Chapter Twenty – Mackenzie
MACKENZIE
I woke to the smell of fresh coffee brewing and bacon cooking. Rolling over, I stretched and saw Emily in the kitchen.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“It’s almost ten-thirty.”
I sprung up. “Ten-thirty! I never sleep in this late!”
Emily laughed. “Well, we did get home late last night.”
Glancing around, I focused back on her. “Did Doug leave already?”
“Oh, he left at around nine when Bradly came to pick him up.” She giggled and sighed. “Doug was so cute dressed in his jeans and cowboy boots he bought in Missoula. I hope he’s warm enough, though. He looked goofy in his knit beanie hat standing next to Bradly, who had a cowboy hat on.” Emily gave me a look. “I have to just say again, Bradly is one good-looking guy.”
I shook my head to get rid of what felt like cobwebs. “Wait. Bradly was already here, and he left without saying anything to me?”
She nodded. “Yeah, he didn’t want to wake you up. He said you looked too cute sleeping on the sofa with Mr. Whiskers all curled up next to you. By the way,” Emily pointed a spatula at me, “you sleep like the dead. I don’t know how we didn’t wake you up simply by talking. No one really tried to be quiet, either. I’m pretty sure Bradly was hoping you’d wake up on your own so he could at least say good morning.”
I stood and stretched once again. Yawning, I said, “I definitely slept like the dead.”
“You did!”
“Ugh, I wish someone would have woken me up. I wanted to see him.”
My sister grinned. “You really are in love with him, aren’t you?”
Returning the same grin, I replied, “I really am, and I don’t care what anyone says.”
“That’s all that matters. And you’re really going to come to New York City for a few days?”
I laughed. “I guess so! I want to be able to see firsthand Bradly doing what he does.” Walking up to my sister, I took the offered cup of coffee.
“You’re not afraid of him getting hurt?” she asked with a concerned expression.
“Of course, I am. But I would never in a million years tell him not to do it, just so I have a bit of peace. I wouldn’t want him telling me I couldn’t work on the farm anymore. Besides, he’s under contract and has obligations.”
She moved the scrambled eggs around in the pan. “True. I also can’t see him being that type of guy. Doug would never dream of telling me what I can or cannot do.”
Leaning against the counter, I took a sip of coffee and let the silence linger for a bit before I spoke. “Do you remember Daddy at all?”
Her shoulders slumped a bit. “I remember bits and pieces of things. Like the time we all went camping. That was fun.”
Smiling, I nodded. “That was fun. He made Mom so happy, and sometimes I think she’s with asshat as punishment.”
Emily turned and looked at me. “What do you mean?”
I shrugged. “Maybe she didn’t want to be happy without Dad. I’m just trying to make sense of the thoughts in my head. I guess I’m always trying to find a reason why she stays with him. Why she lets him treat her the way he does.”
“Or why she allowed him to treat us the way he did. More so you than me, thank you for that. I know I say it all the time, but there’s no way to ever repay you for what you took on to keep him away from me.”
I drew in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “I wish our family could have been like Bradly’s or Doug’s.”
Emily pointed to the toast that popped up, and I quickly got to work buttering the pieces. I put a few slices of bacon on our plates and watched as Emily divided the eggs.
“When I’m with Doug’s family, I feel like I’m in a TV show from the fifties. Or at least that’s what I think of anyway. They’re so loving and caring for one another. And from what I saw last night at the wedding and the party, Bradly’s family and the Shaws are the same way. Can you imagine Mom doing any of that for one of us?”
We carried our plates to the table and sat down. I stared at my food for a few moments before I answered her. “I think if Dad hadn’t died, she would have. I think deep down inside of her, she wants to be that type of mother, but she’s lost herself completely. Now, she can’t find her way back even if she wanted to.”
Emily sighed. “I wish she would leave him.”
I nodded in wordless agreement. We ate in silence for a few minutes before Emily smiled.
“I wonder how long it will take before we can move here. I hope it’s before spring. I imagine it’s so beautiful here in the spring.”
I smiled at the thought of spring in Montana. “I’m looking forward to it also. I don’t make near as much as I did when I was working for the State of Georgia, but I’m so much happier here in Montana. I’m not looking over my shoulder, and honestly, I don’t need much. Peace is really all I’ve been looking for. Fate threw in a handsome cowboy and I feel like I’m set, especially now with you and Doug moving here.”
She gave me a soft smile as she said, “You deserve all the peace and love. I’m so happy you’ve found it, Kenz.”
“Me too, Em. Me too.”
I opened the door to see Avery standing there with a huge smile on her face. “Are you and Emily ready?”
“We are.”
Avery did a little jump and reached for my hand. “Come on, then! Let’s get our girls’ day started!”
Turning, I called over my shoulder. “Em! Avery is here!”
“I’m coming!” My sister called out seconds before she appeared. “What’s the plan for today?”
Avery grinned. “Shopping, lunch, and girl talk.”
Emily clapped. “That is the perfect day.”
We headed out to Avery’s Subaru Outback and made our way into Hamilton. Emily and Avery talked nonstop about fashion and a common love of flowers.
“Will you miss France?” Emily asked.
Avery thought for a moment before she replied. “I think I’ll miss bits and pieces of it. I’m really blessed that my parents allowed me to follow this path in life. I thought modeling and fashion were what I wanted to do, but turns out it was a phase. I’ve loved doing it, don’t get me wrong. I’ve been to so many places that I would never have dreamed of visiting. That part was so much fun, but I wouldn’t want to do this for a living. To be honest, I can’t wait to be home and digging my hands back in the dirt. I’ve really missed the farm and the gardens.”
“Gardens?” Emily asked from the back seat .
Avery grinned. “Oh, Emily, you wouldn’t believe the flower gardens my grandmother had. She had a green thumb, like your sister, and could grow anything. Since my mother and uncle took over the farm, she was able to focus on her gardens. She’s the one who taught me about arranging flowers. I love doing it. You’re so lucky you work in a flower shop in New York. I mentioned maybe having a booth at the local farmers’ market in town. Offering already-made bouquets or even make them on the spot.”
“Avery, you should open up your own flower shop,” Emily said.
“Oh, I could never do that. I have no idea how to run a business, and that’s a huge step.”
“Have you thought about offering bouquets to people as a delivery subscription?”
“Kenz, that’s an amazing idea,” Emily said.
Avery pulled into a parking spot behind her cousin’s store, A La Chic Boutique. She turned off the car and faced me. “What do you mean, a delivery subscription?”
Emily had unbuckled and was grinning like a fool as she looked between me and Avery.
“You could make up bouquets of flowers, like in Mason jars, or something that represents you or Montana. Then sell them to people as subscriptions. For example, maybe I sign up for a fresh bouquet every two weeks. I could put the Mason jar at the front door, so when you deliver the next bouquet, you take the old jar to recycle it and be reused. Have each customer do that. You could offer deliveries either as often as people want them, or however often you want to do them. Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly. Whatever. And since your mom has the farm, you could even add in baskets of fruits and veggies as package deals.”
“Oh, Kenz, this is the best idea you’ve ever had!” Emily enthused. “Avery, you could do that as a steppingstone to maybe owning your own flower shop someday. I could help. I’ve got a business degree, and I’m the manager of the flower shop. I know how to run one like the back of my hand.”
Avery let out an excited chuckle. “This is a great idea! When I mentioned the farmers’ market to my mother and father, they said I could have some space on the farm and ranch for flower gardens. I can talk to my mom and dad about building a greenhouse just for the flowers once we get things going. That way it wouldn’t have to just be seasonal.”
“That is a wonderful idea,” I said with a smile. “You could grow year-round like we do. The you-pick-it farm does amazing, but your mom and uncle still sell produce year-round. We make up baskets each week for clients who come and pick up fresh fruits and vegetables. I’m hoping next year to offer delivery. I’ve also been writing up a plan to expand the greenhouse, and maybe even sell our vegetables and fruits locally to some of the smaller grocery stores. I was going to present the idea to your mother and uncle.”
“Wow. I didn’t know that we sold baskets like that.”
“You didn’t, before I came up with the proposal and presented it to Michael and Merit. They loved the idea. Lou and I adjusted the crops in the greenhouse, and I promoted the baskets on the website. We had a great response for them, considering it was rather last-minute. I’m hoping next year we’ll triple the amount of people who come in for baskets.”
Avery slowly shook her head, then asked, “Will you help me come up with a business proposal to share with my mom and uncle? Maybe I could buy the food for the baskets from the farm at a wholesale price or something.”
“Yes! Of course I will.”
Bouncing in her seat, Avery clapped her hands. “I’m so excited for this! Ever since Mom and Dad told me I could have space for flowers, it’s all I’ve been thinking about. I’ll probably still need to work at the boutique with Morgan and Georgiana until things take off. But this would be working toward and doing something I truly love!”
“It would. Kenz, you’re amazing.”
Blushing, I waved off my sister’s compliment. “Come on, let’s go in and see what we can spend our money on.”
The two younger women both scurried out of the car, locked arms, and quickly made their way to the back door, where Avery typed in a code and the door unlocked. After giving us a quick tour of the back end of the boutique, we headed to the front, where Georgiana was helping a customer. She glanced up, smiled, and waved.
“Morgan is up in her office working on a wedding dress design. Feel free to head on up there if you want,” Georgiana called before focusing her attention back on her customer. Avery and Emily soon got lost in looking at the clothes, so I headed up the steps in the back and knocked lightly on the door.
“Come in!”
I walked in and saw Morgan sitting behind a desk, a large sketch pad in front of her. Next to her on the floor was Blakley, playing with toys on a blanket.
“Mackenzie! How nice of you to come up and say hi.”
Closing the door, I made my way over toward the little one. Squatting down, I picked up one of her toys and grinned as she instantly reached for it.
“Avery and Emily are in Heaven with one another. I think they both had a handful of things to try on within a minute of walking into the boutique.”
Morgan laughed. “It sounds like Emily is Avery’s long-lost BFF.”
Grinning, I said, “I’d say so. The way the two of them have hit it off is really something.”
“I think it’s wonderful she and her fiancé are moving to Montana.”
“I do too!” I said with a smile. “I’m so incredibly happy with the news.”
Blakley lifted her hands for me to pick her up. “May I?”
“Please, have at it. She just woke up from a nap. All the excitement from the last few days has worn that little girl out.”
Laughing, I picked her up and spun around, causing her to laugh. “She is so adorable.”
“She is. I usually have a nanny who watches her for me. Georgiana and I use the apartment upstairs as like a makeshift second home. That way Blakley and the boys are close by.”
“That’s nice that you’re able to do that. Do you have one nanny for all three kids?”
Morgan leaned back in her chair. “Oh, God, no! One takes care of the boys, who are a handful, and one takes care of Blakley. They’re both wonderful, and Georgiana and I would be lost without them. We’re blessed to be able to have it set up like this.”
“So where is Blakley’s nanny today?”
“She has the day off. My mom offered to watch her today, but I knew it would be slow in the shop today, and all I really needed to do was work on this design. I’m almost finished with it.”
“May I take a peek?”
She grinned. “Sure!”
I walked around the large desk and gasped at the drawing on the page. “Morgan, that is beautiful.”
“Thank you so much. It’s a wedding dress for a client in Banff. She requested a Cinderella Blue wedding dress. Her exact words were that she wanted to look like a princess.”
Staring at the insanely beautiful wedding dress, I replied, “I’d say you delivered. She’ll for sure look like a princess in that dress.”
Morgan seemed to beam with pride as she assessed the design. “I hope she loves it as much as I do.”
“I can’t imagine that she wouldn’t. It’s gorgeous.”
Looking up at me, Morgan’s cheeks turned slightly pink. “Thank you, Mackenzie.”
She pushed her chair back and stood, stretching her arms over her head. “Man, it’s time to call it a day. Avery mentioned going shopping, grabbing some lunch, and hanging out.”
“Yes. Rose, I think, was supposed to meet us here.”
“I spoke with Kipton earlier; she isn’t feeling so great, and Hunter wants her to take it easy since she’s due in a few days.”
“Well, I don’t blame him for wanting her to rest. I can’t imagine walking in this snow nine months pregnant.”
Morgan laughed. “That’s true. I remember how tired I was at the end. It wears you out making a baby.”
I tickled Blakley’s tummy, and she giggled. “I bet it does!”
“Do you want kids?”
Her question caught me off guard, and I snapped my head up to look at her. “Um, yes, I would love to have kids someday.”
“That’s wonderful. I have to say, I’ve never seen Bradly so happy. You’ve brought out a side of him that I’m not sure I’ve ever seen before. He seems so relaxed. It’s hard to describe. He’s always on the go, and this is the longest he’s been home in forever. Maybe that’s it?”
I shrugged. I didn’t want to mention the things he’d been saying about his career. It wasn’t my place to tell anyone. “He’s done the same for me, made me feel relaxed and at ease. Your whole family has.”
“Good! I’m glad to hear it.”
She took Blakley from me, since she was reaching out for her mother. “I’m sure you’ll hear the same thing from some of the other girls, if you haven’t already, but I’m a firm believer in love at first sight. I feel like when you meet your soul mate, you just know. Something deep down inside of you clicks and sends this warm feeling through your body.”
“Did you know Ryan was the one?”
Morgan’s entire face lit up at the mention of her husband. “Yes. It was a long road for us to finally be together, but I always knew he was the one. And I’m pretty sure he knew it too. It’s funny how fate works. Like you and Bradly. You met and bam! That was it, you guys knew. Ryan and I had some…challenges. I’ll tell you all about it someday. But it involves a stalker.”
I drew my head back in confusion. “As in, someone stalking you?”
She was smiling at her daughter as she said, “Mmhmm. It’s a crazy story.” She looked at me. “You ready to join the others?”
I slowly nodded, frowning.
She laughed and regarded me with a sweet expression. “I tossed you a bone and left you just out of reach, didn’t I?”
“You sure did!”
“Would you mind grabbing her bag for me?”
“Not at all,” I said as I walked over and picked up the baby bag that felt like it had fifty-pound weights inside. “What’s in here? Her crib?”
She laughed and headed toward the steps. “You know, I think Bradly’s just been waiting for you to show up in his life, Mackenzie.”
“I’ve been waiting for him as well.”
“Lily had mentioned to me that he seemed so sad. Between you and me, I don’t think he loves bull riding as much as he thought he would. At least, that’s what me, Lily, and Rose think.”
My brows raised. “You don’t?”
With a shake of her head, she went on. “Lily and I were talking about it the day after Christmas. Normally he would have been competing right up until basically Christmas Eve, and then back out on the road right after. Bradly used to eat, sleep, and live for bull riding. Something in him has lost that love for it.”
“I haven’t asked him to stop riding.”
Her eyes went wide. “Oh my gosh, I was not suggesting that at all! This was before you were even in the picture, I promise you.”
I felt my cheeks heat. “Thank you for saying that. I would never in a million years ask him to walk away from something he loves. Ever.”
Morgan’s smile grew into a grin as she stopped before leaving the office and faced me. “Somehow, I think something big is about to happen.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Shrugging, Morgan said, “I don’t know. I just have this feeling that there are going to be some big changes coming. All good ones.”
I thought about Doug and Emily moving to Montana. The cabin that Bradly had remodeled for himself. Smiling back at Morgan, I said, “I agree. There seems to be something in the air.”
“Hey! Georgiana just finished up with the last customer. Are you and Blakley joining us for lunch?” Avery asked as she popped her head into the room.
Morgan and I exchanged a smile before she said, “I’m joining you, but Blakley here is going to be hanging out with her grammy the rest of the day. She’s meeting us at the restaurant to pick her up.”
Avery bounced with joy. “Yes! Total girls’ day! Rose is here, so we’re ready to go.”
We ended up going to a place called Ravalli’s. It was so much fun. After lunch, we played in the arcade for what felt like forever before we moved on to bowling. Then they had a trivia game going on, which rolled into karaoke night. After Georgiana and Morgan cleared things with their husbands to watch the kids, we stayed for that as well. I’d never laughed so much or had so much fun with a group of girls. And Emily was so happy and carefree. There was something about Montana that felt safe. Like nothing or no one could touch us here.
“It’s your turn, Mackenzie!” Avery said as she pulled me up and out of my seat. “You’re the last one to do karaoke!”
My eyes caught Emily’s and she simply smiled.
“I don’t know,” I started to say, even as Avery dragged me up to the stage.
“We have one more!”
The crowd started to applaud, and I felt my cheeks heat. At one time this would have been a high for me. Well, it would have been if I was in a large venue with thousands of people paying to come here me sing.
“What song would you like, young lady?” the gentleman who was running the event asked.
“How about ‘Hallelujah’.”
He raised his brows. “Wow, okay. We have a brave one here, ladies and gents!”
The crowd started to clap and cheer me on.
I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. Once the music started, I opened my eyes and met my sister’s gaze…and started to sing. I knew the song by heart. I used to sing it to my sister when she was afraid, after the asshat would beat our mother or me.
Glancing around the room, I saw a few people staring at me in awe, some were recording on their phones.
When I sang the last hallelujah, I felt his eyes on me—and turned to see Bradly there.
The crowd erupted into cheers. I could hear Emily whistling, but I couldn’t pull my eyes away from him. He clapped and smiled so big and bright, I found myself laughing as well as blushing.
Bradly made his way over to me, and I set the mic back in the stand and met him halfway. I saw Doug, Ryan, Blayze, and Bryson making their way over to the table. Bradly stopped right before he reached me and slowly shook his head.
“Damn, I knew you could sing, Kenzie, but I had no idea you could sing sing.”
I shrugged. “That song has a special place in my heart. It’s one of Emily’s favorites.”
He reached for my hand and pulled me to him. “I see why, especially if you’re singing it to her.”
Reaching up onto my toes, I kissed him gently on the lips. “I missed you today.”
“I missed you too,” he replied as he tucked a stray hair behind my ear. “Come on, let’s go sit down.”
Once we got back to the table, everyone started to talk all at once with rapid questions about whether or not I took singing lessons, how I’d kept that voice a secret, and others questions that I couldn’t hear because they were all talking over each other. I laughed, and Bradly let out a whistle.
“Calm down, you savages. One at a time!”
Smiling, I sat down as Rose reached for my hand and squeezed it. “Mackenzie, your voice is like an angel’s. Did you sing professionally?”
“Yes!” Emily said. The same time I said, “No.”
Eyes bounced from me to my sister, then back to me. There were questioning looks on everyone’s face.
“I did for a little while. Nothing big.”
“Nothing big?” Emily stated. “She sang a few times with the Atlanta Symphony. Just google her name and…”
Her voice trailed off as I gave her a warning look.
“And what?” Avery asked.
“Nothing,” I replied. “It was a long time ago, and that was a dream that wasn’t meant to be.”
Bradly reached for my hand and gave it a light squeeze. “It’s never too late to follow a dream.”
I smiled at him. “I found a new one that means more to me.”
He blinked a few times before he grinned and brought my hand up to his lips to kiss it.
“Okay, well, can we all just agree that you sing beautifully, and if I had known you when I got married, I totally would have had you sing at my wedding,” Rose said with a wide smile.
With a chuckle, I replied, “Thank you so much.”
“Wow,” Morgan said as she leaned into Ryan. “This has been such a fun day. I didn’t realize how much I needed a girls’ day.”
Georgiana nodded. “It has been, and I totally agree with you. We have to do this more often.”
“Agreed! I hate that Kipton wasn’t here to join us,” Rose stated as she snuggled closer to Bryson. “Pretty soon we’ll have to have playdates instead of girls’ day or girls’ night out,” she added as she fought to hold back a smile.
Morgan lifted a brow. “I’ve been trying to pinpoint exactly what’s different about you today, Rose, and I think I just figured it out.”
Giving her cousin a look of mock confusion, Rose asked, “Whatever do you mean?”
All the women at the table let out a shriek of excitement…well, everyone except me and Emily. We both looked confused.
“What’s happening?” Emily asked, leaning closer to me.
I shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
“Rose is pregnant,” Bradly replied to both of us, a wide smile on his face.
Suddenly Rose was standing, along with her husband Bryson, and everyone was hugging them and congratulations were shouted all around.
Emily and I waited last to offer up our happy wishes to the couple. Rose was practically glowing, and how none of us had noticed was beyond me. And Bryson looked extremely happy.
Avery walked over to Bradly and sighed. “Well, it’s us and the two troublemakers left to populate the family with more babies.”
Bradly laughed and shook his head. “Don’t count on me and Kenzie adding to that count quite yet.”
My stomach swooped and my heart tumbled around in my chest. A baby with Bradly. Yes please. But not too soon.
“Troublemakers?” Doug asked.
“Joshua and Nathan, our cousins,” Bradly said. “You three are still single, so it’ll be a long while.” He pulled me to him and smiled at his sister. “At least I’m taken.”
“Darn right, you are,” I agreed, before pressing a kiss to his lips.
“And that means Mom and Grams will be bugging you two about babies, just like Uncle Ty and Aunt Kaylee did with Rose and Bryson. The heat is off me and the boys. We’re in the clear.”
I laughed. “Until the lovebug strikes.”
Avery rolled her eyes. “Please. I have a better chance of lightning striking me than I do falling in love with someone.”
Bradly raised a single brow. “Better watch out there, little sister. It appears to happen when you least expect it.” He looked at me and winked.
“Well, not for me.” Avery shrugged before walking back over to Rose and Bryson.
Everyone soon said their goodbyes, and I drove home with Bradly, since Doug had a special evening planned for Emily. He told me not to expect them back at the apartment that night, so Bradly decided to stay with me.
Once we were back home and Mr. Whiskers and Pickles were fed, we changed into comfortable clothes and snuggled on the sofa and watched the Hallmark Channel. It was so nice to just be with one another.
Looking down at how Bradly was intertwining our fingers together, I tried to decide if I should ask him what I’d been wanting to know since my conversation with Morgan.
“Bradly?”
“Mmm?” he softly replied.
“Are you happy bull riding? I mean, you’ve made a few mentions of leaving.”
He reached for the remote and turned off the TV. Then he turned, and I followed his motion. We faced one another, and I swore I could feel my heart beating in my ears.
“I need you to know that I made this decision before us. Okay?”
I nodded. “Okay.”
He drew in a breath and let it out. “The competition in New York City is going to be my last Pbr event.”
I drew in a quick breath, even though I had an idea something like this was coming. “What do you mean? You’re not going to be bull riding again? As in competing?”
With a shake of his head, he took my hand in his. “It’s been a long time coming. Remember when we first went out and I said I was lost?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“I had already spoken to my mother and father about stepping away and coming back to Hamilton and working on the ranch full time with my father. They’d both suggested I take some time to think about it. To make sure I wasn’t just tired or feeling homesick. The truth was…the truth is…I don’t have the passion for it that I once did. After I went professional and all the other shit started coming into play, it simply wasn’t the same. And if I’m not a hundred percent focused and all-in, then I’m going to get hurt.”
All I could do was nod.
“Adam, my new agent, at least for this part of my career, was planning on releasing a statement after the events in New York City, but my father has hatched up an idea from my uncle Brock’s playbook.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, confused.
“The plan is for me to win the whole damn thing and announce it my way.”
My eyes widened. “Just like that? You put it out into the universe and…”
“And I win. Then I walk away from it all, and ride into the sunset with the woman I love and live happily ever after surrounded by cattle, fruits, and veggies.”
“And flowers.”
He laughed. “Okay, and flowers. How does that sound to you? I’ll still do some charity rides and help Uncle Ty every now and then, but that part of my life has come to an end. I’m ready for the next journey.”
Moving to my knees, I wrapped my arms around his neck and smiled. “That sounds amazing, and I’m honored to be along for the ride.”
“Oh, trust me…you’re going to be doing a lot of riding.”
Before I knew it, I was on my back on the sofa and Bradly was quickly working to remove my clothes, and his.