The Bull Rider's Secret

She reached the next tower and came to a stop, adjusting her T-shirt and shorts before taking off again. If only Luc and Emma would consider her idea to build a zip-line course at Wilder Ranch. But Mackenzie would have to wait, because the next project they’d decided to undertake would be the ice-cream parlor and small store Emma had proposed. In the meantime she counted on a friend’s offer to let her use their course whenever the desire struck.

And today she’d needed to soar.

She’d needed to escape Jace and everyone at the ranch.

And Luc had known it. Having someone attuned to your idiosyncrasies wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

This morning he’d shown up at the door to the cabin she shared with Emma. “Why don’t you get out of here for a bit today?” he’d said.

“But what about the turnover?”

“I can handle it. We’ll survive without you. Take a break. For everyone’s sake.” He’d infused teasing into his tone, but fear had sent her body into a panicked sweat.

Had the whole world witnessed her agitation over the last week? Did everyone know how torn up she was about Jace working at Wilder Ranch?

“Is it that noticeable?”

“No,” Luc had responded. “I just know you.”

She’d almost burst into tears—proof that she was a hot mess in need of some Jace-free time in a Jace-free zone.

Thankfully Luc knew her well enough to rescue her from herself. When she’d tried to protest, to say that she’d stay so that he could spend time with Cate and Ruby, he’d simply hugged her. “I’m sorry I hired him without talking to you first.”

And then he’d left before she could argue more.

Bless him. The offer—or command—had been a huge answer to her prayers. The past week had left Mackenzie frayed and on edge. With Jace invading every portion of her life—living in the guys’ quarters at the ranch, present at every meal—she’d been unable to find her footing.

Mackenzie had heard enough “Jace is so funny,” “Jace is so great,” “Jace did this” and “Jace did that” from both guests and staff that she wanted to cover her ears like a toddler.

He’d even come through with flying colors on the square dance last night. She’d arrived early, planning to save the evening and make sure the guests still had the experience they’d been promised, and there Jace had been—working out details and steps with the other staffers.

Things had gotten jumbled a few times during the night, but the guests hadn’t cared. They’d loved every second. They’d loved Jace.

How come no one else saw through him to the man beneath that charming grin and those soulful chestnut eyes?

Mackenzie certainly did.

Clarification—she did now. In high school she hadn’t. Back then she’d been intrigued by him. Jace probably still didn’t know that she’d observed him for a few months before he’d talked to her. He’d been good at switching gears—one second sporting sad and serious, the next entertaining friends as the center of attention.

Once Mackenzie had gotten to know him, she’d realized it was his brother’s accident that had broken him. Slowly but surely, as they’d hung out, Jace had shed that lost look. He’d bloomed back to life, and she’d fallen so hard for him.

No one had ever really gotten her the way Jace had.

They’d talked about getting married someday. Having kids. Where they’d live—somewhere near Westbend, because even back then Mackenzie hadn’t wanted to leave Wilder Ranch. She’d somehow always known it was where she belonged.

She and Jace had been inseparable, and she’d had no reason to doubt him. That was why the fact that he’d left, and the way he’d done it, had been such a shock.

Why it had hurt so stinking bad.

What Jace had said to her in the lodge lobby yesterday had rattled around in her mind ever since. Was he right? Had he tried to tell her he wanted to continue competing at the next level after high school? She remembered maybe one instance like that and nothing more.

But maybe she hadn’t been listening, like he’d claimed.

Still, if that were the case, he should have made his plans more clear. He should have made sure she understood.

And now the man should really stop expecting her to somehow get over his callous departure just because he’d decided to grace Wilder Ranch with his presence.

Last night, after the square dance, when she’d been trying to quietly escape, Jace had caught up to her in the hallway. He’d had the audacity to wink. And then he’d toggled his eyebrows and said, “One word. YouTube.”

YouTube. That was how he’d figured out the dance? The man had to be kidding. Except he wasn’t.

A crease had split his forehead. “You’re irritated that I handled tonight well, aren’t you? Still don’t want me here, do you?”

“Nope.” The truth had just skipped right out.

“You could take a minute. Think about your answer. Give the illusion of grace.”

“Nope.” Mackenzie had wanted nothing more than to flee, but then Jace had wrenched the conversation up another level, while his voice had dipped low and meaningful.

“You ever going to forgive me for leaving the way I did?”

She hadn’t spoken. There’d been no need to repeat the word that still fitted a third time.

Jace’s fist had clenched, and his lips had pressed tight. And then he’d turned back to the guests, to the staff, to what was supposed to be her world. He’d left her standing there, wrestling a supersize hissy fit into submission.

Composure was usually her thing. Nothing ruffled Mackenzie unless she let it.

But Jace Hawke broke all of her rules.

Mackenzie finished the rest of the zip-line course quickly. The temptation to fly through it a third time was herculean strong, but she couldn’t.

She should really get back to the ranch and make sure everything was going smoothly with the turnover for the guests that would arrive tomorrow. Mackenzie had fitted in a hike before zip-lining, so she’d already been gone for hours.

She probably shouldn’t have left in the first place, but Luc had been right—she’d needed it. Time away from the ranch—from Jace—had been good for her. She already felt lighter, better.

The drive back went way too fast.

When she turned down the ranch drive, agitation rose up and choked her. Mackenzie loved this place. Always had. But Jace was ruining that for her, too.

Was she crazy to be this upset with him for sticking around? With the way he’d left... How much he’d hurt her... Nope. She had a right to be mad. But holding on to that anger was draining her.

Mackenzie parked at the lodge, planning to head inside, check on how things were going. But before she could even open the door of her little pickup truck, Jace stood next to it.

She ignored him and took her time switching from her tennis shoes over to flip-flops, then tossed the hiking shoes to the passenger floor of her truck.

Jace must have swallowed one of her impatient pills, because he hauled open her driver’s door.

“What do you want, Hawke?” Why did he have to be the first person she saw when she returned? Hadn’t God heard her prayers this week? She’d been requesting less Jace, not more, but the opposite kept happening.

Concern radiated from him, tightening his features. “You have your phone with you today?”

“Yes, but it’s on Silent.” Otherwise it would have been going off the whole time. Mackenzie had known Luc would handle things, so she’d gone off the radar. “I forgot to check it when I got back into my truck.” She winced. That hadn’t been smart of her. “Why? Is something wrong with the turnover?”

“No.” Jace rubbed a hand over the slight stubble on his cheeks and chin. His eyes—they stayed tender. Sympathetic. Something was wrong.

“What is it? What’s going on?”

“It’s Cate. She went into early labor. She and Luc are in Denver.”

“Wait, what? But isn’t it too early? Are they trying to stop the labor?”

“She was too far along to stop it. Luc just talked to Emma. Cate had the babies.”

“Already?” How was that possible? Mackenzie had only been gone for a handful of hours.

“The girls are tiny but getting good care. But Cate...”

Dread wrapped talons around her windpipe. “But Cate what?”

“She’s having complications. She’s losing blood. Luc didn’t tell Emma much. He had to go. He just said to pray.”

Oh, God. I take it all back. How could I complain about such trivial matters like Jace being back in my life? I promise I’ll be better. I’ll be more mature. Please don’t let anything happen to Cate or the babies. Luc would never recover. None of us would.

Mackenzie stared out the front windshield of her truck. “This can’t be happening. Everything was fine when I left this morning.” How could the world just tip upside down like that?

“Since the staff knows about Cate, Emma took Ruby over to Gage’s to prevent her from hearing anyone talk about...any of it. No need to scare the girl. Then she’ll take Ruby to see Cate and the girls if...when Luc gives the okay.”

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