After running by the courthouse for a marriage license, they exchanged vows in a private ceremony at a tiny wedding chapel. Tate’s arm was still in a cast and Kenzie wore a bandage on her shoulder from the attack by his stalker, but it was what they wanted to do.
Neither of them could bear the thought of being apart any more than absolutely necessary. Then there was the matter of that they couldn’t keep away from other.
Kenzie and Tate had no regrets about their quiet union. If anything, it made them feel more connected.
Deciding not to tell anyone about their hasty wedding, they instead spent a year planning a big celebration in Las Vegas to take place the day after the rodeo finals.
Their secret marriage became something special just between the two of them. Kenzie didn’t know how they’d managed it, but no one seemed to be the wiser.
She glanced over at Tate and smiled. Light gleaned off the gold champion buckle he received the previous evening when he’d taken the title in saddle bronc riding. Cort and Huck both wore similar buckles, having earned the titles in their respective events.
They’d all worked so hard the past year and she was proud of all three of them, but she was especially proud of her husband.
Although he had an eight-week late start in the circuit after the holidays due to his injuries, Tate put everything he had into each ride and managed to finish the year on top.
He squeezed her hand and she looked at him with all the love she felt for him shining in her eyes.
The past eleven months presented numerous challenges to them as they both agreed to pursue their careers for one final year. Kenzie let her boss know early on that after the finals in Las Vegas she would no longer be able to travel for the company.
Not wanting to lose a great employee, Tom offered her a position as a program developer. She could work from home creating trainings and would even present some of the programs online.
Tate and Kenzie remodeled a room in the old farmhouse at the Morgan Ranch into her office space, complete with a video area for her to record training presentations and do live video feeds.
Efforts to coordinate their schedules paid off since Kenzie attended many of the rodeos where Tate competed throughout the season. Sometimes it meant she picked up an extra training opportunity to be in the same city as Tate, but she hadn’t minded the additional work when it let her be close to him.
In the end, it was worth it.
There were no regrets of the year spent secretly married, but she was thrilled everyone would now know they were committed to making a happily ever after together.
Her husband, the most handsome man she knew, looked movie star-gorgeous in his tuxedo, his smile wide and his heart in his eyes.
His unforgettable scent enveloped her and his warmth surrounded her. Her heart tripped in her chest as she thought about the future they could now openly plan together.
As they turned to each other and exchanged vows, Tate couldn’t believe they finally arrived at the place they’d worked so hard to reach.
Winning the championship title the previous night was the icing on the cake. Regardless of how he placed, he knew going into the year it would be his last on the rodeo circuit. He and Kenzie were eager to settle into ranch life and pursue their dreams together, as a family.
With both of them home and not on the road, there was no reason Kent couldn’t live with them in the house he’d always known.
As soon as they got back from their honeymoon, they planned to move him into a newly remodeled room at the ranch. Then they’d get to work on making one of the many grandbabies he continued to insist they needed to have sooner rather than later.
The minister pronounced them husband and wife and Tate gave her such a steamy kiss, many of the guys in attendance whistled and clapped until Kenzie’s face turned a bright shade of pink. Once they turned to the crowd, they smiled and waved before hurrying down the aisle to the adjoining ballroom for the reception.
Hours later, as they retired to the honeymoon suite at their hotel, Tate grinned as he carried Kenzie over the threshold.
“Just sticking with tradition, Mrs. Morgan,” Tate said, liking that he could actually call her that now. There had been so many times in the past year when he almost let the cat of the bag by saying something revealing in front of family or friends.
Trips to visit her family had been torture since they slept in separate rooms. Rodeo travel with Cort around had been nearly as bad. Tate and Kenzie engaged in covert maneuvers trying to sneak him into her hotel room too many times to count.
Overall, their clandestine meetings added an element of intrigue and excitement to their marriage, keeping them going toward their December goal.
“You are a traditionalist,” Kenzie agreed, removing Tate’s tie while he used his elbow to close the door behind them. “I know for a fact you’ve got an entire holiday season filled with plans of caroling, cutting down our Christmas tree, and every other traditional activity you can possibly squeeze in between now and Christmas Day.”
“Yes, I do,” Tate agreed, letting her slide down the length of him until her feet touched the floor. As his hands rested on the soft satin of her gown, heat licked up his arms, making his temperature spike.
Tate removed the crown of flowers on her head followed by her hairpins. A sigh of contentment fanned her warm breath across his neck as she leaned into him. Nibbling her earlobe, his fingers moved to the back of her gown.
While he worked at the buttons, he thought of spending the holiday with his bride — their first together as husband and wife.
He could hardly wait to take Kenzie home and show her what Christmas was all about at the Morgan Ranch.
Not that he hadn’t enjoyed spending the holidays with her last year at her apartment, but Christmas at the ranch was about to become a spectacle to behold.
First, though, he had other, more pressing plans requiring his full attention.
“I do have a bunch of Christmas plans, Kenz. But I’ve got even more important plans. Plans of a more immediate, intimate, urgent nature.”
“Do tell, Mr. Morgan.” Her sultry voice made Tate’s blood zing through his veins. She removed his tux jacket, followed by his shirt. Lazily kissing her way across his muscled chest, she moved to his face and paid particular attention to each dimple in his cheeks before trailing her lips down his firm jaw. “Am I involved in those plans?”
“You most certainly are, my beautiful Dewdrop.” He finished unfastening the last button on her dress and watching in delirious joy as her gown fell to the floor, revealing bits of silk and lace. He ran his callused hands across the smooth skin of her back, down her arms, across her sides. “Every plan I’ve got includes you. Christmas plans, New Year’s plans, ranch plans, family plans, but most importantly, love you forever plans. Love you completely and thoroughly plans. Starting right now.”
Kenzie’s willing gaze connected with his and they both smiled.
“I like those kinds of plans, cowboy.”
Epilogue
“Hey, Dewdrop,” Tate called as he shut the back door behind him. Quickly leaving his outerwear in the mudroom and removing his boots, he washed his hands at a deep sink and hurried into the warmth of the kitchen.
The January wind was bitterly cold and he felt half-frozen as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “Are there any gingerbread bars left?”
Kenzie slid a plate of cookies toward him from her seat at the counter, trying to swallow back her tears.
Tate set down the cup in his hand and wiped away a glistening drop from her cheek. He looked at her with love and concern in his bright blue eyes. “What’s wrong, Kenz?”
“It’s in today’s paper.” She handed the newspaper to her husband and wrapped her arms around his waist as he moved closer beside her. Slowly opening the paper, Tate read his father’s obituary.
~*~
Kent Gideon Morgan, 94, died peacefully at home with his family around him.
A long-ti
me rancher in the area, Kent loved the outdoors, his family, and his Lord.
Marrying late in life, he and his beautiful wife, Caroline, had one son. Tate filled his father’s heart with much joy and brought a beloved wife to the family. Kent loved her like a daughter.
His greatest delight, in his last year of life, came from time spent with his grandson, especially during the recent holiday season.
Preceded in death by his wife, his parents, two brothers, and many friends, Kent is survived by his son, Tate, and daughter-in-law, Kenzie, along with their son, Gideon David…
Gingerbread Bars
Years ago, I embarked on a quest to find a gingerbread cookie recipe that was flavorful, soft and delicious. I finally came up with what I thought was the perfect cookie, but they were so much work.
One magical day, I went to a cookie exchange party and some wonderful person brought Gingerbread Bars. What a concept. Instead of rolling out dough and cutting what seemed like hundreds of cookies, I could make the most delicious gingerbread bars in a third of the time with half the work!
This easy recipe has become a holiday staple at our house and Captain Cavedweller somehow always manages to lay claim to the last one.
Gingerbread Bars
2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
2 1/2 sticks butter
1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
Cream Cheese Frosting
Glazed Pecans (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 17 x 12 inch rimmed baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Line bottom with a piece of parchment, cut to fit. Coat parchment with cooking spray.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
Soften butter and then beat on medium-high speed with sugars until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in vanilla and molasses. Reduce speed to low and gradually add in flour mixture, then beat just until combined.
Spread batter into prepared pan. It seems like you won’t have enough batter to fill the pan, but you will, keep spreading. Bake until edges are set and golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan.
Remove from pan, frost with cream cheese frosting and cut into 2-inch squares. Top each square with a glazed pecan, if you desire.
Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund
In The Christmas Cowboy, Tate’s injuries leave him sidelined from competing in the rodeo for two months. While he had good insurance and the family ranch to fall back on for income in the story, many cowboys in the sport of rodeo aren’t quite so fortunate.
In reality, when these professional athletes are faced with serious injuries, it often results in financial hardship. They don’t have a guaranteed salary or provisions for income upon injury.
While injuries are part of the business of rodeo, financial worries don’t necessarily have to be.
The Justin Boot Company formed a partnership with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) in 1989 to establish the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund (JCCF). The fund was granted 501-C3 status as a non-profit charity organization in 1991.
The idea behind the JCCF is to assist professional rodeo athletes and their families in the event of catastrophic injuries resulting from professional rodeo activities. The fund helps lift the burden of financial hardship when a serious injury interferes with the careers of those who have dedicated their lives to the sport.
To find out more about the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund or to make a donation, please visit their website: http://www.justincowboycrisisfund.com/
Thank you for reading Tate and Kenzie’s story. Now that you’ve finished the book, won’t you please consider writing a review? I would truly appreciate it.
The Christmas Cowboy
Reviews are the best way readers discover great new books.
Also, if you’re interested in discovering more details connected to the story, visit The Christmas Cowboy’s board on Pinterest.
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Wrestlin’ Christmas (Rodeo Romance, Book 2) - Sidelined with a major injury, steer wrestler Cort McGraw struggles to come to terms with the end of his career. Shanghaied by his sister and best friend, he finds himself on a run-down ranch with a worrisome, albeit gorgeous widow, and her silent, solemn son.
Five minutes after Cort McGraw lands on her doorstep, K.C. Peters fights to keep a promise she made to herself to stay away from single, eligible men. When her neighbor said he knew just the person to help work her ranch for the winter, she never expected the handsome, brawny former rodeo star to fill the position.
Ready to send him packing, her little boy has other plans...
Turn the page for an exciting excerpt!
Chapter One
The raspy, slobber-laden tongue scraping across his cheek combined with the malodorous scent of dog breath rousted Cort McGraw from his drunken stupor.
“Down, boy. Get down.” Blindly, he reached out to Frito, the family dog. His hand connected with the back of the animal and he nudged the friendly beast away then struggled to sit upright.
Cort grasped his head between his hands in a feeble attempt to keep it from pounding and sucked in a gulp of morning air. Unwillingly opening one eye, the other gradually followed.
The effort required to gain his bearings from his sprawled location on the sidewalk, steps away from his parents’ front door, made him groan.
Frito lapped his face again, accelerating the queasy roiling in his belly.
He clamped his lips together and lumbered to his feet. If he lost the contents of his stomach in his mother’s pot of geraniums, the pain ripping through his head now would be nothing compared to what she’d deliver later.
Frantically grabbing the crushed Stetson that served as his pillow, he staggered around the house, rushed through the back door, and into the small bathroom located near the kitchen.
The hat landed on the counter as he splashed cold water on his flushed face and drew in several deep breaths.
Once his stomach settled, he glanced in the mirror and grimaced at the bloodshot gray eyes and haggard appearance reflected in the glass. Bright streaks of blood-red lipstick blazed along his jaw, across the dimple in his chin, and encircled his mouth, marring his face as if creative inspiration struck a macabre artist.
Warily wading through his fuzzy memories, he tried to remember which girl he’d been flirting with at the bar the previous evening before he had one too many drinks.
Disgusted with himself, Cort rubbed a hand over his cropped black hair in frustration. He’d promised his dad he wouldn’t do this again, yet he started the day with a hangover and no idea where he’d been last night.
Quietly opening the bathroom door, he snagged his hat off the counter and started down the hall, hoping to make it to his room undetected.
“Cort? Is that you?” his mother’s voice called to him as he sidled past the kitchen doorway to the back stairs. His boot stopped mid-air above the first step.
Busted.
Turning back to the kitchen, he stuck his head around the doorway.
“Hey, Mom.” He pasted on a cheerful smile while holding his breath. The normally inviting aroma of the bacon she fried for breakfast made his stomach resume its disgruntled churning. He swallowed twice, doing his best to ignore the nauseous feeling threatening to swamp him.
“Are you just getting in? Again?” Jana McGraw glared at her only son and oldest child.
Cort didn’t need to see the scowl on her face to recognize her disappointment in him. His parents hadn’t raised him to be a drunken, womanizing loser although the last few months that seemed an apt description.
“Yeah. I’m gonna go grab a shower.” He hoped she’d let the matter of his nocturnal activities drop without commentary.
“You just do that.” Jana pointed her fork his direction. “But when you no longer stink like…” She wrinkled her nose as she got another whiff of him. “When you’re clean, get yourself back down here. Your father and I want to talk to you.”
“Mom, just leave it alone,” Cort said, unable to keep the irritation from his voice.
“We’ve left it alone far too long as it is.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Deliberately ignoring her summons to return to the kitchen, he hurried up the stairs.
Angry and despondent, he tromped into his room, shut the door, and sat on his bed staring at the photos and trophy buckles lining his walls.
For three years running, he’d been a world champion steer wrestler. On track to make it to the finals again, a freak injury in April blew out his knee and left him unable to compete. More than one doctor assured him if he tried to bulldog a steer again, odds were high he’d end up permanently crippled.
After spending the last dozen years competing in pro rodeos, Cort didn’t have a clue what to do with his life. Between rodeos, he always returned to his parents’ farm where they raised hay, sugar beets, and beef cattle in the small community of Star, Idaho, near the state capital of Boise.
He assumed someday, when he was ready to retire from the rodeo, he’d buy his own place nearby or work full time with his dad. Now, he rebelled against the prospect of farming the rest of his life.
Cort wanted to be back on the rodeo circuit, bulldogging and raking in the prize money like he had the last several years.
The Christmas Cowboy: (Sweet Western Holiday Romance) (Rodeo Romance Book 1) Page 27