The Rancher Takes a Cook (8 page)

The meal finished soon after, and Monty
dispatched the boys to help batten down the hatches of the house
and barn, and settle the few livestock left in the corrals. He was
giving orders to Jacob just like the rest of the men. But wasn’t
Jacob the boss’s son? No time to ponder that now. She set to work
clearing the table and washing dishes, moving quickly tonight
instead of the steady pace she usually set for the nighttime
ritual. Lightning continued to flash outside, and the howling of
the wind took on an eerie wail, vibrating the glass window with
forceful gusts.

When the dishes were washed and put away,
Anna completed a quick wipe-down of the counters and table then
scooped up the lantern and headed toward the den. By this point,
her nerves were rattled enough that she was looking forward to
human companionship.

As usual, Aunt Lola sewed in the rocking
chair by the fire. Mr. O’Brien propped in the overstuffed chair
beside her, leather-bound book in hand and wire-rimmed glasses
perched on his nose. His face was intent on the page in his hand,
lips quirked into a slight grin.

Anna settled into her usual seat on the
settee and reached for her mending basket to work on Edward’s pants
with the large tear across one knee.

Mr. O’Brien looked up and removed his
spectacles. “I tell you, I never do get tired of reading about the
adventures of this Oliver Twist fella.” He held up the book. “Do
you read much, Miss Stewart?”

“I do love to read. I’m afraid all my books
burned in Columbia, though. I only have my Bible and a Jane Austen
novel that was a gift from my aunt.”

The wrinkles between his brows puckered.
“Well, books we have a’plenty.” He waved in the direction of his
office. “You’re welcome to any in our library. And if there’s
something you’d like to read that we don’t have, you let me know
and I’ll pick it up in town. I don’t know how I’d have made it
through life without my books.” The twinkle reappeared in his eyes,
and a kinship toward this man welled up in Anna. At the same time,
her heart ached for her old leather-bound friends that had burned
in the fire.

A sudden whoosh in the hallway signaled the
opening of the front door. It sounded like the storm had blown
inside. The noise was fierce but died down with the thud of the
door closing. Boots clunking on the hardwood floor announced
Jacob’s presence before his tall frame appeared in the doorway.

“How is it out there, son?” Mr. O’Brien
peered over his spectacles.

“Wind’s pretty rough. I think we’ll be okay
as long as we don’t get a tornado or a stampede out of the mix. The
boys are setting a watch, just in case.” Jacob collapsed in the
wood arm chair by the fire, across from his father.

Anna imagined Edward sleeping out in the
smaller bunkhouse, wind howling all around him. “Do you think it’s
safe for the men to be in the bunkhouse tonight? What if there’s a
tornado or lightning strike?”

Jacob snorted. “Safe enough. The bunkhouses
are built of good, solid pine. If we get any tornadoes, this
place’ll go down as quick as any other building. Besides, those men
have slept through a lot worse.”

Not Edward.
But she refrained from
voicing it. Should she ask if Edward could be allowed to sleep in
the main house tonight? Her brother would most likely be mortified,
but at least he’d be alive.

Jacob eyed her with a hint of challenge, as
if he could read her mind and planned to deny her request straight
off. Her dander rose, but she clamped her mouth shut. At least
Edward was in the same cabin as Juan. The older cowboy had
weathered many storms in his years on the range. Hopefully, he
could help Edward make it through this one.

* * *

Thursday morning dawned cool and clear, with
a sunrise that lifted Anna’s spirit. She’d planned a traditional
breakfast this morning with flapjacks, eggs, bacon, and fresh, warm
biscuits spread with strawberry preserves. She’d learned early on
the men didn’t take time to add niceties to their food before
gulping it down. So now she applied condiments to the food before
the cowboys arrived at the table, in hopes they might actually take
time to enjoy the extra flavor.

She laid the serving dishes, piled high with
food, strategically down the center of the long table, making sure
a dish of each type of delicacy was within every man’s reach.

Anna grew conscious of a presence in the
doorway. She glanced up, and Jacob leaned against the door frame
with his arms crossed, blue eyes following her movements. His dark
brown hair must still be damp because it lay brushed sideways in
controlled waves, only one unruly lock daring to touch his
forehead. His blue plaid work shirt stretched across wide
shoulders, the top two buttons open as if they couldn’t contain his
muscular frame. He didn’t wear a vest like many of the cowboys, but
his shirt fit snuggly enough to expose a trim waist and flat
stomach. He was gorgeous. He really was. But he was her boss. And
she had no business swooning over him. Loving meant opening herself
up to the possibility of losing. No, she wasn’t planning to attach
herself to anyone else. She was only there to protect Edward and
provide them both a home. She had to keep her focus on those two
facts alone.

“Food smells good.”

The words broke through Anna’s thoughts, and
she dropped her eyes to the plate of bacon in her hands. “I’ve
almost finished setting everything out. Would you like a cup of
coffee while you wait?” She peeked back up at him for a response.
His square jaw made him look so strong and capable. Catching his
nod, Anna scurried toward the kitchen, relieved to leave his
scrutinizing gaze.

As she brought the steaming cup to him, Anna
was careful to keep her eyes on the brew and hold it so her hand
wouldn’t brush his as he took possession. Just standing close to
this man made her stomach do flips. He was her
employer
,
after all. She needed to keep that in the forefront of her
mind.

“I’m goin’ to town today.” His words brought
her head up, shattering her intention to not make eye contact.
“Thought you might have a list of things you want me to pick up.
Or…maybe you’d like to go along?” He asked the question like he
didn’t want to. “I know it gets a bit lonely out here, and you may
want to see your family. It’s up to you.”

Anna’s heart did a little leap. She longed
to see Aunt Laura and Uncle Walter again. They hadn’t been at
church last Sunday, and she wondered if they were ill. “Do you mean
it? Oh, I would love to go. If it’s not too much trouble.”

He gave a quick nod. “We’ll leave an hour
after breakfast. Just meet me in the yard.” Jacob turned to leave
then looked back and raised his cup. “Thanks for the coffee.” Then
he was gone.

After breakfast, Anna hurried through the
mounds of dishes then took a careful inventory of the supplies she
needed. These men went through food like water through a sieve, so
her list was longer than she’d expected.

That done, Anna hurried upstairs to freshen
her appearance. Staring in the mirror at her faded brown dress, she
looked so plain and unattractive. Her only other dress was still
covered in tomato sauce from yesterday. Perhaps she’d use some of
their earnings to buy material for new clothing. That brought a
smile to her lips. Yes, she could splurge just a little. She’d
already planned to buy a cowboy hat for Edward, like the other men
wore. That might stop their ribbing about the ‘city’ hat he wore
with the skinny brim that didn’t hardly keep the sun out of his
eyes. Edward would need a pair of the leather chapparros and
high-heeled boots soon, but she’d have to take things one at a
time.

Since nothing could be done about her
attire, Anna re-pinned her hair and secured the bonnet atop her
brown tresses. She’d have to smile brightly to make up for the
drab, faded appearance of her clothing.

* * *

Jacob sat in the wagon, arguing with himself
while he waited for Anna to appear from the house. What had he been
thinking, offering to let that woman come along? It was okay to
look from a distance, but spending all day in her company was
getting too close for comfort. She was a beauty, no doubt, and
could perform miracles with food like he’d never before tasted. The
men spent most of their days talking about what she had fixed for
breakfast or making bets about what would be at the supper table.
Jacob even hurried through his morning and evening chores so he
could be one of the first to enter the dining hall. Although, for
most of the men, the room held more draw than just the food. She
was a fascinating creature, with her expressive hazel eyes and
confident air.

Just then, the subject of his thoughts
stepped onto the front porch, her straight posture accentuating the
soft curves in her dress. Jacob gulped, trying to moisten his dry
mouth. As she strode toward the wagon, his mind finally kicked into
motion. He should be on the ground, ready to assist her. It’d been
so long since he’d been around any female—except Aunt Lola who
wouldn’t hear of his ‘coddling’ by helping her into the wagon—his
manners were getting sloppy.

Vaulting to the ground, he guided her into
the seat with a hand under each elbow. His skin tingled from the
contact on his palms. Forcing his insides to calm, Jacob marched
around to the other side of the wagon and climbed aboard, settling
himself with the reins in an easy motion. “All set?”

She turned a brilliant smile on him and
declared, “I’m ready.”

Jacob gritted his teeth against the
butterflies her smile inspired in his mid-section. And when her
thick skirts settled against his leg, the line in his jaw clenched
a bit tighter.

He flicked the reins across the horses’
backs. “Giddup.” At the end of the ranch drive, he turned the
animals onto the main road and settled in for a long drive. If that
woman talked the whole way…

But she didn’t seem to be much of a magpie.
After a long silence, she shared an anecdote from her work around
the house. A little bit later she chuckled about something funny
Aunt Lola had said. Anna seemed to hold a special tenderness for
his feisty Aunt, and it was plain from their interactions the older
woman shared the feeling. One thing for sure about Aunt Lola, she
said what she meant and you always knew where you stood with her.
Not like most women.

The verdict was still out on Anna. She
appeared to be sweet and genuine and seemed to understand him in an
uncanny sort of way. Time would tell, though, if there was more to
her than met the eye.

* * *

The familiar sight of the concrete wall
around Seguin had Anna bouncing in her seat. The air was thick with
the scent of horses, chimney smoke, and a yeasty aroma from the
cafeteria on the corner.

Jacob’s manner was stiff when he helped her
from the wagon in front of Stewart’s Mercantile. “I’ve got a few
other stops. Will it give you long enough if I come back in a
couple hours?”

“That’s perfect.” She’d make every minute
count.

As she stepped into the Mercantile, the
familiar aroma hit her with a wave of homesickness. A mixture of
leather polish, pickle juice, and baked goods. She stopped to take
it all in and almost jumped when Uncle Walter’s booming voice came
from the direction of the counter.

“Anna, dear girl. What a pleasure to see you
again.” He strode around the counter, wiping his hands on an
already-smudged work apron. He enveloped Anna in a quick bear hug
then held her out at arm’s length as if to make sure she was whole.
“How are you, girl? We’d best go find your Aunt Laura, or she’ll
never forgive me for stealing even a second of her time with
you.”

Anna returned his grin. “I’m here for both
business and pleasure, actually. I have a list of supplies we need
to pick up today. Jacob will be returning in a couple of hours, so
that should give you plenty of time to fill the order.”

“By all means, put me to work.” He reached
for her list.

“I’ll tell you what,” she said in a
conspiratorial whisper, “let me visit with Aunt Laura for a while
then I’ll come back down and help you put things together. And I
was hoping to look through your dress goods for new material?”

“It’s a deal. I wouldn’t pass up help from a
pretty young lady for anything.” With a wink and a bow, he allowed
her to pass behind the desk and through the door to the stairs
leading up to the living quarters.

Aunt Laura squealed when she saw Anna and
wrapped her in a tight embrace. They settled in at the sink,
peeling potatoes while Anna filled her aunt in about the details of
ranch life—especially cooking for such a large herd of cowpunchers.
Even when they slipped into companionable quiet, pleasure wrapped
around Anna’s shoulders like a warm cloak.
Father, I can’t thank
you enough for putting this wonderful woman in my life. To be my
aunt, but especially my friend.
When they made their way
downstairs, Aunt Laura guided Anna straight toward the fabrics. “We
have a gorgeous new hunter green muslin that would be the perfect
thing to bring out the green flecks in your eyes.”

Anna fingered the soft material, dress ideas
swirling in her mind’s eye. “I love it. And I could use these
buttons for the bodice and this ribbon for the edging and…” Her
words halted as a tall figure entered the store. Jacob. Even from a
distance his presence made her breathing grow shallow.

His eyes searched the store until they found
hers. “Anna.” The sound of her name in his warm voice caught her
off guard for a moment. Did he realize he’d used her Christian
name? Urgency tinged his voice as he marched toward her. “There’s a
bad storm brewing from the direction of the ranch. We need to get
going
now
if we have any hope to miss it.”

Anna flew into motion at his words and was
vaguely aware of her aunt and uncle doing the same. They loaded
numerous crates and bags into the wagon, then Anna hugged her aunt
as Jacob settled his bill with Uncle Walter. Jacob escorted Anna
out of the shop with her elbow resting firmly in his strong hand. A
warmth of security washed over her.