Cherished Embrace (Cherish Cowboys Book 3)

by Charlene Bright

  She paused, a wave of excitement followed by a guarded shield crossing over her face. “That would be nice. Someday, maybe.”

  “Someday, definitely,” he replied.

  Then they were busy again.

  Before long it was already 10 p.m. The night had flown by and there were still a couple of hours to go. It was time for Mal to give her big speech, which was something that only she could do without a bit of fear and with no planned or prepared words to share—none that were written down anyway.

  Mal went up to the microphone after the band was done and called out, “Are you all having a great time?”

  Loud, enthusiastic yeses could be heard from every corner of the barn.

  “First, I’d like to thank the entire committee for all their planning and hard work to get this event together. Let’s give a big round of applause for Kelsey Jackson, Olivia Jaspers, and Brayden Maxwell, just to name a few.”

  Everyone started clapping and someone shouted out, “And you!”

  Kelsey and Brayden looked at each other. They knew that voice. It was Wade.

  Everyone cheered again.

  “Okay, before we get going with the door prizes and raffle, I have some big news that I want to share with all of you,” Mal said. She was smiling and enjoying the confused looks on everyone’s faces. Kelsey could see it from way back at the bar.

  Brayden looked at Kelsey. “Do you know what she’s talking about?”

  “I have no idea,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.

  The large, loud room had grown instantly quiet. Mal knew how to get an audience’s attention, and everyone was waiting to see what was going on. Even the kids were quiet, at first. Then Mal waved her hand over to the corner and a group of four little kids came out, pulling a large box on top of a cart.

  Other kids started to talk. “Ooh, what is it?”

  “Wow!”

  “A present.”

  “Wade, come on up here by me,” Mal said.

  Wade was taller than most people and when he walked up through the crowd, you could see his black Stetson making him stand about a head taller than everyone else. He was known for being tough, but anyone who knew him well understood that he was more of a gentle giant than anything else.

  “What’s going on?” he asked. His neck was turning red and he was looking at his wife, a shadow over his eyes.

  “Here’s a little present for you,” Mal said. By that time, the kids had made their way to the stage with the box and two people in the audience took the cart’s handles and carried it up onto stage.

  “A present for me? I don’t get it,” Wade said.

  “You will soon,” she said, smiling at him brightly.

  He lifted the lid off the box, which was wrapped with yellow, glittering paper, and looked inside.

  First, he pulled out a package of outlet protectors. He stared at them and looked at Mal, who put on the best straight face one could ever imagine.

  Second, he pulled out a small silver spoon with a bunking bronco on its handle. Again, he looked at her, completely confused.

  Next came the baby powder, which made every woman in the entire audience release a joyful, “Oh!”

  “It looks like I’m the only one who’s clueless here,” he said. His voice was shaking a bit, though. Not the calm and collected one he usually had.

  “Just keep going. You’ll get it,” Mal said, smiling at him.

  He noticed that her eyes were glassy, and he reached into the box again and pulled out a small package. On the label, it read: set of three onesies.

  Then Wade’s face registered what was happening. “A baby?” he asked in shock.

  Mal nodded her head.

  “I’m going to be a daddy?” he asked again, his voice carrying over the microphone so it was really loud, followed by a squeak from the PA system that was equally loud.

  “Yes,” Mal said.

  Everyone started to clap, whistle, and shout out. Wade took Mal in his arms and swung her around. Then he scrambled to set her down and patted her belly. His entire body was shaking, and for the first time ever, the entire town saw the cowboy shed a few tears.

  Back at the bar, Kelsey and Brayden looked at each other.

  “That’s so great. I’m so happy for her,” Kelsey said. Inside, she was like a lot of single women. Hearing about others having babies naturally set off the biological clock.

  “Me too. Good for them,” Brayden said. Inside, he was thinking about how that meant that he knew his time in Cherish was limited. He had no place as a guest in a home for a couple expecting their first baby.

  “It’s funny, now that I think about it. Mal didn’t have anything to drink that night at Sergio’s, or tonight. I guess we aren’t too good at seeing the signs,” she said.

  “No, you are not,” he said, a playful smile forming across his face. He put his hands into his pockets and looked at her.

  “Me? I didn’t see you say anything.” She retaliated, glad for the banter to distract her.

  “A gentleman always remains quiet,” he countered.

  “Well, I can’t argue with that. But let’s agree, neither one of us had an idea that was about to happen,” she said.

  “Hey, how about that dance right now?” he asked. “They’re all busy up there with the raffle and no one wants to buy beer, they want to win prizes.”

  “There’s no music,” she said.

  “We can just pretend.”

  She didn’t know if he meant his words to be as romantic and perfect as they were, but they were indeed just that. Dancing with someone behind a bar to no music was something she never would have thought she’d do, but what the heck—it was time to give something new a try.

  She went into his arms and relaxed as his hand pressed against the small of her back, drawing her in, and when her hand locked in his as they swayed back and forth, it felt very good. He moved well and she enjoyed being a part of it. And when she looked up into his eyes she saw a familiar look in them and it made her heart flutter for just a second. They were in a moment, experiencing a connection, and it was perfect. She rested her head on his shoulder and enjoyed the warmth of their moment together—they were all alone despite being in such a crowded room.

  “You’re a good dancer,” Brayden said.

  “You too,” she replied. His voice had made her tilt her head upward and she saw that he was looking down at her. His lips were barely apart and all she could think of was how wonderful a kiss from them would feel like.

  Neither of them moved.

  Then the moment was gone.

  Someone was on the far side of the bar was coughing. “Sorry to interrupt, beer please.”

  “Of course,” Brayden said.

  He left Kelsey standing there, not sure if she could even walk without having wobbly legs like a newborn horse taking its first steps. She sighed. She had no idea what she wanted, but it was no longer working to pretend that she didn’t need anything more.

  The last few hours of the night went by in a blur. Mal and Wade had left upon his insistence—she needed to get a good night’s rest and the cleanup could wait. She’d protested through a large yawn, which made everyone laugh and side with Wade.

  Kelsey and Brayden were standing there with Colton and Olivia. “Let’s say we meet to clean up tomorrow, around 11:00 a.m. That will give everyone a chance to sleep in a bit,” Kelsey said.

  “Or get some chores done,” Colton added.

  “Both Brayden and I have keys, but I know that I’ll be here by 11 at the latest,” she said.

  “Okay, you two have a good night,” Olivia said. She hooked her arm through Colton’s and they began to walk out the door.

  Kelsey and Brayden could hear her say, “Can you believe you’re going to be an uncle.”

  “And you’re going to be an auntie.”

  “I’ve got to be married first, Mr. Tisdale,” Olivia said.

  Kelsey and Brayden laughed at their conversation, which was hard to ignore.


  “I think that Colton’s probably going to have his hands full now,” he said.

  “I’m guessing you’re right.”

  “Well, shall we get going?” he asked, a yawn now escaping him.

  “Yes, I’m wiped out. Can’t wait to hit the pillow.” Kelsey hoped that sleep would come as easily as she wanted it to. She needed it badly.

  “How you going to have sweet dreams if you hit the pillow?” he asked.

  “What?” she asked, genuine confusion showing on her face.

  “Nothing, that’s just something that my mom used to say to me when I was little.”

  “Well, I’m a fan of sweet dreams, so maybe I’d better listen and just softly lay my head down on the pillow. Maybe that’s why I’ve been having such a tough time sleeping.”

  “Me too. Kind of strange, that’s never been the case before. Must be the change of routine. How about you?”

  It’s been recently developing problem, she thought. It was called Brayden-itis, and it was a challenging condition to have.

  The two left Millberry Farm and Brayden made his way toward her place. They talked about the success of the fundraiser and how they’d have the meeting on Monday to tally up all the expenses and profits for the night. That way, any last-minute loose ends and receipts could all be turned in and they’d only have to go through the numbers once.

  When Brayden finally pulled up to her house, he got out of the car and walked her up to her front porch.

  “I had a great night,” she said, smiling at him and feeling very bashful.

  “Me too. It was better than I thought it might be,” he said. He’d been afraid that he’d not like the thought of being alone at such a big gathering, but his time with Kelsey had made that fear subside in an instant.

  “Yeah, it’s hard to know what to expect sometimes, isn’t it? Well, have a good night, Brayden.”

  He reached over and gave her a friendly hug. She knew because it was two pats on the back. So she hugged back, delivering two pats back. The rhythm of the pats seemed to pound out, just friends, just friends.

  “See you tomorrow, friend,” she said, feeling the need to acknowledge it out loud.

  “Tomorrow,” he said. The emphasis on the word friend had thrown him off. Maybe he really was as clueless as his ex had told him he was. Go figure.

  Chapter Eight

  The night had been a great success and Kelsey was so grateful. She didn’t sleep as much as she would have liked to, but when she woke up, she felt very energized and alert. Unfortunately, it was only 7 a.m., which meant there were four hours left until everyone was meeting for cleanup. Maybe a head start was just what she needed.

  After a ham and cheese omelet, some toast, and some coffee, she looked around. It was only 8. What next? Something inspired her and she couldn’t honestly say where it came from, but she decided that she’d walk the three miles out to Millberry Farm, maybe even try to run a bit. Her internal voice nagged her. Right, like you don’t know what’s inspiring that. She blew it off, denying it but smiling like she had the world by the horns. It felt great and it was a feeling that had been gone for far too long.

  With her tennis shoes on, some yoga pants, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt, Kelsey headed out on her hike, wearing her small backpack to house the keys, money, some water, and her phone.

  The sun was blaring brightly and she wished she would have thought to wear sunglasses to block that intense, bright-orange early-morning sunshine. But she hadn’t. So she squinted, making her way down the highway and watching the sun rise higher and higher above the meandering hills and plains of the area. It was very rural and she didn’t know if it had been wise to just take off without letting anyone know, but it was very early and she didn’t want to wake anyone up. It had been a long night for all her friends.

  So with her playlist on and a spring in her step, she made her way toward the farm. The morning air felt good with a faint smell of freshly cut wheat coming from all directions. The sounds of cows and horses could be heard, making it quite tranquil. This is something I should do more often, she thought.

  In a moment of extra inspiration, she decided to try her hand at running. She wasn’t a good runner because she never did it, but she remembered just enough from high school gym class to know how your stride should be for distance running. She tried it and it felt pretty good. At least she wasn’t winded and it felt like she could keep going, so she did. For a bit. Then she slowed down, ready to walk again because her breath was heavy. The effort made her think of Brayden and she wondered how far he ran and how often to be in shape. He’d said something about running marathons, she remembered, so that meant he was really in shape.

  By the last leg of her walking/running adventure to the farm, Kelsey doubted that it had been as good an idea as she’d thought it might be. Her legs were a bit stiff and she had a stitch in her side that wouldn’t go away. She set down her backpack and unlocked the doors to the barn, looking around.

  There was a lot to clean up, but she decided to get started. The faster it got done, the more everyone could enjoy something else with their day. The cleanup was never the fun part of a party, that was for sure.

  She went to a back room to get some garbage cans and put bags in them. Recyclables first. She began to wheel the cart around and pick up cans and bottles from the various tables, tossing them in one by one. As she moved, she bobbed her head to some Green Day—a group she’d always liked.

  There was a tap on her shoulder.

  She jumped and swung around, her hand automatically going into a fist. It was easily intercepted and she quickly tried to focus, her heart racing like mad. Brayden’s hand was around her balled-up fist and his eyes were wide too. He didn’t look scared, really, but definitely startled.

  “Whoa,” his lips said, making it easy to understand him despite “Time of Your Life” playing through her earbuds.

  “Brayden, jeez, you scared me!” She pulled out her earbuds and looked at him, not sure what to do. He was still holding her fist.

  “Fists of fury, I see,” he said, now showing his amusement. “I called out to you, a bunch, but you didn’t answer.”

  “I didn’t think anyone would be here for at least an hour so I wasn’t paying attention. Didn’t I lock the door after I got in?” she asked, shaking her head and trying to process it all. Adrenaline was rushing through her.

  “You did, but I have the other key, remember?” Now his arms were folded and he had a crooked smile on his face.

  She wanted to kiss that smile just as much as she wanted to remove it from his face at the same time. Her heart still felt like it might explode.

  “I see you were antsy, too,” he said. “But where’s your car?”

  “I actually ran and walked here. Well, mostly walked,” she said.

  “Someone has a lot of energy this morning,” he said. “That’s awesome. I would have run with you if I’d known.”

  “That’s where the problem lies. I can already feel myself getting stiff. I’m not used to that type of thing. Not sure what I was thinking,” she confessed.

  “Just that type of day. It’s beautiful outside,” he said. “Well, I’m glad to give you a ride home when we’re done. Doesn’t sound like you will want to walk back.”

  “Thanks,” she said, then turned off her music and put her phone in her backpack so she wouldn’t get spooked again. She was horrified, thinking she might have danced, and then she realized that she’d put her hair up in a ponytail for the walk. It was still up. She quickly pulled it down.

  “Why’d you put your hair down?” he asked with casual curiosity.

  Kelsey found it strange that he’d observed this. “I just don’t like wearing my hair up. I have a scar.”

  “Hmm, I’ve never noticed.”

  “That’s because I don’t wear my hair up,” she said, smiling at him. She loathed that scar. It made her feel self-conscious.

  “I have a scar on the side of my head, gives me
a cowlick now. You can’t really tell when my hair’s cut short, but now that it’s longer, that one spot pops out. Drives me crazy. You show me your scar and I’ll show you mine.”

  She started laughing. Her first instinct was to say “no,” but she decided that it was silly. It wasn’t like her scar defined her, even if she was paranoid about it.

  She lifted up her bangs and leaned forward. Brayden leaned in toward her, squinting his eyes. “Honestly, I can barely see it. I never would have noticed it if you hadn’t pointed it out. Why so paranoid about it?”

  “It reminds me of my grandpa, that’s all. I got it in a car accident with him.”

  “Were you both okay?” he asked, instantly concerned.

  She chuckled a bit. “Well, yes, I’m okay.” She held her hands out to show that. “And Grandpa was okay, too, but he felt so bad about it that he was never quite the same after. I just don’t like to think about it. I adored him.”

  “I assume he’s passed on,” Brayden said.

  “Yeah, about twelve years ago now,” she replied. “Anyway, let me see your scar now.”

  Brayden took off his baseball hat and fluffed up his hair a bit, because he definitely had hat head. Then he pointed to the cowlick.

  “Where?” she asked, trying to see it.

  “My hair’s too long. Probably can’t see the scar easily,” he said.

  “How did you get your scar?”

  “A piece of firewood hit me in the head.”

  “Are you being serious?” She crossed her arms and looked at him in disbelief.

  “I am. Happened when I was camping a few years ago. Someone tossed it and I missed.”

  “A buddy?”

  He shook his head. “No, my ex-fiancée. Maybe that was her way of trying to knock some sense into me, but I didn’t get it.” He laughed a bit, making light of it.

  “Hindsight is twenty-twenty, isn’t it?”

  “It is.” He debated whether to share anything about what had happened. It was in the past, after all, but he sensed that Kelsey might be willing to open up a bit more if he did also. And he really liked her—wanted to get to know her better. “I had the classic story of heartache, the kind everyone pities.”