I’d wish you a very Merry Christmas.
The exaggerated kissy-faces Tate made while singing his song to the tune of All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth left Kenzie giggling hysterically.
“You win. Stop, stop!” Kenzie begged, as she tried to curtail her uncontrollable laughter, wiping tears from her eyes.
Tate chuckled at her response to his efforts. As he studied her, he found himself lost in her dark eyes.
“Kenzie,” he growled, leaning over so his lips were just a breath from hers.
“Did you really miss my kisses?” she whispered, her eyes focused on his all-too-enticing mouth.
“Like you miss air to breathe and water to drink.” Tate’s provocative voice forced a shiver to race up her spine. Slowly lowering his lips until they melded to hers, they kissed deeply, ardently, making up for lost time. Burying his right hand in her hair, Tate nuzzled her neck and inhaled her summery scent.
His fingers slid down the column of her throat then he captured her lips again.
Tate could hear ringing in his ears from the intensity of the kiss and wondered how he’d ever existed without the warmth of Kenzie’s presence in his life.
“Tate, let me up so I can get the door.” Kenzie gently pushed against his shoulder.
“Huh?”
She pushed at him again. He sat back as Kenzie got to her feet, tugging down her disheveled sweater and fluffing her hair as she hurried to answer the door.
The ringing Tate heard was just the doorbell. All sorts of uncharitable thoughts about whoever rang the bell infiltrated his head.
When Kenzie opened the door, he was surprised to see the man who stood on the front step.
“Wow! What you are doing here?” Kenzie gave Cort a hug as he grinned at her. “Come in out of the cold.”
“I heard you had an unwelcome visitor who just won’t go home. I came to see if I could get rid of him for you.” Cort walked inside and pointed at Tate.
“Man, didn’t I just tell you on the phone this morning I’m okay?” Tate asked with a broad smile as he shook Cort’s hand and got to his feet. “What the heck are you doing?”
“I wanted to make sure you were fine.” From Tate’s guilty grin and Kenzie’s just-kissed lips, Cort determined he was definitely interrupting something. Carefully studying his wounded friend, he decided Tate was fine, maybe too fine if the way Kenzie couldn’t keep her eyes off him was any indication.
“Practically good as new.” Tate ignored the roll of Kenzie’s eyes before she went to the kitchen.
She returned with mugs of hot chocolate and a plate of cookies, immediately stirring Cort’s interest.
“Did you make all these?” Cort asked, sampling his third cookie.
“I needed something to do while playing nursemaid to the cowboy.” She settled on the couch next to Tate and gave him a sassy smile.
“He didn’t mention you were a good cook,” Cort said, shaking his head at Tate. “Holding out on me, weren’t you? Afraid I’d steal her away from you?”
“Right,” Tate said, helping himself to another gingerbread bar. The treats were addictive. Rather like Kenzie’s kisses.
One was never enough, two just left him wanting more, and from there he lost the ability to think rationally.
“Did you really drive all the way here to check up on me?” Tate asked Cort.
“Why else do you think I’d brave driving the horrendous roads through Ladd Canyon and Deadman Pass between here and Boise? It isn’t because I like taking my life in my hands on ice-covered mountain passes, man.” Cort took a sip of his hot chocolate and grinned at Kenzie.
“Were the roads really bad?” She’d driven I-84 to Boise several times, but only when the roads were good, and never in the winter months.
“Actually, no. Since I traveled midday, they were mostly clear. Just a few spots of ice,” Cort said, taking another cookie.
“I’m glad you came. It’s nice of you to check up on him and it’ll be fun to visit with you. How long can you stay?” Her mind raced with ideas of what to make for dinner and where Cort would sleep.
“I thought I’d hang out for a day or two just to make sure Tater is okay. My folks would kill me if I wasn’t home for Christmas and Celia would pitch a royal fit.” Cort leaned back in the rocking chair by the fire. The inviting atmosphere made it easy to relax. He was thrilled to see his friend looking so content, if a little worse for wear.
“How is Celia?” Tate asked.
Nine years younger than Cort, Celia kept her big brother on his toes.
“As feisty as ever.” Cort shook his head in feigned disgust. “We thought she might finally have found a guy who could tolerate her, but she scared him off after the third date.”
“I need to meet this girl.” Kenzie gave Tate a sideways glance. “Maybe she can give me some tips on getting rid of unwanted suitors.”
“Don’t even think about it.” Tate lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm.
“Do you and your sister look alike, Cort?” Kenzie asked, making both men laugh. Cort’s dark hair and gray eyes drew the attention of many women. If his sister shared his coloring, she’d be stunning.
“Not a bit. I think my folks really shook up the gene pool to get two kids who don’t resemble each other at all.” Cort took out his phone and pulled up a photo of his sister. He handed it to Kenzie and watched her eyes go wide.
Celia, Cort’s sister, was the beautiful redheaded girl she’d seen with Tate in Las Vegas. “I saw you with her in Vegas.” Kenzie glanced at Tate.
“When?” Celia wasn’t at the Christmas vendor show where he ran into Kenzie and she wasn’t sitting near the Powell family the night he got hurt because she had to return to Boise before the final night of the rodeo.
“On the strip. You were walking with her.” Kenzie recalled how much it hurt to see Tate with another woman, especially one so young and attractive.
Tate grinned, detecting a little jealousy from Kenzie. “We were all having dinner together and Cort decided to stay out late. Celia didn’t want to walk back to the hotel alone, so I made sure she got there in one piece.”
“Always the hero.” Cort batted his eyelashes at Tate while holding his hands folded beneath his chin, in an exaggerated pose.
Kenzie laughed. “She’s gorgeous.”
“She likes to think so.” Cort winked at Kenzie. “Seriously, she’s a pretty good kid and not even too miserable to have as a sister, just don’t tell her I said that. I’ll deny it to my dying day.”
“Got it,” Kenzie said, smiling at Cort as he brought Tate up to speed on rodeo news as well as what was happening with his family.
They talked about Kent and the Morgan Ranch, Tate’s therapy, and plans for the coming year. Cort asked Kenzie about her job as a corporate trainer for Dew.
A quick peek at the clock brought Kenzie to her feet. She had no idea it had gotten so late. It was well past time for the evening meal.
“Any requests for dinner?” she asked picking up the empty chocolate mugs and cookie plate.
“Let’s go out to eat. No need for you to cook tonight.” Tate gave Cort a look that told him to agree.
“I’m in the mood for some good Italian food.” Cort picked up on Tate’s signal. “Where should we go?”
“Are you two sure you’d rather eat out?” she asked, getting their coats out of the front closet.
“Absolutely.” Cort held Kenzie’s coat while Tate managed to pull on his jacket.
Cort insisted on taking his pickup and Tate tried to get Kenzie to sing another crazy Christmas song on the way to the restaurant. When she refused, he and Cort launched into a rowdy rendition of Jingle Bells that had all three of them laughing.
After Cort dropped Tate and Kenzie at the front of the restaurant, he parked his truck and hurried back.
Since he refused to use his cane, Tate limped to the table, ignoring the reproachful looks Kenzie sent his way.
Laughter filled
their meal and Cort agreed to stay for a couple days. Kenzie smiled as they discussed doing a few fun things before he returned home in time for Christmas.
“Why don’t you have a tree?” Cort asked as the server removed their plates.
“I didn’t want a miniature tree and a big one won’t fit in my car,” Kenzie said. Tate hadn’t asked, assuming she wouldn’t want to deal with the hassle and mess of a real tree.
“Want to swing by a lot on the way home?” Cort offered as Tate paid the bill.
“You wouldn’t mind?” Kenzie grew excited at the thought of having a real tree once again.
“Heck, no.” Cort left Tate and Kenzie at the door while he went to get his pickup. It didn’t take long to find a tree lot still open. Cort and Kenzie walked around looking at trees while Tate sat on a bench, either shaking his head or telling them to keep looking. Finally, Kenzie settled on a beautiful fir tree and Tate gave it two thumbs up. Quickly paying for the tree, they loaded it and headed back to Kenzie’s apartment.
She dug a box of ornaments out of her storage closet. While the men untangled lights that looked like a snarled ball of twisted wire, she baked a batch of sugar cookies, complete with holiday sprinkles on top.
Once the lights were in working order and draped on the tree, they got down to the business of adding the sentimental decorations.
There were ornaments that belonged to Kenzie’s grandparents, some she’d made in grade school, and a handful her mom and dad had given her. The tree-topper was a traditional star that lit up when plugged in. Strands of cranberry-colored beads and candy canes gave the tree an old-fashioned look.
The scent of the tree mingled with freshly baked cookies filled the apartment with a wonderful, nostalgic fragrance all three of them appreciated.
After turning off all the lights except those twinkling on the tree, they watched a holiday comedy, ate cookies, and drank hot cider.
Kenzie began to yawn before the movie was close to ending but Tate and Cort seemed to be feeding off each other’s energy.
“If we won’t bother you, Cort and I’ll stay up awhile.” Tate didn’t want to disturb her, but he wasn’t yet ready for bed.
“You won’t bother me, but I was planning to sleep on the couch and let Cort have my room.” Kenzie carried empty mugs and leftover cookies to the kitchen.
“No way.” Cort got to his feet. “It’s bad enough Tater’s probably eaten you out of house and home, not to mention being a royal nuisance. There is no way I’m taking your bed. I’ll sleep on the couch. Considering some of the places I’ve slept out on the road, this is practically luxury accommodations. If you tell me no, I’ll go find a hotel.”
“I’m too tired to argue with either one of you, so do what you like.” She smiled at the two friends who were so much alike with their teasing and some unspoken code of gallantry she had not yet deciphered.
She disappeared down the hall and soon returned with a pile of bedding and pillows, leaving them on the floor by the couch. Tate grabbed her hand and pulled her down for a kiss.
Embarrassed, yet delighted by the display of affection in front of Cort, she wished them both good night then escaped to her room.
Particularly pleased with the way her day ended, it didn’t take long for Kenzie to fall asleep with visions of Tate filling her head.
Chapter Seventeen
Cort took Tate to visit Kent the next morning. After lunch with the elderly man, they planned to visit the mall to do a little shopping before Tate’s appointment to see the doctor about getting a cast on his arm in place of the splint.
With free time on her hands, Kenzie finished her shopping, caught up on laundry, and called her mother to let her know she was definitely not driving to Portland for Christmas.
Although they’d discussed the fact she wasn’t planning to make the trip a week ago, she knew her mother still hoped she’d change her mind.
When her mom practically begged, Kenzie finally told her she was taking care of a friend and wasn’t sure how long her help would be needed.
“Why didn’t you mention it before, honey?” Susan sounded concerned.
“Because it’s no big deal.” Her mother was not going to let this go as easily as she had hoped.
“Who is this friend? It’s not Megan, is it? Is the baby fine?” Susan fired off questions faster than Kenzie could answer them.
“No, Mom. You haven’t met this friend.”
“Care to enlighten me?”
Kenzie heard a note of warning as well as censure in her mother’s tone. “Not really.”
“Kenzie Amelia Beckett, what is going on?” When her mother used her full name, Kenzie knew she was about to receive an earful.
Deciding to get it over with, she spilled the news to her mother as quickly as possible using a few brief details. “I met a cowboy last spring, we fell in love, he got hurt, and he’s staying here while he’s having therapy.”
Silence greeted her on the other end of the line. Kenzie counted the seconds until the explosion rocketed through her phone. She was only at three when it hit full force.
“What? Kenzie! A cowboy? A cowboy! Have you taken leave of your good sense? What are you thinking? Oh, honey, how could you let this happen?”
“I didn’t exactly let anything happen, Mom. We traveled on the same flights out of Pasco several times and he invited me to a rodeo in Santa Fe. By then I was already a goner.” She rushed to defend Tate. “Mom, he’s sweet, and kind, and amazing, and he’s so good with his dad. He’s in a care home here in the Tri-Cities. His friends are great. You’d really like him. Please don’t judge him because of what happened to you, to us, in the past. I made that mistake and almost lost him.”
Susan’s reply was to let deafening silence linger between them. Kenzie would have assumed her mother hung up on her, except she could hear the disapproval crackling across the connection loud and clear.
“How did he get hurt?” Susan asked after a lengthy pause.
“He… um… well, he rides saddle broncs and was at the finals. He would have won, but the last night the horse fell on him right before the buzzer. He’ll be okay, but he had a concussion, cracked ribs, a broken arm, and twisted knee. They’re doing therapy on his knee and the doctor didn’t want him home alone until he could get around better. He doesn’t have any siblings and his best friend lives in Boise, so I had to help him out.” A fortifying breath prepared her to continue. “I love him, Mom, and I’m pretty sure he feels the same about me.”
“I can’t believe you fell for a rodeo cowboy. Didn’t you learn anything from my mistakes? Of all the available men on this great big planet, why did you have to pick a cowboy, Kenzie? Why this one?”
“I don’t know, Mom. I asked myself that question a thousand times, but it’s like I’ve known him forever. He makes me laugh and think. I’m so happy when I’m with him and my heart actually hurts when we’re apart.” Her voice softened and she looked at her ceiling to keep the tears stinging her eyes from spilling over. “This isn’t like it was with Sonny. This is so much different, so magical and magnificent, and so very right. He’s special, Mama. I never dreamed of feeling like this with anyone. With him, I know I’m loved and cherished.”
Another awkward silence seemed to last hours instead of seconds.
Finally, Susan spoke, “And this cowboy’s name is…”
“Tate. Tate Morgan,” Kenzie said, love and pride evident in her voice. “His family ranch is south of here, just before you cross into Oregon.”
“I think your father used to mention a Morgan Ranch on occasion.” Kenzie heard her mother sigh in resignation. “You do what you need to do, but I want to meet your young man soon. Will you come for New Year’s Eve?”
“If the weather cooperates and Tate feels up to traveling, we’ll be there. I’ll check with him on his plans and let you know.” Pleased her mother let her off the hook without a more in-depth interrogation, she smiled. “Thanks, Mom.”
“I only wa
nt you to be happy, honey, and I can honestly say when you talk about him, you sound deliriously so. But I still want to meet him.”
“Okay.” She exchanged details with her mother about gifts she mailed for her sisters before hanging up.
She spent a few minutes answering work emails, called to chat with Megan, and made a chicken potpie for dinner. She crimped the edges of the crust when Tate and Cort walked inside, carrying overflowing bags of brightly wrapped packages.
“Did you two buy out the mall?” Kenzie wiped her hands on a towel and watched them set everything on the couch. They both dug through the bags and placed a few packages beneath the tree before carrying the rest to Tate’s room.
When they returned to the living room, she had the fire going, the tree lights twinkling, and Christmas music playing.
“This is downright domestic.” Cort walked into the kitchen where Kenzie assembled a green salad. “I might need to fly the coop before I catch something that could do permanent damage.”
Kenzie playfully slapped Cort’s arm then grinned at Tate as he leaned against the counter, staring at the new cast on his arm. Cort had already signed it with a flourish and Kenzie threatened to add her signature after dinner.
The doctor told him he made great progress and asked how things were at the ranch. When Tate told him he was still staying with Kenzie, the man gave Tate a long look then muttered something about him being more than capable of going home, if he wanted. The problem was that he wanted to stay with Kenzie indefinitely.
Fully aware that he needed to leave, Tate avoided thinking about it. He couldn’t when the time he spent with Kenzie made him happier than he’d ever been.
For years, he’d dreamed of finding a girl who would capture his heart. He never hoped to find one who fit into his life so well, one who genuinely liked his friends.
Cort and Kenzie continued teasing each other, unaware that Tate turned quiet and reflective.
Maybe getting hurt and losing the championship title was worth it if it meant he had the opportunity to spend time with Kenzie. He wondered if she would have welcomed his presence so willingly into her home or her life if he’d showed up on her doorstep uninjured.
The Christmas Cowboy: (Sweet Western Holiday Romance) (Rodeo Romance Book 1) Page 21