Chapter Seventeen – Bradly
brADLY
Mackenzie reappeared with Lily, freshly changed into jeans and a sweater. She had changed her shoes as well, and was now wearing flats, and she looked so damn beautiful I could hardly believe she was mine. For the first time in my life, I felt whole. And being with my family, seeing everyone so happy and in love, made it the best Christmas of my life.
Nathan rang a bell and got everyone’s attention. “We have two games tonight. One will be a team effort, the other individual.”
“The first is the team game,” Joshua stated. “Men against the women. This game is going to need to be played with strategy, strength, and strong willpower. A big thanks to Uncle Dirk for coming up with it.”
“Oh, shit,” I whispered as I turned to Mackenzie. “Whatever happens, know that I love you and I’m so sorry.”
A giggle slipped from her mouth before she pressed a hand over it to conceal the laughter.
Joshua hoisted two five-gallon buckets and set them side by side. Maverick and Hunter both walked in with giant bags of potatoes.
“Are those…potatoes?” Morgan asked.
“Oh!” Aunt Kaylee said. “Are we going to compete to see who can peel them faster?”
Dad huffed. “Please. That’s child’s play.” He reached into a bag, took out a potato, and proceeded to put it…
No. No. No. No.
Turning to Mackenzie, I grabbed her hands. “Please don’t leave me because this family is insane!”
She was watching my father—my father—as he proceeded to demonstrate how everyone had to clench the potato in their ass cheeks, hobble to the bucket, and drop it in.
Her eyes lit up with amusement as she started to laugh.
“The team with the most potatoes wins!” Nathan announced, proud to be part of this endeavor.
“I am not doing that,” Uncle Tanner stated, as Uncle Brock nodded alongside him.
“Mackenzie! You’re with us!” Avery shouted as she waved her over to the side with all the women.
Turning to me, Mackenzie kissed my cheek. “May the best team win!” Then she bounced over to join the rest of the girls. Was Lily doing butt scrunches?
“Get those asses warmed up, ladies,” Mackenzie called out as she did a few scrunches of her own.
Uncle Ty hit me on the back. “She’s a keeper.”
Laughing, I nodded.
Once we got Brock and Tanner onboard, each group decided what order everyone was going to go in. When I glanced over to Mackenzie, she had her head ducked low as Avery was saying something to her while pointing to the buckets. I wanted to laugh at the sight. They were in deep planning mode.
When Makenzie nodded, rubbed her hands together, then slapped Avery on the ass, I knew without a doubt I was going to marry that woman.
“Looks like your girl is going to fit right on in,” Blayze said with a grin.
“It does, doesn’t it? She told me she was competitive, but with how nervous she was beforehand, I thought she’d be shy.”
We both glanced over to see Avery and Mackenzie preparing for battle as Kipton began rolling her hips. Even ready to pop, she was gearing up to win.
He put his hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “I’m glad you found someone to put that smile on your face, Bradly.”
Looking back at Mackenzie, I nodded. “So am I.”
Once the game began, I was positive I had never laughed so hard in my entire life. It was clear my father had known exactly what he was doing by planning this game. The competition to win was strong in this family, so seeing our parents with potatoes clenched between their ass cheeks, or the very tops of their legs, was nothing short of hysterical.
The girls ended up winning that game, in no small part thanks to Mackenzie, who gave pointers on how to properly clench the potato, then tapped in for Kipton, who was declared unable to play due to her “waddling.”
Uncle Tanner insisted the men would have won, had Uncle Ty not claimed he had a butt cramp and fallen to the floor on his last run, causing his potato to come loose and roll away. Watching him try to pick it up off the floor had everyone in stitches.
The next game consisted of each person being blindfolded, then sitting in front of a bowl and a big pile of cotton balls. The goal was to see who could get the most cotton balls into the bowl, using only a spatula. Since cotton’s practically lighter than air, it’s impossible to know when it’s on the spatula. I laughed so hard, even more than during the potato game, that I got side cramps. Lincoln was the winner on that one.
When the night was finally over, and all the goodbyes were said, Mackenzie and I headed back to her place. When we arrived, I reached for her bag, then her hand as we walked into the barn.
“I never asked you where Crystal was tonight,” Mackenzie said as we climbed the steps to her apartment.
“No clue. I’m assuming she went back to New York City.”
Slipping her shoes off at the door, Mackenzie walked into the apartment and flopped onto the sofa. “I’m exhausted. That was the most fun I think I’ve ever had. Your family is amazing.”
“They are pretty amazing, aren’t they?”
She nodded and yawned. I brought her bag into her bedroom, and when I came back out, Mackenzie was curled up sleeping.
Mr. Whiskers walked up to the sofa, put his front paws on the cushion to look at Mackenzie, saw she was sleeping, then looked over at me and started protesting not receiving any love from his owner.
“Sorry, buddy, she had a busy night with the family.” Walking over to her, I carefully picked her up and carried her to her room and gently placed her on the bed. I covered her up and then toed off my boots before heading into the bathroom to take a shower. After turning on the hot water, I stripped out of my clothes and quickly rinsed off. Afterward, I dried myself and wrapped the towel around my waist before making my way back into the bedroom.
I stopped to stare for a minute, enjoying the sight of Mackenzie sleeping so peacefully. It looked like she had a small smile on her face, and that caused my heart to feel like it skipped a beat or two. My phone went off with a text, disturbing the moment, so I quickly headed to the kitchen to retrieve it.
But a strange feeling crawled over my skin…and I paused before I reached for my phone. Like an internal alarm telling me not to read it. I was about to turn and walk away when it rang loudly.
“Shit!” I quickly answered it to avoid waking Kenzie, without bothering to see who was calling. “Hello?”
“I’ve texted you three times in the last hour, Bradly. Why are you not returning my calls?”
Exhaling, I rubbed between my eyes at the instant headache. “I was with my family.”
“And the new girlfriend?”
“Is this call work-related? If not, I’m hanging up.”
“Yes, it is work related. I need to know when you’re planning on flying into New York City. I’ll have a car pick you up at the airport, and I need to make hotel reservations for you.”
Frowning, I pulled the phone away from my face and stared at it before putting it back up to my ear. “I’m sorry, I have an assistant who makes my reservations for me. His name is Jack, in case you forgot.”
“I wasn’t sure if you wanted him to handle this trip.”
“Why wouldn’t I want him to handle it? He handles all of those details for me.”
“Well, did he tell you that there’s a fan meet-and-greet on January fifth at ten in the morning?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, he has. Crystal, what is this about? You’ve never wanted to know my travel arrangements before. Why the sudden need?”
“I plan on joining you on the road for the first few dates. I think someone needs to be around to make sure your head is in the right place. You weren’t acting right before your vacation, and now that you have a girl in the picture, things could get worse. I’ll be there to make sure you’re focused.”
Clearing my throat, I said, “There’s no need for you to be there. My head is exactly where it should be. Besides, my family and Mackenzie will be with me.”
There was a long pause.
“You still there?”
“Yes, I’m still here. You’re bringing Mackenzie? Will you be making your relationship official, then?”
I laughed. “I wasn’t aware I had to announce my private life to anyone.”
She sighed. “You have fans, Bradly. People who admire you not only for your bull riding, but for the way you look. Things might change if they think you have a girlfriend.”
My hand clenched into a fist. “Let me make this perfectly clear. I don’t care what anyone thinks about my personal life. And as far as what you think, your one and only job is as my agent—and that won’t be for much longer. When it comes to commercials or events or anything of the sort, you’re more than welcome to provide input. But as far as Mackenzie is concerned, stay out of it.”
“My goal has always been to make sure that your career stays on track so that you can make those tens of thousands of dollars you make by slipping on a pair of jeans or pitching a beer. If you don’t make money, we don’t make money. My only worry as far as your new little toy is concerned is that she doesn’t interfere with us making money. Wait—what do you mean, that won’t be much longer?”
I sighed. “I think it’s time you talked to Lewis.”
“What does my father have to do with this?”
“I’m going to hang up now. And for what it’s worth, I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Crystal. I wish you the best.”
Hitting End, I put my phone on silent and placed it back down on the counter.
I drew in a deep breath, turned, and headed into the bedroom. I pulled the towel off and dropped it to the floor and carefully crawled under the covers. Mackenzie made a little noise as she rolled over. Draping my arm around her waist, I drew her closer to me. She instantly molded against my body, and I felt her relax even more. Hell, maybe it was me who relaxed. Last night, with her in my arms, was the best sleep of my life. And I had a feeling it was going to be that way again tonight.
Closing my eyes, I tried to clear my mind so I could rest, but I couldn’t shut down my brain. I rolled over and stared up at the ceiling for what felt like forever. Mackenzie rolled over as well, and I dropped my head to the right to look at her. I smiled as I watched her hand tuck under her chin and she let out a soft little sigh.
Turning back onto my side, I watched her until my own eyes finally felt heavy, and I drifted off to sleep.
I pulled my truck up and parked in front of my cabin. I hadn’t been back since I’d brought Mackenzie a few days ago. So much had happened, or at least it felt like so much had happened. We’d spent every moment together that we could since meeting five days ago.
Turning off the truck, I got out and made my way up the front porch and unlocked the door. The second I stepped inside, I swore I smelled the familiar scents of vanilla and lavender. She’d only been here once, and her presence still lingered.
Exhaling, I took off my coat and hung it up before I made my way into the bedroom and to the desk that was in the corner. I opened the middle drawer and pulled out the notebook I kept there. I’d brought it from my bedroom at my parents’ house to the cabin, thinking I would be spending more time here over the holidays rather than up at the house. That all changed Christmas night.
Since then, I’d read my mother’s journal and the ups and downs of my parents’ relationship at the beginning. She had known from the start that my father was the love of her life, but he’d been stubborn and fought it for so long. I wasn’t really sure why Mom had wanted me to read it, but it was nice to see the relationship my parents had in the beginning.
Taking the notebook, I walked back out to the living room and sat down on the sofa. I opened it to the last entry…
Christmas Eve
My body is aching and all I want to do is crawl into bed and sleep for days. I thought my decision would have weighed heavy on my mind, but it’s been the opposite. It felt healing. Telling Mom and Dad what I’m thinking was another relief, especially because they weren’t disappointed in me. They told me to take my time with my decision. I already know I’m going to walk away. I think I knew it before I even came home. I know I’m making the right choice. I can feel it in my bones.
But there’s something else on my mind.
I’m surrounded by my family, and still feeling lonelier than I’ve ever felt in my life. Yet, I have this strange feeling that there’s someone here, waiting for me. By here, I mean on the ranch. I can’t explain the feeling. It’s like there’s an invisible string and it’s tugging at my heart, drawing me to someone, but I don’t know to who. And I have no idea where to look.
Maybe I’m feeling a bit melancholy because everyone around me is falling in love and getting married. Jealous, maybe? Life on the road is lonely, but damn if I’m not happy when I’m home, lonely or not.
It’s not jealousy. No, this feels real.
She’s out there. I can feel her, and I can’t help but wonder if she can feel me too.
I pulled out the pen that was clipped onto the notebook and turned the page. I thought for a moment before I wrote the date.
December 30th
Fate or destiny? One of them brought Mackenzie to me, and my life will never be the same again. Can a person really fall in love in a matter of days? No, in a matter of hours? Yes, because the way I feel for Mackenzie is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I know I love her with every fiber of my soul. Loving her is so easy. The idea that she hasn’t been in my life this whole time is unfathomable to me. To think about her not in my life is heart-wrenching.
Life before Mackenzie Reeves no longer exists in my mind. The only thing I see now, want now, is a life with her. Somehow, I knew she was coming to me, and I firmly believe that’s why my heart is no longer on the road it once was on. Now it’s here, in this cabin, with Mackenzie in my life and a future that looks brighter than I could have ever imagined.
I officially told Lewis this morning that I’m riding in one more event. I’m going to go out the way I want to go out. And Mackenzie will be by my side when I do it.
Dropping back on the sofa, I inhaled a deep breath and dragged a hand down my face. It was almost over. The dream I’d once thought I needed to justify my existence was about to come to a close. And a new journey was about to begin.
The knock I’d been waiting for caused me to sit up. The door opened and my father walked in. He smiled when he saw me and stomped the snow off his boots. Taking off his coat, he hung it up next to mine on the coatrack and made his way over, sitting on the love seat.
“Do you have your shirt ready for the wedding tomorrow?” he asked.
Lily and Maverick were getting married in a small wedding ceremony in Uncle Tanner and Aunt Timberlynn’s barn. It was simple and family only, with the exception of a few very close friends. The only thing Lily requested was that the guys wear jeans and blue button-up shirts, while the women could wear any color they wanted, since it had been such short notice for the wedding.
“Yeah, Avery steamed it for me. It’s hanging up in my room at your place.”
He nodded.
“We haven’t had a chance to talk, but I’m going to assume since Crystal showed up here, she didn’t know.”
I shook my head. “Lewis told me not to tell her, but she knows now. Strangely enough, she didn’t react the way I thought she would. The only thing she did was text me that I was contracted to be in New York City mid-January to shoot a commercial for Calvin Klein’s new cologne. She also informed me that I would be transferred to Adam, effective immediately. He’ll take care of business deals in the future, since my opportunities will be different, now that I’m leaving the Pbr.”
He raised his brows. “Wow. I’d like to think she did that on her own, but I’m pretty sure that was all Lewis. And Calvin Klein cologne, huh? Fancy.”
I laughed.
Dad leaned back and crossed his right ankle over his left knee. “You realize you made things more difficult by sleeping with her, son. You should have kept it business only.”
“The first few times, she wasn’t my agent, Dad. She was a friend. I was lonely, and I told her I wasn’t interested in a relationship. She agreed. We slept together a few more times after that, and when Lewis retired, she was the one who insisted that we were adults and we could keep the sex separate.”
He blew out his breath. “Well, it’s all a moot point now.”
“Yeah, it is.” Leaning forward, I rested my elbows on my knees. I thought about Mom’s journal. “Why did you leave the Pbr, Dad?”
He smiled. “The priorities in my life changed. I loved bull riding, but I missed out on so much, and I wasn’t about to keep living my life that way. When your grandfather died, I lost myself for a bit. I lost your mother for a bit, as well.”
I raised my brows.
“Thankfully, it all worked out. As far as you walking away…I know you said it was because you lost the drive for it.”
Nodding, I replied, “I did. It’s not that I don’t love it, I do. I love riding the bulls. It was all the other shit that started to get to me. It became all about the money. I made more money wearing a pair of jeans and talking about how comfortable they were while riding a bull, than I actually did riding the damn animals. When everyone started trying to control what I did outside of bull riding, that’s when I knew I was done. I’m too young to feel this old, Dad. The last couple of weeks, being home has been like Heaven.”
“I’m sure a certain pretty young lady has something to do with that.”
I grinned. “She’s just the cherry on top. With her coming into my life, I know I’ve made the right decision.”
“Madison Square the last run?”
“Yes, sir, I believe it is.”
A slow grin moved across his face. “Announce it at the end, like your uncle Brock did. No one knew he was going to retire until he said it in an interview, live on TV.”
“What will Lewis think? He already has a press release ready to go out. He’s just waiting to see how well I do.”
“Let me handle Lewis. If you end up deciding you want one more go ’round, then let’s do it. It’s going to be an interesting event either way.”
“Why do you say that?”
He leaned in closer to me, as if about to tell me a secret. “No one else knows this, but this is your uncle Ty’s last year.”
“What? He has a few bulls that are contenders, if not this year, then in the next year!”
Dad nodded. “He knows, and he’s just as tired as you. Probably more so, since he’s a hell of a lot older. With Rose getting married, most likely going to be starting a family soon, he wants to be home. Spend time with his family. I think he’s also worried about Joshua.”
“About the firefighter career?”
“Yeah. I know he was upset when Joshua told him he had no desire to follow in his daddy’s footsteps, or even work on the ranch. He tried not to show it, but he was seriously bummed out. He would never hold either of his kids back from anything, but I think a part of him blames himself for being so devoted to the bulls for so long.”
I sat back, surprised. “He was an amazing father. Rose and Joshua would agree.”
Dad shrugged. “You knew it was time, just like he knows it’s time.” He looked down at the floor, then back up at me. “You’re not working on the ranch because you think that’s what I want, are you?”
Surprised, I shook my head. “Dad, next to bull riding, the only thing I’ve always wanted to do was be a rancher like you. I want this. I want to be a part of helping you run and build the ranch. I want to be here…with my family.”
Smirking, Dad added, “And with Mackenzie.”
“Yes. She’s going to be my family too.”
“Bradly…I wanted to tell you that I’m proud of you. I’m proud that you’ve always followed your heart. You and your sister. I’m proud of the bull rider you are, but I’m prouder of the man you’ve become. And now that both of my kids have made the decision on their own to come back home, you need to know your mother is over-the-moon happy. She cried herself to sleep every time you kids would leave. I’m glad I won’t have to hold her in my arms ever again after she says goodbye to her kids for months at a time.”
I felt the sting of tears in the back of my eyes. “Your words mean a lot to me, Dad. All I’ve ever wanted was to be like you. And I’m so sorry Mom was upset like that. I’m glad we’re all going to be together again as a family.”
He blinked rapidly and wiped a tear away as he cleared his throat. “Your grandfather would have been so proud of you two kids.”
We sat in silence for a moment, neither saying a word.
“I’ve told Mackenzie I’m thinking of leaving the Pbr, but I don’t want her to blame herself. Thinking she swayed my decision.”
He thought for a few moments before he answered. “Would it be a bad thing if you were doing it because of her?”
“No, I guess it wouldn’t be. I’m hoping she’ll understand this wasn’t a decision I just made on a whim.”
“She’s a smart woman, Bradly. My best advice is to be honest with her. Tell her you were leaving anyway before you met her, and that having her in your life only confirms you made the right decision.”
I nodded. “That’s what I’ll do. Smart advice, Dad.”
He scoffed. “Of course it is. I had to learn the hard way in order to save you the heartache.”
Laughing, I stood. “I’m glad your life lessons are making mine a bit easier then.”
Rolling his eyes, Dad pushed to his feet. “I would say you’re welcome, but don’t worry, son. You’re gonna fuck up all on your own.”
I frowned. “Thanks for that.”
“Hey,” he said with a small shrug. “I’m only being honest. And if you’re anything like me, you’re gonna fuck up a lot.”