haunted H was looking for help to get ready for the county’s biggest haunted house and pumpkin patch for miles around.”

      Mackenzie blinked. What had Ty meant by that? She was selling the place, not going back into business.

      “Hello, fellows,” Justin said from behind her. “If you’re looking for Ty, you’ll find him in the side paddock.”

      “Thanks.”

      They tipped their hats to Mackenzie and left the porch. Mackenzie turned to look at Justin.

      “I don’t want to get in the middle of things,” Justin said, “but if you want me to leave, just say the word.”

      “I don’t want you to leave.” That was the last thing she wanted. “Do you want to go?”

      “No. Not if you don’t want me to.” He shrugged as if he could go either way, whatever she decided. Still, she had the feeling her answers mattered. “I’m not going to say that I know everything about your town or your ranch. But so far things have been working pretty smooth. Or at least I thought they were.”

      “Ty seems to think he needs you with him.” Mackenzie stepped off the porch.

      “I’ll make that decision.” Justin followed her. “Or you will.”

      Something about this whole thing felt like a setup. Ty’s story to the three hunks who’d come riding into town in their big black pickup, that she needed to restart the old family business, felt fishy. Never had she mentioned breathing life back into the haunted house to anyone. It was a dream she’d kept buried, knowing it wasn’t practical. She couldn’t run that kind of people-intensive business herself, and especially not with four newborns. The small remaining funds she had needed to go into their care—not the vague hope of bringing back the Haunted H.

      And yet she had to admit restoring all her family traditions would be a wonderful way to raise her girls. She had had a storied childhood, full of wonder and magic and fairy tales.

      But for a fairy tale, one needed a prince.

      She looked at the five men leaning against the corral, studying her, waiting for something, some signal. Big, strong, handsome men. They all had rugged appeal, Justin most of all, in her opinion.

      A prince had no reason to stay in Bridesmaids Creek—not unless there was a quest, something to make him stay and fight.

      “So, Ty,” Mackenzie said slowly as Jade came to put her arm through hers for support, “maybe you’d like to explain why you’re offering me three cowboys for the price of the one I’ve already got?”

Chapter Four

      “These fellows here,” Ty said, grandly waving his arm to indicate his friends, “go by the names of Sam Barr, Squint Mathison and Frog Grant.”

      “I’m sorry.” Mackenzie stared at the last big man who’d been introduced. He was a broad-shouldered man with bright blue eyes and a shock of saddle-brown hair that wouldn’t lay flat even if he used molasses on it. “Frog?”

      The men laughed. “Gets ’em every time,” he said, not minding the attention. “That’s not my real name.”

      “We call him Frog because he looks like he’s hopping around like a frog on the back of a bronc.” Ty slapped the man on the back. “Anyway, he kind of looks like an amphibian, so it fits.”

      “I don’t see any frog about him,” Jade said, and silently Mackenzie agreed.

      “These gentlemen have come to apply for the position of hanny,” Ty said, delighted to have a stage to sell his snake oil from.

      “Hanny?” Mackenzie tried not to laugh. “Is that what you call a working hand now?”

      “It means, Miss Mackenzie,” Squint said, his brown eyes earnest, “that Ty tells us you need hands to work this place and sometimes some occasional babysitting.”

      “Oh, a manny,” Jade said.

      “No.” Ty shook his head. “A manny is a male nanny. These men are hands. They’re also willing to help out with Mackenzie’s munchkins.”

      “That wouldn’t be necessary—” Mackenzie began, but Ty shook his head.

      “These men haven’t seen the inside of a home in so long that a little babysitting would make them happy as clams.” He looked at his friends. “And they don’t have any problems cleaning up stuff.”

      “Stuff?” Mackenzie echoed.

      “Oh,” Jade said. “You promised you wouldn’t mention what I told you on the phone, Ty.”

      Mackenzie glanced at Justin, who shrugged, his whole demeanor screaming, I had nothing to do with this.

      “Baby spit,” Ty said helpfully.

      “Upchuck,” Squint elaborated.

      “Hurl,” Sam said.

      “Giveback,” Frog said, and Mackenzie held up a hand.

      “Thank you, but I have it under control,” she said with a glance at Jade.

      Jade looked guilty. “She handles poo just fine. It’s the other that gives her a little trouble.”

      Embarrassment swept Mackenzie. She couldn’t meet Justin’s gaze, though she could feel him looking at her. “It was tough in the beginning, but I’m fine now. Anyway, I don’t need help with my children.”

      “And I’m not going anywhere,” Justin said.

      Mackenzie glanced at him. “You don’t have to stay if you need to go with Ty. I’ll totally understand. But I haven’t got a need for three hands, fellows. Sorry.”

      “Darn,” Jade said. “I wish I’d known that all I had to do to get three handsome hunks to show up in their black truck was have babies. I’d have given that a shot.”

      The three newcomers seemed to appreciate Jade’s comment. Some of the bravado had gone out of them at Mackenzie’s refusal of their services, but at Jade’s words their air of jauntiness returned.

      “You could always give us a free trial,” Frog said.

      Mackenzie shook her head. “I don’t need any help. But come into the kitchen. Let me at least feed you lunch before you go.”

      “That’s an offer I won’t refuse,” Sam said.

      All three gentlemen grouped close around her as she turned to walk

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