Chapter Thirteen – Mackenzie
MACKENZIE
The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. Were we really admitting to falling in love with each other after only a couple of days?
“This is crazy,” Bradly said, as I nodded.
“It is.”
“But it feels right.”
I smiled. “It does.”
He stood, and I followed. He rounded the table and had me in his arms before I could take a single breath. Pressing his mouth to mine, we soon got lost in the kiss. My fingers tangled in his hair, and I gently pulled, causing him to let out a soft moan. Just as our hands started to work at our clothes, Bradly’s phone began to ring.
Not again.
Ripping his mouth from mine, he cursed. “Shit. It’s my mother. She wouldn’t be interrupting us if it wasn’t important.”
I took a few steps back and drew in some deep breaths. Thank goodness his mother called, or we might have done something stupid. I quickly started to clean up the table as he walked into the kitchen to take the call.
“Hey, Mom. No, no, we just finished eating. What? She’s at the house? No, I wasn’t expecting her. We still have to pack up and ride back to the farm.”
I busied myself with getting everything back into the basket and gathered up the paper plates we’d used. I wasn’t sure if I should walk into the kitchen or not. The last thing I would ever want was for Bradly to think I was being nosy.
“What do you mean, she’s staying at the house? Why can’t she stay at a hotel in town?”
That caused me to stop. Who were they talking about, and why did Bradly sound so agitated?
“I really wish you would have talked to me before you invited her to stay at the house, Mom. Because…I just wished you would have spoken to me first.”
He exhaled. “I’ll be there when I get there. She can wait.”
Rubbing my hands together nervously, I glanced around the living room. The fire had gone out, but I walked over there anyway. There was still some heat coming from the ashes.
Bradly said goodbye to his mom, and I could feel the moment he entered the room without even having to look that way.
“You didn’t have to clean up all of this.”
Turning, I smiled. “I didn’t mind.”
Bradly took the plates I had piled on top of each other and brought them into the kitchen. When he appeared again, he wore a sour expression.
“Is everything okay?”
His hand went to the back of his neck, and he rubbed it as if he had an ache suddenly. “My agent is up at the house.”
“Your agent?”
He nodded. “Yeah, she takes care of all my sponsorships, commercials, interviews, things like that. Her dad was my father’s agent, and he was mine before he somewhat retired.”
“Oh, is everything okay? I mean…I guess there must be a reason she’s here?”
Rolling his eyes, he exhaled a frustrated breath. “She’s a pain in my ass, is what she is. She’s pissed I took a break, and I’m sure she’s even more pissed I haven’t taken any of her calls since I got home. And if she’s spoken with her father… Though, I doubt that.”
I grimaced and wanted to ask him what he meant by that. Instead, I said, “Yikes. We should head on back then?”
With a look of defeat on his face, he simply gave a nod.
The sudden change in Bradly’s mood caught me off guard. He seemed preoccupied, distant even, as we made our way back to the barn to get the horses. He also seemed very pissed off.
“Will the fire be okay in the fireplace?”
“Yeah, I checked it before we left. It’s just ashes. I’ll stop by later and double-check it, or have one of the ranch hands do it for me.”
I nodded and pulled myself up onto Barkley. She didn’t seem very happy to be leaving the cozy barn. When she saw Chief was stepping out of his stall, though, she perked up.
“I think Barkley has a thing for Chief.”
Bradly chuckled. “It appears so, doesn’t it.”
We started out of the barn and back down the path. Bradly led, and Barkley and I followed. The entire ride back to the farm was silent. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, because I knew it was more than just his agent showing up, but I had the feeling it was something he didn’t want to discuss.
By the time we got back, got the tack off the horses, and led Barkley back into the barn, along with Chief, Bradly’s mood had completely soured.
I walked back out to where he was talking to Will, who had shown up five minutes after we arrived at the barn. They were talking in lowered voices, and Bradly seemed to be angry.
“Well, he’s gonna have to make time to talk to me. I’m not letting this go,” Bradly said, before realizing that Will had looked past him toward me. He turned and smiled when he saw me, but it seemed forced.
“I think I’m going to go check on Lou and make sure she doesn’t need me for anything.”
He nodded. “Okay, I have to get to the house, but I’ll call you in a bit when I get things…settled.”
I smiled. “Sounds good.” Turning my attention to Will, I added, “Thank you for helping with today. It was lovely.”
His cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. “Um, you’re welcome. I’ll go ahead and let Chief and Barkley out to pasture here in a bit.”
“Thanks,” Bradly said as he made his way over to me.
“Here are Avery’s riding gloves. Tell her thank you for me.”
He took them and stared at them for a moment before his gaze caught mine. “I’m sorry we have to cut this afternoon short.”
“It’s okay. I had an amazing time, and…” I let my words trail off as I drew in a deep breath and exhaled. “It was more than amazing. It was mind-blowing at times.”
The dimples appeared, and the anxiety in my chest lessened some. Maybe his agent was here to tell him he had to leave earlier than he’d planned, and that was why he was so upset. What else could it be?
He lifted his hand and brushed something off my cheek. “That it was. Next time, I’m going to be better prepared.”
I giggled like a damn schoolgirl. “I’d say I would have a backup plan in place, but I don’t think I’ll be driving my car to the drug store in this snow anytime soon.”
He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to him. His mouth covered mine, and the rest of my tension slipped away. The kiss was like all his kisses. Deep and passionate, and we quickly got lost in one another.
When he slowly drew back, his dark eyes searched my face before they found my gaze. “I hate leaving you for even a few hours.”
I ran my finger along his jaw that was covered with the slightest bit of stubble. “How about I make you dinner at my place, and you come bearing gifts of readiness?”
He dropped his head back and laughed. “Oh, trust me, I’ll be bringing gifts, alright. Some for you to keep in the side drawer of your nightstand.”
I smiled so hard I could feel my cheeks quickly starting to ache.
With one more quick kiss, he said, “Text me when you want me to come over for dinner.”
“Come on over anytime. I’ll have dinner ready at six-thirty if that works?”
He winked and my stomach swooped. “Sounds good. See you then.”
I watched as he made his way over to his truck. He got inside, started it up, and waited a few minutes before he drove off toward his parents’ house.
Wrapping my arms around myself, I realized I was cold. The first thing I needed to do before I went to the greenhouse was to get out of the riding pants and into something warmer.
Twenty minutes later, I was walking into the greenhouse and called out for Lou as I stuffed my knit hat and gloves into my coat pocket. When no one answered, I walked toward the office. The door was open, so I called out Lou’s name again.
“Lou? Are you back here?”
She poked her head out and smiled. “I’m here!”
I stepped into the office—and froze when I saw Duke sitting in another chair.
“Hey, Mackenzie, how’s your day been?”
Remembering my conversation earlier with Bradly, I forced a casual smile. “It’s been amazing. I had a lunch date with Bradly. I think I might have mentioned that.”
He nodded and looked down at a magazine that was open on Lou’s desk.
“Duke was asking about growing some vegetables of his own over the winter, so I was showing him some smaller greenhouses that would work for residential.”
“Oh, that’s nice.” Turning to look at Lou, I asked, “Is there anything you need me to do? I find myself with some free time.”
“No, not at all. Why don’t you just head on home and relax. Everything in the greenhouse has been taken care of.”
“If you’re sure? I don’t mind doing any chores that might need to be done.”
Lou waved me off. “You did everything this morning. I told you winters were going to be much slower. Go, enjoy your day with Bradly.”
Duke smirked. “Now that Crystal’s here, I’m sure Bradly will be busy.”
My brows pulled down some as I turned my attention back to him. “His agent?”
He let out a laugh. “Yeah, his agent. Among other things.”
“Duke, I think you’re crossing a line you aren’t meant to cross,” Lou warned.
Looking up, he wore a smile that made my skin crawl, and the anxiety from earlier came rushing back.
“What do you mean, ‘among other things’?”
Lou stood. “He doesn’t mean anything, now you go and enjoy your time off, sweetheart.”
When I glanced back at Duke, he winked, and I felt myself recoil slightly.
All but pushing me out of her office, Lou wrapped her arm in mine, and we walked through the greenhouse in silence. Once I got to the door, I pulled my hat and gloves out of my coat pocket.
“Lou, what did Duke mean?”
She sighed. “Nothing. Since those two boys were teenagers, they’ve been competing with one another. I knew Duke had a liking toward you, and that he wasn’t going to handle the news of you dating Bradly well. He’s just being a little ass. Ignore him.”
I tried to let her words reassure me, but something was off. I knew that already, simply by the way Bradly was acting once he’d learned Crystal was at the house.
“Go and enjoy yourself. Will you be seeing Bradly again today?”
Slipping my gloves on, I smiled. “He’s coming over for dinner. I don’t know what to make, though. I already made my famous spaghetti.”
“Do you have some veggies?”
I nodded. “I picked some this morning that were ready.”
“Minestrone soup.”
Grinning, I hugged Lou. “That’s a great idea.”
She laughed and gave me a quick squeeze. “Enjoy your evening, sweetheart.”
Feeling myself blush, I replied, “I will. Thanks, Lou.”
Once outside, I glanced up and noticed a few snowflakes falling. I closed my eyes and smiled. Moving to Montana had been the best decision I’d ever made and today only proved that once again.
My cell rang with my sister’s ringtone, and I quickly put it on speakerphone.
“Hey, how are you?” I asked, as I turned back to the veggies I was cutting up.
“I’m great. I wanted to let you know that Doug and I are due to fly in on the thirtieth.”
I let out a small scream of excitement. “Oh, Em! I can’t wait to see you, and I can’t wait for you to see Montana. It’s a winter wonderland right now.”
She laughed. “Well, if I have to go from one cold spot to another, at least the scenery will be prettier.”
“That’s true!”
“Did I interrupt anything?”
“Not at all. I was cutting up veggies for a minestrone soup I’m making for dinner.”
“Oh,” Emily said in a teasing tone. “Is the cowboy coming over for dinner again?”
“He is. We spent this afternoon together, and it was…”
I let my words dangle in the air. How did I explain today, exactly?
“It was what? How could you just stop talking?”
Chuckling, I leaned against the counter and put my hand to my chest. “Em, it was beautiful. Amazing. Sexy.”
She gasped. “Did you have sex?”
“Kind of,” I said with a giggle. “He apparently hadn’t been planning on us having sex, therefore he didn’t bring any condoms. I’m not on the pill, obviously, because I haven’t had sex in over a year. So, we did…other things.”
I heard a door shut and some rustling. “I’m in the cleaning closet at work. Tell me everything!” my sister whispered.
Throwing my head back, I laughed.
“Kenz! Now! All the deets!”
“Okay, okay! Well, he took me on a horseback ride, and it was so romantic with the snow-covered fields. Highly recommend it for a romantic date.”
“Duly noted. Go on.”
“We went to the cabin he bought from his parents on the ranch. It was the original house on the ranch at one point. It was so adorable, Em. Bradly had it remodeled and updated. He plans on living there so he’s not staying with his parents when he’s home off the road.”
“I don’t give two shits about the house, Kenz. Get to the good stuff!”
I laughed. “Right. We ended up in the upstairs main bathroom. It’s stunning. Anyway, he suggested we test out the bathtub.”
She squealed, then whispered something about being quiet. “Go on!”
“I don’t know what came over me, but I stripped out of my clothes. The water in the bathtub was filling, he was naked in front of me. Next thing I knew, I was sitting on the edge of the tub and he was…he was…oh…he was doing naughty things with his mouth in places no man has ever had his mouth before.”
A loud crash came through the phone, and I heard Emily yell out, “Everything is fine! I’m looking for window cleaner!”
Then the door slammed shut again on her end. “He gave you oral sex?”
“Yes. And why haven’t you ever told me how amazing it is?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I never thought to share that information with my older sister. You’ve never had oral sex before? You prude.”
I huffed. “I am not a prude. I just haven’t dated the type of guys who do that. They’ve always been…” Smiling, I said, “Vanilla.”
“Well, poor you. I hope this Bradly guy brings a bit of spice to your neglected vagina.”
I rolled my eyes. “Anyway, after that, he turned off the water and said he wanted to make love to me in the bed, and that’s when we realized we had no condoms.”
“Ugh, that sucks.”
“I returned the favor and gave my first blow job.”
My sister was silent on the other end of the phone.
“Em?”
“I’m sorry. What type of men have you dated before? Did you swallow?”
“I did. It was gross, but at the same time kind of hot.”
She gagged. “That is gross. I can’t with Doug. He has to warn me so I can tap out. He can come anywhere he wants on me and in me, except for my mouth. That’s off limits.”
I laughed. “Well, I loved having that power over him. It was very…erotic.”
“Good word. What happened after?”
Exhaling and trying to push away that memory, I told her about the packed lunch and how we almost said forget the condoms and had sex in the kitchen, but his mother called just in time.
“It was strange, though, after that call.”
“What do you mean?”
I shrugged even though she couldn’t see me. “I don’t know. His mom said his agent had shown up. I overheard him asking why she was staying at the house and not at a hotel. When he got off the phone, he was distracted. Almost distant.”
“Really? I wonder why?”
“I don’t know. He was quiet the entire ride back. Oh, and I forgot to mention one of his best friends from high school, who’s a ranch hand…I think might like me. Bradly thinks he does, and there might be some drama there. I’m not worried about that, though.”
“Okay, well, you sound worried about something. Why do you think he was distant? How did the date end?”
“Good. He kissed me like he was going to miss me. And then we made plans for dinner at my house. Oh, and we sort of, kind of, admitted we were falling in love, but in a serious way.”
She gasped, and another loud noise came through the phone, followed by my sister cursing. “Hold on, I stepped in a fucking bucket full of dirty water.”
I pressed my mouth together tightly to keep from laughing.
“You told him you were falling in love with him after knowing him for what? A few days? Are you insane, Kenz?”
“I am falling in love with him, Em. But before we get carried away with that, Duke said something to me that’s been bugging me.”
“Who the hell is Duke?”
“The ranch hand—his best friend—who I think might like me. He said Crystal, who’s apparently Bradly’s agent, was something more than just an agent.”
Emily drew in a gasped breath. “Oh my God. Do you think they’ve been together?”
I sighed. “I’m not sure.”
“Maybe that’s why he was acting so weird. The woman he’s had a past with shows up at his parents’ house, is staying there, all while he’s in a new relationship with you.”
“Even if they did have a past relationship, so what? I’ve had past relationships.”
“And are those guys currently staying at your place?”
My thumb came up to my mouth and I started to chew on my nail.
“Stop chewing on your nail.”
Dropping my hand, I asked, “How did you know I was chewing on my nail?”
“I’m your sister, Kenz. I know you. I know what you do when you start to feel anxiety and stress. Speaking of…Mom asked about you when she called me this morning, to ask again if Doug and I were coming to visit her. I told her I had no intention of setting foot in Georgia ever again, but didn’t mention going to see you. She asked if I would give you a message.”
I picked up the knife I’d been using to cut the zucchini. “Do I want to hear it?”
“Probably not. She told me to tell you that enough is enough, and that you need to contact her. She claims she has every right to see you and know where you are.”
“Seriously? Does the restraining order I have against her and her dickhead of a husband not mean anything to her? I’m not a child, I’m an adult. Her rights ended the day I turned eighteen.”
“Trust me, I reminded her that her husband used to hit you and tried to choke you, and she told me I shouldn’t believe your tales. I think she conveniently forgets I was there and saw most of it.”
I rolled my eyes. “She’s completely delusional. Em, you have to stop talking to her. She’s only going to try and poison what you have with Doug.”
Sighing, she said, “I know. I know. But enough about that. What are you going to do about Crystal?”
“Nothing.”
With a disbelieving laugh, she asked, “You’re not even going to ask him if they had a past together?”
“Em, it’s none of my business whether they did or not.”
“Do you trust him?”
I paused for a moment and thought about it. Even though we’d only just met, I did trust Bradly. I answered her honestly. “Yes. I do. I trust him.”
“What if he doesn’t tell you about their past relationship, if they had one?”
“Did Doug tell you about all his ex-girlfriends?”
“No, but one never stayed in the same house as him or worked for him.”
“Touché.” I sighed. “He’s coming over for dinner tonight, so I’ll talk to him about what Duke said, but that’s it. The rest is up to him if he wants to tell me anymore.”
“Good. I think honesty is the best policy.”
“Agreed.”
My phone buzzed in my hand, and I saw it was Bradly texting.
“Oh! He’s texting me now. Hold on.”
Opening his message, I frowned as I read it.
Bradly: Would you mind if we changed our dinner plans? My agent needs to talk to me about some sponsorship opportunities that apparently, she says, cannot wait. She insists on talking over dinner. I’ve been needing to have a long overdue conversation with her, and might as well do it now.
“What did it say?” Emily asked.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Um, he has to cancel dinner. I guess his agent needs to go over some things with him and wants to do it over dinner , and he has to have a ‘long overdue conversation with her’—his exact words. What do you think that means?”
“Don’t read into it, Kenz.”
“I’m not,” I said as I drew in a breath and let it out. “I’m disappointed, but I’m not going to overthink it.”
“Good. Listen, people are starting to come and open the cleaning closet. I should go back to work once I dry off my damn shoe.”
Forcing myself to sound carefree and not worried, I replied, “I can’t wait to see you and Doug! Text me the flight details as soon as you can.”
“I will. I love you, Kenz.”
“I love you too.”
Hitting End, I set my phone down and stared at the vegetables. I picked up the knife and finished cutting up everything and put it in a plastic bowl. I wasn’t in the mood to cook now.
I poured myself a glass of wine, grabbed a book, and headed to the sofa, where Mr. Whiskers and Pickles were both curled up. I shouldn’t have Pickles up in the apartment with me, but he gave me such a pleading look earlier, I couldn’t tell him no.
Dropping down on the sofa, I let out a dramatic sigh, which apparently offended Mr. Whiskers because he got up, stretched, then made his way toward my room. Or maybe he wasn’t thrilled Pickles was up on the sofa. Either way, he was leaving.
I tried to focus on reading, but my mind kept going back over everything that had happened since Bradly had gotten that damn phone call. I wasn’t the jealous type, usually. But something about the way Duke made those comments gave me pause. He could have been doing it on purpose, and most likely had.
“Oh, for the love of all,” I said as I slammed the book shut. Turning to Pickles, I asked, “What is wrong with me, Pickles?”
The goat simply stared at me.
I nodded. “You’re right. I have trust issues, even though I pretend like I don’t. I think that’s what you’re trying to say. I just really like him, and don’t want him to be lying to me about anything. Like a relationship with his agent that he has to put on pause because he’s giving me oral sex in rustic cabins.”
The goat tilted her head and gave me a look of pity.
I covered my face in my hands and groaned before dropping them and looking back at my pet.
“Wait until you find the perfect male goat and he runs off with his agent.” I put air quotes around the last word.
My head suddenly began to pound. I looked at the wine and decided what I needed was a few Tylenol and maybe a nap. I never took naps, but I was suddenly exhausted.
“Come on, let’s go crash Mr. Whiskers’ space and all take a nap.”