The Protective Warrior Read online

  Isaac nodded but didn’t answer. She could feel his eyes on her as she left the store.

  Isaac Turnbow pushed all his air out as he watched MacKenzie go. Crap. Apparently he’d said the wrong thing again. She was so breathtakingly beautiful it was like his mind got stuck because his eyes were too busy staring and he had no clue what he was saying until he realized that he’d upset her.

  Isaac had finished feeding the calves early, got cleaned up, and told his dad he was going into town for a parts run.

  “Make sure to check on MacKenzie,” his dad had said with a huge smirk.

  Isaac hadn’t been able to hide his grin, knowing MacKenzie was the only reason he was coming to town. Now he’d messed up any chance of taking her to dinner tonight.

  He strode to the front desk and plopped down on the employee’s stool. Did she even remember their kiss? He’d been seventeen and much too full of himself, but she’d taken his breath away even then with her wavy brown hair framing naturally tan skin that was smooth and smelled intoxicating. Her lips were a perfect pink pout, even when she smiled, but his favorite part was her deep brown eyes filled with a mischievous sparkle.

  They’d gone to a dance with Haley and some other friends. After a couple hours he’d convinced her to only dance with him and then he’d taken her down by the creek, away from all the noise and his sister’s watchful eyes. The kiss had been more euphoric than hang gliding. He honestly couldn’t say that another kiss had compared to it since. That definitely wasn’t for lack of trying. He’d dated a lot of fun and interesting women in Crested Butte and when he went to University of Colorado, but he could never get MacKenzie’s fine-boned features, sweet-tasting lips, and easy way of bantering with him, out of his mind. She’d changed in the past ten years. More beautiful, but there was something in her eyes now, the innocence was replaced by a wariness that made him wonder if something traumatic had happened to her.

  The door swung open and Isaac’s fists immediately clenched. Brad Hall strode in confidently, but faltered when he saw Isaac sitting at the counter. “Oh, um.” He backed toward the door. “What happened to the hot girl working here this morning?”

  Isaac stood and folded his arms across his chest. “That hot girl is my fiancée and I’d appreciate you never looking at or talking to her. We clear?”

  Brad nodded quickly, though his eyes betrayed that the weasel would be all over MacKenzie, given any sort of chance, even if he did think she was engaged. Isaac hated the entire crooked Hall family, especially Brad. He never wanted to think about the fact that Brad was Isaac’s nephew’s biological father. Taz had a real father now in Haley’s fiancé, Cal Johnson, and if Brad even glanced in Haley’s direction Isaac wouldn’t have to kill him—Cal would do it for him.

  He blamed himself all the same for the damage Brad had inflicted on Haley. He should’ve pummeled Brad repeatedly years ago. Haley still didn’t know about the one time he had thumped Brad, but it had accomplished the goal—Brad promised never to touch Haley again. If the police chief had given Isaac grief for months, such as tickets for going a mile over the speed limit, well that was one of the hazards of living in a small town that was firmly in the Hall’s back pockets.

  Brad hurried to the door and swung it open. “See ya,” he mumbled on his way out.

  Isaac didn’t respond. He growled and paced the small lobby of the store. Luckily there were no customers to see his agitation. What if Brad ran into MacKenzie? He would smooth talk her and do anything he could to worm his way into her good graces. The thought made Isaac want to rush out and find her so he could protect her. He thought about MacKenzie’s quick retorts and smiled. Maybe she’d tell Brad off before he got a chance to manipulate his way into her heart.

  Hopefully Brad would believe they were engaged. Isaac stopped pacing. His heart thudded loudly in his chest. He’d told Brad they were engaged. It was only to protect MacKenzie, but what if she found out? She would not like that, not one bit. Oh, no. Flipping the switch so the open sign dimmed, Isaac wrote a hurried note, Be back in 15, shoved it in the window and locked the door behind him. He needed to find MacKenzie before Brad did.

  3

  MacKenzie stormed down Elk Avenue, the main street in Crested Butte, dodging tourists and locals out enjoying the mild summer day. Bikes and cars leisurely shared the narrow road. She muttered, “Excuse me,” as she sped around a family with two little boys and three huge dogs. She didn’t want to be rude, but all she cared about at the moment was escaping from that infuriating man.

  How dare Isaac call her a gold digger? Just because her and her friends had made a silly pact at girl’s camp to marry rich men when they were too young to even understand how fickle and frustrating men were. A few of her friends had married billionaires, but they’d done it because they loved them. Isaac’s sister, Haley, was marrying Cal in a couple of weeks and he was filthy rich, but such a cool, down-to-earth guy. Why did Isaac make her feel like she needed to defend her friends, their husbands, and especially, herself? Ooh, he made her boiling mad.

  Third Bowl Homemade Ice Cream appeared at her right. If that wasn’t divine intervention, she didn’t know what was. She only had a few dollars to her name until she got paid next week, but there was plenty of food at the house she was staying at and ice cream was worth spending her last bit of cash on. Especially when she needed chocolate to calm her nerves, since she couldn’t setup a life-size poster of Isaac Turnbow and throw spears at it. Oh, that would be happiness. She ruled the spears at Spartan competitions.

  She went through the open door and climbed the stairs to the ice cream shop. The walls were painted bright turquoise blue and orange and a huge blackboard hanging behind the ice cream cases listed all the flavors. Pictures of adorable babies and children eating ice cream competed for every bit of free space on the walls. The smell of sweet cream made her smile and that was a very welcome thing.

  A cute teenage girl with glasses and blonde hair grinned at her. “Hi! What can I getcha?”

  “Um, what’s your specialty?”

  The girl gestured to the blackboard. “They’re all amazing! I come in on my days off just to try a different kind. Then I plop down with a romance novel and you could just pluck and stuff me because I’m already in heaven.”

  MacKenzie smiled. Ice cream, romance lover, and a bit of spunk. This girl was a kindred spirit. “What’s your favorite?”

  “Hmm. Today?” She pursed her lips. “Raspberry goat cheese or coconut stout chip.”

  MacKenzie wrinkled her nose at the thought of goat cheese in ice cream. She did like coconut, but not nearly as much as chocolate.

  “Do you want to try a sample?”

  “Thanks, I’ll look them over and let you know.” MacKenzie perused the board that included some really odd flavors like cranberry crumble, green chile chocolate, rosemary honey pecan, and blood orange dark chocolate. She needed chocolate, but she wasn’t ready to try anything crazy. She ordered a child’s scoop of the regular dark chocolate on a sugar cone. The girl was dishing it up and chattering about how much she loved Lucy McConnell’s romances. MacKenzie promised to buy one on her Kindle, not wanting to think about the fact her Kindle was in her apartment in Chicago and she may never get back to it.

  Another customer ascended the stairs and the girl stopped talking and focused on the ice cream. The man looked familiar. MacKenzie thought he may have been in Haley’s store yesterday. The man was tall, almost as tall as Isaac, but not as broad. He had dark hair and eyes and an extremely handsome face, more of a model kind of face where Isaac’s was more of a manly good look. She rolled her eyes at herself. Why was she comparing anyone to Isaac? That was giving the jerk much more brain time than he deserved.

  The man smiled at her and called to the girl. “Charlie, give me a double rosemary honey pecan in a bowl with hot fudge, and I’ve got hers.” He winked at MacKenzie and handed over ten dollars before MacKenzie could react.

  Charlie lifted the ice cream cone over the top of
the freezer to MacKenzie, took the money, and got busy scooping the man’s ice cream. Her darling smile had disappeared and she said nothing.

  MacKenzie glanced at the man, who was blatantly checking her out. His eyes went down and up enough times she wanted to ask him if he had an optical disorder.

  “Thank you,” she murmured instead. “You didn’t need to do that.” She took one lick of the ice cream and was grateful the man had paid. Now she had five dollars left to come buy ice cream again before she got her check.

  “Sure, I did.” He leaned against the freezer and pumped his eyebrows. “Prettiest girl I’ve ever seen comes to town, the least I can do is buy her ice cream to thank her for coming.”

  MacKenzie had to laugh at his attempt at being smooth. “Must be a lame town if I’m the prettiest girl to ever come here.” She was confident enough in her looks, but she knew there were some men who weren’t interested in a girl with a burly, redheaded Irish dad and a rail thin Polynesian-African-American mom. It used to bother her a lot as a teenager that she had a mixed background, but now she loved it and was proud that her family didn’t see color. Maybe that was why Isaac was so off with her. He looked like some kind of Roman royal with his dark hair, green eyes, and olive skin. Probably thought he was superior. The thought made her like him even less.

  “Not lame at all. I can show you around if you’d like.” The man licked his lips.

  “Maybe some other time.” She walked around him. “Thanks again for the ice cream.” Descending the stairs, she found a bench out front and sat down. It was a beautiful summer afternoon. The temperatures here were so much milder than the steamy warmth of Chicago in the summer. The high today probably wouldn’t reach eighty. Isaac had told her to take a break. She was going to heed his advice and hopefully by the time she got back she’d be ready to play nice with her employer’s brother.

  Across the street in front of the restaurant, Bonez, there was a large group of people in suits and dresses. Most people walked around Crested Butte in biking or hiking gear so it was strange to see people dressed so fancy. MacKenzie heard cheers erupt and turned to see a bicycle procession coming slowly down the street. A handsome young man in a tux rode the front seat of a tandem bike with his gorgeous bride perched on the back. About twenty other people in suits and formal dresses rode on bikes behind the couple. The parents were obvious on their own tandem bikes with proud, happy looks and tears streaming down their faces.

  “Oh, she is lovely,” an elderly lady said next to MacKenzie. “Grew up right here in Crested Butte then went away for college. I taught her ballet when she was seven.”

  MacKenzie smiled, watching the couple glide past. “She is a beauty.”

  “Why do they have to grow up so fast?” The lady dabbed at her eyes then walked across to Bonez.

  MacKenzie wondered if this was a tradition for Crested Butte locals, riding their bikes down Elk Street to celebrate their marriage with the town. She wondered if Isaac would be riding on a tandem bike someday with his bride behind him. The thought turned her stomach and her ice cream lost its flavor.

  The man who’d paid for her ice cream plopped down on the bench next to her. “Do I get to meet the girl I just bought ice cream for?”

  “Three dollar ice cream cone?” MacKenzie scooted a few inches away and forced Isaac and images of what his bride might be like from her brain. She took another lick of frozen heaven and tilted her head to the side. “Not sure that’s going to get you a meet and greet.”

  He laughed. “How about if I bought you dinner tonight?”

  MacKenzie shook her head. “Dinner might get you a handshake, but I’m not available tonight.”

  “It’s true then.”

  “What’s true?”

  “You’re engaged to that idiot, Isaac Turnbow.”

  “What?” MacKenzie dropped her ice cream cone. It splatted softly on the concrete, but she hardly noticed. Engaged to Isaac? Her stomach started a low burn and her breath shortened. What if she was the girl on the back of his tandem bike? Would she cling to his trim waist or his strong shoulders? Would she lean into him and savor each touch and smell, or be too busy waving to loved ones from the back of the bike, and sharing the joy of their day?

  No! She had to stop before she kept right on imagining things like a shared kiss over the altar and beyond.

  “MacKenzie,” a deep voice called out, uncertain and manly, and if she hadn’t been so upset and confused, she might’ve liked the sound of that voice calling out her name.

  She glanced up and met the green eyes of the very man in question, storming up the sidewalk toward them.

  Jumping to her feet, she faced him. “You told him I’m engaged to you?” her voice came out all shrill like a witch on a warpath.

  Isaac’s face blanched, but he didn’t slow his stride.

  The other man stood to the side of her, but backed away. “Isaac, I didn’t … it was just, ice cream.”

  Isaac slammed his fist into the man’s face. The guy’s head flew back and his feet shot out from under him. He fell ungracefully to the concrete. MacKenzie gasped, wringing her hands together.

  Isaac stood over him, his voice low and threatening. “Don’t you ever come near her again or so help me, I’ll make you wish you were dead.”

  The oxygen rushed from her body. MacKenzie dropped to her knees next to this poor man who had done nothing but buy her ice cream. Blood trickled down the man’s split lip. MacKenzie gagged, all the memories rushing back. Her hands trembled, but she wouldn’t back down. She hadn’t been able to save that man from Solomon Squire but she could stand up to Isaac.

  He took a step closer and her spine stiffened. “You had better back up,” she said through clenched teeth.

  “Please, MacKenzie, let me explain.” Isaac held up his hands innocently. His eyes filled with concern.

  “Don’t you talk to me!” Her body was shaking. She clenched her hands to try to regain control and focused on the man, whose nose was swelling. There were some napkins from her ice cream cone on the concrete. She grabbed the cleanest one and dabbed away the blood on his mouth.

  “I’m so sorry,” she murmured. “I have no clue why he would claim we’re engaged or why he would hit you for no reason.” Why did she have to keep being involved in violence? She couldn’t handle much more.

  “There’s a reason, believe me.” Isaac blew out a long breath. “Please, MacKenzie.”

  “That’s just the way he is,” the man said.

  “I’m so sorry he hit you.”

  “You don’t have to be sorry.” He smiled an awkward, sad smile.

  MacKenzie felt relieved he wasn’t blaming her. She could not believe Isaac’s cave man attitude. “I’m MacKenzie Howe.” The lie slipped out easily and she hoped Maryn wouldn’t mind her stealing her maiden name for a little while. “What’s your name?” she asked the man.

  “Brad.” He pushed his way to his feet and MacKenzie stood with him.

  She turned her back on Isaac, grabbed Brad’s hand, and urged him to walk with her. “Is your nose okay?”

  Brad threw a dark look over his shoulder. “It’ll be fine. It’s not the first time he’s hit me.”

  “Oh, my, heck!” MacKenzie also glared back at Isaac. He watched the two of them with a mixture of frustration and helplessness on his face. How could her darling friend Haley have a brother who was a brawling caveman? MacKenzie had fancied herself in love with him as a teenager and minutes ago she’d daydreamed about riding on the back of his tandem bike. Her face heated with shame. At least she knew what he was like now. “I’d love to go to dinner with you,” she told Brad.

  Brad grinned and seemed to forget about his red nose, cut lip, and swollen cheek. He wrapped his arm around her waist. “What do you feel like, Mexican, Italian, home-cooking? We’ve got some of the greatest restaurants in Crested Butte.”

  MacKenzie stiffened at his casual touch. In life before protective custody, she’d been preparing to be on an elite Sp
artan team that was hoping to compete in the intense obstacle race at a national level. One of her male teammates, Vince, was always overly familiar, touching her and hugging her. Brad reminded her of him. She knew it was innocent, but she just wasn’t a casual romance kind of girl. She wanted a marriage like her parents—committed, loving, and comfortable.

  “Italian sounds great.”

  “Perfect.”

  MacKenzie glanced over her shoulder once more. Isaac watched them through hooded eyes. His fists clenched tightly at his side. He met her gaze and mouthed, “Please.”

  MacKenzie whipped her head back around. Her throat so dry she couldn’t swallow. What right did Isaac have to ask her please anything? He’d just punched a man for no reason and he’d made her drop a perfectly delicious ice cream cone.

  Regardless of Isaac’s feelings on the matter, she wasn’t ready to cozy up to another man she didn’t know. She stepped away from Brad and his arm dropped to his side. He gave her an injured look, but didn’t say anything.

  They walked past Haley’s store and she saw the scribbled sign, Be back in 15. At least it looked like Isaac had locked up. Should she be going to dinner and leave the store unattended? She forced herself not to care. Isaac could take care of the store. He deserved some extra work for his treatment of Brad.

  She and Brad walked a block east on Elk Avenue then around the corner to a clapboard building, Marchitelli’s Gourmet Noodle hung from a small sign. Most of the restaurants in town were either open for breakfast and lunch, or didn’t open until after five. This one must be the latter as it was barely five.

  A smiling hostess dressed all in black seated them. Satiny white fabric hung from the ceiling and covered the tables and windows. For some reason it reminded MacKenzie of the inside of a coffin. The ceilings were high enough she didn’t feel claustrophobic, but the thought of a coffin brought her back to Solomon Squire and the death knoll following her. She took a steadying breath and tried to push those fears away.