The Christmas Cowboy: (Sweet Western Holiday Romance) (Rodeo Romance Book 1)

by Shanna Hatfield

  “I thought you might need some help with your arm,” Kenzie said, studying Tate’s bare chest. In the days she’d been taking care of him, she’d memorized every freckle, every scar, and every rippling muscle of his upper physique.

  Right now, her gaze fixated on the mole right above his heart. She wondered what he’d do if she leaned over and kissed it. Rather than find out, she started shaking out a garbage bag to wrap his arm.

  “Thanks, but I’ve got that waterproof cover for my cast to use in the shower.” Tate kissed her cheek as she wadded up the bag.

  “Sorry, I forgot.” She backed toward the door. “Do you want breakfast or just some coffee?” She stepped into the hallway before she did something crazy, like push him down on the bed and kiss every inch of his deliciously exposed skin.

  “Coffee and a piece of toast, if it isn’t too much bother.” He crossed the floor to the bathroom door. “I’ll take you out for a nice breakfast after the interview.”

  “Sounds good, cowboy.” She looked forward to spending another day with Tate.

  Excited for him to have the interview, she hoped it went well. With his sidelined status, she knew it bothered him that he might look injured, even if he was. Already walking much better, in another week or two no one would notice the injury to his knee. His ribs also healed quickly. He’d be back on the circuit before he knew it, even if he thought it would kill him to miss competing the first month or so of the new year.

  After putting the coffee on to brew, Kenzie returned to the bathroom and dried her hair. She left it down, knowing it would please Tate. Her thoughts wandered to how good it felt to have his big hands buried in her hair, and the deep sound of his voice as he whispered in her ear telling her she was beautiful.

  Forcefully rousing herself from her musings, she spritzed on perfume and touched her cheeks, nose and forehead with a dusting of powder before returning to the kitchen and popping bread in the toaster.

  As she looked out the window, she noticed ice covered every surface. It would take a little work to get one of their vehicles thawed out and decided to forgo wearing heels for some sensible flats that would give her a little traction on the ice.

  The sound of the toaster popping up drew her thoughts back to breakfast. She buttered the warm bread then poured two cups of steaming coffee. Tate appeared as she pulled the creamer from the fridge.

  “Thanks for making this.” He took a long drink of the hot brew before biting into his toast. “I appreciate you going with me this morning.”

  “Thanks for asking me.” Kenzie sipped her coffee. Tate’s shirt accented the blue of his eyes and her gaze fastened on his freshly shaved cheeks along with his tousled hair. Her temperature climbed as she imagined her lips on his cheeks and her fingers trailing along his strong jaw. Desperate for a distraction, she stared into her coffee cup. “Does your dad know to watch this morning?”

  “Of course,” Tate said with a laugh. “I think he’s told everyone at the center they have to get up early to catch the news this morning.”

  “He’s something else.” Genuine affection for the old gent made her glad to know him. She was constantly amazed at how well he did for someone his age. Sometimes she forgot he was in his nineties since his mind was sharp and his body strong.

  “I’m glad you think so.” Tate kissed her cheek. “He thinks you’re just the ‘sweetest little gal,’ as he puts it, and I’d have to agree.”

  “You two obviously don’t know me very well,” she teased, placing their mugs in the sink then wiping up crumbs from the toast.

  “I’m working on that, you know.” Tate winked before going back to the guest room to finish getting ready. He emerged a few minutes later, pulling on his coat and settling a black cowboy hat on his head.

  “You look like you should be in some kind of western commercial.” Kenzie tugged on the collar of Tate’s coat, adjusting it. “A little snowfall and a horse walking beside you and you could sell ice to Eskimos, at least all the females.”

  “Apparently you get delusional when you’re rousted out of bed too early.” The affectionate grin he gave her softened his words as he opened the door. “I’m going out to start the truck. No need for both of us to freeze.”

  “I’ll help you.” She pulled on a long black wool coat and gloves then wrapped a scarf around her neck. “It might take some work to get all that ice off and I don’t want you to feel rushed this morning. Besides, you’d better be careful out there. One slip and you’ll end up undoing all that therapy you’ve suffered through.”

  “Kenz, I don’t want you getting half frozen for no reason.” He frowned as she followed him outside.

  “I’m not a delicate flower, buster. Who do you think brushes off the snow or gets ice off my car when you aren’t around? I manage just fine.” She used the scraper she brought along to go to work on the pickup’s door, trying to carefully remove enough ice they could get it open.

  When she’d chipped through a little of it, Tate grabbed the door handle and gave it a hard tug using his right hand. It opened with a loud crack and they both breathed a sigh of relief.

  After starting the truck and turning the defroster on high, Tate and Kenzie slid their way back inside her apartment.

  “It’s slick, and I mean slick, out there.” Grateful Kenzie lived close to the television station, Tate was glad he gave in to his urge to drive into town the previous afternoon before the storm hit.

  “We’ve got plenty of time and it’s only a mile or so to the station.” Kenzie glanced at her watch.

  “I’m not worried. We’ll be there early.” He wrapped his arm around Kenzie and kissed her cheek, rosy from the cold. “Have I mentioned this morning how beautiful you look?”

  “No, but thank you.” She gazed into his intense eyes and fell into the tempting blue pools. Stretching up, she kissed him full on the lips then pulled back. “Have I mentioned how much I like having you around?”

  “You haven’t, Miss Beckett, but you can tell me that as many times as you like.” Tate hugged her again before squeezing her hand. “Shall we see if we can slide our way to the station?”

  “Lead on, cowboy,” Kenzie said, taking Tate’s good arm as they went out to the defrosted truck. Cautiously driving to the station, they made it with no problem, arriving fifteen minutes early.

  Escorted inside, they waited in a conference room where they could watch the news being broadcast and were offered cups of coffee.

  Tate passed, already wired because of the interview, but Kenzie accepted one. They sat side-by-side waiting for his interview. He wove their fingers together and rested their joined hands on his jean-clad thigh.

  “Nervous?” she asked, giving him a look filled with such love and warmth Tate felt a part of himself melting into his chair.

  “A little.” Slightly nodding his head, he let out a sigh. “I always am.”

  “How many interviews have you done?” Kenzie realized she’d seen online interviews with Tate before she knew him, when he was just another good-looking cowboy who seemed to do well in the rodeo circuit.

  “Dozens.” Tate shrugged. The local news station had interviewed him shortly after he turned pro and he often gave interviews at rodeos after a winning ride.

  If someone walked up to him and stuck a mic and camera in his face, he didn’t have time to worry about what he would say or how it would sound.

  The interviews scheduled ahead of time made him stew over what questions they might ask and left him nervous. Once he got in front of the camera, he was fine. Today was no exception as he anxiously jiggled the foot of his right leg.

  “Do you need to be distracted?” Kenzie asked with a flirty grin, raising one eyebrow as she studied him.

  With a clenched jaw, the fingers of Tate’s right hand drummed a beat on the arm of the chair in rhythm to the bouncing of his foot. At her question, he went perfectly still and focused his attention on her.

  He leaned close to her ear. His minty breath on her ne
ck made a shiver race through her when he spoke in a low, raspy voice. “What’d you have in mind, Dewdrop?”

  “Apparently not what you do.” Although her insides were a churning mass of liquid heat, she kept her tone light. In need of a diversion from Tate, she started digging around in her bag.

  His eyes glowed like twin sapphires and his masculine scent made her feel lightheaded each time she took a deep breath. When he flashed his dimples and wiggled his eyebrow her direction, her blood began to heat despite the cool temperature of the room.

  Finally unearthing a paperback novel from her purse, she held it out to Tate. He took it from her and shook his head. “If you think I’m gonna sit here and read some sappy love story, you better think again.” He handed the book back to her and looked around for a magazine or newspaper.

  “Your loss,” Kenzie said, opening the book and flipping to where she had a bookmark. She leaned back in her chair and held the book over far enough that Tate could read the page as well, if he was of a mind to.

  Evidently, he was because when she was slow to turn to the next page, he nudged her hand. When she gave him a smug look, he grinned at her. She quickly turned the page and they continued reading until Tate received the call to prepare for his interview.

  Invited to go along, Kenzie held Tate’s coat along with her own and stood back while they put a microphone on his shirt collar, directing him where to stand.

  “Are you okay to stand for a few minutes, Mr. Morgan?” an assistant asked. Although he looked hale and hearty, she seemed concerned about his recently sustained injuries.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” At his charming smile, the assistant gave him an awed look as she finished what she needed to do and stepped back.

  Kenzie sat on a stool the assistant offered her at the back of the room, behind all the equipment. The news anchor promised he would be back after the commercial and the camera panned to Tate who beamed a dimpled smile, waving before they went to a break.

  The anchor hurried over to Tate, shook his hand and offered a word of welcome before disappearing into an adjacent room.

  Tate looked at Kenzie and winked. She blew him a kiss he pretended to slap on his cheek as the anchor reappeared.

  “Who’s the pretty girl?” the man asked as he positioned himself next to Tate.

  “My girlfriend, Kenzie Beckett.” Tate grinned at Kenzie again.

  She couldn’t hear what they said, but when both men looked at her, she blushed and waggled her fingers at them.

  “You want her on the show with you?” he asked as he got the signal the break was nearly over.

  “I think she’d prefer to stay behind the scenes, but I’m happy to have her join me if she wants to.” Tate looked her direction.

  “Miss Beckett, do you want to stand up here with Tate?” the newscaster asked, speaking loudly so she could hear him across the room. When Kenzie shook her head, the man glanced at his assistant with an unspoken request.

  He turned back to Tate, gave him a ten-second rundown on the interview, and then smiled as the news went live again.

  After welcoming Tate with a friendly on-air greeting, he asked about his career, how he felt about finishing the finals in third place for saddle bronc riding, and his injuries. They discussed his plans for the coming year. The man threw Tate a curve ball when he asked about the new love in his life.

  Surprised, Tate quickly replied that he’d finally met the woman who could tame his wild ways and looked forward to spending the holidays with her.

  Before Kenzie quite knew what happened, the assistant divested her of the coats in her arms as well as her purse and shoved her next to Tate. He draped his good arm around her shoulders and smiled encouragingly.

  Drawing on her own experiences of being a leader and trainer with Dew, Kenzie stood to her full height, smiled confidently, and answered the questions asked of her about Tate’s career.

  “He’s too good at what he does to stop now,” Kenzie said. Her voice filled with pride while her eyes glowed with love. “He’ll be back on the circuit in no time, giving everyone a run for their money.”

  The newscaster thanked them both and then went to a commercial break. As soon as the camera was off, Tate hugged her and whispered apologies in her ear. “I’m sorry, Kenz. I had no idea he planned to interview you as well. You did great, though. I think you may have a little experience with this sort of thing.”

  “A little,” Kenzie admitted. She’d been interviewed many times as a representative of Dew. “Don’t worry about it.”

  The newscaster came back and thanked them again for being on the show. He apologized for adding Kenzie at the last minute, but said they made such a nice-looking couple he wanted to include it in his segment. He wished them a happy holiday season before they went outside and carefully worked their way across the parking lot to the pickup.

  Tate drove them to a nearby restaurant where they lingered over a leisurely breakfast. He ordered biscuits and gravy with hash browns and bacon while Kenzie indulged in pumpkin pancakes with link sausages.

  As they ate, they chatted about plans for the next few days.

  Monte had everything under control at the ranch. Tate had passed out the Christmas bonuses before he returned to town the previous afternoon. There was no reason for him to hurry back, especially with the roads in their current condition. With his suitcase at Kenzie’s apartment, it was easy to decide to stay there a while longer.

  While the streets thawed, they decided to go back to Kenzie’s place. They planned to take Kent out for lunch and then to the mall to see the Christmas decorations and displays.

  Tate paid for breakfast then held the restaurant door open for Kenzie when someone stopped him to see if he’d sign an autograph.

  Quickly shooting Kenzie a questioning glance, she took his keys and quietly told him she’d warm up the truck while he did the fan thing.

  Only a few steps beyond the door, a force hit her from behind, knocking her flat on her stomach on the frozen sidewalk. A weight dropped on her back and she heard someone screaming above her head.

  “He’s mine! All mine! I’ll kill you before I let you have him!”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Panic welled inside her, but Kenzie refused to give in to hysteria as she assessed the situation.

  She attempted to move her arms so she could push upward and dislodge the crazy person on her back. Instantly, the woman sitting on her jerked her hair with such force it made her gasp in pain.

  From the corner of her eye, she saw something shiny glint against the ice and realized the woman wielded a knife. Frantic to roll away from her attacker, Kenzie suddenly felt the weight shift from her back and heard the woman scream.

  “No! No! I’ll kill her! You love me, Tate! You love me!”

  Swiftly rolling over, Kenzie watched in horror as the lunatic slashed the knife at Tate while he tried to grab her wrist before she could do harm anyone. As she lunged at him, she buried the tip of the blade in his arm.

  The man who requested Tate’s autograph knocked the woman’s feet out from under her and held her face down on the sidewalk.

  Tate pulled the knife from his sleeve and dropped it. He engulfed Kenzie in his arms as he sat on the icy pavement next to her and held her close.

  “Are you okay? Did she hurt you? I’m so sorry,” Tate uttered over and over. Kenzie felt him trembling as he held her, his fear and shock as great as her own.

  “I’m okay. What happened?” Kenzie asked when she regained the ability to speak. She buried her face against the wool of Tate’s coat and breathed in the comfort of his familiar scent.

  “It’s Darcy, the woman who’s been stalking me,” Tate said. “I was signing the autograph and looked up in time to see her land on top of you. I’ve never been so glad for an ice storm because her feet slid out from under her right before she hit you. By the time I got outside, she was waving that knife around. I pulled her off, but you were already down. I’ve never been so scared in my
life.”

  Tate kissed the top of her head, holding her tight as they both tried to regain their mental balance.

  Darcy continued to sob and scream. The man who’d asked for an autograph held her down while a burly man dressed in a chef’s uniform used an apron to tie her hands behind her back. Tate got to his feet and pulled Kenzie up with him, toeing the knife well out of reach of the crazy woman.

  Sirens signaled the arrival of the police. With the restaurant so close to the news station, a crew quickly arrived and started filming, asking questions while an officer handcuffed Darcy and put her in the back of a police car.

  After giving their statements and answering questions, Tate took a step back from Kenzie and noticed blood on his coat sleeve. Since the knife didn’t penetrate through his cast, he spun her around and discovered a gaping tear in the back of her coat where blood trickled from a wound on her shoulder. Warily pulling apart the ragged edges of the ripped fabric, it looked like a superficial cut. He pointed it out to the officers, who agreed she should go to the emergency room to have it checked.

  After thanking those gathered around them for their help, Tate drove Kenzie to the hospital where they declared her clothing beyond repair, but her wound just in need of bandaging. Thanks to her heavy coat, her attacker didn’t do much more than give her a deep scratch.

  She insisted the doctor check Tate to make sure he hadn’t done any damage to his healing injuries. Other than his ribs being a little tender, he wasn’t any worse for wear.

  Assured he was fine, they left the hospital, both quiet and subdued.

  Silently huddled against the pickup door, Kenzie stared out the window while Tate drove them home. The doctor said she might be in a state of shock for a while and if she seemed worse, to bring her in.

  When Tate parked near her apartment door, Kenzie didn’t seem to be aware she was home. He walked around the truck and opened her door, giving her a hand down. She moved on autopilot, following him to her apartment.

  From a spare key she’d given him, he unlocked the door and led her inside then helped her take off her coat. He turned on the fire in the living room and watched as she looked around without really seeing anything.