Trouble Maker: A MacKenzie Family Novel (The MacKenzie Family) Read online

  Beckett stood with a pellet gun to his shoulder, knocking down wooden ducks with little pings. He’d always had eyes like a hawk. The MacKenzies hooted with laughter as Beckett was handed the oversized stuffed bear as a prize, but the grin on his face was wide with pride.

  Darcy came running up at that point, black hair flying and cheeks flushed with color. The heat had curled little tendrils around her face and neck, and the short denim skirt and crop top she wore showed off curves Marnie envied. Darcy dragged Emmitt Strain behind her, and he was holding a couple of small stuffed animals and a bag of popcorn.

  “Man, that was awesome, Beck,” Darcy said. “I couldn’t see the whole thing because Shane’s giant head was in the way. But you really mowed down those helpless wooden ducks.”

  “Shut up, Darce,” Shane said. His eyes narrowed as he looked down at Darcy and Emmitt’s joined hands, and Emmitt paled and quickly let go when he saw the look on Shane’s face.

  Marnie almost smiled. She already knew there was no hope for Darcy and Emmitt. Emmitt played defense for the football team, but he didn’t have much of a spine outside of the football field. Or a brain. Darcy had both and she was destined for someone she couldn’t walk all over.

  Darcy had always accepted Marnie’s gift, and she’d never shared the things Marnie had told her in confidence. They were the very best of friends, and they’d shared many secrets—crushes and gossip they’d heard from their parents or around town—but not everything. Darcy suspected about her father—it was impossible not to when it sometimes took days for Marnie to recover so she could be seen in public—but though Darcy’s eyes asked unspoken questions, Marnie had never confided in her. It was a shame she kept to herself.

  Marnie often got clear visions of the people she was closest to, and she’d had several of Darcy. She’d understood at an early age that the gift she’d been given wasn’t always meant to share. That altering people’s decisions could change the entire course of their lives. The responsibility was one she didn’t take lightly. And drawing attention to herself was the last thing she wanted. Her father had gotten a call once from a center in Denver, wanting to put her through a series of tests, but he hadn’t been interested since they weren’t willing to pay. He’d beaten her for that too. Because she was useless and couldn’t pay her own way.

  But she continued to see things. And she continued to keep those things to herself. But sometimes…sometimes the loneliness of her gift was overwhelming. She knew she could trust Darcy, and in one of those moments of loneliness Marnie let it slip that Darcy had already met her future husband. Darcy hadn’t been surprised by the news. But she said until Brant Scott got some sense in his head, she could at least have a little fun making him suffer.

  Marnie stood to the outside of the group, observing the easy way the MacKenzies were with each other. They’d never made her feel less, despite the fact that their families owned the ranches her daddy worked for, but she wasn’t like them. It couldn’t have been more obvious. They didn’t know what it was like to go hungry because there wasn’t enough money to put food on the table. Daddy teased her about being the rich kids’ trash, but she never felt that way. Or hardly ever.

  “I’ve been looking all over for you, Marnie,” Darcy said. “Mama said you could spend the night if you want and she’ll make pancakes in the morning. Cade’s home for a little while and he said he’d put up a new swing over the lake so we can jump in. And maybe we can go to the movies tomorrow night. That new Julia Roberts movie is playing if you want to see it, though I’d rather watch Bruce Willis blow up things. But Emmitt will have to buy our tickets because it’s rated R.”

  “God, do you ever shut up?” Shane asked.

  “No, and this is an A-B conversation. C you later.”

  Marnie looked back and forth between the siblings and decided to jump in before they started arguing. MacKenzie arguments had been known to last weeks.

  “I’m sure Mama won’t mind,” Marnie said. “It’ll give us a chance to study for our chemistry final too.”

  Darcy’s eyes widened with great drama and she put her hands on Marnie’s shoulders, shaking her gently. “When are you going to start listening to me? Live a little, woman. You’ll ace that test no problem. We’re in our prime.” She held her arms open and spun around, and then she fluttered her eyelashes and flashed a sassy smile before putting her hands on her hips. “We’ve got the rest of our lives for all that serious stuff. It’s time to have fun.”

  “Very responsible, Darce,” Declan said to his sister. “Thank God you’ve got Marnie to balance you out. I can only imagine the hellion you’d be without her.”

  “She’s already a hellion,” Riley piped up. “She’d be a monster.”

  Darcy turned on her cousin. “Shut up, Riley. Maybe you need to remember what I saw in the barn last week and that you owe me big time.”

  The images in Darcy’s head broadcast through Marnie’s mind and the blood rushed to her cheeks in embarrassment. Riley was lying square on top of Colleen Walton and they were both naked as jaybirds. His bare buttocks flexed and Colleen’s nails clawed into his back while she howled like a wet cat. Marnie didn’t know a lot about sex, but Colleen was either in a lot of pain or she was enjoying herself immensely.

  “Darcy…” Riley warned, his eyes narrowing with warning.

  “Hey,” she said, shrugging. “I’m the one that’s probably going to need therapy. I’m just saying maybe you need to be a little nicer to me.” Her grin was mischievous, but Darcy had always been good at holding her own against her brothers and cousins. As the only girl in the pack, she said it was her duty to give them hell.

  “Come on, Dec,” Riley said, slapping his cousin on the back. “Let’s go grab a pizza and a beer. I’ve got better things to do than hang out with children.”

  Since Riley and Declan were the only two old enough to drink, it was a definite insult to the others.

  “I don’t know if I’d call Colleen Walton something better to do,” Shane said snidely, elbowing Thomas in the ribs. “It’s hard to tell the difference between her and a screech owl. You ever notice how every time you bring her to the house, the horses and cattle try to run into the barn and hide?”

  “Or maybe they’re trying to get a front row seat,” Thomas sneered. “Everybody knows y’all go in there to—”

  “Thomas!” Riley took a step forward and raised his fist and everyone took a step back. The MacKenzies fought more often than not, but to Marnie’s trained eye it wasn’t out of anger, like with her father. They seemed to enjoy fighting. As if it were a sport.

  Beckett moved so he stood between the two before fists could start flying. “This isn’t the place for a fight,” he said. “You’ll be hauled out by your ears before you get started. And watch what you’re saying in front of the girls. Mrs. MacKenzie would skin you good if she heard you talk that way.”

  That was probably the only threat that could keep them in check. Mary MacKenzie was a force to be reckoned with when it came to keeping her boys in line—and that included her nephews too since their mother had passed on.

  Riley nodded and took a step back. And then he grinned and gave Thomas and Shane a one-finger salute before he and Declan disappeared into the crowd.

  Marnie had never thought about sex until the dreams started creeping in on her at night—Beckett’s face and his lips as he kissed her in the dark—only to be interrupted by the snap of her father’s belt as he punished her for having impure thoughts. Even her dreams were terrorized by her father.

  Marnie could feel the heat in her cheeks at their candid talk, but she tried her best to act like it was no big deal. The truth was, she was scared to death of sex, and most of what she’d learned about it she and Darcy had overheard by listening in on her brothers. Her father had always said whores were the only ones who enjoyed sex, but Darcy said that was a flat-out lie and that she was going to enjoy the hell out of sex when she was ready to have it.

  Darcy had talked
her into borrowing the white cotton shorts and red top that stopped just above the top button of her shorts. It hung off one shoulder a little, showing the thin strap of the white tank she wore. She hadn’t been brave enough to go without it as Darcy had suggested. She’d never felt comfortable showing much skin, but she had to admit the bold contrast of the colors showed off the tan she had been working on by laying out at the lake.

  Her dark hair was thick and long and she’d braided it over one shoulder. Her eyes were dark and enhanced by the mascara she’d bought, though Darcy said it wasn’t fair how she hardly needed it, and that women would kill for lashes like hers. Her lip-gloss had in fact plumped up her lips and they stung just a little bit. But she felt pretty and normal and a little more grown up. She could never hope to fill out the outfit like Darcy, so the shorts bagged on her just a little, but they were still finer than anything she owned.

  “Marnie,” Darcy said, getting her attention again. “Let’s head over to the House of Horrors before the line gets too long. I saw Justin Appleby on the way over here. He’ll ride it with you. He likes you.”

  “You’re barking up the wrong tree there, Darce,” Shane warned. “He likes to watch the guys shower in the locker room. Emmitt can back me up on that one.”

  Emmitt shrugged and looked at Darcy apologetically, not denying Shane’s claim.

  “Why can’t you go away? You ruin everything,” Darcy complained, pouting a little. “I swear I’m going to find your adoption papers and prove that you’re not really one of us.”

  Marnie smiled. Darcy and Shane could’ve been twins, so similar was their appearance—black hair and piercing blue eyes shared by only a few of the MacKenzies. Not to mention identical smiles that could charm their way out of any kind of trouble.

  Bells and whistles went off from the games around them as the crowd increased in size. Someone jostled her from behind and she was pushed off balance. She felt a solid wall meet her shoulder and a hand came up to steady her. She looked up into clear gray eyes and watched the dimple flutter in Beckett’s left cheek as he smiled at her.

  “Hello, Marnie,” he whispered close to her ear so only she could hear. “I’ve always wondered what you’d feel like in my arms.”

  Chapter Three

  Her breath caught as the heat from his fingers penetrated her skin and sizzled across her nerve endings like electric currents. Sound and movement stopped. It was only Beckett and the blood rushing in her ears.

  And for a split second, her eyesight dimmed and she saw—felt—the softness of the quilt beneath her back and the fullness of the moon as it shone between the branches of the trees above her. The weight of him as he pressed her into the blanket. The feel of his bare skin against hers and the slickness of their skin as their bodies moved together in perfect harmony. Her heart thudded in her chest as his lips took hers in a passionate kiss and her body arched against his as stars exploded behind her eyes.

  Sound whooshed back and she sucked in a deep breath. He was looking at her oddly and no wonder. There was no telling how long she’d been standing there blank-faced and unresponsive.

  Darcy called it her “ramblings.” When a vision overtook her and there was nothing she could do to control it. Sometimes they lasted for seconds. Sometimes several minutes. But there was no bringing her back from them once she was entrenched in the vision. It was when she was at her most vulnerable.

  She couldn’t explain her gift. It was just part of who she was. And it had taken her a long time to realize that not everyone could do what she could do and that she made people nervous. It was easy enough to see everyday thoughts or get strong images if she focused—especially if she physically touched the person she was trying to read. But the visions were different. They slammed into her like a Mack truck and left her helpless where she stood. They were powerful, and what she saw almost always came to pass—unless some odd hand of fate turned things in another direction.

  What she’d seen had been as real as anything she’d ever experienced. Beckett would be her lover. And they’d find pleasure in each other. Joy burst in her heart. This wasn’t like the hopeful imaginings she’d had in the darkness of her bedroom. This was reality that would come to pass. There’d been love between them—at least the beginnings of it—in the vision she saw.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I didn’t mean to bump into you.”

  “Relax,” he said, as if he were soothing a frightened mare. “Like I said, I like how you feel in my arms.” His smile was easy and disarming, but there was something in his eyes that was different than before. Or maybe she’d never noticed. Her body thrummed from the erotic vision and they were still speaking only to each other, the outside world ceasing to exist.

  His gaze lingered on her bare shoulder and then moved up, so he was staring at her lips. His hand lingered on her arm, and she was glad she’d taken Darcy’s advice and spruced herself up a little.

  For one night, she was normal. She was like the other girls. There was no worry over whether or not there’d be a roof over her head by the end of the week. No worry over how they’d put food on the table. No worry that she’d washed and worn the same clothes more than once in a week. She was like Cinderella at the ball and she hoped that midnight never came.

  The taste of that small amount of freedom went to her head and made her dizzy with elation.

  “Hello? Earth to Beckett and Marnie,” Darcy said, waving her arms near their faces.

  Beckett smiled and looked at Darcy. “I heard you, Darcy. I just didn’t want to be interrupted.”

  Marnie jerked her head in Darcy’s direction, coming out of her stupor. She noticed that Shane and Thomas had wandered back over to the pellet guns, where they were engaged in a battle of who could kill the most wooden ducks.

  “What I was saying,” Darcy said good-naturedly, “was that you should take Marnie on the Ferris wheel. She likes it, but heights make me want to barf. Emmitt and I are going to try out the Tunnel of Love.” Darcy wagged her eyebrows and winked at Emmitt.

  To say that Darcy was a handful was an understatement. She was wild and full of adventure, but she had a heart as big as the ocean. She also wasn’t the least bit afraid of heights, and Marnie shook her head at her friend. Darcy wasn’t known for being subtle.

  “Your brothers are going to kill you if you go into the Tunnel of Love and they find out about it,” Beckett said.

  “I guess you’d better not tell them then,” she said cheekily. “I know how much you love me. You’d miss me if I were gone.”

  “You’re right,” Beckett said, and then he looked at Emmitt. “Which is why I’m comfortable telling Emmitt here to keep his hands to himself so the police don’t have to hunt for his body parts. The MacKenzies are protective of their sister.”

  Emmitt swallowed and nodded frantically, and Darcy rolled her eyes and looked at Emmitt in disgust. It didn’t take a vision for Marnie to see that Emmitt would be flying solo before the night was through.

  “Don’t put Beckett on the spot, Darcy,” Marnie finally said, and then she turned to face Beckett. “There’s no need to keep me company if you’ve got other things to do. I don’t mind being on my own.”

  “I like Ferris wheels,” he said. “When you get to the top you can see all of Surrender. I’d like to show you.”

  A riot of emotions sizzled through her body. Before the vision it had only been her imagination. She hadn’t known what it felt like to be kissed. She hadn’t known what it felt like to be pressed body-to-body, skin-to-skin. But the vision had given her a small glimpse of ecstasy, and being with him now was a mix between ultimate pleasure and pure torture. And she agreed with Darcy. When the time came to have sex she was going to enjoy the hell out of it. The little rebellion against her father made her giddy with anticipation. She’d take her freedom in small doses until the next year and three days was over.

  “What do you say?” he asked, holding out his hand.
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  She smiled and placed her hand in his. She couldn’t imagine a night ever being more perfect than this one. Darcy winked at her as Beckett led her away, and nervous anticipation had butterflies dancing in her stomach. She wanted to remember every detail—every sight and sound. She wanted to be able to recall every precious moment once she was alone. She could do that. Bring back sights and sounds and tastes once she’d experienced them.

  His hand felt good in hers—right—and he didn’t seem to mind that anyone could see them. Her shoulders straightened proudly as classmates took notice. She’d never been noticed before. She always flew right under the radar, especially when she stood next to Darcy. Marnie didn’t mind it, and she didn’t begrudge the attention given to her beautiful friend. In fact, she preferred to go unnoticed. Going unnoticed meant no one asked questions about her family, how she got that bruise on her collarbone, or why she’d had to miss a week of school while she let the bruises heal.

  “Those must be some deep thoughts,” Beckett said, smiling down at her. “Is everything okay?”

  She forced away the thoughts that had clouded her mind and smiled. “Sorry, I was just letting my mind wander.”

  They got into the line for the Ferris wheel, but their hands stayed joined. Beckett held the teddy bear he’d won under his other arm. A little girl with pretty blonde pigtails, each one adorned with a big white bow, walked by, and he handed over the teddy bear, much to the girl’s delight.

  Beckett used his tickets for both of them and handed them over to an older man with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. The attendant held the metal bar back for them and she slid into the seat first. The seats weren’t large, so when Beckett scooted in beside her they were pressed thigh to thigh. If possible, her heart thudded faster in her chest and heat infused her body. And then the car jerked as they began their ascent.

  The space was confined, so he raised his arm and put it across the back of the seat. His fingers toyed absently with the strap of her tank top and she looked straight ahead as they rose higher and higher, praying he’d never stop.