Damaged Hearts (34 page)

Just then, Rick stepped out of the barn and Ali Whooped loudly, kicking her horse again; taking off towards the house. 

“Give me that pup back and let’s go see your dad.”  Kat smiled at Morgan.

~
XXXVII
~

Rick watched as three blonde heads rode towards him; three loves of his life.  He could tell Kat had worked on his daughters riding skills while he had been gone; he just hoped she had more patience than he did.

“Stay here and be still you little pagan.”  He petted the ball of fluff in his hand. 

“Daddy!”  Ali reached him first and he swung her down out of the saddle.  “What’s this?  You got a puppy too Daddy?”

“Shush sweetheart.  He’s a surprise for Kat.”

“But Mama Kat just got us a surprise too.  A little girl dog.”

“The hell you say.”  Rick frowned. “I knew I should have just gotten the horse.”

“Papa!  We’re glad you’re back.  We were at Angel’s but didn’t see Uncle Matt; is he back too?”  Morgan looked around.  “Who’s horse is that?  Kat was worried someone was here.”

“I’m glad she watches so close but it’s just me.  I got back a couple hours ago.  Matt stopped in town to file the formal report and to leave Marie at the Mayors place.  It’s a long story but it will wait til dinner so I only have to tell it once.”

“I’m glad you’re back Rick.  We missed you.”  Kat said, unsure how to go about welcoming him home.  “The girls have been working on their riding and we went to see how Angel was doing and pick up a pup since there aren’t any dogs around here.”

“Just so happens, I had the same idea.”  Rick held up his puppy sheepishly.  “Looks like we have two now.”

“Oh, he’s adorable Rick.  Can I hold him?”  Kat handed Voodoo to Morgan and took the small merle colored fluff ball.

The pup growled ferociously and sunk its sharp milk teeth into Kat’s thumb.  “Why you little pagan!”  Kat exclaimed.  “You might just give Voodoo a run for her money.”

Rick grinned.  “That’s what I called him too.  Guess we have Pagan and Voodoo.  Come over here for a second though, I want you to take a look at something.”

Kat set Pagan on the ground and followed her husband, curious at what he wanted to show her.  “I told Angel that we might want to buy a couple of the geldings off her, if you don’t mind anyway.”

“We can talk about it tonight.”  Rick agreed amicably.  “What I want you to look at though is this mare.  What would you think about riding her?”

Kat stopped and stared at the horse.  “But...But what about Dusty?  I’ve ridden him forever.” 

“He’s a good horse, an excellent horse even.  But he’s getting older and I was kind of hoping you would agree to put him to stud.”  At her stony expression he continued.  “Look, I’m not saying you couldn’t still ride him but I was hoping you might want to look at giving him a rest.”

“I don’t want to lose him.  He’s all that I have left.”  Kat whispered as pain filled her face.  “I left my ranch, gave up my cattle, and separated what horses I had left.  I left my dogs, my fields, and my home.  Now you want me to give up my best friend too?”

Rick gathered her into his arms.  “Not give him up, just give him some time to enjoy life.”  He soothed. “In fact, I thought you might want to look at crossing these Paints with your Palominos to see if you like the results.  That’s originally why I bought her.”

Kat looked at the mare again.  “She’s a beautiful horse.”  She allowed as she ran her hand over the horse’s withers.

“Why don’t you let me cool GoldDust down while you put her through the paces?  She’s got a smooth gait and soft mouth.”

Kat gave a small nod and allowed Rick to give her a leg up.  She gathered the reins and backed the mare from the post using a light touch.  With just a slight application of her heel and the horse responded instantly, moving from a walk to a trot as they neared the gate and into canter on the road.  Turning to an field, Kat gave her her head and sailed across the openness at full gallop. 

Kat marveled at the beauty and serene personality of the mare.  She seemed to run for the joy of it.  Slowing her down to a trot then again to a walk, Kat took her time returning.  “You are both the high point and the low point in my life girl.  How about I call you Solstice?”

The horse nickered as if in agreement.  “I guess it’s settled.  I hope you get along with dogs because it looks like you’re going to stay.”  Kat patted the side of her neck then nudged her so they could return home.

Rick stood in the yard, suspiciously alone.  “What did you think?”

“Solstice is a dream.”  Kat smiled as she slid from the saddle into Rick’s arms.  “She’s smart and beautiful and she runs like a dream.  You can’t take Dusty away from me though; you’ve got to promise.”

Rick bent and captured Kat’s lips with his own before agreeing.  “No one’s taking away that stallion; I doubt they would make it out of the yard even if they tried.”  He laughed.

“Do you really like her?  As soon as I saw her, I had to have her.  She reminded me of you; sweet, shy, and oh so beautiful.  So how are you Wife?”  He kissed her again before allowing her to answer.

“Fat, tired, and hungry.”  She giggled then whispered seriously, “and so very glad you’re home Rick.  Was it bad?”

“Bad enough.”  He rested his forehead on her shoulder.  “I didn’t mean to kill him in front of Marie.  Your half-sister hates me, and she won’t even talk to Frank, even though she knows for sure she’s going to have his baby.  Your brothers were a huge help and I think they plan to stick around here.  From the sounds of it, there might be more weddings in the near future.”

“I’m sorry you had to kill someone but I’m sure glad he’s dead.”  She shivered involuntarily.  “I know Marie will miss him but he hurt far too many people.  She’s better with him gone and I’m sure she will admit it in time.  Where is she now?”

“Matt was taking her to Josephine and the Mayor.  If anyone knows what to do with her, it will be them.”  Rick chuckled while personally glad it was them, and not him, dealing with her.

“I didn’t see Matt at the ranch so he must not have made it back yet;  I’m worried about Angel.  I think she is pushing herself way too hard.  She’s not used to doing so much and with the pregnancy, the heat’s doubly tough.”

“Matt was heading home as soon as he dropped off Marie and filed the report about the shooting.  Frank was still sore from being shot and was going straight to the bunkhouse to rest, and Charlie was heading to the bakery.  Mark said something about moving to Angel’s place temporarily; I have a feeling that Brahman riding woman has intrigued him.  Adam is in the barn with the horses, trying to figure out where to put...Solstice did you call her?”

Kat lowered her eyes.  “I decided that was a fitting name for her since it’s both the highest and lowest point of my life so far.”

“Sounds like a perfect name for her.”  Rick squeezed her shoulder and turned toward the house.  “So, what are we going to do with two dogs?”  He laughed.  “You have squirmed your way into Morgan’s heart by the way.  She couldn’t stop talking about all the fun she’s had with you here.  Then when you gave her that puppy; well the girl thinks you hung the moon.”

“I love them as if they were my own Rick.  Ali, of course is a little ray of sunshine in the middle of a tornado; but Morgan...Morgan is different.  She’s not as bouncy or vibrant as Ali but...well, I guess she’s more like me.  Just don’t make her mad.” 

Rick took Kat’s hand as they walked.  “That goes for all of you girls.”  He smiled.  “I’m glad to be home and was so happy to find you had already moved in.  Consuela has been singing your praises right along with James.”

Kat reached up and kissed him, then nudged him in the ribs as she took off running.  “Last one to the dinner table has to muck the stalls!”

They fell into the house laughing and giggling.  Both pups, which had been eating in the washroom, went on the attack.  The girls came running and everyone ended up in a heap of tangled limbs and hair in the middle of the floor.

“Well I never!”  Consuela huffed, secretly hiding a smile.  Yep, Miss Kat was good for all of them and they were good for her; she just didn’t know what those pups would be good for.

Later, after dinner, Kat and Rick sat in the porch swing as they spoke softly about everything they had each missed.  Rick rested his hand on Kat’s not so flat belly and marveled about how much had changed over the few weeks he had been gone. 

“Consuela says it’s twins.”  Kat laughed at the look on his face.  “I think we’re both in a mountain of trouble.”

Rick shook his head.  “No matter what happens, we will face it all together.  Now that our hearts are on the mend, nothing can stop us from loving each other.”

They sat peacefully looking out over the fields of horses and cattle as the sun set in the West.  In just a few months, so much had changed...all of it for the better.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my sister Rachell, the other Naughty Angel for all her help, editing, and encouragement; and for taking the cattle prod to me so that I would keep writing.  Thank you for believing in me. Thank you so very much to Grandma Huntington for her emergency final edit.  Jeannine, you were a life saver!

Thank you to my co-workers Elizabeth and Karen for listening to me babble about my characters and reading whatever little partial paragraphs I put in front of you.  Thank you both for encouraging me to keep going.

I’d like to thank my husband Casey and son Billy for not rolling their eyes too terribly every time I said I had another story finished or that another person liked my work.

Thank you to all my beta readers for the kind words and feedback.

And finally, thank you to The Cowboy for giving me the inspiration for this story.

About the Author

Angel was born in Muscatine, Iowa and learned to read by the age of three.  When she was five, she moved with her family to northwest New Mexico and at the age of eleven, she began reading romance novels pilfered from her mother. 

In high school, Angel often sat with the textbook open and a romance novel sitting inside it rather than listening to classmates read other literature aloud.  After high school, she began writing stories in notebooks because she didn’t own a typewriter. 

Later, Angel neared completion of her first novel,
Damaged Hearts
but she couldn’t bring herself to end it
(until now - Finally after many years.....Its done!)
  Since that time, she has written four short stories and is nearing completion on both a contemporary novel and a paranormal romance novel.

When she's not writing or curled up with a book, she loves to watch her son play football, basketball or compete in other sports.  One of her greatest dreams is to find herself published and listed on the
New York Times
bestsellers list. 

Angel still lives in New Mexico with her husband, her son, and her little Muppet with teeth, otherwise known as her dog Rusty.  She can be found at
[email protected]
and loves to hear from her readers.

If you liked this book, please check out other work by Angel Wolfe.

QuickSilver
Leaving behind a cheating fiancé and a dead end job, Ashley Nicole Preston sets out to investigate her recent inheritance, only to find a castle of decaying rubble.  If she stays the full six months, is she opening Pandora's Box, or opening her heart to a possible happily ever after....forever.

Storm of the Heart (Prequel to Holiday of the Heart)

Valentine’s Day has always been the worst of holidays for Morgan Page so she packs a bag and heads to the wilds of Wisconsin in attempt to forget her troubles.  Instead, she encounters more than she ever dreamed.  Stuck injured and alone, in the middle of a storm, in a cabin with no heat or supplies are just the start of her issues; and seeing Ricky again makes for an interesting holiday.

The ED Alternative

After being diagnosed with ED and told his body might not handle the medicinal supplement for his problem, how will Jim break the news to his passionate and adventurous wife, Stella?  It’s their twenty-year anniversary and he has to make it special or risk losing the one true love of his life.  Will Jim come up with a solution or will his love life go flat?

      And

~~Coming Soon ~~

July or August 2015

Holiday of the Heart

If you’re curious to find out what happens to Morgan Page after she makes it home from Wisconsin, check out the action filled continuation.  After multiple surgeries, an attack on her person and meeting a new hot man with a personality to boot, what will Morgan do about her current relationship?  Will she choose to stay with him or will she take a Holiday of the Heart to explore her options?

Thanksgiving 2015

Christmas in Clementine
In the small town of Clementine, Colorado, two special elves are trying to assist Santa in creating a Christmas miracle.  Will the tiny town’s time-honored tradition of Christmas matchmaking, marriage, and adoption lead to another happily ever after, or will this be the year that Santa’s elves are left with coal in their stockings?  With only 5 days until Christmas, just how will these elves get two stubborn people to see what’s right in front of them?