the town. His rational side said it was just all so ludicrous, and the first chance he got he was going to tell Ty that he’d sent him to a place where people were clearly just one car short of a crazy train.
“Can I buy you a snack? Seems a shame not to take my boss to get a soda and a slice of pie, or whatever is served in The Wedding Diner.”
“Sure.” She looked at him curiously. “You realize you’ll be setting yourself up for the gossip mill.”
“Putting myself right in the line of fire.” He opened the door for her. “After you.”
Mackenzie and Justin were greeted warmly by the proprietress of The Wedding Diner, an amply shaped woman with a big smile.
“Jane Chatham,” Mackenzie said, “I’d like to introduce you to Justin Morant. He’s been helping out at my place.”
Jane’s smile widened as she swept them over to a bright white booth inside the diner. “Welcome, Justin. Those four darlings running you off your boots over there?”
He removed his hat and took the seat she indicated. “It’s a nice place.”
“Sure it is.” Jane laughed. She looked at Mackenzie with a fond smile. “I’m sure you’re happy for the help.”
“You have no idea.”
Justin felt a slow warmth steal up the back of his neck. It was just a job like any job. He rubbed his knee surreptitiously under the table, glad it wasn’t aching much today. It wouldn’t matter if Mackenzie had twelve kids—he was glad for the work.
And the chance to work for himself. Under a blue sky with no one talking to him.
“Still thinking about selling the place?” Jane asked Mackenzie, and Justin listened hard in spite of himself.
“We’ll see what happens,” Mackenzie murmured. “In the meantime, can we talk you out of some of that delicious pie I smell?” She looked at Justin, and he felt a tiny zap hit him around his chest cavity again. Really weird, because he’d never been much of a heartburn sufferer.
He told himself he’d grab some antacids later.
“You order what you like,” Mackenzie told him, “but I’m not about to pass up that blackberry pie.”
“I’ll have a slice.”
“Two, please,” Mackenzie said, and Jane ambled off with a pleased nod.
“You didn’t mention you were selling your ranch,” Justin said, so startled by the news he forgot he’d intended to mind his own business.
She nodded. “It would probably be best. It’s hard for me to keep up with on my own, to be honest, and since I’m not working, I need to keep my savings for my daughters.” She smiled. “Selling the Hanging H would mean college educations and a few other things comfortably. I’d like to not stay awake at night worrying about money.”
He cleared his throat. “Your ex doesn’t pay any child support?”
She shook her head. “Hard to squeeze blood out of a turnip, especially a turnip that stays on the move to avoid child support.”
Ouch. Justin sipped the coffee Jane brought over, glad for the dark steaming brew. He then busied himself with the flaky, rich blackberry pie, delicious enough to draw a sigh of pleasure from him if he weren’t so caught by Mackenzie’s story.
Her plans made total sense. A woman with four brand-new babies, who’d been born with some challenges, was going to need cash. A lot of cash. She was being wise, had clearly given her situation a lot of thought. It was what he’d do were he in her boots.
Seemed a shame to sell a family home, though. He thought about his childhood home, and how much it had hurt when it was gone. He and his rowdy brothers had grown up there, enjoyed the benefits of living and working on a family ranch. When his father had taken up with another woman, scandalizing the town, his mother had booted him out of the house and sold the family ranch—her right as it was the home she’d grown up in. Though his father had tried to make amends, Dana Morant was made of sterner stuff. She’d taken her boys to Montana to be near her sister, and life had changed forever. Mainly for the better but always with the lingering shadows of what might have been. Jensen Morant now lived on a thousand acres of rich Montana ranchland. Justin didn’t go near the place.
He looked at Mackenzie’s soft hair and gentle smile.
“You were way far away,” she said.
He took another bite of pie, sipped his coffee. “Let me know what I can do to help.”
“You have already. I can put the ranch on the market now, thanks to the wonderful shape you’re getting it in. I really appreciate it.”
A sudden pound on his back had him looking over his shoulder. “Ty!”
“Me in the flesh.” Ty slapped him on the back again and nodded at Mackenzie. “Jade told me I’d find this devil here.”
“I have things to discuss with you, Ty,” Mackenzie said, and he grinned.
“You can thank me later for sending you this guy,” Ty said.
“That’s just it,” Mackenzie said. “You really shouldn’t have.”
“Getting attached to him?” Ty teased, and Justin decided the conversation had gone far enough.
“Join us,” Justin said.
“No. No time.” Ty looked at him. “I’m in town for one thing and one thing only. And that’s to help you back to the rodeo circuit.”
Justin frowned. “How am I going to do that? I’m a bit physically challenged at the moment.”
“In a different capacity than riding,” Ty said. “You and I are going to travel the country recruiting talent.”
“Talent for what?” Justin didn’t like the idea of that at all. Correction: once upon a time he might have jumped on it enthusiastically. Traveling the country with one of his best buddies, seeing his friends on the rodeo circuit, giving back to the sport he loved so much—dream-come-true stuff.
His gaze slid to Mackenzie, who watched him with gently smiling eyes as she listened to Ty go on and on with his plans. Justin couldn’t work up the same excitement.
He felt like he had plenty to do here in Bridesmaids Creek that was important. Mackenzie smiled at him, a slow, sweet smile. Her big eyes were looking at him, so trusting, and that heartburn he’d been experiencing felt more like his heart was melting into a big soupy puddle.
Dang. This was new. Different.
Maybe hitting the road with Ty was the right idea.
He looked at his friend. “Why don’t you stop by the house later and tell me about this harebrained plan of yours?”
Ty looked at
