Mackenzies4 Mackenzies Magic 1996by Linda Horward.docx

Mackenzies4 Mackenzies Magic 1996by Linda Horward.docx

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Mackenzies4MackenziesMagic1996byLindaHorward

4-Mackenzie'sMagic

（1996）

Synopsis:

Maris,theonlyMackenziedaughter,ismagic.She'sfey,almostpsychicandcancharmthewildesthorse-aswellasotherdangerousanimals,suchastheundercoverFBIagentwho'shotonthetrailofakiller,andinwhosebedMarislands.Theproblemis,shewaswantedforhorsetheft,butshewasbangedontheheadanddoesn'trememberwhathappenedorhowshegotthere.Withnomemory,shehadlittlechanceofprovingherinnocenceoreludingthevillainsbehindtheprizestallion'smysteriousdisappearance.Heronlyhopeforsalvation?

Thestrangerinherbed.

DearReader,

Notallthatlongago,theworldwasamuchslowerplace.Generationsofafamilywouldbeborn,growup,marry,setuptheirownhomes,andallstaywithinthesameneighborhood.Itwasn'tunusualforahousetobehometothreegenerationsatthesametime.Babieswereborninthesamehousewheregrandparentsdied,andtherewasawonderfulsenseofcontinuity,ofroots,thathasgonebythewaysidenowasfamiliesscattertothefourcornersoftheearth.

Butwestillhavethatyearningforthesafeplaceofourhearts,thecenterofthefamily,andChristmasistheperfectexpressionofthat"AreyougoinghomeforChristmas?

"isaphrasespokenthousands¡Xmillions¡Xoftimesastheholidaynears.Peopleseldomliveinthesamehousetheirentirelivesnow,butthehouseisn'tthehome;thefamilyis.Thefamilyisthesanctuary,andpeopletraveluntoldmilestoreachiteveryyearatthatspecialtime,thetimeofChristmas.

Ihopeyoureachyoursanctuary,andIhopeyouhaveawonderfulChristmas.

LindaHoward

ChapterOne

Herheadhurt.

Thepainthuddedagainsttheinsideofherskull,poundedonhereyeballs.Herstomachstirreduneasily,asifawakenedbyallthecommotion.

"Myheadhurts."MarisMackenzievoicedthecomplaintinalow,vaguelypuzzledtone.Sheneverhadheadaches;despiteherdelicateappearance,shepossessedinfulltheMackenzieironconstitution.Theoddityofherconditionwaswhathadstartledherintospeakingaloud.

Shedidn'topenhereyes,didn'tbothertolookatthedock.Thealarmhadn'tgoneoff,soitwasn'ttimetogetup.Perhapsifshewentbacktosleeptheheadachewouldgoaway.

"I'llgetyousomeaspirin."

Maris'seyessnappedopen,andthemovementmadeherheadgiveasickeningthrob.

Thevoicewasmale,butevenmorestartling,ithadbeenrightbesideher;soclose,infact,thatthemanhadonlymurmuredthewordsandstillhiswarmbreathhadstirredagainstherear.Thebedshiftedashesatup.

Therewasasoftclickasheturnedonthebedsidelamp,andthelightexplodedinherhead.Quicklyshesqueezedhereyesshutagain,butnotbeforeshesawaman'sbroad,stronglymuscled,nakedback,andawell-shapedheadcoveredwithshort,thickdarkhair.

Confusedpanicseizedher.Wherewasshe?

Evenmoreimportant,whowashe?

Shewasn'tinherbedroom;oneglancehadtoldherthat.Thebedbeneathherwasfirm,comfortable,butnothers.

Anexhaustfanwhinedtolifewhenheturnedonthebathroomlight.Shedidn'triskopeninghereyesagain,butinsteadreliedonherothersensestoorientherself.Amotel,then.Thatwasit.Andthestrangewhump-ingsoundshehadonlynowheardwasthebloweroftheroom'sclimate-controlunit.

Shehadsleptinplentyofmotels,butneverbeforewithaman.Whywassheinamotel,anyway,insteadofherowncomfortablelittlehouseclosebythestables?

Theonlytimeshestayedinmotelswaswhenshewastravelingtoorfromajob,andsinceshehadsettledinKentuckyacoupleofyearsagotheonlytravelingshe'ddonehadbeenwhenshewenthometovisitthefamily.

Itwasanefforttothink.Shecouldn'tcomeupwithanyreasonatallwhyshewasinamotelwithastrangeman.

Sharpdisappointmentfilledher,temporarilypiercingthefogginessinherbrain.Shehadneversleptaroundbefore,andshewasdisgustedwithherselfforhavingdonesonow,anepisodeshedidn'trememberwithamanshedidn'tknow.

Sheknewsheshouldleave,butshecouldn'tseemtomustertheenergyitwouldtaketojumpoutofbedandescape.Escape?

Shewonderedfuzzilyatthestrangechoiceofword.Shewasfreetoleaveanytimeshewanted...ifshecouldonlymanagetomove.Herbodyfeltheavilyrelaxed,contenttodonothingmorethanliethere.Sheneededtodosomething,shewascertain,butshecouldn'tquitegraspwhatthatsomethingwas.Evenasidefromthepaininherhead,hermindfeltfuzzy,andherthoughtswerevagueanddrifting.

Themattressshiftedagainashesatdownbesideher,thistimeonthesideofthebedclosesttothewall,awayfromthehurtfullight.CarefullyMarisriskedopeninghereyesjustalittle;perhapsitwasbecauseshewaspreparedforthepain,buttheresultantthrobseemedtohavelessened.Shesquintedupatthebigman,whosatsoclosetoherthathisbodyheatpenetratedthesheetthatcoveredher.

Hewasfacinghernow;shecouldseemoreofhimthanjusthisback.Hereyeswidened.

Itwashim.

"Hereyougo,"hesaid,handingtheaspirintoher.Hisvoicewasasmooth,quietbaritone,andthoughshedidn'tthinkshe'deverspokentohimbefore,somethingaboutthatvoicewasstrangelyfamiliar.

Shefumbledtheaspirinfromhishandandpoppedthemintohermouth,makingafaceatboththebittertasteofthepillsandherownidiocy.Ofcoursehisvoicewasfamiliar!

Afterall,she'dbeeninbedwithhim,soshesupposedshehadtalkedtohimbeforehand,evenifshecouldn'tremembermeetinghim,orhowshe'dgottenhere.

Heheldoutaglassofwater.Maristriedtopropherselfuponherelbowtotakeit,butherheadthrobbedsoviolentlythatshesankbackagainstthepillow,wincingwithpainassheputherhandtoherforehead.Whatwaswrongwithher?

Shewasneversick,neverclumsy.Thissuddenuncooperativenessofherownbodywasalarming.

"Letmedoit.''Heslippedhisarmunderhershouldersandeffortlesslyraisedhertoasittingposition,bracingherheadinthecurveofhisarmandshoulder.Hewaswarmandstrong,hisscentmusky,andshewantedtopressherselfcloser.Theneedsurprisedher,becauseshe'dneverbeforefeltthatwayaboutaman.Heheldtheglasstoherlips,andshegulpedthirstily,washingdownthepills.Whenshewasfinished,heeasedherdownandremovedhisarm.Shefeltapangofregretatthelossofhistouch,astonishingherself.

Fuzzilyshewatchedhimwalkaroundthebed.Hewastall,muscular,hisbodyshowingthestrengthofamanwhodidphysicalworkinsteadofsittinginanofficeallday.Tohermingledreliefanddisappointment,hewasn'tcompletelynaked;heworeapairofdarkgrayknitboxers,thefabricclingingsnuglytohismuscledbuttandthighs.Darkhaircoveredhisbroadchest,andbeardstubbledarkenedhisjaw.Hewasn'thandsome,buthehadaphysicalpresencethatdrewtheeye.Ithaddrawnhers,anyway,sinceshe'dfirstseenhimtwoweeksago,forkingdownhayinthebarn.

Herreactionthenhadbeensooutofcharacterthatshehadpusheditoutofhermindandignoredit,oratleastshehadtried.Shehaddeliberatelynotspokentohimwhenevertheirpathscrossed,shewhohadalwaystakenpainstoknoweveryonewhoworkedwithherhorses.Hethreatenedher,somehow,onsomebasiclevelthatbroughtallherinnerdefensesscreamingtoalert.Thismanwasdangerous.

Hehadwatchedher,too.She'dturnedaroundoccasionallyandfoundhisgazeonher,hisexpressionguarded,butstill,she'dfeltthemaleheatofhisattention.Hewasjusttemporaryhelp,adrifterwhoneededacoupleofweeks'payinhispocketbeforehedriftedawayagain,whileshewasthetraineratSolomonGreenHorseFarms.Itwasaprestigiouspositionforanyone,butforawomantoholdthejobwasafirst.Herreputationinthehorseworldhadmadeherasortofcelebrity,somethingshedidn'tparticularlyenjoy;shewouldratherbewiththehorsesthanputtingonanexpensivedressandadorningaparty,buttheStonichers,whoownedSolomonGreen,oftenrequestedherpresence.Mariswasn'tasnob,butherpositiononthefarmwasworldsapartfromthatofadrifterhiredtomuckoutthestables.

Heknewhiswayaroundhorses,though;she'dnoticedthatabouthim.Hewascomfortablewiththebiganimals,andtheylikedhim,whichhaddrawnherhelplessattentionevenmore.Shehadn'twantedtopayattentiontothewayhisjeansstretchedacrosshisbuttwhenhebentorsquatted,somethingthatheseemedtodoathousandtimesadayasheworked.Shedidn'twanttonoticethemusclesthatstrainedtheshoulderseamsofhisshirtsasheheftedloadedshovelsorpitchforks.Hehadgoodhands,strongandlean;shehadn'twantedtonoticethem,either,ortheintelligenceinhisblueeyes.Hemightbeadrifter,buthedriftedforhisownreasons,notbecausehewasn'tcapableofmakingamorestablelifeforhimself.

She'dneverhadtimeforamaninherlife,hadn'tparticularlybeeninterested.Allherattentionhadbeenfocusedonhorses,andbuildinghercareer.Intheprivacyofherbedatnight,whenshewasn'tabletosleepandherrestlessbodyfelttoohotforcomfort,shehadadmittedtoherselftheironyofherhormonesfinallybeingkickedintofullgallopbyamanwhowouldlikelybegoneinamatterofweeks,ifnotdays.Thebestthingtodo,she'ddecided,wouldbetocontinueignoringhimandtheuncomfortableyearningsthatmadeherwanttobeclosetohim.

Evidentlyshehadn'tsucceeded.

Sheliftedherhandtoshieldhereyesfromthelightasshewatchedhimreturnthewaterglasstothebathroom,andonlythendidshenoticewhatsheherselfwaswearing.Shewasn'tnaked;shewaswearingh