Hunter unloaded the last of the firewood into the bin outside his cabin, then hauled more logs inside.
With a severe snowstorm brewing, his dad had called a halt to all outdoor activities this morning, including movie production. Nash had picked the boys up from class and would be dropping them off soon. Everyone had been told to hunker down and stay inside.
Mrs. Green, the best ranch cook on the planet, and Bunny had sent extra food back with everyone to their cabins. Hunter had already made sure all the fireplace bins in the cabin were stocked with extra logs.
He headed back outside and walked around the cabin, making sure everything had been battened down. Ice had already formed on the trees and bushes. Long icicles hanging from the eaves had frozen into lethal points.
Going around the corner to the older part, he noticed an open window. He walked up to the wall to close it and saw movement inside. Weird. No one’s supposed to be home this time of day.
Had an intruder slipped inside while he’d been hauling firewood? He hoped it was a person, and not a foraging bear.
He crept forward as quiet as he could and peered through the open window.
A woman stepped out of the tub, and he glimpsed red marks on the backs of her thighs. She turned and faced him.
Boobs.
Naked boobs. Naked legs. Naked body.
His brain finally caught up with his eyes. The woman inside shrieked and tried to cover her body with her hands.
Dammit. Mackenzie.
“What the bloody hell do you think you’re doin’? Are you a keeker?”
“Huh?” Dang. Real smooth, moron.
“A peeping tom, you idiot.” She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body.
“Sorry.”
“Why are you looking in my window?”
“Um...” He couldn’t think. Why was he outside her window?
The silence grew. A drop of water slid down her elbow. Steam rose around her, making her hair even more curly and vibrant. Another drop of water rolled down her throat onto her chest, until it disappeared into her towel-covered cleavage.
Their eyes locked, and he couldn’t look away. Her fist clutched the towel tighter in front of her. And here he was, staring at her like a love-starved man. He wouldn’t be surprised to discover himself panting like a dog.
Until now, she’d just been a pain in his ass.
Until now, she’d just been another guest on the ranch.
Until now, he hadn’t understood what it meant to burn with lust.
An icy crack broke the silence. He looked up just as a giant icicle broke free and plunged down next to him.
“You think icicles can be used to kill vampires?” He hefted it up so she could see.
She stared at him. Her eyes crinkled, her brows following suit. Then her mouth pursed just a bit. “You’re crackers. Stark raving blooming crackers.”
“I guess Cody’s fascination with supernatural bloodsuckers must be rubbing off on me.”
“Hunter?”
“Yeah?”
“Go away.”
“Oh. Sure.” Dang, he really needed to get some brain cells to start firing.
At the sound of shouts from the driveway, he forced his burning body to walk around the corner of the cabin. The boys were home. He needed a few minutes to calm down.
Hell, he needed to lay facedown in the snow to cool off.
He’d acted like a teenage boy first discovering girls.
Except he wasn’t a boy. He was a man.
And Mackenzie was a woman.
All woman.
All naked woman.
In his cabin.
He hadn’t felt anything like that since...
Ever.
Damn, damn, damn.
He didn’t want to know she was beautiful. He didn’t want to know how brave she was, raising her younger brothers, and doing all those stunts. He didn’t want to know she’d affected his body this way.
Sure, he liked women. But he was a full-time dad now, with kids he needed to focus on.
So, no. He would not be pursuing the pretty lady from Scotland.
Right?
Hunter woke with a start, his room pitch-dark. The blizzard howled outside, the noise reminding him of coyotes and wolves.
Thunder boomed, and he jolted. It’d been a long time since they’d had a thunder snowstorm. He waited, listening for the sounds of his boys dashing to his room to pile in bed with him. It had become their routine any time it thundered.
But no racing feet pounded across wooden floors. They couldn’t possibly be sleeping through all the noise. He reached for the switch on his lamp and turned it. Nothing happened. Grabbing the flashlight from his nightstand, he got up and put his robe on, shoved his feet into slippers.
He walked into the family room. Weird lights and shadows caught his attention. Shining his light around the room, he saw blanket-covered lumps and bumps. A fort?
Awesome.
He and his brothers had created huge, elaborate forts back in their day. They’d gotten in trouble using sheets and blankets meant for the guests too many times to count. This one looked so awesome he wanted to get in and play.
The crunch of chips echoed from inside the fort. The boys knew better than to eat snacks without asking first.
“No way. There aren’t any ghosts.”
“Oh, aye. There are, Cody.”
Mackenzie’s voice. What was she doing out here? And with his sons? A little fist of jealousy punched him square in the chest. Sure, she was a novelty, a guest in their home. But he was their dad, and he wanted to be there for his kids. The one they turned to when they were happy or sad, scared or excited.
But what if he wasn’t enough? He woke up every morning with the bone-deep fear he would fail them.
“Have you ever seen ’em?”
“Of course. Scotland is an ancient land. There’re ghosties everywhere. When I was a wee lass, my family lived practically at the base of Urquhart Castle, overlooking Loch Ness. Me and my brothers explored every inch of the castle, ghosts and all.”
“How many are there? Are they mean?” Eli’s voice squeaked.
“Dozens and dozens. They’d float and flit through the castle, moaning and screaming, so you couldn’t count them all.”
Hunter grinned. Her voice lowered into spooky tones, and her accent thickened as she told her story.
“Did you go in the castle?”
“Och, aye. I wasna’ afraid of some ghosties. Until that one dreadful day that my brothers dared me to go in all alone...and spend the night.”
“No way!” Eli squeaked.
“Nuh-uh!” Tripp scoffed, but Hunter knew he was loving the story.
“Cool!” That had to be his bloodthirsty Cody.
“What happened next?”
“Well—” she lowered her voice even more, and Hunter leaned forward to listen “—I crept in at midnight, with just a blanket and a candle. I made it into the keep with no troubles. I started going up the old stone steps when I heard it.”
“What?” Eli’s voice was pitched high, as if the spirit in Mackenzie’s story had goosed him.
“The first ghost whooshed down the staircase at me. I ducked, and it flew over my head. A second ghost came right after it, and I swear it flew straight through my body. It was so frightful cold, my fingers turned blue! Then it turned right around and came at me again, screaming and moaning my name.”
One of the boys squealed, and Hunter felt left out, wanted to join the fun. He crept forward and yanked up the blanket, sticking his flashlight under his chin. “Boo!”
The boys screamed, and even Mackenzie squeaked.
“Can I come in and play?” He glanced at her. He hadn’t seen her since he’d accidentally stared at her through the bathroom window earlier. She’d made herself scarce at dinnertime.
He’d thought he would feel awkward, but right this moment, he didn’t. Maybe because of the dark.
But in the glow of all the flashlights, it looked like her cheeks were full-blown red.
“Daddy, she’s telling us a ghost story.” Cody squirmed in his seat.
Hunter crawled in. The only spot open was next to Mackenzie, and when he brushed her arm, she went rigid and leaned as far away from him as she could.
Too bad.
His house.
His kids.
His rules.
Sure they could roughhouse. But there would be no adult games with Mackenzie.
Period.
He had to concentrate on the boys.