Taryn’s heart lifted. “That’s great news, Reese.” She knew the couple had been trying to adopt a baby for a while now, but had had some disappointments along the way. She felt connected to Reese and Carly because of it. Same with Pete, who came down the right hall, which led to the indoor arena.
“Miss Taryn, I have Peony ready for you.” He turned sideways and pointed down the hall. “You ready?”
She smiled at Reese and stepped past Pete. “Sure am.” She pushed through the door. “When’s that construction going to be done? What are they doing out there again?”
Pete helped her mount Peony. “It’s a horse training facility, and the construction crew should be done tomorrow, I think. They’ve been pulling long hours to get it finished before the holidays.” Pete handed her the reins. “Remember not to pull.”
She appreciated that his entire lecture consisted of four words. She did like to pull on the reins, control the horse instead of working with it.
An idea had been percolating in her head since Stanley had come to town. She needed to film her piece tomorrow night, Christmas Eve. “Pete, isn’t your mother-in-law opening a bakery soon?”
“Yeah. I’ve gained ten pounds since she’s been experimenting with her recipes out here.” He chuckled and patted his still-flat stomach. “Take ‘er around a few times, and then we’re going to gallop.”
Taryn’s heart dropped to her cowgirl boots, and she stayed still. “Can I get your mother-in-law’s number? I want to talk to her about being in my editorial piece on small town Christmas celebrations.” And she wanted to find out if she needed help in the bakery. Taryn liked coming out to the ranch and spending time with Kenny, but she really needed something else to keep her bills paid.
“Sure, I’ll get it for you while you ride.” He gave her a look that said, Get going, and Taryn clucked the horse into movement. She loved moving with the horse, talking to her like she could answer and give advice.
Feeling soothed and relaxed, Taryn slid to the ground at the end of her session. Kenny waited for her in the horse barn, where she brushed down Peony and fed her a sack of oats. “You want to go to dinner tonight?” he asked.
“I…can’t.” She didn’t look at him. “I have tons of prep work to do for the piece tomorrow.”
She hated the little fib. She did have loads to accomplish before tomorrow evening, when the camera crew would expect her to be ready to be on live TV—something she hadn’t done in over eight months. But she could afford a few hours for dinner with her boyfriend.
Problem was, she already had an appointment with another man—the one giving her the keys to her new house out at Pinion Ridge.
“Can we get together tomorrow night, late, after I film?” She’d be exhausted and stretched thin by then, and being around the perpetually joyful Kenny would be just what she needed.
“Yeah, sure. I’ll be at the celebration, so we can just go from there.”
She seized. “You’ll be at the celebration?”
He chuckled and pulled her into his chest. “Taryn, everyone it town knows about the camera crew coming for the feature. Everyone’s going to be there.”
She groaned, a low, painful sound she didn’t tell her body to make. “What if I mess up? I haven’t been on live TV for a long time.”
“Everyone here loves you, and everyone in Corpus Christi loves you.” He kissed her cheek, the corner of her mouth, the crook of her neck. “I love you. No one’s going to care if you mess up. Plus.” He pulled back and grinned down at her. “It might be nice to see you do something less than perfect.”
She swatted at his arms, but he held her fast. “I am not perfect at everything I do.”
“Have you seen my cabin after you clean it? Have you tasted your own cooking?”
She cocked her head at him. “Am I really that good of a cook?”
“Phenomenal.” He leaned down to kiss her, but she jerked back. He peered at her, waiting for her to explain herself.
“Could I get a job as a cook in town, do you think?”
“Taryn, I think you could do whatever you want to do.” He gazed at her with such love and adoration, warmth flowed through her like a bubbling hot spring.
“Kenny, I have a Christmas gift for you.”
His smile was wide and instant. “Oh, yeah? I have something for you too.”
“Can we exchange on Christmas morning?” She hoped she wouldn’t lose her courage over the next couple of days.
“Of course.”
“I managed to get an apple pie from Grace Lewis, and I think I’ll make a ham. Is that what you had for your family Christmas dinners?”
“My mom’s not much of a cook.”
Taryn laughed. “No wonder you think I’m a good cook.” She stepped out of his arms, a bit surprised that he let her. “Maybe I won’t be able to get a job in a restaurant.”
“Sure you will. Like I said, you can do anything you want to do.”
By the following evening, Taryn could barely remember Kenny’s reassurances. They’d gotten her through filling out a half dozen applications that morning. His vote of confidence had helped her finish her preparations for the op-ed piece. The camera crew had arrived two hours ago, and she’d walked them through what she wanted, where she’d move, when they should pan out, and when they should voice over.
The sun had started to set, and the Christmas lights on Main Street gave such warmth to the town that Taryn knew why she’d chosen to stay here.
She tugged at the hem of her new peacoat, another purchase from Andy Larsen, the boutique owner who Taryn needed to become besties with to start saving on her purchases. She fiddled with the ear mic, the way she used to before a broadcast.
Stanley had sent a crew of five for her special. He himself hadn’t come, something for which she was grateful. She didn’t recognize any of the cameramen either, though they all seemed to know who she was.
The seconds blurred into minutes, and then one of the men said, “And you’re live in five, four….” He held up three fingers, two, then one, and Taryn took a deep breath.
“I’m Taryn Tucker, on location here in beautiful, festive, Three Rivers, Texas. This small town has big charm, as you can see from the holiday excitement behind me.” She turned, caught a glimpse of Kenny’s beaming face, and knew that everything was going to turn out all right.
Kenny watched as Taryn oozed charisma, as she chatted with townspeople, as she charmed everyone in Three Rivers, the camera, and anyone on the other end of the feed. No wonder she’d been popular in Corpus Christi.
He’d gone online—probably a mistake—and seen dozens of open letters to “Miss Taryn Tucker, the heart of Corpus Christi” on forums and blogs. She’d had a real following. Part of him couldn’t believe that she could just walk away from all of that. Another part of him admired her for doing it. A third part wondered if she ever missed being on-camera.
And now, watching her, he knew she did. He also believed she truly didn’t want to return to that life. He didn’t want her to either. He wanted to keep her as close as possible until the day he could ask her to be his wife.
He drifted away from the scene as she wrapped up the segment. She’d seemed nervous that he’d be there, and he’d tried to stay near the back of the crowd. They were meeting at the pancake house for celebratory hot chocolates, and Kenny wandered in that direction.
Several cowhands from the ranch passed by, each inviting him to join them for the evening. The owner, Squire Ackerman, caught his eye and Kenny stopped to chat for a second.
“You alone?” Squire asked, his right hand holding his wife’s and his left clutching Finn’s. Another little girl clung to Kelly’s shoulder as she balanced her on her hip.
“On my way to meet someone.”
“Taryn,” Kelly said with a knowing smile. “I know everything that happens out on my ranch.”
Kenny’s heart skipped a beat as Squire turned toward Kelly with an arched brow. “Your ranch? And what do we f
eed the cattle?”
She nudged him with her shoulder. “Fine, I know everything that happens to the people out on our ranch.” She slid a mischievous glance at Kenny. “Including where and with whom they eat lunch.”
Kenny’s face heated, and he tipped his hat to her. “It’s no secret I’m datin’ Taryn.”
“It isn’t?” Squire whipped his face back to Kenny’s.
Kelly laughed. “Squire, I swear. You’re the last to know everything that happens. Even Pete knew.”
“Well, Taryn is his client,” Kenny said quickly. “Don’t feel too bad, Major.”
Squire gazed toward the hullaballoo down the block. “She’s not gonna stay on much longer, is she?” He wasn’t really asking, and Kenny chuckled.
“My guess is no,” he said. “Which is a real shame, because I’ve sure enjoyed her housekeeping.”
“Well, you’ll just have to marry her,” Kelly singsonged.
Kenny’s joy tumbled down a notch. “We’re in negotiations.”
“Negotiations?” Squire burst out laughing. “Women don’t like military talk.”
Kenny grinned at him. “She’s…working through a few things before we get serious enough to be talkin’ diamonds.”
“And you?” he asked. “You have anything to work through?”
“Just how to keep her happy until she realizes I’m her one and only.” Kenny lowered his voice. “And I’d appreciate it if that stayed between me and you, Miss Kelly.”
“Of course.”
“At least he knows who the gossipy one is,” Squire said.
“I am not gossipy.” She hipped Squire this time. “But I probably will tell Chelsea.”
“Shouldn’t have said anything,” Squire said as he started walking away. “Once my sister knows, the whole county will know.”
“No problem,” Kenny called after them, but a jiggle of anxiety wormed through his bloodstream.
On Christmas Day, Kenny arrived at Taryn’s about mid-morning. She wore her hair up in a messy bun, revealing her very kissable neck, and a festive red and white sweater dress that hugged every curve.
Kenny swallowed as he entered her apartment and she locked them in together. “Have you ever had funeral potatoes?”
“Yeah, sure, every time someone dies.” He followed her into the kitchen. “Is that what you’re making? Because I’ve never met a potato I didn’t like.”
She giggled. “You’ll eat anything. I could put butter on a brick and you’d tell me it was the best sandwich you’ve ever had.”
“That is so not true.”
She cocked her hip and he lunged toward her, catching her up and twirling her around. She squealed and grabbed onto his shoulders. He loved the way she made him feel: powerful and strong and necessary. He loved being with her. He loved that he could offer her shelter from the storms of life. He loved her.
“Let’s do gifts now,” he said, setting her on her feet.
A blip of panic stole across her face. “Now?”
He pulled out the envelope he’d put her tickets in. “Yeah, now.” He held his gift toward her. She took it and retrieved a small, silver box from the top of her fridge. Bigger than a ring box, but it probably couldn’t hold more than a can of soda.
She slipped her finger under the envelope’s flap and extracted the tickets. “Kitty Hawk…Kenny. What is this?”
“You said you love to travel, but that you didn’t get to do much of it for pleasure. I thought, well, I thought we could take a vacation—a real vacation together. They’re vouchers, good for up to twenty-four months. So, you know, you don’t have to decide right away or anything.”
She held them to her heartbeat like they were precious, made of gold. Her eyes seemed a bit glassy when she said, “Thank you, Kenny,” and stretched up to kiss him. He enjoyed the feel and form of her lips against his. She was all he needed for Christmas.
But she pulled away and thrust the silver box toward him. He took it and lifted the lid. Beneath a slip of white tissue paper sat a gold key. A regular, shiny, gold key, like he would use to secure the deadbolt on his cabin.
He glanced at her, unsure about what this key unlocked. “Taryn?”
Her hands wrung around each other. “That’s the key to my new house. I picked it up last Friday, and I’m moving in a couple of days.” She swallowed, that hard, nervous swallow he wanted to eradicate from her life. “I wanted you to have a key, because it represents how I feel about Three Rivers, how I feel about us.”
He flipped the key in his fingers, his eyes trained on the shiny metal. “You’re stayin’ here permanently.” Joy he’d never known spiraled through his chest.
“I am. My new house is in that Pinion Ridge development.”
Kenny nodded, and his head felt too loose, almost detached from his shoulders. “That’s great news.” He finally lifted his eyes to hers. “I love you.”
She invaded his personal space, pressing herself as close to him as she could get. “In this moment, I love you too.”
It wasn’t the all-out declaration Kenny craved, but in this moment, he’d take it. Because he knew she was dangerously close to being able to tell him she loved him all the time.
The next Christmas:
“Where’s Taryn?” Pete entered the homestead, along with a heavy gust of wind. Kenny’s already keyed-up nerves rioted again.
“She’s comin’.” He wished he hadn’t told Charlie about his forthcoming proposal. The news had spread like wildfire, and it was all anyone had talked about for weeks. Even when Taryn came out for her riding lessons or just to see him. It was nothing short of a miracle that she hadn’t overheard, that she didn’t know.
Maybe she did.
Kenny’s stomach swooped as the door opened again, but this time Garth and Juliette ducked into the house with their son right in front of them.
“Did we miss it?” Garth asked, glancing around at everyone in the kitchen, dining room, and living area of Squire’s house. Kelly had gone all out for this holiday season. She’d had plenty of help from Chelsea and Heidi. Grace Lewis, the best pastry chef Three Rivers had ever seen, busied herself at the stove, stirring something that normally would’ve made Kenny double-sniff the air and become impatient for dessert later.
Squire consulted with Jon Carver and Lawrence about how to carve the turkeys, while Lawrence’s wife, Andy, kept one hand on her bulging belly while she spoke to Sandy Keller, who’d just been the star of autumn with her wedding to Tad Jorgensen.
Bees buzzed in Kenny’s blood. Snakes coiled in his gut. What had he been thinking? Taryn wouldn’t want her engagement to be a public spectacle. Maybe it wasn’t too late to call everything off. He opened his mouth to say something when the door opened again.
“Sorry I’m late.” The wind caught the door behind Taryn, but she won the struggle and yanked it closed. “Phew, it’s really angry out there.” She smiled at Kenny and stepped to his side, her arm sliding around his waist. “Hey.”
He pressed a nervous kiss to her temple and glanced around. It seemed like everyone had at least one eye on him, and he focused his attention back on Taryn. “Everything go okay getting the recording off?”
She’d taken a remote job with her old station, and she did three yearly holiday specials. One always fell on Christmas Eve, which she’d just finished the previous evening.
“All set. What did I miss here?”
“Just Ethan braggin’ about how he won Rookie of the Year,” Garth said. He lifted a mug of coffee to hide his obviously proud smile. “Last year.”
“Hey,” Ethan complained. “I wasn’t bragging. Brynn was bragging for me.” He beamed down at his fiancé.
“When are y’all getting married?” Carly Sanders joined their conversation as she bounced a beautiful baby boy on her hip. Kenny watched the child smile and slobber, and warmth filled his heart.
“Next month.” Brynn glanced at him with love but a touch of wistfulness. “Your baby is so cute,” she told Carly.
Reese slid next to her, and together, they made a beautiful family. It didn’t matter that their baby wasn’t theirs biologically. He belonged to them, and they adored him. Kenny kneaded Taryn a tiny bit closer.
“We ready to eat yet?” Frank Ackerman appeared at the mouth of the hallway, forever wearing his cowboy hat and boots. He’d hired Kenny five years ago, and Kenny still felt a flash of appreciation whenever he saw the man.
“Brett and Kate aren’t here yet,” Squire said. “They’re bringin’ the rolls from the bakery.”
“See? You weren’t last.” Kenny smiled at Taryn, who returned the gesture. All his nerves settled. He loved her, and she loved him, and he didn’t doubt for a moment that she’d say yes to his very important question.
He retreated a few steps as he watched the people around him. The foreman he appreciated and obeyed. The men who’d gone off to war, come home broken, and found a way to make a life for themselves at Three Rivers Ranch.
The rodeo champions, and the horse boarders, and the pancake house owners. Kenny felt such love for them all, he thought sure his heart would burst.
Brett and Kate arrived a few minutes later, towing their two kids and dozens and dozens of rolls with them.
“All right,” Squire said, sending Kenny’s pulse into a tizzy. “We’re all here now.”
“’Cept Tom,” Pete said.
“Of course. Except Tom.” A moment passed in silence while Kenny pictured the steady, sure cowboy who’d been the controller on the ranch. He’d been gone for a couple of years, but he came back to visit from time to time. He’d been here over the Fourth of July, but wanted to build his own family holiday traditions on the ranch where he now lived in Montana.
“I just want to say how grateful I am for all of you.” Squire swallowed, the only emotion he ever showed. “And for God for bringin’ you all out to Three Rivers, in whatever way He did.” He lifted his mug; Pete whooped; everyone broke into applause.
“And now, I believe we have a program of sorts that’s been prepared.” Squire’s gaze landed on Kenny. Everyone’s did. Garth slid the jewelry box into Kenny’s hand, but he couldn’t seem to move.
Christmas in Three Rivers: Three Rivers Ranch Romance Novella Collection Page 25