The Rancher Takes a Cook (12 page)

She glanced over at him from the griddle
where the hotcakes sizzled next to strips of bacon and gave him an
optimistic smile. “Sounds easy enough. I’ll be fine.”

Jacob’s brow still furrowed. “Take a gun
with you. We have the herd in the west pasture, so the men won’t be
too far away. Shoot once in the air if you need anything at all.”
His brow creased in concern. “Do you know how to shoot a gun?”

Anna almost giggled at the way he sounded
like a mother hen clucking at her chick. “I already told you I can
shoot. It’s been a while since I’ve had to, but Papa always
believed girls needed to learn how to take care of themselves just
like the boys did. He taught us both how to ride, shoot, and
swim.”

Jacob blew out a breath, finally conceding.
“Okay, then. But be careful.”

Anna had a sudden giddy urge to run over and
hug him, but she contained her impulse and settled for a grin that
tugged her cheeks and bubbled over into her heart.

As soon as her chores were done for the
morning, she packed her saddle bags with breads and canned goods
for Virginia’s family then headed to the barn to saddle Bandita.
When she pulled her saddle from its spot on a rail attached to the
barn wall, something heavy hung from the back. Anna’s heart
squeezed. Jacob had secured a rifle in its scabbard to one of the
ties on her saddle. Warmth ran through her at his actions. Pulling
out the Winchester, she rubbed a hand over its smooth metal barrel.
She certainly didn’t plan to use this, but it was so nice to be
cared for.

The ride to Ginny’s was blessedly peaceful,
although it took longer than Anna expected. As she rode into the
farm yard, a brown and white collie dog bounded out of the barn
toward her, barking and tail wagging like a flag in the
Independence Day parade.

“Hey there, girl,” Anna crooned as she
dismounted and reached out to pet the dog. The animal sniffed her
hand for a few seconds then submitted willingly to a bit of rubbing
behind her ears.

“You’ll never get rid of her if you do
that,” Everett Wallace called in a teasing voice as he strode
across the yard from the direction of the barn.

“She’s a sweetie. What’s her name?”

“We call her Rachel. She came with Virginia
when we got married, kinda like a dowry.” He said the last comment
with a rueful raise of his thick eyebrows.

Anna laughed at his expression as she untied
her saddle bags. “Well, every bride does need a dog.”

Everett chuckled, too, and lifted the bags
off of Anna’s horse. He had an easy-going, pleasant temperament
that was a perfect blend to Ginny’s vibrant personality. No wonder
Ginny always got starry-eyed when she spoke of her husband. They
were the ideal match for each other.

“Ginny will be thrilled to see you. Katie’s
probably still taking a nap since it’s so quiet inside, so maybe
you’ll have a chance to talk before the whirlwind wakes up.”

Anna glanced back at him, her voice turning
serious. “Does the doctor feel Ginny’s getting better?”

“Yep, he says she and the baby should be
fine as long as she stays in the bed. Should be able to carry him
all the way until January.”

Anna raised a brow. “Him? The doc told you
it’s a boy?”

A sheepish smile came over Everett’s face.
“A man can hope, can’t he?”

Anna laughed as she followed him up the
porch and into the house. She found Ginny lying on a sofa in the
parlor, reading a book. When Anna poked her head into the room,
Ginny threw down the book and exclaimed, “Anna. Oh, my dear friend,
I am
so
glad you’ve come. Sit down in this chair and tell me
everything you’ve been up to.”

Anna chuckled at her friend’s exuberance.
“All right, but first you have to tell me what happened to you and
how you’re handling bed rest.”

By the end of an hour, Anna was caught up on
Ginny’s condition and the struggles of running a home from the
couch, but Anna was relieved to find her friend still in good
spirits.

“Everett’s been such a help through
everything. He’s patient with Katie, even though I know this has
been hard on him, too.” With a wave of her hand, Ginny continued
with a devious twinkle in her eye. “Enough about me, though. I want
to hear all about how things are going at the Double Rocking B. How
is your tall, blue-eyed cowboy doing?”

Heat crawled up Anna’s neck, probably
turning her cheeks the color of Ginny’s bright red shirtwaist. She
sat back in her chair and played with her thumbs. “He’s not
my
cowboy. He’s my boss, for goodness sakes.”

“Pshaw.” Ginny dismissed the words with a
wave of her hand. “Anyone can see the two of you act like
love-struck school kids when you’re around each other.”

“We do not.” Anna was taken aback by the
thought.

Ginny leaned forward, propped on her elbow.
“Are you trying to tell me you’re not attracted to him?”

“Well, of course I’m attracted to him.” This
time the heat went all the way down to her toes. “But any girl
would be. I just cook his food, that’s all.”

Ginny lay back with a knowing grin. “You’re
lying to yourself, Anna Stewart, and you know it as well as I do.
Has he kissed you yet?”

Anna gasped and drew back. “No.”

“Oh, he will, don’t you worry. And when he
does I want to hear all about it.”

As November progressed, Anna planned a
special Thanksgiving meal for her cowboys. The men had all been on
the lookout for wild turkeys for the dinner, but the only thing
they found was a herd of deer. So Anna killed a few chickens and
served roast chicken and smoked venison with truffle gravy. Since
Thanksgiving was an American holiday, she skipped the tacos and
made traditional Thanksgiving foods, like sweet potato casserole,
bread pudding, cranberry sauce, apple pie, and even plum pudding
that she brought flaming to the table amidst a round of cheers from
the men.

The memory of that happy occasion brought a
smile to Anna’s lips as she scrubbed bed sheets in the kitchen one
cold December day. Today was laundry day for the family’s clothing,
but it was also the monthly day she washed the linens from the beds
in the main house. Mr. O’Brien slept in the large bedroom on the
first floor, while Jacob, Aunt Lola, and Anna each used a room on
the second floor. With Aunt Lola doing most of the housework, Anna
was thankful she rarely had to venture into the O’Brien men’s
rooms. The rest of the cowpunchers, including Edward, slept in the
bunkhouse and were responsible for their own washing. She had a
feeling their bedding was
not
laundered once a month, if
ever. Maybe she should offer her services.

Anna added some extra elbow grease as she
scrubbed a large stain on Jacob’s shirt. She studied the spot. Was
that turpentine or carbolic acid? How in the world had he gotten
the stuff on the
back
of his shirt?

So many emotions flooded her when she washed
this man’s clothes. She hated to immerse them in the water that
would remove the smell she had come to associate with him, a
mixture of man and sweat and horse and cow all wrapped into one
very masculine scent. And sometimes a few stronger odors added in
for good measure. Anna bit her lip to stop a grin.

She performed a very wifely duty for this
man by washing, drying, and folding each of his garments. Her
stomach tingled. Of course, she was performing the same service for
his father and aunt, but there was something different about
handling the clothing that had touched Jacob’s person.

Ginny’s words came back to her. Did Jacob
have any feelings for her? Or was Ginny’s reaction just female
imaginings? He still did her early chores and stopped in for coffee
every morning. Anna treasured those times and tucked them away to
remember throughout the day. Sometimes they would talk about the
cattle, or the men, or of the latest news from town. And sometimes
they would not talk, and Jacob would simply watch her prepare
breakfast and pack lunches for the men. Anna’s respect for him grew
daily as she observed his wisdom and the deep faith that penetrated
everything he did.

Anna sat back from scrubbing and stared down
at the shirt in her hands. Was it more than respect she held for
Jacob? He certainly made her stomach flutter when he turned those
sky-blue eyes on her. Yes, it would be fair to say she was
infatuated with him, although she’d worked hard to keep feelings of
that nature at bay. He was her employer, and this was a good home
for Edward and for her. It was important she not mess this up.
Jacob seemed to enjoy her company, but that wasn’t too surprising
since he didn’t have much opportunity to spend time around female
company. The kind he wasn’t related to, that is. Of course, he
didn’t pay much attention to any of the single ladies at church on
Sunday. Anna sighed. She wasn’t likely to find answers by studying
the buttons on his shirt, and it didn’t really bear thinking
about.

She set aside that shirt and reached for
another at the same time she reached for a new question. Hopefully
one for which she could actually find an answer.
What am I going
to give for Christmas presents this year?
This would be their
first year without Papa or their home in Columbia, and it probably
wouldn’t be easy for Edward. She fought back the ache that rushed
her spirit. She couldn’t focus on the circumstances. Her focus had
to be on making this special for Edward. And for their new friends.
She planned to add as much festivity as possible to the occasion by
putting together a small gift for each of the men and Aunt Lola.
But what should she give? She could use a bit of money from her
earnings, but that money was precious. It was for their future.

As Anna finished scrubbing the next shirt,
her mind ran through various gift ideas. But everything was either
too expensive or too intricate to make them all before Christmas
day, just two weeks away. As she picked up the next item in the
basket, one of Mr. O’Brien’s bandannas, she examined it for stains.
The cloth was frayed around the edges. And that gave her an
idea…

* * *

Christmas Day dawned clear and cold, and
Jacob sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee as the sun rose
through the small window. Anna was in her element, already
scurrying about the kitchen, peeling potatoes, steaming the plum
pudding, and rolling out pastry dough for the pies.

“You’re gonna wear a hole in the floor if
you keep flyin’ around the kitchen like that.”

She glanced up with a nervous smile. Then
her face turned to a questioning look as she sniffed the air. “My
casseroles,” she gasped, spinning around to the oven. Grasping a
corner of her apron in each hand, she jerked open the oven door and
peered in at the two huge pans full of bubbling yellow
something
. A wave of tantalizing smells drifted over to
Jacob. The aroma was more than he could resist, pulling him to his
feet and toward the root of the fragrance.

He peered over her shoulder as Anna set the
first pan on a warming pad. “Mmmm… I hope you’re not planning to
make us wait ’til Christmas dinner to eat those.”

She shot him a teasing grin as she moved
back to the oven to remove the second pan. “Papa always told me
good things come to those who wait.”

Something about Anna’s words drew his gaze
to her lips, which formed a cute little pout while she focused on
the casseroles. Protruding like that, their smooth surface was
flawless. How warm and soft would they feel if he lowered his mouth
to hers? He jerked his eyes away to outside the window. That rabbit
trail was sure to lead toward trouble. His concentration needed to
stay with the ranch and the cattle. Getting mixed up with a female
was sure to be a distraction. With the talk of cattle thieves in
the area, now was definitely not the time to let his attention
wander.

Jacob turned back to Anna. She sprinkled
loose cheese on the casseroles then stepped back to eye them. She
looked so cute with her forehead puckered in concentration.

“Can I help with something?”

Anna glanced up at him as if she just
realized he were still in the room. He wished he could forget
her
presence that easily.

“Would you mind carrying these casseroles
into the dining room and set them on the table?”

As he moved forward to lift the first pan,
an idea struck him and he turned to the woman. “Anna?”

“Yes?” She looked up from the bread dough
she was kneading, a hint of white dust on her cheek making his gut
tighten a little.

“I was thinking of going for a ride down to
the river after dinner today. If you don’t have any plans, I’d be
glad for you to come along.” He cleared his throat. Why did he feel
more nervous than a wrangler breaking a new horse?

Her eyes widened and her brows rose. Was
that excitement? “I’d love to. I’m afraid it might take me an hour
or two to get things cleaned up from the meal, but I’ll be ready as
soon as I can, if you don’t mind waiting for me.” Her eyes dipped
back to the dough oozing between her tightly-squeezed fingers. “Of
course, if you’d rather not wait, I understand.”

Reaching forward to brush the white smear
from her cheek, he couldn’t help his answer. “Someone once told me
good things come to those who wait.”

With a chuckle at the red creeping into her
face, Jacob picked up a casserole and headed toward the dining
room, his mood lighter than it had been in a long time. It was
going to be a good Christmas, after all.

* * *

The meal turned out to be everything Anna
had hoped for. She’d managed not to burn anything, and the men
offered their usual compliments on her talent with flavorings.
Jacob seemed to especially like the yeast rolls smothered with warm
apple butter, and she made a mental note of his choice.

As they dug into dessert, the men discussed
their plans for the afternoon, including a rousing checkers
competition. Anna grinned as Edward promised to “take home the pot
quicker than any of ya can count the checkers ya lose.” He was
sounding more and more like a cowboy.