A/N: So last chapter I had an anonymous reviewer basically give up on this story because she thought I wasn't going to be using Joe anymore. I've had this story finished for weeks no and If she wasn't an anonymous reviewer I would have sent her a message telling her that Joe still had his own story I needed to resolve. After this one there is one more chapter, and Joe is very important in these last two chapters. So if you're a Joe fan I hope you stick around because if not you're going to miss all the Joella. Anyway, the story's almost over, folks! Enjoy it!


McLintock

By angellwings


Chapter Seven


As they rode toward town Joe stopped at Stella's turn off. He squinted at her house in the distance. Nick and Kevin stopped to give him questioning looks.

"Joe, we've got to go," Nick said.

"You guys go. I'll catch up."

"Now is not the time for a visit with Stella," Kevin sighed.

"Do you see that horse there?" Joe asked as he pointed to the hitching post outside the house.

"Yes, so?"

"That's Ben's horse. I'm gonna find out what's going on. I'll catch up."

Kevin sighed. "Fine, but hurry. Alright?"

Joe nodded. "Yeah, I'll hurry."

Joe took off toward the house and hitched his horse before knocking on the front door. After a few minutes Stella answered.

"Joe," She said with wide eyes. "What are you doing here so early in the day?"

"Just passin' through, Stell," He said suspiciously. "Mind if I come in?"

"Um, of course," She said hesitantly as she opened the door and motioned him in. "Ben's here but I'm sure he won't mind if you visit with us."

"Us?" Joe asked as he kept still outside the door.

"Um, well, me and Ben," Stella said with a nervous gulp.

"Oh, I see. So you and Ben are an 'us' now?" Joe asked.

"I—I—not exactly."

"But you're headed that way?"

"Joe…"

"I'm so glad you told me, Stella," He said bitterly. "I'm so glad I didn't have to find this out on my own."

"Joe, don't take it that way—I—"

"No, Stella. I will take it that way," Joe told her. "You've been different ever since you got back. You're more difficult and fickle than you've ever been. It's not entirely your fault. I blame that finishing school you went to. They made you forget where you came from and the people who really care about you. Ben's lived here as long as we have hasn't he? Don't you think it's funny that he didn't show any interest in you until you went away to that damn school?"

Stella said nothing and stared at him in silence. Joe shook his head.

"Whenever you realize which one of us truly cares about you, come and find me. And if you never do, well, then I hope you have nice life, Stella Malone," Joe said with a sigh as he turned and walked away.

"Joe!" Stella called after him worriedly. He ignored her and continued to ride away. She gulped and slowly shut the door. Ben came around the corner and out of the sitting room.

"Stella? Is everything okay?"

No, she thought before she turned to face him. "Yeah, everything's fine."


Macy paced in the pasture. What was she doing here? Kevin Lucas had lied to her. He hadn't just lied to her. He'd tricked her. Made a fool of her. Yet here she was waiting impatiently for him.

Jerk.

Why'd he have to go and make her crazy about him? He just had to be wonderful, and aggravating, and infuriating? Couldn't he just be like every other ranch hand she'd ever met?

She just had to go and fall in love with him.

"Macy?"

She yelped and spun around. Kevin smirked at her.

"A little jumpy, are we?"

She threw herself into his arms. He stumbled backwards as he caught her.

"I'm happy to see you too, Macy."

"You can't just call my ranch your home and then race off to your real home. I—I thought maybe you wouldn't come back. That you'd see your ranch and then wonder what the hell you were doing here and I'd never see you again," Macy rambled as she hugged him tightly.

"Macy," Kevin said soothingly. "I said you were my home not your ranch. No matter where else I go I will always come back…for you."

"Even when you go on that cattle drive in a couple of weeks?"

"That's what got you to start talking to me again, isn't it?" Kevin asked suspiciously as he pulled back to look at her

"Sort of," She said with a sigh. "I remembered that you were leaving soon and that you might not—you might not come back. I couldn't bear to think that the last thing we did was argue when really…"

"When really what?" Kevin asked eagerly.

"When really…I don't know what I would do without you."

Kevin smiled softly and brought a hand up to caress her cheek. He kissed her forehead gently, and when Macy closed her eyes Kevin brought his lips down to kiss her eyelids. Macy was fairly certain she'd stopped breathing. Her heart was hammering in her chest as Kevin kissed first the right corner of her mouth and then the left corner of her mouth. His lips hovered over hers as he spoke softly. "Macy…"

"Yes?" She asked lazily as she kept her eyes closed.

He chuckled warmly. "For the record, I don't know what I would do without you either."

He kissed her then and this kiss was a lot less gentle than their previous ones. Macy had a feeling the twelve hours she refused to talk to him had affected him more than he let on. He nearly had her crushed against his chest. She pressed her hands firmly against his chest and pushed away gently.

"Kev—" Kevin brought his lips back down on top of hers. She pushed away again. "—in. We—" She groaned and her words were muffled by his lips. "Kevin, stop. Just stop. Don't we need to talk?"

He quirked a brow at her. "Talking's over rated."

Macy laughed and turned her head to the side so that Kevin's lips caught her cheek. "Kevin, you wanted to talk."

He huffed. "That was cold, Ms. Misa."

"Hey, you're the one that wanted to have this 'talk.' Not me."

"I just wanted to talk you out of hating me, and now that you don't anymore…I think we should kiss some more."

"Oh, Kevin. I do love you," Macy said with a laugh. "You're too much."

His eyes widened. "You what?"

"Oh, I—I…I have to go."

She started to walk away but Kevin grabbed her wrist. "Wait."

"Oh, please don't start acting strange and trying to run away from me. It just slipped out, and I-"

"I love you too."

Macy looked up at him sharply. "You better mean that."

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't."

Macy covered his lips with hers and leaned as far forward on her tip toes as she could. Kevin lifted her off the ground and took charge of the kiss when Macy could stretch any farther. He set her on the ground and they pulled apart slowly.

"See, I told you we should kiss some more," Kevin smirked.

Macy laughed. "And you were right. So how did it go at your ranch?"

He sighed. "Not well. Nick ended up staying too. He wasn't going to, but the men we're threatening to quit. Nick thought it would boost morale if two of us were there instead of just one."

"So, you—you're separated from your brothers? Because of me?" Macy asked as she pulled out of Kevin's arms. "No, no. I can't be the reason you're not with your brothers. I don't want to break up your—"

"Macy," Kevin chuckled. "I can be close to my brothers without living in the same place as them."

"And you won't resent me for it when we're all grey and old?" Macy asked.

Kevin smiled at her. "No, I won't resent you for it when we're grey and old. Can I tell you how much I love that you're thinking about us when we're old and grey? It just makes me want to kiss you again."

Macy blushed and smiled at him. "So what do we do now?"

"Now, we kiss some more and then we go back to the main house and make Randolph go stay at the boarding house in town," Kevin told her sternly.

"And after that?"

"Well, we get engaged. Or we could do that before we give Randolph the boot. I'm not picky."

Macy's eyes widened and she blinked at him. "We what?"

"Get engaged. Isn't that the way these things go? People meet, fall in love, and then get engaged. Then at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later, they follow that up with a wedding," Kevin said plainly. "Right?"

Macy chuckled at his honesty. "Right."

"So, we met, we fell in love, and now we get engaged," Kevin explained as he turned to Macy. "Y—you want to marry me, right?"

"Well, you have to propose first, and then we'll see," Macy said with a teasing smirk.

"Right, propose. Ladies like to be asked rather than told, don't they?" Kevin asked with a laugh. "So silly of me."

Kevin opened his mouth to speak, but Macy cleared her throat and pointed to the ground. "Knee."

"What?"

"You're supposed to get down on your knee."

"Okay," Kevin said. He quickly did as he was told. "How's this?"

"Perfect," Macy said with an approving nod. "Go on."

"Macy," Kevin said with a nervous breath. "You're the most frustrating, stubborn, reckless woman I have ever met—"

"Is this supposed to be a proposal?" She asked with a glare.

"Just let me finish, woman."

She quirked a brow at him. "Woman?"

He cleared his throat. "I mean most beauteous and wondrous Maciella Misa."

She grinned and chuckled. "Good save."

"Thank you. Now can I finish? Cause I promise it gets better."

"By all means," Macy said with a wave of her hand.

"You're the most frustrating, stubborn, reckless woman I have ever met, and it's why I love you. You keep me on my toes. I can never really tell what you're going to do. Not yet anyway. One day, I hope to know you well enough to tell, and if you'll let me I'd like to spend every day learning all I can about you. I want to spend every morning, afternoon, and night memorizing your tiniest details. I want to know all of you. The way no one else has before. So, with that in mind, Maciella Misa…will you marry me?"


"Well, what did you say? Don't keep me hangin' lady!" Stella said excitedly. "Please tell me you said yes. A proposal like that requires a yes!"

"I thought you didn't like him?" Macy asked with a smirk.

"Well, I didn't! But now that I can clearly see how much he truly loves you…I think he's sweet. And if he makes you happy then you should be with him," Stella told her with a warm smile. "You said yes, right? You had to say yes!"

Macy beamed at Stella and nodded. "I said yes."

"Oh my stars! You're engaged!" Stella exclaimed. "To a Lucas! I didn't even know you were seeing a Lucas!"

"Neither did I, technically," Macy said with a laugh.

"You're gonna be Mrs. Maciella Lucas," Stella told her. "That's pretty! It fits perfectly!"

Macy smiled at her. "You and your name theory."

"It's true, though! The names have to fit! For example…Stella Harris doesn't fit at all."

Macy paused. "That's Ben's last name. Stella, what happened? Did he propose?"

Stella looked down at her feet. "Maybe."

Macy's eyes widened. "When? And please tell me you didn't say yes."

"Last night. Did you not just hear me say the names didn't fit? Of course, I didn't say yes."

Macy let out a relieved sigh. "Good. We both know you never really wanted Ben."

"Yes, well, the one I really wanted all along is no longer speaking to me," Stella huffed. "He just rode off! I mean who does that?"

"Joe Lucas, apparently."

"He's such a jerk!" Stella yelled. "Why do I want him again?"

"Because he completely gets you even though he drives you crazy. It's a complicated love you have," Macy told her with a wink.

"I have to fix this, Mace, but…I don't know how," Stella admitted.

Macy sighed. "I wish I could help, but I honestly don't know what to tell you."

Stella smoothed out the wrinkles in her apron and gave Macy a determined look. "It's okay, I'll figure it out. Don't worry. I'm dying to know, though. What did your mother say when you told her about Kevin?"

"Mother is determined to hate him, and she claims she will never speak to me again. I doubt that though," Macy answered.

"What about Randolph? And your father?"

"Randolph's opinion on me and Kevin doesn't matter," Macy told her with a scoff. "But dad, well…he's ecstatic. He adores Kevin. Which is good because so do I."

Stella smiled at her. "I'm happy for you, Macy. Really."

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

"So, I guess this means you and Kevin are attending the social together tonight?"

"Well," Macy grinned. "He is my fiancé."

Stella sighed and smirked knowingly. "You're going to throw that word around so much that I'm going to develop an eye twitch, aren't you?"

"Probably," Macy answered with a laugh.