“Not overly helpful, but I’ll keep it in mind.”
“And remember, nothing worthwhile is ever easy.”
He nodded. “The last few weeks with Dani have certainly taught me that.”
She smiled, a little wistfully. “You’re already a much better parent to her than I ever was to you.”
“I think I had a pretty good life growing up,” he said, unable to directly dispute her claim.
“No thanks to me,” Margaret said. “I was a horrible mother.”
“I wouldn’t say horrible,” Spencer teased, attempting to inject some levity into their conversation.
His mother rewarded the effort with a small smile, but then her expression turned serious again. “I thought parenting would come naturally, but it didn’t. Not to me. I know you think I preferred to be at work rather than at home—and maybe that was true, but only because I knew what I was doing there. At the office, I was competent and capable. At home, I was completely inept.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” he said, wondering what had caused his mother’s sudden introspection and self-flagellation.
“It is true,” she insisted. “Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done if Celeste hadn’t been there. She had the maternal instincts I lacked. And while I was, of course, desperately grateful to her for stepping in to help, the ease with which she did the simplest tasks only made me more aware of my own inadequacies. The result was that I started to spend more and more time at the office and less and less at home.”
“Why are you telling me this now?” he wondered.
“I’m trying to help you see that the rodeo is your office. It’s where you feel competent and capable.”
“So that’s what this is about,” he realized. “You’re trying to convince me not to go back on the road.” And while he was starting to think that the National Finals would be the end of his bull-riding career, he hadn’t yet confided that possibility to his family—mostly because he didn’t know what he’d do next.
“I have my own selfish reasons for wanting you to stay in Haven,” she acknowledged. “But disregarding those for the moment, what kind of life would it be for a child?”
It was a question he’d been wrestling with since he’d learned of his daughter’s existence.
“And what happens when it’s time for her to go to school? Obviously Dani would be welcome to stay with us,” Margaret continued, without giving him a chance to respond. “But then you’d only see her three or four times a year, and I don’t think that would make either of you happy.”
She was right about that. Competing on the circuit meant being away from home for weeks—sometimes months—at a time. And after missing most of the first four years of her life, there was no way he could be away from Dani for so long.
But if he wasn’t a bull rider, what was he?
“Daddy?”
He realized, when he heard his daughter’s quiet voice in conjunction with a gentle tug on his shirt, the answer was just that simple.
He was her daddy—and that was the most important job in the world.
He scooped her into his arms. “What’s up, birthday girl?”
“I wanna ’nother piece of cake.”
“Hmm...what did Kenzie say?” he asked, suspecting she’d tried that route first.
“She said ask Daddy.”
He chuckled. “Okay. Let me finish talking to Grandma, then we’ll get you another piece of cake.”
He set her back down again and she raced off.
“Watching you with Dani, I’ve been given a tiny glimpse of everything I missed out on while you and your brother and sisters were growing up,” Margaret confided. “The first time I met her, I thought of you at the same age. And I realized then that I always thought I’d have time to make it up to you, to be a better parent. But that window of opportunity closed a long time ago. You’re not my little boy anymore—you’re a grown man now with a child of your own.”
“There are times when that still surprises me, too,” he acknowledged.
She opened the desk drawer to retrieve a legal-sized envelope that she’d obviously tucked away earlier.
“What’s that?”
“It’s a gift for you in honor of your daughter’s birthday.”
Spencer lifted the flap and pulled out a single page, his gaze immediately drawn to the bold letters in the middle of the page: NEVADA QUIT CLAIM DEED.
His brows drew together as he scanned the rest of the page. He saw his name and the legal description of what he guessed was a parcel of land. “I don’t understand.”
“You keep saying that riding bulls is all you know how to do. Your grandfather thinks you just need a chance to try something different.
“That’s the deed for this house and the land it sits on, plus a few more acres. This could be the opportunity of a lifetime to give a good life to your daughter. The only question is—do you want it?”
* * *
While Spencer was in the den with his mother, Kenzie was in the kitchen, tidying up, when she heard footsteps behind her.
“I thought I’d find you in here,” Helen said. “Women always seem to gravitate toward the kitchen at social events.”
As Dani’s occasional babysitter and Kenzie’s long-time friend, she’d been pleased by the invitation to the little girl’s party and thrilled to attend.
“I’m just wrapping up the leftover cake,” Kenzie told her.
“Individual slices?”
“For the guests to take home,” she explained.
“Well, then, let me give you a hand.”
“I’ve got it. You should go back to the party—and flirting with Mr. Blake.”
“There’s something wrong with a woman if she can’t enjoy a little flirtation with a handsome cowboy,” Helen said. “I mean, Jesse Blake’s no Brock Lawrie, but he’s got a nice smile beneath that bristly moustache.”
“So go on back out there and make him smile,” Kenzie urged.
“I will,” Helen promised. “As soon as you tell me why you’re hiding out from Jesse’s grandson.”
“I’m not,” she denied.
“I’ve known you a lot of years, Kenzie Atkins, and as far as I know, you’ve never told me an outright lie—until right now.”
“I’m wrapping cake,” she insisted.
“The cake is nothing more than a convenient ruse.”
“Okay, fine, the cake is a ruse.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Helen said.
“And I’m hiding in the kitchen because being out there—with Spencer and Dani...it hurts.”
Her friend seemed surprised by this admission. “It hurts to be with them?”
She sighed wistfully. “No, it hurts because I want so much to be part of their family.”
“And Spencer told you that’s not going to happen?” Helen suggested, when Kenzie didn’t elaborate on her response.
“No,” she said again. “He’s letting me believe that I can have everything I ever wanted.”
“Well, that’s just cruel, isn’t it?”
Kenzie managed to smile through her tears. “You think I’m being ridiculous.”
“Maybe. A little.” Helen slid an arm across her shoulders. “It’s okay to be scared,” she assured her. “It’s not okay to let your fear hold you back from going after what you want.”
She was thinking about those words when Spencer found her in the kitchen a short while later.
“All the guests are gone and Dani is in a sugar coma on the sofa in the living room,” he told her.
“You’re the one who said yes to the second piece of cake,” she pointed out.
“I did,” he confirmed. “I’m getting better at saying no, but...well, it’s her birthday.”
Kenzie nodded, understanding.
> “And I don’t think it’s one she’ll ever forget—thanks to you.”
“I didn’t do so much.”
“You did everything,” he said. “And every time I tried to steal a minute with you today, you were running here or there.”
“Well, you managed to corner me now,” she said lightly.
“Then I’ll say thank you now, for everything you did.”
“You’re welcome.”
He framed her face in his hands and kissed her gently. “I love you, Kenzie.”
She closed her eyes, so that he wouldn’t see her tears. So that he wouldn’t see the truth of her own feelings.
“Is it the words or my feelings that make you uncomfortable?” he asked gently.
“I just...this isn’t the time or the place.”
“To tell you that I love you? Or for you to finally admit that you love me, too?”
“We’re supposed to be taking a step back,” she reminded him.
“That was never my idea.”
“You need to think about this as much as I do,” she argued.
“The only thing I need is you.”
Her heart stuttered. She told herself to remain strong. “You don’t need me, Spencer. And if you took some time to think about it, you’d probably realize you don’t love me, either.”
“Kenzie,” he said, speaking in the same deliberate and patient tone he used to explain a difficult concept to his daughter. “I’m not the kind of guy who casually throws those words around. In fact, I’ve never said them to another woman, because I’ve never felt about anyone else the way I feel about you.”
“I’ve never felt this way about anyone else, either,” she admitted.
He smiled then. “Say that you’ll marry me, Kenzie. Give us another reason to celebrate today.”
“I want to say yes,” she told him. “More than I’ve ever wanted anything.”
“Then say yes,” he urged.
“I guess I just need to know, if I do say yes...then what?”
“Then I put the ring on your finger and we set a date for our wedding.” And he pulled a stunning diamond solitaire out of his pocket.
Her breath caught in her throat. She wanted to jump up and down and say “Yes! Please!” but there were more important issues to be decided than rings and dates. “That all sounds wonderful,” she agreed. “But then what?”
“I don’t actually have the next five years of our lives planned out,” he told her, evidently not understanding the source of her concern.
“Let’s start with the next year,” she suggested. “Will you go back on the circuit?”
“No,” he answered without hesitation. “After the National Finals Rodeo in Vegas, I’m done.”
“What if you change your mind?”
“Kenzie, I asked you to marry me because I want to be with you. Putting a ring on your finger and then spending the better part of the year traveling around the country would take me away from you. You and Dani.”
“We could come with you,” she suggested.
“Why would you offer to do that?” he wondered.
“Because I don’t want you to give up your dream.”
“My dreams are different now,” he told her. “I’m ready to be done with that life. I want a home, a family. You, me and Dani, together forever.”
“You’re not going the miss the adrenaline rush, the roar of the crowds, the adulation of hordes of fans?”
“I’m hoping I’ll get plenty of adulation from my wife and our daughter.”
As if his proposal hadn’t already choked her up, the idea of becoming not just his wife but Dani’s stepmother had the tears that filled her eyes spilling over. “I don’t know about adulation,” she said. “But I can promise that we’ll love you.”
“Even better,” he said, and kissed her. Then he drew back. “But I’m still waiting for you to say yes.”
She lifted her arms to link them behind his head. “Yes,” she finally said in response to his question as she drew his mouth down to hers. “Definitely yes.”
Epilogue
Several months later
The renovated barn marked with the stylized logo of Channing Horse Trainers was only one of the many changes that had taken place at Crooked Creek Ranch since Spencer had finally decided on a plan for his future and officially opened for business. He’d shamelessly traded on his pseudo-celebrity status to draw clients to his door, but it was proven results that kept them coming back.
The old farmhouse that had originally belonged to his great-grandparents showed signs of new life, too. Curtains fluttered in the breeze of the open windows, flowers bloomed in the pots lined up on the porch and a bright pink bike with a basket on the front and training wheels on the back was abandoned by the steps. Other toys were scattered here and there—a soccer ball, a half-finished puzzle, countless Pocket Ponies. Because no matter how many times he told his now four-and-a-half-year-old daughter to put her stuff away, she rarely remembered to do so.
Kenzie had assured him that Dani wasn’t being defiant, that leaving her stuff scattered around was a sign that Dani felt comfortable and settled in what was now their home. He wasn’t entirely convinced of the reasoning, but he couldn’t deny that his daughter was thriving at Crooked Creek Ranch. Since her arrival in Haven eight months earlier, she’d grown in so many wonderful ways, absolutely basking in the attention of her doting aunts and uncles and grandparents. She continued to enjoy visits with her maternal grandmother when Nana wasn’t traveling with her husband, and she’d taken to calling Kenzie’s mom “Nana Too.”
Because while Cheryl Atkins might have taken some time to warm up to Spencer, the same could not be said about her relationship with Dani. In fact, Kenzie’s mother and his daughter had immediately become members of a mutual admiration society.
An even bigger surprise was the recent peace between Kenzie’s mom and her dad. With Spencer’s support and encouragement, Kenzie had finally reached out to her biological father, who’d been thrilled by the contact. Kenzie still had some reservations and resentments—justifiable, in Spencer’s opinion—but they were slowly getting to know one another.
There was no doubt that coming home was the best thing Spencer could have done for his daughter, but it had worked out pretty well for him, too. He was enjoying the company of his family and friends, the challenges of his new business and the numerous and pleasurable benefits that went along with the platinum band on the third finger of his left hand.
At the wedding, Jay, as best man, had commended the bride for catching her cowboy in only six weeks. Then Brielle, as maid of honor, stood up to clarify that it was actually “seven years and six weeks.” Of course, everyone had laughed at that. And maybe it was true that Kenzie had fallen in love with him first, but Spencer knew it wasn’t possible that she loved him more.
And yet, there were occasional moments when he couldn’t help but think about the life he’d left behind. Such as when he’d stopped by The Trading Post and spotted a flyer that advertised The Silver State Stampede pinned to the community board. Or when he’d been scrolling through the channels on TV and caught a broadcast of the Xtreme Bulls Tour. In those moments, he could almost hear the approving roar of the crowd in his ears and feel the unrestrained power of the beast beneath him. And he wondered if he might someday regret hanging up his spurs at the peak of his career.
Today, it had been a phone call from a long-time friend and fellow competitor who was on his way to an event in Reno. But the wondering only lasted for about half a minute, until Spencer walked into the kitchen and saw his sexy wife helping their adorable daughter measure and mix the various ingredients scattered over the butcher-block table.
Because in that moment, his heart filled with so much happiness and love there wasn’t room for anything else.
“We’re makin’ muf
fins!” Dani announced happily.
Her enthusiasm made him smile. Apparently it was another testament to how well she’d adjusted to her new surroundings, that his shy, quiet child had turned into an exuberant whirlwind who did everything at maximum speed and full volume.
“What kind of muffins?” he asked.
“B’nana nut, cuz they’re Nana Too’s fav’rite—and mine, too.”
“I thought you liked chocolate chip best.”
She nodded, the blond pigtails on either side of her head bobbing up and down. “We’re puttin’ choc’ate chips in the b’nana nut.”
“The best of both worlds,” he mused.
Kenzie sent him a smile as she handed Dani an egg to crack.
“How’s Duchess?” she asked, referring to the pregnant mare he’d gone out to the barn to check.
“Definitely in labor,” he said.
She was immediately concerned. “Shouldn’t you be with her?”
“Nah, Gramps is keeping an eye on her.” His grandfather continued to live in the old bunkhouse and manage his small herd of cattle, but he also enjoyed helping Spencer with the horses now and again.
“I hope you aren’t so quick to abdicate responsibilities when your wife is in labor,” Kenzie said.
“Wild horses wouldn’t be able to drag me away,” he promised.
“We’ll see,” she mused.
The sparkle that lit her beautiful gray eyes told him more than the words, but he tried to keep a rein on his emotions—just in case he was misinterpreting her remark.
“When will we see?” he asked cautiously.
Her lips curved. “My guess would be about seven and a half months.”
Joy filled his heart—so much that he felt as if it might burst out of his chest. He took the mixing spoon out of her hand and gave it to Dani, then he pulled Kenzie into his arms. “You’re sure?”
She nodded. “I took a test this morning.”
“Are you feeling okay? Maybe you should be sitting down.”
She chuckled softly. “I think maybe you need to be sitting down—you look a little dazed.”
“I feel a little dazed.”
He thought fleetingly about Griff’s call again and realized he didn’t envy his friend at all. Because there wasn’t a buckle shiny enough or purse big enough that could compare to everything he had in this room right now—or any of the adventures he knew were yet to come.
Six Weeks to Catch a Cowboy Page 20