The Dreamer and the Cowboy: A Contemporary Christian Romance NOVELLA (The Rancher's Daughters Series Book 2)

by Debra Ullrick

  She cut her gaze over to him as they started around the final curve. “Contemporary. Modern. Jazz. And ballet.”

  Whoa. Kage half-backed-up at that. He hadn’t seen that one coming either. He figured her more for the line-dancing type of gal. After all, in those blue jeans and cowboy boots, she looked every bit the rugged, outdoors rancher woman, not a frou-frou dancer in a tutu.

  “I know. It’s shocking. Right?”

  Although that was his thought, his gaze shot to hers at the biting sarcasm zipping through her tone. “What makes you say that?”

  “Well,” her eyebrows rose and her lips quirked off to one side. “Let’s just say it was the way your disbelieving frown started at my cowboy boots and went all the way up to my cap.”

  She had him there. His mom always said he couldn’t get away with anything-especially lying-because his looks and actions always gave him away. “Guilty.” He cocked his head, nodding. “I admit, I am surprised. When you said dancing, I figured you meant like line-dancing or something. Not ballet. If you don’t mind me asking, what got you started dancing?”

  Her smirk vanished with one blink, and she quickly looked away. “My mom.” As soon as she spoke the words, she hurried up the bunkhouse steps and onto the covered porch.

  Teagan rose on her tiptoes and reached above the door jam. Without looking at him, she held a key up. “Spare key,” she said, unlocking the door. She raised up on her tiptoes again and strained to put the key back. Kage reached over her head, took the key from her, and put it back on the ledge. He reached around her and opened the door.

  “Thanks,” she whispered, stepping inside.

  Kage wondered what was wrong and what had happened. She was hardly bubbles and pompoms, but the dire mood that had engulfed her made him more than curious. One minute they were having a nice conversation and then all of a sudden her mood shifted to almost gloomy.

  Not feeling like he could or should ask, he followed her inside and shut the door behind them.

  “This is where you’ll be staying.”

  With her back to him, he barely heard her. She didn’t seem open to any conversation at the moment, so he took that as his cue to be still and very quiet. So, instead, he studied the place he’d be staying. He loved big picture windows and at the end of the living room were three large ones. Even from where he stood, he could see clear up into the trees. It was awe-inspiring.

  The tan microfiber sofa and matching love seat reminded him of the living room set in his sister’s home. Only her pillows were leopard print, and from what he could see these pillows were plain tan and brown. The floor-to-ceiling moss rock fireplace gave the room a real homey feel, especially with the recliner close by. He liked the looks of the dining room too. Probably because it, too, set in front of a large picture window. He wondered if the hallway across from the fireplace led to the bedrooms. The place was sure roomy and homey for a bunkhouse.

  “How many hands live here in this house?” he asked, breaking the silence.

  She turned slightly and gazed up at him. “Just you. The other hands are all married and have their own houses here on this part of the ranch and on the other ranches my father owns. To be honest, this is really more of a guesthouse than a bunkhouse.”

  “Sure is. The bunkhouse back home looks nothing like this. It’s a long building with four bedrooms, a living area, and a small kitchen and bathroom. The furniture’s comfortable enough, but it’s not nearly as nice as this.” He ran his hand over the microfiber material. “Nor as homey.”

  “That was my mother’s doing.” Her velvety voice softened, sounding even more raspy than normal, and suddenly he felt as if she had somehow traveled a long way away. “She wanted everyone who stayed here to feel at home. As if it were their home instead of ours.”

  He smiled at her. “Well, she sure succeeded. I already feel that way and I’ve barely made it in the door.”

  ~*~ ♥ ~*~

  Teagan wished she wouldn’t have brought up her mother. Every time she thought of her, the tears threatened to come. This time was no different, except that he was standing here. She didn’t cry in front of people she knew. She definitely wasn’t going to break down in front of someone she didn’t. Only problem was, she hadn’t counted on her own control betraying her when they stepped into this space that she and her mother had decorated together. Her mom wanted it to be welcoming and homey. It was definitely both of those things. But then again, her mom had a way of making any place feel like home.

  Her family’s home, however, as she had once known it no longer felt like home without her mother there. Her mom used to greet everyone with a smile and a beverage when they came in. She’d ask each one of Teagan’s siblings and her dad about their day, about what interesting thing happened, and she always had a smile and an encouraging word no matter what life looked like at the moment.

  All of that was gone now too. Home wasn’t home anymore. It was more like a tomb.

  Oh, Mom, I miss you so much.

  Despite the fight, tears spilled onto her cheeks, causing her to sniff. Turning her back to Kage, as discreetly as possible, she brushed at the tears and drew in a breath, hoping to stop the unwelcome flow, and praying he didn’t hear her second soft sniff.

  Then, just as she grasped a small amount of composure, a large hand cupped her shoulder. “You okay, Miss Baxter?”

  The gentleness in his voice only caused more tears to jump free of the dam and stream down her face. She felt completely powerless over the sadness that had overtaken her heart. “I miss my mom,” she whispered. Why she told a perfect stranger that, she had no idea. Maybe it was the compassion in his voice or the gentle touch on her shoulder.

  She had no time to analyze it further as she found herself shifting around and strong arms encircling her. His large hand cupped the side of her head and settled her cheek against his rock solid chest, and she let him as if they’d been doing it for forever.

  She would allow herself the luxury of grieving with this stranger just this once. After that, she’d do what she always did when her emotions threatened to overwhelm her…

  She’d dance.

  Several minutes later, her tears subsided; she drew in a ragged breath and reluctantly stepped out of Kage’s embrace. Eyes downcast, she whispered, “Thank you.” When he didn’t say anything, her gaze trailed upward to his face. Compassion and understanding flowed from his beautiful silver-green eyes. He gave her a short nod and the tiniest of smiles.

  “I’m okay. I won’t fall apart again. I promise.” Teagan offered him a small yet reassuring smile back.

  He gazed down at her with a softness she’d never seen in a man before. With the possible exception of her father before her mother had passed.

  “I have three sisters,” Kage finally said like a feather alighting on the grass in spring. “I learned to just let them have their cry and to say nothing afterward. Sometimes everyone needs a shoulder to cry on now and then.”

  Awed, Teagan mentally weaved his words through the jumble in her brain and heart. Was this cowboy for real? Most of the ones she knew would have told her to buck it up and get over it. But not this man. Her smile went only as far as her heart. “Your sisters are very blessed to have you, Kage Jenkins.”

  Very blessed, she said only to herself. Standing there, she knew Kage Jenkins was someone she could fall for very easily. But that would never do. No matter how good-looking or how kind and thoughtful and compassionate and sweet he was, Teagan knew better than to let her heart get away from her.

  No.

  She had promised her mother and herself that she would follow her dream. That dream had nothing to do with cowboys and ranching. With him only inches away, Teagan knew without a doubt that Kage Jenkins was all cowboy, and she would never dare ask him to change that or anything else about himself.

  Wait. Why was she even thinking that way?

  Chapter Two

  Hands threaded behind his head, Kage lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling.
Earlier, when he and Teagan were standing inside the bunkhouse and he’d held her in his arms, she felt small and vulnerable. He could only imagine what it was like to be such a young woman and lose your mother. He was blessed because both of his parents were still alive and healthy.

  He thought back to his evening with the Baxters. How did Mr. Baxter do it? Raising six daughters on his own? He’d met four of them the night before at dinner. The other two… he tried to think of their names… Cheyenne and Shayna, he understood one of them to be away at vet school and the other lived in town because of allergies or something like that.

  The Baxter sisters were a pretty lot. But in his opinion, Teagan was the prettiest one of them all. Maybe that was due to the soft spot he had for her ever since he held her and felt her emotional pain sink into his own body. That was something he’d never experienced before. Oh sure, he’d felt his sister’s pain when they cried, but even that had never been on that deep of a level. It felt as if her pain was his. He would never be able to explain that to anyone, and he vowed to never try.

  His alarm clock buzzed again. He reached over and instead of hitting the snooze button for a second time, he shut the noisy thing off. Against his better judgment, the prospect of seeing Teagan again excited him.

  Kage tossed the covers aside, quickly showered and got dressed. He tucked his cowboy hat snugly onto his head and strode out and over to the Baxter house.

  At the front door, he raised his hand to knock when suddenly the door swung open.

  “Morning, Kage,” A tall brunette greeted him.

  Kage scanned his brain, trying to put a name with the face. The night before, he’d met Payton, Maisy, Shayna, and Teddi.

  Teddi. That was her name. “Mornin’, Teddi.”

  Her face brightened. “You remembered my name.”

  She wasn’t the only one who was surprised. He’d surprised himself. Keeping the rancher’s daughters names straight with the right faces was proving to be difficult. All except for Teagan’s. Her face, name and smile had filled his dreams.

  “Teddi, you going to stand there all morning staring at the man, or are you going to let Kage in so he can eat?” The gruffness in Mr. Baxter’s voice pert near rattled the long row of windows separating the dining room and the enclosed porch.

  Kage’s attention shot to Mr. Baxter, sitting at the dining room table, peering over his newspaper and reading glasses that were perched low on his nose, staring at his daughter.

  It hadn’t escaped Kage’s notice that he seemed to use that tone of voice with his daughters quite a bit, and he wondered why that was.

  Looking back at Teddi, her cheeks now matched the red yoke of her red, white and blue western blouse.

  Kage sent her an understanding, almost apologetic smile.

  Her lips curled slightly and her eyelids lowered. She stepped out of the way and let him inside the enclosed porch that served as a mud room. With one long sweep, she closed the door behind him and slunk away like a scolded dog.

  “C’mon in and have a seat, Kage,” Mr. Baxter said in a polar opposite tone than the one he’d just used on Teddi.

  Mentally scratching his head over that one, Kage thanked the man, then removed his cowboy hat and hung it on a long wooden peg alongside the rest of the hats. He stepped into the large open dining room and living room.

  Bacon and coffee filled his nostrils and stirred his anxious stomach. He glanced toward the kitchen off to his left.

  Without being too obvious, he looked for Teagan and was disappointed to find she wasn’t here with the rest of the Baxters.

  “Have a seat, Kage.” Mr. Baxter folded his newspaper, laid it and his reading glasses next to his plate, and looked over at him.

  “Thank you, sir.” Kage lowered himself onto the chair.

  Mr. Baxter settled his forearms on the arms of his own chair and hooked his hands together in front of him, eyeing Kage directly. “Name’s Porter. Not sir.”

  “I’ll try to remember that, sir. Uh, Porter.”

  Mr. Baxter shook his head. “You’ll get the hang of it soon enough.” He smiled and looked up as one of the Baxter girls set a plate of bacon between them.

  Kage glanced up at her. “Thank you, Payton.”

  She smiled at him, then her gaze shot to her dad and her smile fled along with the rest of her.

  He made a note to not look at them when they continued to set plates and bowls filled with scrambled eggs, hash browns, buttered toast, and a pitcher of orange juice on to the table.

  “Maisy, go call your sister and tell Teagan breakfast is ready.”

  Maisy set the plate of pancakes she had in her hands on the table and quickly left the room.

  “That girl. Always got her head in the clouds. I keep telling her that dancing isn’t any way to make a living.” Judging from the look on the man’s face, his words weren’t aimed at anyone in particular.

  No wonder Teagan seemed sheepish when she’d told him about dancing. Obviously her father didn’t approve of it at all.

  Her dancing didn’t bother Kage one little bit. To him, dancing had nothing to do with making a living. It had everything to do with doing and being who God created you to be. If that meant dancing, then one should dance. God would take care of the rest. But it was clear he’d better keep that opinion to himself.

  The thought of Teagan dancing intrigued him. What he’d give to see her dance. Just once.

  Teagan’s sisters sat down at the table, which forced his thoughts back to those around him.

  Each one stole a glance his way then at their father. He hated being the center of attention and of their father’s disapproval.

  Minutes later, Maisy came back into the house. “Teagan said she wasn’t hungry and to go ahead and eat without her.” The petite blonde with the big brown eyes sat down in the same spot she had the night before… right across from him and next to her dad.

  A look of frustration and disapproval blanketed Mr. Baxter’s face, and his broad chest expanded. “Pass the juice, Payton.”

  Disappointed, Kage wanted to sigh right along with Mr. Baxter. Though he knew he shouldn’t, he had looked forward to seeing her this morning at breakfast.

  His stomach rumbled. It was time to eat and stop thinking about Teagan. But first things first. His family always prayed before each meal. At the dinner table the night before, everyone but Mister Baxter had their heads bowed. No one spoke out loud. So, Kage had silently added up his own silent prayer. Just like now. When he finished, he reached for the heaping platter of bacon in front of him, laid three slices on his plate, and passed the platter to Mr. Baxter.

  Without being too obvious, he ate as fast as he could so he could head outside and away from the stifling silence in the room. That was another difference between his family and theirs, and the differences were starting to stack atop each other. His family talked at the table-a lot. Not the Baxters. No one said a word. It was so quiet he could hear himself chewing his bacon, and he wondered if it was always like this or if it only started after Mrs. Baxter’s passing. Thinking about her, he wondered again how Teagan was this morning. Something told him he would be wondering about her a lot, and praying for her a lot too.

  ~*~ ♥ ~*~

  Lost in a world all her own, Teagan danced to her mother’s favorite song, letting her arms and her body play out the emotions swirling around her brain. Closing her eyes to bring the flow of the music into her soul before letting it out through her legs again, she absorbed the feeling of being one with the song. There was no hesitation, no second-guessing, no concern for the approval of others. Out here, it was just her, the music, and the memory of her mother’s soft voice telling her how beautiful she was, how amazing, and how strong and confident she was. Though Teagan had never gotten to the point of believing that for herself, she had no doubt her mother meant ever word.

  The song ended, signaling her that it was time to get dressed and head outside to feed the horses. It was like this every morning. Come out, dance
, and then rejoin the life she had no desire to live. Just as she got to the player, movement by the door caught her attention. Her breath snagged as her gaze snapped and held on to the cowboy standing there.

  She blinked in fear and concern. Just how long had Kage been standing there anyway?

  Still reeling from the emotion of the dance, she placed her back to him and snatched a nearby towel from off the rail. While she dabbed at the moisture on her face and neck, in the floor to ceiling mirrors lining the wall, she watched him as he came into the studio and walked slowly toward her.

  Seeing the look of compassionate understanding on his face, the vulnerable places inside of her took over her better sense. What to do with any of it was far less than clear. Did she let him see her exposed emotions like she had the day before, or did she try to hide them by putting on the every-thing-is-okay mask she’d learned to wear around her father and her sisters?

  “That was incredible,” he said, his low, husky voice twined with emotion.

  “Thank you.” She lowered her eyelids, embarrassed by the compliment even as her hands continued to find things to do to look busy.

  “Even from over there.” He pointed back toward the door he had come in. “I felt your pain. Raw, deep pain.”

  Surprised by his insight, Teagan’s gaze shot to his, and her understanding slid around and through what he was saying.

  How did he do that?

  He barely knew her and yet it seemed as if this complete stranger had the power to look into the very depths of her soul and siphon her feelings into himself. It was both scary and deeply touching. Neither one of which she wanted to feel.