Page 35 of The Texas Cowboy's Rescue

“Well, I’ve been busy helping out the new boss... teaching him the ropes here on the ground.”

“New boss?”

“Oh, that’s right, you probably have been too busy to hear it, but Deke is back, being the unseen big boss at the home base. The new guy seems to be okay. And I better move it, or he’ll take off without me.” They parted, and Kenzie had to go back to her office. She shut the door and sat down. The news had been a shock. It was unexpected. But it wasn’t surprising. Why wouldn’t he head back where it sounded like he had a couple of sure things lined up, female-wise? At least, that settled the issue of running into him. She could relax. That should make her happy. But it only brought an immense sadness.

*

“Hey, girl. Towhat do I owe the pleasure of this surprise?” Kenzie looked up and saw Laurel in the doorway of her office.

“I was in the neighborhood... really. One of our camera crew was trying to get some footage of the fire over at Red Butte this morning, and he should have been more prepared, experience-wise. He got some ember burns on his leg and arm. He’ll be okay, but it’s a lesson learned the hard way.”

“Red Butte... I didn’t realize we had a fire over that way.” Her brain was trying to frame a map in her mind as to how far that was away from Decker Canyon... where her daughter was camping. It was a good ways, but fire traveled at the whim of Mother Nature and the wind.

“Well, listening to the guys, Jaxson and Beaudry, everyone’s on high alert. Nerves stretched. Sammi Jo has the trailers ready in case we need to empty the stallion barns in a hurry. Those types of things. Be glad you live closer to town. Anyway, got to run. Take care!”

She thought about calling Jackie. But then that would show she might not trust her friend to take care of her child, much less her own children. If there was any threat of fire, the park rangers would take care of the situation... right? She dove into reports and made rounds and did everything to keep herself occupied until she needed to leave for home. On the way, she grabbed a hamburger and fries and decided to watch an old movie from ages ago. Then she nodded off.

Three more days and her daughter would be home. Kenzie woke with that thought in mind the next day. But sleep had been fitful and contained bad dreams that made no sense. Her head pounded. She picked up her phone and dialed Jackie’s number. It went straight to voicemail. She tried to eat something but gave up. Her brain warred with her heart that was aching far too much. Deke would not stay out of it. She hated this part... where you break up with someone and think how could you possibly go on breathing? But she knew that she would. She had once before. Because she had a little girl depending on her. And she would hold on to that, first and foremost.

What was going on with the group on this camping day? They needed to answer their phone.

*

“That is thethird time you’ve reached for the wrong spice. Your mind is not on this pot of chili. Something wrong with the new contracts? Morgan said you forgot all about the meeting with Hanks at the bank. After she called twice to remind you. So let’s have it.” The woman meant what she said. She pulled out the stool from the kitchen counter and sat down, her arms folded on the table, gaze locked on Deke as he leaned against the kitchen cabinet across from her. He wasn’t smiling.

“It’s just been a long week. Things are hectic right now. Nothing is wrong with the business. I made up that meeting via Zoom with Hanks, and all is well with the contracts. You and Morgan, my assistant, need to stop being mother hens.”

“Really? Well, we both know that won’t be happening. So tell me the real reason you look like you haven’t slept in days, you are forgetful, and you haven’t mentioned either Brooke or her mother, where you once did more than a few times. My gut instinct is never wrong... as you know. And it is telling me that those two are involved, so stop wasting time and cut to the chase. What did you do to mess things up?”

Deke shook his head. “What makes you think I did something?”

Emily didn’t say a word. She just stared him down with the look he had seen a few times in recent years. She was the widow of his business partner and probably the closest thing to a real mother he had ever known. He valued her counsel on all important things and had finally told her a bit about the mother and daughter he had met several weeks before. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out things... even before he had.

He blew out his annoyance and shuffled his stance. “How do you do that?”

“Years of being married. Stop stalling.”

“I thought that... I had hoped that maybe I had found someone to take that leap of faith with that you always preached to me I needed to find. Kenzie and Brooke came to mean a lot to me, and I thought... hoped... that she was getting past her issues and might feel the same. Then everything changed overnight, and she said it was over, and she changed jobs and made it clear she and her daughter were done with me. And I have no idea why.”

“You didn’t listen to her then. I’m thinking she said what the problem was, but you’re a male and sometimes needed to be told more than once. So that was it? She didn’t hint at anything stupid you might have done?”

“I didn’t do anything stupid, as you put it. I brought her here to my home, and I thought she had let her guard down and was ready to see if we might have a chance together. Then she just said she wasn’t going to be one of the group... and she wouldn’t do that again. We were over.”

“Part of the group... what group?”

“I don’t know... all she mentioned was the strange part. She said Emily and Morgan could have me or some such. I don’t know... my brain was going in all directions at that point.”

“Did you tell her who Emily and Morgan might be? Or did you let her think... erroneously... that we might be females in your life that you might also be seeing?”

He stopped still. “Are you crazy? Of course not... why would she think that?”

“Because a woman who has been hurt... had her heart ripped apart for the world to see once... is not likely to want to experience that again. If she was daring—for the first time, as you have said before—to finally lower her guard with you... and then something or someone introduces the names of a couple females in relation to you... and you do not explain who we are, then that is on you. She took a chance of giving space to you to see if you could take care of her heart and her daughter’s. And then something comes along and tosses all doubts back into the mix... she is going to run and protect herself again. Sounds like she did just that. And the longer you let it simmer, the thicker the walls will come back in place. So if you can give up this easily, then you weren’t really invested. Best she dumped you.” That being said, she stood and went back to stirring the big pot of chili meat.

“That’s it? All you have to say to help me here?”

Emily tossed him a long look over the rim of glasses perched on the tip of her nose. “You’re on your own now. Fight or flight. Looks like she chose flight. Guess you did too. Pass the pepper, please.”

*

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