“How about Pop’s place?” At Kenzie’s nod, he gave her directions and kissed her cheek. Before stepping away from the car, he bid her good night and his heart goodbye.
Chapter Seven
“I like her, Tate. She’s something special,” Kent Morgan said as he and his son stood outside the care home, watching Kenzie pull out of the parking lot. “You better not let her get away.”
“I’m working on it, Pop.” Tate tipped back his hat and watched until Kenzie’s car disappeared around the corner.
“Work faster, would you, son?” Kent said with a teasing light in eyes that were still a bright shade of blue. “I’m not getting any younger, you know, and I’d surely like to hold a grandbaby in my arms before you bury me six feet under.”
“Pop!” Tate shook his head at his father as they slowly walked back inside the facility and toward Kent’s room.
“Well, it’s true. If you think you can wait another thirty years to get hitched, you better think again, boy.” Kent shuffled into the room and hung his hat on a hook by the door. He sat in his recliner while Tate pulled out a straight-backed chair and straddled it.
In his prime, Kent Morgan had been every bit as tall and athletic as his strapping son. Even on the other side of ninety, Kent still carried himself well. His steps had slowed and his shoulders tended to stoop, but he was still stronger and in better shape than most men twenty years younger. His mind was clear, although occasionally forgetful, and his wit sharp.
Tate didn’t want to think about what life would be like without Pop. His father had always been more than a parent. He was a friend, confidant, and partner.
“That Kenzie is not only a beautiful girl, but sweet and funny,” Kent said, not telling Tate anything he didn’t already know. “She won’t take any sass off you either. Yep, she’s a keeper. In some ways she reminds me of your mama.”
“She does?” Tate was surprised to hear Pop mention his mother. “How so?”
“Your mama was a beauty, too, but she could set me on my ear without me even knowing what happened. She was full of spunk and life, but also had a gentle kindness that was bone-deep.” Kent’s voice caught as he dug out a snowy white handkerchief from his pocket and swiped at his nose. “I sure miss that woman, even after all these years.”
“Mama was one of a kind, wasn’t she, Pop?” Tate knew his father had never gotten over his beloved wife dying so young and leaving him alone to raise their son.
“She was for sure.” Kent took a deep breath and returned the handkerchief to his pocket. “But I’d be willing to bet Kenzie is too. I hope you’ll bring her around again soon.”
“I’ll try, Pop. She travels even more than I do, so it’s been challenging to be together,” Tate said, getting to his feet and preparing to leave.
“Figure it out, Tater. You mark my words, this is one girl you don’t want to let get away.” Kent’s laugh followed Tate out the door.
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“He did not!” Megan squealed in Kenzie’s ear as she sat folding laundry on the couch, nearly making her drop the phone.
“He did. Tate took me to meet his dad,” Kenzie said, trying not to smile at how well the day progressed.
Earlier that morning, Kenzie arrived at Kent Morgan’s care facility as Tate and his father sauntered out the door. Tate so closely resembled his father, Kenzie would have been able to pick the older man out of a crowd, even though they definitely looked more like grandparent and grandchild than father and son.
With a head full of snowy white hair, eyes that were still bright, and a smile every bit as engaging as Tate’s, Kenzie marveled that Kent managed to stay single until he was almost sixty.
Kent placed a warm kiss on her cheek and bestowed several compliments on how she looked like an “angel dropped down from heaven.” Kenzie realized Tate got his charismatic personality from his father.
Initially nervous at meeting him, the kind old gent quickly put her at ease and they were soon both teasing Tate. Kenzie sat between the two at the church service. Afterward, Tate had to do some fast maneuvering at the restaurant they went to for lunch to keep his dad from taking the seat next to her.
Content as she thought back over the day, Kenzie liked Kent Morgan. If she could have picked a grandfather, since both of hers passed away years ago, he would have more than fit the bill.
“Kenz, that is huge.” Megan’s voice sounded high-pitched and excited. “It’s bigger than huge, it’s… colossal.”
“Enough with the drama.” Kenzie laughed as she folded another bath towel, adding it to her growing pile. “No big deal. His dad is very nice and Tate said I got the seal of approval.”
“Of course you did. Does this mean you are finally willing to give Tate a chance?”
“Maybe.” Kenzie didn’t have any other choice. Her heart wouldn’t let her walk away now, even if she wanted to. Truthfully, walking away was the last thing she wanted to do. Running into Tate’s arms and staying there forever seemed to be a much better idea.
Somewhere between sitting by him at the airport for the first time and going to see him ride in Santa Fe, she’d fallen in love with the handsome cowboy.
Although she and Tate hadn’t spent a lot of time together, Kenzie felt like she’d known him all her life.
Gracious, kind, fun, teasing, and gentle were all traits she associated with Tate. He was driven, intelligent, loyal and, as far as she could tell, honest.
It was that last trait that finally caused her to admit not every cowboy was like her ex-fiancé or her father.
“He’s a really great guy.”
Megan sounded very pleased with this admission from her best friend. “Have I ever steered you wrong?”
“No, not so far,” Kenzie admitted. “Look, I’ve got to go, but I’ll see you guys tomorrow at the bull riding event. Tate got us tickets.”
“Great, I’ll be watching for you. I’m so glad you could be home for the Round-Up this year. You know you’re welcome to stay here instead of driving back and forth, if you want.”
“Thanks, but I’ll pass. You always have extra company as it is and I don’t need to take up one of your guest beds when I can drive home.” Kenzie set the folded laundry into a basket to carry back to her bedroom.
“Suit yourself, but the door’s open if you change your mind. I think Tate was in shock when he saw you here the other night.” Megan giggled as she recalled the stunned look on Tate’s face at the barbecue. “You should have given him warning.”
“It’s good to keep him guessing,” Kenzie said with a laugh. “Night, Meg.”
“Good night.”
Kenzie disconnected the call, still amused by the look of complete surprise on Tate’s face when he noticed her at Megan and Owen’s barbecue. Watching him in an airport or even at the rodeo was so different than seeing him at home with her friends.
The way he gazed at her with those striking blue eyes often left her light-headed and weak-kneed. His kisses… Kenzie tried not to think about what they did to her because then she’d never get to sleep.
Engaged to Sonny, her cheating former fiancé, for several months, he’d never made her feel like she did with Tate.
The slightest touch of Tate’s lips made her hot and cold, thrilled and frightened, filled with a passion and wanting so intense, it was beyond her ability to fathom.
Kenzie flipped through some silly photos on her phone she’d taken of him one day while they were waiting for a flight. Looking at them always put a big smile on her face. She realized Tate did that. He made her smile, made her laugh, made her so happy.
Resigned to putting aside her biased thoughts about cowboys in general, Kenzie went to bed with a light heart, looking forward to spending the next week really getting to know Tate.
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“You ready for this?” Kenzie asked as Tate took a deep breath beside her. With the leading score for saddle bronc riding at the Pendleton Round-Up for his performance earlier in the week, Tate was going for
the title in the final round. She was proud of him and of how well he’d ridden.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Tate needed to get down to the chutes and prepare for his ride. If he had another great score, he’d secure the first place position as well as take home some great prizes. “I need a kiss for good luck, though.”
“Of course you do.” Her eyes sparkled with teasing and something more, something that made Tate’s temperature kick up a notch on the warm September afternoon.
Tate would have liked a little privacy to kiss her properly, but settled for putting his arm around her back and shielding their faces with his hat. Their impassioned kiss drew many stares and more than a few comments. Beside them, Owen hooted with laughter and Megan giggled.
“Ride ‘em cowboy,” Kenzie said, uttering the phrase that went along with the good luck kisses she’d given him since the first one they shared in the Denver airport.
“Show ‘em how it’s done,” Owen called as Tate hurried down the steps of the stands and waved a hand over his head, quickly disappearing in the crowd.
Megan set Aiden on Kenzie’s lap to keep her distracted while they waited for the saddle bronc riding to begin.
As she held the baby, Kenzie felt a deep sense of gratitude for the wonderful week she experienced with Tate. After spending every day together, she was more in love with the wonderful man than she ever thought she could love anyone.
The first day Tate rode, she brought his dad to watch and then took him home afterward. The senior Morgan seemed thrilled with the chance to see his son ride as well as spend time with Tate’s girlfriend.
Pleased with the opportunity to get to know the elderly man better, Kenzie felt content and happy seeing the pride on his face as he watched Tate compete. Kent hinted, more than once, that he was in a hurry for Tate to settle down and produce some grandbabies. He seemed to think Kenzie was the girl who could make it happen.
She didn’t know if there was any truth to the old man’s wishes, but she liked to dream about someday becoming Mrs. Tate Morgan.
Earlier in the week, Tate hosted a barbecue for his friends at the ranch and asked Kenzie to play the role of hostess. While she greeted guests and helped prepare the food, Tate grilled steaks and joined in the good-natured joking going on between the guys. The way they worked together, so naturally and intuitively, it was easy to pretend she really belonged there.
While her thoughts trickled over the last several days, Kenzie couldn’t remember when she’d enjoyed anything more than just being with Tate.
They’d wandered through the dozens of vendor booths set up in town for the festivities and Tate surprised her that morning when he gave her a necklace she’d admired the previous day.
His fingers lingered against her skin as he fastened the silver chain around her neck then placed a kiss on the clasp, making a shiver work its way up from her toes.
She fingered the necklace as she brought her thoughts back to the present. Kenzie looked down at Aiden’s happy little face and smiled. Although she thought all hope for a family of her own died with her broken engagement a few years ago, she liked the idea of starting one with Tate.
When the announcer let the crowd know the saddle bronc event was about to begin, Kenzie handed Aiden back to Megan, wanting to focus her full attention on Tate and his ride.
He was in the chute, adjusting the rein in his hand and tugging his hat down on his head. When he was ready to ride, he gave a brief nod and the horse burst out of the gate, bucking wildly. Kenzie didn’t think she’d ever tire of watching Tate perform.
He was all grace and smooth motion, making what he did look so simple and yet so amazing.
The buzzer sounded, signaling the end of another successful ride. Kenzie joined the crowd in clapping and cheering. Cort and Huck leaned over the fence, waving their hats and hollering in excitement.
“How about that, folks?” the announcer asked in his booming voice. “Tate Morgan could walk away the winner with his eighty-nine point ride. Let’s hear it for Tate!”
The crowd cheered again and Kenzie smiled broadly. Eager to offer her congratulations, Owen told her where to find Tate behind the chutes and she hurried out of the stands.
On her way there, she bumped into some of Tate’s friends from the circuit and briefly stopped to visit with them. After bidding them goodbye, she hurried on her way behind chutes.
She rounded a corner and saw Tate talking to Cort. Kenzie smiled and took a few more steps toward him as a woman tapped his arm to get his attention. When he turned to see who it was, the woman planted a kiss on his lips, pressing her body against Tate.
Unable to watch a second longer, Kenzie spun around and started to stomp off but ran into Huck.
“Whoa, Kenzie! Where are you going in such a hurry?” Huck asked, steadying her with a grip on her elbows.
Anger burned up the back of her throat, rendering her unable to speak. Barely able to see through the haze of her tears, she shook her head and took a step back.
Huck looked behind her and saw Tate trying to disentangle himself from a woman who’d been quite fervent in her pursuit of him all summer.
“Oh, man.” Huck grabbed Kenzie’s arm before she could run off. “Kenzie, I know this looks bad, but it isn’t what you think. Tate can explain.”
“I’m sure he can,” Kenzie managed to spit out before jerking her arm away from Huck and running toward an exit, away from Tate and her broken dreams for the future.
Hurrying to her car, she got in and drove out of town, ignoring the ringing of her cell phone. Finally turning it off, she tossed it on the passenger seat, knowing she should have stuck with her plan to stay away from faithless cowboys.
An hour later she arrived home, slammed the front door, and kicked off her boots. She sat on the couch staring at a blank television screen long enough for the afternoon light to pick up the soft edges of twilight.
Her home phone rang with consistency. Every fifteen minutes it jangled and the answering machine would pick up. Tate and Megan left numerous messages, but she ignored them. She hadn’t turned her cell phone back on and decided if her home phone rang one more time, she’d unplug it.
When it rang a few minutes later, she got off the couch and disconnected it from the jack in the wall.
Kenzie ventured into the kitchen, poured herself a glass of juice, and sat at the small table trying to decide what to do.
Tate was too good to be true. Like the other smooth talking men in her past, he told her what she wanted to hear and worked his way past her defenses. He was just another good-looking, fast-talking, two-timing cowboy. Just like the other cowboys who betrayed her.
Unlike her fiancé, whose deception was hurtful and shocking, Tate had truly captured her heart and left it broken.
Slowly sipping her juice, she didn’t feel like eating, didn’t feel like anything. She was too numb and cold inside. Eventually, she returned to the couch, pulled a fleece throw off the back and snuggled into it as she rested against the soft cushions.
Her mind spun in a hundred directions yet eyes began to drift shut when the doorbell rang.
A deep sigh worked free from her lungs. She got to her feet and glanced out the peephole. It wasn’t a surprise to see Tate standing on her doorstep. Although he hadn’t been to her apartment before, he certainly had her address and knew how to find her.
She turned around to hide in her bedroom until he left, but he pounded on the door.
“Kenzie, I know you’re home.” His voice was loud enough for her and half the neighborhood to hear. “Open the door.”
Intentionally ignoring his request, Kenzie willed him to give up and leave. The thought of facing him was more than she could handle with her heart shattered in so many pieces.
The bell rang several more times and Tate pounded on the door again. “Look, I don’t know what you think you saw, but you don’t know the whole story. Nothing happened. I promise. Please, Kenz, open the door. Please?”
; He sounded hurt, angry, and worried as he pleaded with her. Twice, Kenzie’s hand hovered on the knob, ready to open the door.
Forcing herself to be strong, she leaned her forehead against the cool wood and placed her palm against the place where Tate knocked. If she opened the door to him, she’d listen to what he said, no matter what lies he told, because she wanted to be with him more than anything.
“Give me a chance to explain. It isn’t what you think. That woman… I’ve had problems with her before.” Tate’s voice held frustration and a hint of desperation. “If you won’t talk to me face-to-face, will you at least pick up your phone? Please, Dewdrop?”
Tears burned her eyes as they rolled down her cheeks and splashed to the floor. She wanted to believe Tate. She wanted it to be a simple misunderstanding, but she couldn’t allow herself the luxury of giving him a chance to sweet-talk his way out of what happened.
The flash of recognition on Tate’s face when the woman wrapped herself around him was unmistakable.
Another loud rap at the door along with a final plea from Tate had her holding both hands over her mouth to keep from calling out to him. She listened to his footsteps stomping down the walk followed by the sound of his pickup engine starting.
“Goodbye, Tate,” Kenzie whispered. Sobs wracked through her as she slid to the floor and used the door for support.
The room was dark when Kenzie rose to her feet and went to bed. After a fitful night of sleep, she got up, took a shower, and packed her travel bag. A quick call to corporate had her taking over a training meeting in Chicago with several other stops in the Midwest.
She packed her suitcase and grabbed a trench coat then locked her apartment with plans to be gone for several weeks. Maybe by the time she returned, she’d be able to take a breath without each one causing pain to shoot through her chest.
If she kept busy, she wouldn’t have time to think about Tate or the huge hole he left in place of her heart.
No good would come from dwelling on what would never be. Kenzie straightened her spine and drove to the airport.
The Christmas Cowboy: (Sweet Western Holiday Romance) (Rodeo Romance Book 1) Page 8