The Bachelorette star Rachel Lindsay is addressing how difficult it was for her to let go of Kenny Layne after peeling back the layers of his personality and past.
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"Kenny had one last opportunity to show me that he finally put Lee's concerns to rest so we could focus on the potential of love. I didn't make it easy on him, but he seized that opportunity that night by showing me the changes he's gone through as a man when his daughter Mackenzie came into his life," Rachel wrote in her People blog, referring to the night portion of the two-on-one date in which they spent time alone.
"He was honest about his temper being an issue in the past, but the earnest and maturity with which he spoke about the present and future with his daughter in the picture was convincing. Our dinner conversation that evening was very direct, unlike any conversation we had shared up until that point."
Rachel said her conversation with Kenny was "a really nice change of pace" and she felt like the pro wrestler sincerely wanted to explore their bond further.
Rachel therefore gave Kenny a rose and then the group was off to Copenhagen, Denmark to play in some ridiculous -- and occassionally brutal -- Viking games.
"I always said sports show as much regarding a person's character as they do physical ability; and as I watched the guys fight for me, I paid attention to which warrior played with the most heart and sportsmanship. At the end of the day it was Kenny and [Adam Gottschalk].
Ironically, neither of those men had received an official one-on-one date yet, compared to bachelors like Dean Unglert and Peter Kraus.
"[Kenny and Adam] knew they had to make the most of out of opportunities like this," Rachel explained.
"My biggest fear came true when in the final round of the Viking tournament, during a clash of shields and heads, both their brows were split and blood was drawn! Kenny laughed it off, he's a pro wrestler who has had to super-glued shut cuts like that in locker rooms all over the world. Adam put on a brave face too but it was time to call it."
Kenny won the final battle, and Rachel called him the "heavyweight king of the day," adding that he "deserved" victory.
"And Kenny has one of the biggest and brightest smiles," Rachel continued. "I'm so glad I got to see it one last time that day."
After both Kenny and Adam sought medical treatment and were told they were healthy enough to enjoy the rest of the date, the fun continued into the night.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW"It was time to get my guys out of wind and warm up with some drinks by the fire. I had no idea who was getting the rose coming into this night. Every guy showed an effort to focus both on me and on having a blast playing as Vikings. That evening when I sat down with the champ Kenny I knew although Lee was gone, we still had some tough things to talk about," Rachel said.
"He was concerned that our connection was moving at too slow of a pace to get where it needed to for this to end in an engagement. I knew that if circumstances were different at the start of this journey, and there wasn't a special young lady back in Vegas missing him more than I ever could imagine, maybe we could find the time to get there."
Rachel was ultimately missing the intensity of a connection she was looking for in a future husband.
"Unfortunately, I just wasn't sure enough of our relationship to keep them apart any longer. You know how I know Kenny meant all the things he ever said about me? Because the graciousness he showed as we said goodbye proved his affection," Rachel wrote in her blog.
"I had some difficult goodbyes leading up to that and so many to come that having a positive farewell lifted my spirits. Thank you Kenny. Every daughter deserves a father who cares as much as you."
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
