A Cowboy to Kiss Page 16

  “You don’t know that Dad or anyone else would have found that short. According to Mike, that outlet must have been that way since it was put in. It was just a matter of time until it sparked a fire. We were all just lucky you added that fire retardant flooring last year or who knows what might have happened. You saved lives, Kenzie. You’re a hero.”

  “Jake doesn’t think I’m a hero, or why else would he have left? I thought we were...well, I’m, well, I’m—”

  He gently picked up her chin with his finger to gaze into her eyes.

  “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for that Mother Nature Boy?”

  Kenzie nodded. “And now what? What do I do with all these feelings I have for him?”

  “If I know anything about guys, I’d bet you my National Buckle that he feels the same way about you.”

  “Then why did he leave?”

  “I can’t answer that, but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt before you go thinking the worst. Now let’s dry those tears and get to work. We’ve got ourselves a new barn to build.”

  But Jake had left without even saying goodbye.

  He knew that the fire and his wounded stallion were her fault. He’d been with her when the lights flickered a few days ago. He knew she should have said something to her dad, to someone who knew how to wire a barn.

  No wonder Jake was gone. If anything happened to Morning Star he would never forgive her, and she didn’t know if she could bear that.

  Chapter Eleven

  Two days and two nights had passed since the fire, all of it pretty much in a blur as Kenzie dealt with the insurance company and then had meticulously gone through the books three times to see if she could find a way to come up with the needed ten thousand dollars to pay the insurance deductible that now loomed over her head.

  She’d managed to remember to eat a little, with some prompting from her mom. Sleeping was the most difficult of all. Her dreams were horrific, with memories of the fire creeping in every time she closed her eyes...and while she lay awake in between nightmares, all she could fixate on was the sweet lovemaking with Jake, and then, well, then she couldn’t sleep at all.

  This morning when she’d used the last of Jake’s coffee beans for a final pot of coffee, she’d just about fallen completely apart, unable to stop the sobs and the tears from pouring out.

  Her dad had stepped up and wrapped an arm around her and held her until her sobs diminished.

  “I’m sorry, Dad, but I don’t know if I can do this.” Not alone, anyway. Her heart ached for Jake and she had a feeling it always would. She wanted him back in her bed, by her side, loving her again. She’d picked up her phone several times to call him, to plead with him to return to Briggs, but then couldn’t call, knowing he had to come to this decision on his own, regardless of what she said. She knew his heart had already been broken once, and he was probably trying to make sure it wouldn’t be broken again.

  Kenzie understood all of this consciously, but her own heart was breaking and she didn’t know if she could stand the pain.

  “We’ll get through this. I promise.” Her dad always liked to look at the rosy side of a mess, even if everything seemed bleak. After all, not only had the barn been destroyed, but her parents’ anniversary party, and their renewal vows never took place. A lot of money spent for nothing. Sill, her dad seemed to refuse to let any of it get him down. Her mom was reacting the same way.

  “This time, I’m not so sure,” Kenzie said, still holding on to her dad a little longer.

  Her dad finally backed away and held Kenzie by her arms and gazed into her eyes. “Kenzie Grant, you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for, so you believe me when I say that I know we’ll get through this...you’ll get through this. Your mom and I may not say it out loud often enough, but we’re mighty proud of you, mighty proud. What you’ve done with this place has been a downright miracle, and you know that even though I invited Jake here it was never meant to diminish anything you’ve already accomplished. The barn burning down, well, that can be replaced. The important thing is nobody was hurt, and all the horses, even Jake’s horse, are gonna be fine. Your sister guaranteed it. We’ll rebuild and don’t you worry, the barn will be better than ever. That’s a promise.”

  Kenzie sniffled a few more times, then moved away and reached for a paper towel from the roll on the counter to mop up her tears. The roll sat next to the sink, which was directly in front of double windows. When she glanced out the windows it took a moment to register the long line of ranch trucks, heavy duty trucks and cars that were headed for the burned-out shell that was once the Grant horse barn.

  Blinking, she reminded herself it was daylight and she wasn’t dreaming. Maybe she was having a nervous breakdown and replaying that scene from the night of the fire in some kind of hallucination. It sure looked like the night of the fire when it seemed as if the entire town had shown up to help with putting out the fire.

  “Will you get a load of that?” her dad said. “What is all that?”

  “So, you see it, too? I’m not imagining this?”

  “I see it, too, but doggone it, I don’t believe it!”

  Kenzie followed her dad outside, and the first thing Kenzie recognized was Jake’s truck and horse trailer at the head of the long line of vehicles.

  What?

  Her dad held her hand so tightly it almost hurt as she accompanied him to the head of the line and right to Jake’s rig just as he stepped out. A big grin on his absolutely, adorably handsome face. Soon Kenzie’s mom had joined them.

  “What is all this?” her mom asked.

  “I got a feeling we’ve got us some mighty good neighbors, Millie. Better than we ever knew,” her dad said with a hitch to his voice. Kenzie knew this outpouring of love was much more than she or her parents could ever have hoped for.

  Kenzie’s heart swelled at seeing Jake again, especially heading up the long line of vehicles behind him. She wanted to rush right into his arms, but she held back, not knowing how he felt about her...about everything that had happened.

  “Surprise!” he shouted, looking confident and happy. His wide grin reflecting everything she was feeling.

  “What is all this?” Kenzie asked, hoping that this contingency of townsfolk and tools and wood was the answer to her prayers.

  “I didn’t want to tell you until I had it all organized, which, believe me, took some doing.”

  “Jake Scott, what have you done?” her mother asked, as she held up a hand to shade her eyes from the sun while gazing out at the majority of their friends exiting their vehicles, wearing work clothes and carrying tools, coolers, wood beams and everything else to rebuild a barn.

  The other cars and trucks had stopped, and she spotted Joel, and her brother Carson, and Milo Gump, and Fire Chief Mike, and Amanda Gump, and the extended Granger family. From the looks of it, just about everyone they knew had driven onto their property.

  Her mom stepped right up and hugged Jake, then her dad. Jake beamed with pride.

  “I haven’t seen one of these in twenty years, ever since old man Gabaur lost his barn in a lightning storm,” Kenzie’s dad told Jake.

  “It’s a good old-fashioned barn raising,” her mom said. “Am I right?”

  Jake stared at Kenzie over her mom’s shoulder, looking proud and humbled at the same time.

  Kenzie shook her head, not really believing this was actually happening, either. Jake hadn’t left after all. He’d been busy planning this surprise.

  He said, “I should have let y’all in on things, but I couldn’t until I was certain it would happen. If it hadn’t, I thought it might be devastating for you all, and you’ve been through so much already.”

  Her parents headed out to greet family and friends. Kenzie stood her ground and crossed her arms over her chest, not knowing if she
should cry for joy or be mad as a wet hen that he’d let her think he’d gone back to Montana.

  Her mom marched right over to where some of the folks were gathering behind some of the pickup trucks unloading coolers and picnic baskets no doubt filled with food, and helped set things up on tailgates. Dad greeted everyone with a firm handshake and a pat on the back. Kenzie caught him wiping his eyes every now and then, emotions bubbling up faster than he could control them.

  Jake now stood in front of Kenzie, still grinning.

  Putting her last ounce of strength into her voice, she said, “I thought you’d left me. I thought you went back home.”

  “I’m sorry. I should have called, should have come over, but I couldn’t, not without knowing for certain that I could make this all work. I’ve been staying at Joel’s. He offered his barn for Morning Star and Bingo. I took him up on his generous offer. Coco is a miracle worker. Morning Star is eating again. It’s going to take a while, but he’s going to be just fine. Joel helped me pull all this together, he and Wade Porter. We were so caught up in calling everyone and getting the word out, and then we had to pick up the supplies, and schedule big equipment—plus the Dumpsters—to clear out all the burned wood. It literally took up every single minute of my time. I don’t think we really ever slept. I should have made the time, I know, but I wanted to surprise you and your parents. And I was afraid it would all fall apart, so I decided to wait until I knew for sure that it would happen.”

  As the words spilled out—more words at one time than she ever remembered coming out of those perfectly kissable lips on the absolutely beautiful cowboy who stood in front of her, like some knight in shining armor. Better still, he was her strong-willed, determined, natural cowboy in work clothes, ready to dig in and make a miracle happen.

  Her heart filled with more love than she thought possible.

  “Still mad?” he asked, opening his arms to invite her in closer.

  “Nope. Proud. Happy. Missed you more than anything.”

  “Then come on over, ’cause for as much as you missed me, I missed you even more. I realized something while I was away from you for these last two days. Something that I hope will help us get through this and anything life throws our way. I love you, Kenzie Grant. I’ve loved you ever since I first met you with your doll in your back pocket and your defiant attitude. I love everything about you and I especially love your feisty spirit. I don’t know what the future holds for us, or if you feel the same way, but I can’t keep my feelings inside one more minute. That barn fire taught me more than it took away. Love is all that matters, and I love you.”

  She fell into his arms and buried her face in his shoulder, wanting to stay right there forever. She didn’t know how they would ever make this work, but she knew for certain, they’d find a way.

  “I love you too, Jake Scott, like crazy.”

  He picked her up and twirled her around letting out a loud woop!

  Then he carried her off to a nearby tree, out of sight of the crowd buzzing with excitement, with some of the men and women already shouting orders to unload the supplies. In the distance she heard the start of the demolition equipment’s engine, the leveling of the burned wood about to be torn down so the new barn could be framed.

  He finally placed her on her feet, her back against the trunk of one of the bigger trees on the ranch. “I called my brother Curt and we finally had one of those long brotherly talks. Lucas was part of it, as well. Skype is a beautiful thing. We must have talked for three hours, about everything from my marriage to growing up on the ranch to Curt’s meltdown. It really cleared the air.”

  “I’m so glad. Is Curt still in Portland?”

  “Nope, by now he should be back home on our ranch. He admitted that the city was about to choke him to death and he’d been wanting to come home but his pride was getting in the way. He confessed that he just wasn’t cut out for anything but ranching. He sounded so happy that I had to believe him. He said he couldn’t wait to get started on the roundup.”

  More joy filled her heart with everything Jake was saying. “Does this mean you can stay awhile?”

  He nodded. “Looks like you’re stuck with this ol’ ornery cowboy for as long as you want me here. I meant what I said when I told you we were in this together, babe. You and me. Together we can do anything. Starting with rebuilding your barn, an even bigger barn this time with all the bells and whistles. And maybe, as long as we’re at it, we can start that house you wanted to build up on the hill, with the view of the entire ranch.”

  Kenzie pulled him to her, wrapping one leg around his to pull him in even tighter, his hard angles fitting perfectly against her soft curves. “You mean it?”

  He nodded, smiling. “I most certainly do. We can do this.”

  “Together,” she said, then she kissed him, while tapping into her inner alley cat.

  “Um,” he moaned, pulling away for a moment to gaze into her eyes. “I think we’re on to something here.”

  Epilogue

  Two Months Later

  “You’re sure?” Kenzie asked, then squealed when Coco nodded.

  “Definitely. Every single one of them. Your mares will foal in the spring just like you planned, even Sweet Girl. Jake’s stallions did their jobs well.”

  The two women hugged for a long time, savoring the moment.

  “It’s nothing short of a miracle, given all that those animals have been through.”

  “Mother Nature probably had a little something to do with it...along with those two very fine stallions.”

  Kenzie gazed out at the two pastures, Bingo in one with five of the mares and Morning Star, who had now almost completely recovered, in the other with Sweet Girl, and the rest of his mares.

  Morning Star had made a miraculous recovery thanks to the diligence of Coco’s expert hand and Kenzie finally felt like she could take a breath, enjoy what they’d achieved and believe they all had a promising future...horses and humans.

  Coco glanced at her watch. “We better get a move on or we’ll be late.”

  Both women were dressed casually in their finest ranch wear, as they climbed into Coco’s SUV along with Dora and Dolly and headed off to Joel and Callie’s. The family was now ready to conclude the ceremony that had been interrupted by the fire.

  “I take it Mom and Dad have already left?” Coco asked once they were on the main road.

  Kenzie nodded. “Bright and early this morning. Dad said Mom seemed happy their anniversary party isn’t such a big deal this time, with only family and a few close friends.”

  Kenzie was just happy they were doing it at all after the last attempt. And it felt good, part of putting that horrible day behind them. The beautiful new barn was now back up and better than ever, a perfect time for a party.

  As they pulled up to the Double S Ranch and parked, Kenzie was surprised at the amount of cars and pickups that were parked at all angles, everywhere there was space.

  “Looks like this party is a bit bigger than we thought.”

  “You know how this town is. They love to celebrate. Most of them probably invited themselves. And look over there.” Coco pointed to the side of the ranch house, where at least three cooks stood moving chicken and beef around on large black barbeques, white smoke wafting up all around them. “Aren’t they from Sammy’s Smokehouse in town?”

  “This is crazy. I thought Mom just wanted something simple?”

  “Her friends must have had other ideas.”

  The two women chortled with delight as they parked and then followed everyone over to the arbor where the ceremony would take place, with Father Beau giving them his blessing.

  Kenzie searched the area for Jake and smiled when she saw him coming out of the house, looking as striking as ever, wearing what appeared to be new darkwash jeans and a deep green shirt tha
t complimented his gorgeous eyes. Was that a new cowboy hat? And boots? He seemed more dressed up than she’d seen him since he’d arrived in Briggs, and wondered what was up.

  But before she could ask him anything, her mom and dad walked to the arbor where Father Beau stood waiting to give them his blessing. Mom looked beautiful in a new pair of jeans, a fringed jacket, a cream-colored straw cowgirl hat and deep red cowgirl boots. Her dad looked charming in his pressed jeans, crisp white shirt and string tie. Their hats actually matched, and if Kenzie remembered right, they’d had matching hats when they’d first gotten married. Her dad had picked them up in town at Hess’s Department Store. It was her mom’s very first cowboy hat. Apparently, he’d done the same thing this time, no doubt for good luck.

  The blessing took all of ten minutes, and afterward everyone clapped and cheered and got right down to the important stuff...the celebration. A small traditional country band played an old Johnny Cash song while her mom and dad greeted their friends.

  Jake stepped up close to Kenzie and handed her a longneck bottle of beer. Kenzie tapped his bottle. “To my mom and dad and another forty-five years!”

  They both took a healthy pull on their beers.

  “Feeling good?” he finally asked.

  “The best,” she told him, genuinely meaning it. His brothers had taken over running their family ranch, which allowed Jake to stay right there in Briggs, on the Grant ranch. He’d recently made a quick trip home to make sure everything was going well, which it was, better than expected, and to gather up more of his things. His stallions stayed behind, appeasing any apprehensions Kenzie might have had that he wouldn’t return.

  “Me, too,” he said, then he set his bottle down on one of the long wooden tables set up for dinner. To Kenzie’s complete surprise, while everyone was busy cheering on her mom and dad, Jake reached into his back pocket and pulled out a tiny blue velvet box.

  A rush of anticipation swept through her. They’d gotten very close in the last couple of months, spending all their free time together during the day, and essentially living together in the guesthouse at night. She’d taken their love affair a day at a time, never knowing when he’d tell her he had to leave, had to return to Montana, permanently.