Cowboy to the Rescue

BROOKE KEPT LISTING possible dishes to make for dinner, then crossing them off—too fancy, too country, too exotic, always too something. It didn’t help that she kept glancing at the back door, wondering if Ryan Teague might reappear.

She shook her head and pressed her palm against her forehead. Daydreaming about a tall Texan with blue-green eyes so striking she’d momentarily forgotten how to speak wasn’t going to help her get this job. Focusing on him instead of her task would probably ensure she didn’t.

Another look at her list gave her an entirely new idea. Two menus. Two different menus to show her versatility.

Twice as much work.

But twice the opportunity to showcase her skills, and worth it if she secured the position.

She located and mixed ingredients for spiced pork chops with butternut squash, filet mignon with twice-baked potatoes, orange-juice cake and caramel brioche. And to cater to the child Ryan had mentioned, she whipped up some fancy cupcakes that, she had to admit, were almost too pretty to eat. As she arranged them on a serving tower, she wondered if the little boy was his.

Not important.

The minutes ticked ever closer to six o’clock, but she squeezed them for all they were worth. By the time she was done, she had enough food to feed a platoon of hungry stomachs.

Only when she stopped to take a breath did she realize no one had entered the kitchen since Ryan had left. And she felt she knew the Teagues’ kitchen as well as the one she’d cooked in for the past year.

Now that the food was prepared and the table set, she had to make herself as presentable as she could in, oh, three minutes. She hurried to the bathroom located down the hall, smoothed her hair, dusted the flour off her red blouse, washed the sheen of exertion from her face and reapplied a touch of blusher.

When she looked at herself in the mirror, she didn’t think she showed any of the desperation rumbling inside her like a different type of hunger.

“Stop worrying,” she told her reflection. “You can do this.” With a deep, fortifying breath, she retraced her steps to the kitchen, arriving just as a little boy barreled through the back door.

The miniature cowboy skidded to a halt and stared up at her. “Are you Brooke?” he asked as several more people arrived for dinner.

“Yes, I am.”

He smiled. “You’re pretty.”

A few laughs bubbled up from a couple of guys who appeared to be a few years older than her.

“I thought you didn’t like girls yet,” one of them said, teasing evident in his words to the boy.

“But my nephew is right,” the other man said as he looked at Brooke.

She couldn’t meet the man’s eyes, so she focused on the little boy. “Thank you. You’re quite handsome yourself.”

He blushed and scuffed his booted toe against the floor. What an adorable kid.

The boy’s uncle scooped up the boy. “You gotta wait your turn with the pretty ladies, Evan.” The guy tipped his hat and winked at her. “Simon Teague, ma’am.”

She managed a smile, though she feared it wavered. “Brooke Vincent. Nice to meet you.” Simon topped her by several inches, and he had an air of command and authority about him that had her edging away, hoping he wouldn’t notice.

That’s when her gaze found Ryan stepping into the room alongside his mom and an older man who must be his father. The elder man was the spitting image of a lifelong cowboy—tanned, lines next to his eyes from squinting into the bright sun, gray hair but still handsome. Like the Marlboro Man when he became a grandfather.

Ryan was just as tall as the rest of the men, but his presence didn’t overwhelm her like Simon’s had. She couldn’t pinpoint why his appearance calmed her blazing nerves, especially when earlier he’d made her all kinds of nervous, but it did. She smiled at him in unconscious gratitude.

Merline Teague clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Everyone, I see you’ve noticed we’ve got a new face in the kitchen. Brooke has applied to fill the cook’s post, and she’s giving us a sampling of her culinary skills tonight.”

“Looks like she’s planning to feed all of Blue Falls,” said the man who had teased little Evan about liking girls. By the way he stood close behind the other woman in the room, she’d guess they were a couple and maybe Evan’s parents.

“You do know this isn’t fair, Mom,” Simon said. “You never had Trudy cook on family night.”

“Trudy would have told me to go jump in the lake. I figure I have a narrow window of opportunity here.”

Everyone laughed, and Brooke felt she was the one person not in on the joke. Did Merline mean she was leaning toward giving her the job and she figured Brooke would soon set limits on her work? She resisted the urge to tell Merline that she’d cook every meal every day if the agony of not knowing could just end.

As the laughter died down, Merline caught Brooke’s eye. “Now, let’s quit the silliness and let Brooke tell us about what she’s made.”

Brooke took a breath and dived in. “I’ve prepared two types of menus—one simple and comforting, the other a bit fancier. You could use the latter for special occasions, like if you were hosting an anniversary party or wedding.” She proceeded to tell them about each of the dishes, drawing nods and sounds of appreciation. She hoped they liked everything as much after they tasted it.

“Let’s eat. I’m starving.” This came from the elder Mr. Teague.

As everyone filed through, filling their plates, Merline stationed herself next to Brooke and introduced her to everyone as they passed by.

“Simon’s already introduced himself,” she said when the flirty cowboy paused in front of them to nab a piping-hot yeast roll.

“What, you’re not going to tell her how wonderful I am?” He smiled as he wrapped his free arm around his mom’s shoulders.

Merline looked at Brooke. “This one doesn’t have a problem with self-confidence.”

“Hmm. I think I’ve just been insulted,” he said.

Merline patted his cheek. “Not at all, dear. Now quit holding up the line.”

Simon shot Brooke another smile and winked a blue-gray eye at her before heading for the table.

Next, she met Nathan and Grace, Evan’s parents, who were newlyweds despite Evan’s age.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Grace said. “It’ll be good to have another woman around here. We’re a bit overrun with testosterone.”

“And you love it,” Nathan said as he bumped the side of her hip with his own, causing Grace to smile up at him.

A pang hit Brooke at how in love these two obviously were. Once upon a time, she’d dreamed of that kind of love for herself.

“And this here is our youngest, Ryan,” Merline said as Nathan followed Grace to the dining room and Ryan took their place in front of Brooke.

She had trouble maintaining eye contact with him. Again, she wondered how a man could calm her and make her nervous at the same time.

“We’ve met,” she said.

She noticed the slight widening of Merline’s eyes. “You have?”

Ryan glanced from Brooke to his mother. “Yeah. I ran out of drinks, came up here to get one.”

Merline shifted her attention to Brooke. There was something seeking in her expression, making it difficult to not squirm. With a slight nod to Brooke, Ryan made his way toward the dining room, as well, to be replaced by his father.

“This is my husband, Hank.”