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

by Debra Ullrick

Starlights twinkled like a lit-up disco ball spinning in a darkened room. The spectacular view never ceased to mesmerize her. If the breathtaking view captivated her this much, Teagan could only imagine what heaven was like. Thoughts of heaven made her think of her mom. How she missed her and wished she were here. Not only for her and her sisters’ sake, but so much more for her dad.

  “Oh, Mom, I wish you were here. I miss you so much.” Her mother’s favorite song brushed through Teagan’s mind. Her body swayed to the tune, and her arms waved through the air. “And so does Dad.” Raising one leg in front of her, she pointed her toe as her arms slowly descended toward her foot. She rose on her toes, arched her back and raised her hands. “So many nights I hear him talking to you and crying. It breaks my heart, Momma.” Her body ran through a combination of ballet, modern, jazz and contemporary dance moves. “I know we talked about my leaving and fulfilling my dream of travelling and becoming a professional dancer…” Teagan let her body tell the story of a promise made and of her love for the mother and the dream she cherished.

  Caught in the dance, she had no concept of time, for time stood still when she did what she loved most. She ended the dance curling her arms, her head, and her chest into itself. “I know I promised you I would,” she breathlessly rasped. “But how can I when Daddy is hurting so badly?”

  “You can, and you will.”

  Teagan pulled her body upright in a jerk and whirled toward the porch. “Dad! What are you doing there? I thought… I thought you went to bed.”

  “I did. But I couldn’t sleep so I came out here to sit on the porch. I’m glad I did.” He walked toward her. When he reached out to her, he pulled her into his arms and held her. It was something he hadn’t done since her mother died. Something she needed desperately but never had the courage to ask for so she savored every beat of her father’s heart against her ear. “I’m so sorry, honey. I had no clue.” He sniffed.

  Teagan leaned back and looked up into her father’s face.

  Tears glistened against his cheeks.

  Ache flooded her chest.

  She’d heard her father cry before, but she’d never actually seen him cry. The pain on his face sent an ache knifing so deep into Teagan’s heart, she knew it would forever be embedded there. There was no way she could leave him now, not now, not like this. Her own dreams and desires would have to be put on hold. She couldn’t bear the thought of her father hurting even more than he did now.

  He sniffed again.

  Clutching her upper arms, he set her away from him, and his shiny eyes bore into hers. “Forgive me for being so selfish and for not understanding or even trying to understand.”

  Confusion snaked through her brain, blocking off any rational thoughts about what he was talking about. “Dad, I…”

  “Teagan, go.”

  “Go? What? What are you talking about?” she stuttered.

  He set her further from him and released her arms. “You need to go.”

  Panic lit into her. “Go where?”

  “Go. And dance. Like you always dreamed of.”

  She blinked. Then blinked again. Did her father just tell her to go?

  “Yes, you heard me,” he answered her as if he’d read her mind. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. From what I just saw…” More tears filled his eyes. “What I just witnessed… I… I don’t even have words. I’ve never seen anything more graceful or beautiful in my life. Now I know what your mother was talking about. I should have listened to her. I should have listened to you. I should have watched you dance, then I would have understood. I guess I was afraid you’d leave if I encouraged it.” He looked away. “You remind me a lot of your mother.

  “You act just like her. You dream like her too. She was always dreaming about going places and doing things, but she didn’t want to leave me. She loved me and said she would rather be here with me than anywhere else.”

  He ran his hand over his chin. “I wish I would have taken the time now and took her to see the world. It’s too late for that, but…” His gaze came to rest on Teagan’s. “It isn’t too late for you. You have no business on a ranch, Teacup. I know you don’t want to leave me, but you have to. I can’t hold you here. I’ll miss you, but I’ll be fine.” He pulled her into his arms again and released her just as quickly. “You have to go. Go and dance for not just you and your mom, but for me too.”

  Teagan couldn’t stop the sob that tore from her heart. The words she longed to hear had just been spoken. Joy mixed with sorrow did a tug of war inside her. She was free to go, but now she wasn’t sure that’s what she wanted. Like her mom, Teagan was beginning to believe she could be happy anywhere Kage was. The only problem was, he didn’t know it.

  “What’re you thinking?” Her father’s gentle voice broke through her musings.

  She looked up at him. “I’m thinking I need to go to Amarillo first.”

  Her dad smiled. “I’m thinking you’re right. His address is on my desk. Now, go pack your bags. Tomorrow you’re leaving.” With those words he kissed her on the cheek and made his way up the porch steps.

  Teagan watched until he opened the squeaky screen door and disappeared inside.

  Her soul and heart pirouetted with excitement and anticipation. She could hardly wait to get packing, so up to her room she flew. Before she got started packing though, she checked her phone and was relieved to discover she had a missed call from Kage.

  Boy was he in for a big surprise.

  Chapter Nine

  Kage wondered if Teagan got his message. He’d explained why he hadn’t called earlier the day before. He’d asked her to call him no matter how late it was. He’d even stayed up until 1:00 AM, something he was now paying for. His list of things to do today were mounting. They really needed to hire some extra help. Before he went on to his next project, he decided to give Teagan another call. This would be the 5th one today, but he wasn’t counting—at least that’s what he told himself.

  He waited while it rang. Once again, it immediately went to her voice mail. This time he didn’t bother leaving a message because he’d already left four.

  Wondering why it kept going to voice mail, he pocketed his phone, grabbed a quick ham sandwich, and headed outside, marking one chore after another off his list.

  After an hour, he wiped his forehead. One more nail and he’d be finished repairing the fence the horses had broken when a rattle snake spooked them. It’d taken him and his older brothers hours the day before to gather the spooked animals. There was never a dull moment out here.

  He leaned over and drove the final nail into the post.

  “Would you like some help with that?”

  Hammer in hand, Kage stood so fast his head swam. “Teagan?”

  She grinned at him, standing with the sunlight streaming behind her. What a sight she was in her cowboy boots, blue jeans and teal shirt. A sight for sore eyes. His sore eyes.

  He slung the hammer to the ground, and in three long steps Kage closed the distance between them, and within seconds he had his arms wrapped around Teagan, holding her close, and enjoying the scent of her herbal shampoo. “Man, am I glad to see you. I can’t believe you’re here. That you’re really here.”

  “Well, I won’t be for long if you don’t stop squeezing me.” She giggled.

  Immediately Kage loosened his hold on her but only enough so he could look into the face he had memorized every line and every feature of. The face that filled his every thought and dreams. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. You okay?”

  She gazed up at him with those big blue eyes and smiled. “You didn’t hurt me. I just needed more air than I was getting is all. Now that I’ve refilled my lungs, how about we deprive them for just a minute longer?”

  Kage grinned. “Mine could do without a little air too for a bit.” His lips found hers and for those wonderful moments as they kissed, he realized that breathing was highly overrated.

  Moments later, he reluctantly raised his head. “I’m so glad you�
�re here.”

  Her smile lit up those big blue eyes of hers. “Me too.”

  “How long will you be staying?” He kissed the tip of her nose.

  “Depends.”

  “Oh, yeah? On what?” He kissed it again.

  “You.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just what I said.” She planted her hands on her hips. “You said you had something you wanted to talk to me about.”

  Kage wasn’t following her. He couldn’t understand why she’d come unless… He grabbed her hand. “Let’s go somewhere where we don’t have a crowd.”

  ~*~ ♥ ~*~

  Teagan’s eyes searched the area and sure enough, standing only yards away from him stood two tall cowboys, watching them from inside the barn door. Heat rushed to her cheeks and it had nothing to do with the hot Texas sun. Had those men witnessed their kiss?

  “My brothers will have to wait for me to introduce them to you. Right now, I have more important things to do.” With that, he led them to her pickup. “Keys, please?” he said, holding out his hand.

  “They’re in the truck.”

  Kage opened the door for her and she slid inside. She couldn’t move very far on the seat because her things were piled on the passenger seat. And that was fine with her. Having Kage gone and seeing him again, she knew she never wanted to be far from him again.

  Kage didn’t join her right away. He stood at her pickup door and grabbed his phone. “I have to make a quick phone call. Don’t go anywhere.” He walked past the bed of her truck.

  Teagan looked around, taking in the place where the man she loved grew up and lived. Even though the topography was completely different, lacking the green she was used to, the yellow country didn’t bother her one little bit. In fact, she even pictured herself living here. Whoa, she was getting way ahead of herself. Kage had never mentioned marriage, only that he loved her. Besides, they barely knew each other. And yet somehow she felt like she’d known him forever.

  A few more minutes and Kage slid behind the wheel and smiled at her. “Ready?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.” She had no idea what he was talking about, but she sure knew what she was thinking about.

  A quick peck on the lips and Kage started the truck. Down the road they headed, a cloud of dust roiling behind them. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She tucked herself into his side and sighed. “Where we going?” she asked not really caring. They could go to Timbuktu, the Sahara desert, her father’s ranch even, and she’d be happy and content as long as she was with Kage.

  “You’ll see.”

  Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up in front of a large brick building. Rows of windows lined the front and the center that reminded her of a castle tower. A sign on the front read: Dell Theatre of Fine Arts.

  Kage cut the engine.

  “What’s this?”

  “You’ll see. C’mon.” Once they were out of the pickup, he took her hand, led her up several steps to the front of the building.

  They stepped inside a spacious lobby with white and blue, shiny marble floors and elegant chandeliers. Directly across from where they stood were three sets of French double doors. Kage led her to the center set. When he opened one side of the door, Teagan gasped.

  Circular rows upon rows of cobalt blue padded seats descended downward toward a large stage with massive cerulean blue curtains and tons of stage lights. The wooden stage floor was blue with a white outer edge. Boxed seats, spaced perfectly, lined the upper floor.

  “Kage.” A gentleman, who Tegan guessed to be in his mid-fifties, the age of her father, strode toward them. He had on a gray striped, starched shirt, neatly pressed black pants, and shiny black shoes.

  A quick glance down at her blue jeans and cowboy boots and she suddenly felt like a crow in a palace. Had she known Kage was taking her to such an elegant, fancy place, she would have dressed appropriately.

  “Don’t worry. You look fine,” Kage leaned over and whispered in her ear before he straightened and extended his hand toward the gentleman. “Mr. Dell, it’s nice to see you again. Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice.” Kage and the man he called Mr. Dell shook hands.

  “No problem. Bud and I were still here anyway.” He turned his attention onto Teagan. “So this is the little lady you spoke to me about.”

  “Yes, sir. Teagan Baxter, I’d like you to meet Mr. Dell. And Mr. Dell, I’d like you to meet Teagan Baxter, dancer extraordinaire.”

  Teagan’s eyes shot to his before she remembered her manners and looked back at Mr. Dell to shake his hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

  “I’ve heard quite a bit about you young lady. Would you be willing to dance for me?”

  Teagan had no idea what was going on. What did he mean ‘would she dance for him’? Who was this man? And why would he want her to dance?

  Kage leaned over. “He owns the place.”

  Teagan had no idea what to say.

  “He wants you to dance.”

  She could only look up at Kage, bewildered. “Why?”

  “Please, don’t ask any more questions.” A sparkle flashed through those silver-green eyes of his. “I’ll answer them when you’re finished dancing.”

  “Dancing?” she asked, swallowing the lump of trepidation down.

  “Yes. Don’t think about where you are. Dance for your mother.”

  Now that she could do. She faced Mr. Dell. “I’d love to dance for you, Sir.”

  “Great. Everything’s ready.”

  Teagan glanced up at Kage again, frowning, wondering what was going on.

  Not asking, she followed the man up on stage.

  She noticed that Kage stopped at the third row of seats and sat down halfway down the row.

  On the stage, Mr. Dell eyed her up and down. “Hmmm, you can’t dance in those boots. Follow me.” She sought Kage out for advice, and he nodded.

  Not seeing any other option, Teagan followed Mr. Dell behind the stage. They stopped at a door with a sign that read: Dressing Room.

  He opened the door and held it for her. “I’m sure you can find something in here that will fit you. When you’re finished join me back on stage.”

  “Yes, sir.” Teagan balled up the tail of her shirt.

  As soon as he closed the door, she let out the air she’d been holding. She wanted to take time to figure out what was going on but the gentleman was waiting, so she rummaged through the row of dry cleaner bags until she came across a pink chiffon, free-flowing dress in her size. She dressed in a hurry and made her way back to the stage in her bare feet.

  The stage lights blinded her, making it difficult to see Kage, but see him she did along with his thumbs up signal.

  “Are you ready, Miss Baxter?”

  She held her hand up against the lights and searched for the proximity of Mr. Dell’s voice. There off to the side of the stage, he stood.

  Unable to find her tongue once again, all she could do was nod.

  With a nod of his own, Mr. Dell looked toward a sound box and raised his hand, saying, “We’re ready, Bud.” So that’s who Bud was. “And cue music.”

  At the sound of the first few notes, Teagan recognized it. It was the very song Kage had first seen her dance to, her mother’s favorite, and it now filled the auditorium.

  Tears filled her eyes as they always did when she heard that song. Kage’s words from moments ago, ‘Dance for your mother’ drifted through her and that was all it took for the music and the dance to overtake her. The whole time she danced, she danced not only for her mother, but her father, and for Kage too. Her emotions and her body followed her heart, telling the story of the loss of a precious loved one and then the finding of new life on the other side of loss.

  Even when the music ended, she continued to dance, a mixture of contemporary dance and ballet because she had another story to tell now and that was of a love found and the possib
ility of a new future of hope and joy.

  When she finished, the room was quiet. There was not a sound to be heard from anywhere. Confused by the silence, against the blinding lights of the stage, she looked down at the seat where Mr. Dell had been and over to where Kage had been sitting. Both were gone.

  Surprise and concern jumped into her heart as her gaze darted here and there trying to find them. A heartbeat, ten, and she found herself lifted off the ground and whirled around. “That was magnificent!” Kage beamed, coming in from behind her. She shrieked with the movement and from being in his arms.

  “It sure was, young lady.”

  Another slow spin, and her feet touched the stage floor, but her heart still soared as high as the sky. To dance on a stage, even for an audience of one, the reality was better than any dream she’d ever dreamt. Yes, there were actually three people in the massive theatre, but the last dance, she’d danced for Kage alone.

  “Your dancing is exquisite. Some of the best I’ve seen.” Mr. Dell’s face glowed. “How would like to come and dance for me?”

  Teagan looked at Mr. Dell in unbelieving bewilderment. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. How would you like a job? Dancing here with my company? Talent such as yours needs to be seen and appreciated.”

  She shook her head. “But I don’t have any schooling?”

  “From what I’ve seen, young lady, you don’t need any paper to say you can dance. So, what do you say?” A gleam of hope filled the man’s eyes. “Will you come and dance with us?”

  Teagan’s insides leapt with joy. She looked over at Kage. He nodded and love and pride filled his eyes. Turning her focus back to Mr. Dell, she replied, “I say yes.”

  “I told you she was good.” Kage’s chest puffed out.

  “And you were right. I’m so glad you called me and told me about her.”

  Teagan’s eyes shot to Kage. “You did all of this? When?”

  “Two days after I got home. I couldn’t stand the thought of not being with you and yet I didn’t want to come between you and your dreams. I prayed and asked God if there was any way to work this out to please show me. Mr. Dell goes to our church. When I remembered that he owned this theatre, I told him about you and asked if he’d be willing to watch you dance. When he said he would, I couldn’t wait to tell you, but I wanted to make sure your dreams would be fulfilled before I even thought about….”