Homeward bound cowboy, p.4
Homeward Bound, Cowboy, page 4
Dee was glad to escape into the kitchen. Her cheeks felt warm. She hadn’t blushed in ages…surely she wasn’t coming down with something? It couldn’t be because Rio had held her hand. That would be ridiculous…and embarrassing. But definitely a start!
Josie just might have something after all. It was the first time in a very long while that a desirable male had held her hand…and looked at her with…with what? Interest? Yearning? Now she was getting carried away. But that feeling deep within her had definitely stirred awake again and it made her smile. For the first time in a long time, Dee allowed herself to loosen up on her cool composure. She felt like humming as she began removing pots from under the stove.
Her next stop was to browse the pantry for some vegetables. She had placed a small chicken in the refrigerator earlier that day to thaw with the intent to bake it for dinner. She assembled everything on the cabinet and stove, and then a thought came to her. Should she? Was she being ridiculous? Would it seem rude if she didn’t? He’d probably refuse. But what if he didn’t?
Dee walked back to the opening of the living room. The sight of the man seated cross-legged with a bottle in his hand, and the small animal cradled on one thigh and crook of his arm, brought a pleased smile to her face. Doubly so, because she saw a softening of the man’s face she wouldn’t have thought possible. Was he actually smiling at the creature? And for a moment, she wondered what it would be like to have such a smile directed at her. Rio chose that moment to look up and caught her staring…again. Quick cover was called for.
“I’m planning on baked chicken. There will be food here for more than a few people and not just me. If you don’t have any other plans, you could share dinner here if you’d like. With Emmy and me. It’s the least we can do since you’ve helped with Angel.”
For a long moment, he seemed to weigh something in his mind. Was he trying to find a polite way to turn her down? All he had to do was say so. She felt stupid.
“A home-cooked meal…stuck inside given the weather…then, no, I don’t have other plans. Chicken sounds good. I’ll finish up here, move her back to her pen in the kitchen, and then I can lend a hand to help you.”
“Great.” Dee beat a hasty retreat back to the kitchen.
Of course he wouldn’t have other plans. She had sounded so silly. Whatever is wrong, knock it off and remember you’re a grown woman, not a silly teenager. Was she that rusty at the male/female game?
Yes.
She turned the oven on to heat, and that was when the lights overhead flickered…once…then again. And then they went off and darkness filled the room. Dee stood still. Surely, they would come back on?
“Are you okay?” The unexpected voice and its nearness made her jump.
“Oh, my heavens! How do you do that?”
“I’m sorry? Do what?” A match was struck, and he found the candle that sat on the shelf by the dinette table. It provided an eerie little light that showed his face in flickering shadows. “Did I frighten you?”
“No, you didn’t frighten me. I was startled. It’s just I didn’t hear you come in. You move so quietly sometimes.”
“It’s years of practice. I often supplied wild game for many of the tables and freezers on the reservation. I seemed to be quite good at it. But I’m sorry. I’ll try to remember to make more noise in the future.”
“No need to apologize. I guess the storm is just making me jumpy for some reason. I’m usually a very calm person. I rarely let anything bother me.” Why was she rambling? He had that effect on her, and she felt silly.
He had moved to share the light of the small candle with her. And the fact of just how alone they were in that moment hit Dee with clarity.
“Nothing ever bothers you? You never get excited?”
“I didn’t say that. I get excited just like everyone else.”
“What excites you?”
Oh, geez. Was it harder to catch a breath? Was he playing with her? His gaze slid slowly to her mouth and she felt a quiver roll through her insides along with a sudden desire to pull his head down and taste him. He had to have read her mind. His gaze left hers and he cocked his head, listening.
Then she heard it. Emmy was awake.
“Take the candle, and I’ll get one of the lanterns from the mudroom. I don’t think the lights are going to come back on too soon. But I thought there was a generator for the house. It should have already kicked on. I’ll go check on it while you take care of the little one upstairs.”
She didn’t need a second invitation to leave the kitchen.
Chapter Four
Dinner? Why had he accepted? There were reasons he shouldn’t. But in that moment, they all deserted him. The woman was dangerous. He gave the too-tight screw another twist with the tool in his hand. It felt good to let out some of the rising frustration she had him feeling just in the short amount of time he had been in her presence. Then he turned to the next one.
Dee McNamara was his employer’s good friend. She knew the Braxtons and that lent itself to some issues. He could use it to his advantage…maybe get her to talk about them more. Fill in the blanks here and there that he didn’t have covered. But that lent itself to another feeling. That would be using her, and that didn’t sit well with him either. And the moment in the kitchen where he felt a sudden urge to kiss her…that had thrown him for a real loop. Talk about muddying the waters. His situation was already murky at best.
Rio had no idea where he was headed in all of this. There had been a burning need inside him that he felt he had to find the answer to when he struck out to find out about the Braxtons. It was as if he couldn’t get on with his path while this “boulder” sat in his way. He had to settle with the past before the future could be his.
One step at a time.
*
Dee took her time changing Emmy’s diaper, and then dressing her in her pink onesie with yellow and blue elephants on it. She grabbed another bib for the meal ahead. “Let’s try to not make fools of ourselves this evening. If you don’t throw up on me, I will try not to be a blathering idiot in front of our dinner guest.” Emmy just looked at her. She giggled then. Was Emmy laughing at her? Probably. When Dee had wasted all the time she could, in the darkened room with the light of the single candle, she made her way carefully down the stairs.
She halted in surprise at the sight that met her as she stepped through the archway into the living room. The fire had been built higher. And there was a wrought-iron spit over the center of the flames. If she wasn’t seeing things, then that would be their chicken turning slowly over the fire. A lantern, with its glass chimney gleaming, had been lit and set on the table next to the couch. Emmy’s small carrier had been draped with a larger fluffy towel from the dryer and sat beside the low coffee table in front of the couch.
Rio came through the doorway from the kitchen carrying a tray with plates, silverware, and napkins. “It’s dinner by firelight tonight. The generator needs more expertise than this horse wrangler has in him. We’ll need to improvise on the baked chicken. Veggies will end up being a tossed salad and there will be a surprise for dessert. But only if you ladies eat all your dinner first.” He set the tray on the low coffee table and began placing the utensils. He glanced up at her where she still stood with Emmy. “I trust this is okay with you?”
“It’s more than okay. It’s great, actually. I’m just amazed at what you managed to do in a short period of time…how you improvised.” Dee moved to take a seat on the couch.
“Well, the spit for the chicken is the cook-fire setup from the chuckwagon that’s used on roundups. I remembered it was sitting in the back of the barn tack room. And I chose the not-too-delicious-looking jar of peaches for Emmy’s dinner tonight. Is that okay? Her bottle’s in the warmer and should be ready, and cereal is ready as backup. I’ll get it. Then you can feed her while I fix the salad. Sound like a plan?”
Dee nodded, still in the surprised/awestruck mode. “That’s a plan.”
He left them, and Dee was able to settle into the couch, Emmy distracted by watching the turning of the chicken. The hissing of the grease dripping into the flames intrigued her and the smell beginning to fill the room made Dee’s stomach remember it had been a while since lunch. It seemed Rio was a man of many talents. What other surprises did he possess? The sense of mystery that emanated from him since his arrival only seemed to be enhanced by his creativity now with the meal.
“The bottle is ready.” He came back in and handed off Emmy’s dinner to Dee. Emmy clapped her hands in anticipation. She grabbed it much the same as the fawn had done with her dinner earlier. Dee smiled. She slipped the bib around her while trying to not disturb her enjoyment too much.
Dee became aware that Rio was watching the pair of them. He nodded. “You look like a natural with her. You must have experience with children…nieces, nephews?”
Dee kept her gaze on Emmy. She swallowed the rock that had risen in her throat. Be natural.
“I’ve had some. Could you bring the small pink spoon that should be in the drying rack next to the sink, for her peaches?”
“On the way.”
Dee took a calming breath after he left the room. She hadn’t been ready to explain anything to the man about her life. But it would be inevitable that he would eventually hear it in Braxton if he stayed around long enough. It could wait for the moment.
He came back carrying the salad, a couple of dressings, and the pink spoon. “I’ll bring the drinks in next…water, tea, soda?”
“I think water for me, thanks.” Dee undid the jar’s lid and began to tempt Emmy with the fruit. “Come on, little one, make your mommy happy and eat your fruit. She’ll be so proud of you when she gets home.” It took some coaxing, but she finally got a half a spoon inside the child. The face she made was comical. And then she spit it right back out…onto Dee’s collar. She grabbed the towel and began to dab at it.
“And now we know what her opinion of peaches is.” That came from Rio. “I have to say I can’t blame her. Peaches aren’t my favorite item either.”
She looked up at Rio standing by the fireplace, watching the scene. She stood. “If you’ll hold her, I’ll run and change before this blouse gets ruined like the last one from yesterday. I’ll just be a minute.” Then she had to stifle the sudden laugh that bubbled up and sought to escape.
The look on the man’s face was something akin to if she had asked him to hold a lit stick of dynamite instead of an infant. Had she found one thing that he could not manage well? This might be interesting. She walked over to him and held Emmy out…the child sizing up the man looking back at her.
Slowly, two big hands reached up and slid around the child.
“Be mindful of her head. She can hold it up really well, but you still want to give support when picking up and carrying. Perhaps you’d feel better if you sit on the couch with her in your lap? I’ll just be a minute.” Dee made her exit before Rio could back out.
Perhaps she should feel a little sorry about placing him in such a position? Nope…don’t feel a bit sorry. She was sure Emmy could handle the situation just fine. Dee couldn’t keep the grin from growing on her face as she topped the stairs.
First things first, she removed the soiled blouse and did her best to remove the stain before hanging it to drip dry in the bathroom. Her jeans were good to go, and she found a soft, pink pullover sweater to go with them. Dee freshened her makeup and applied a bit of pale pink lip gloss. Nothing to shout out that she took pains with her appearance for any special reason. But it made her feel better. And she was also drawing out the time Rio spent with Emmy. She smiled at the thought. She wondered which of them would be in tears when she returned to the room. But she was in for yet another surprise when she finally rejoined the duo.
Emmy was laughing. Rio was smiling as they had invented their own version of patty-cake. Dee shook her head. Emmy had succumbed to the “Rio charm,” too. Who knew the man had dimples when he smiled…really smiled? And they just made him even more swoon-worthy. And why was she using a term she had heard the younger nurse’s aides at the hospital use now and then to describe an intern?
He looked up and caught her watching them. The dimples decreased a bit and she spoke before she thought. “Don’t stop smiling on my account. You should do it more often.” And then she wished the floor would open and allow her to sink through it.
Rio’s dimpled grooves returned as his gaze darkened on her. “I’ve heard that before.”
And Dee could just imagine how many females that might have been who said those words. She stopped smiling. “I bet you have.”
Rio noted the tone and shook his head. “My mother often said it. She said I was too serious for my own good. You sounded like her.”
Great…compared to his mother. So much for any hope of sex appeal. Where had that come from? She hadn’t thought about being sexy in…well, in a few years. But maybe it was time she did think about it. Maybe those dimples would return. She moved forward and took the baby from him. He didn’t protest. Emmy did.
“She’s cranky tonight. I’ll give her the rest of the bottle and rock her a bit.”
“The chicken needs another twenty minutes or so. I’ll get the dessert tray ready while you get her situated.”
“I should be able to get her a bath in that time, also.”
Just shy of twenty minutes, Dee snapped the last button on the nightgown Emmy helped pick out after her bath. With her snuggled in a light blanket, Dee sat down in the rocking chair next to the bed and began to hum the same old lullaby that she had known as a child. She breathed in the scent of the freshly bathed Emmy and was suddenly assailed by memories of another time, another sweet-smelling baby, and remembered words of an old song.
Tears stung her eyes and she caught one with the swipe of her hand before Rio’s voice from the hallway slammed the door on the painful reminders. “I have the chicken ready in another five minutes. Thought I’d give you a heads-up in case the little one was asleep.”
“She’s ready to go down. I’ll be along soon. Thanks for letting me know.” She kept her attention on settling Emmy in her crib.
Rio didn’t stay, and she was grateful for that. She needed to get herself together.
When she did rejoin him in the living room, the food was on the low table and he had even put a couple of the large pillows on the carpet as their makeshift chairs.
“I certainly didn’t have any idea that I’d be having an indoor picnic for dinner when the day began.”
“I didn’t either. Tom called to check on things here while you were upstairs. He said we’re forecast to catch another four to five inches between now and midday tomorrow. That will really cause some major problems. I don’t think you can count on Chance and Josie getting back here before Friday.”
“I’m glad I took the entire week off from the hospital since all this weather has interrupted the plans. I just hope they aren’t shorthanded with other staff not being able to get in to cover their shifts.” Dee took a bite of the chicken. “This is really good. The flavor is great. How did you learn to cook something like this on an improvised stove like the fireplace?”
“You learn a lot of things when you have no other alternatives at hand. My mother taught me many ways of survival.”
She looked at him as he ate. There was a natural curiosity to ask the question. “You’ve mentioned your mother quite a bit, so I take it your father wasn’t that involved before he died? How young were you?”
Rio finished a sip of his drink, his gaze on his food. She had almost decided he was going to ignore her questions altogether.
“He died when I was fifteen. Up until that time, he was never around very much…maybe once every three months or so.”
“I’m sorry.” She wanted to say more, but sensed it would be just words to him.
“You said you’ve known Chance and Josie quite a while?” His question was unexpected.
“Yes, since junior high. My family moved here when my father took a position with the hospital. He was chief of staff at the hospital until his death from a heart attack a few years ago. Both Josie and Chance lived here all their lives.”
“And she lived on the Monroe ranch next door? Guess they were high school sweethearts?”
“Hmm…that’s not exactly the way it was, but it was one of those romances you could read about in a novel. She had this crush on Chance’s brother growing up…most females in this town did. Chance was always the one to pick up the pieces each time Devlin—that’s his brother—would break Josie’s heart. Thankfully, Josie grew up and saw the true love standing right in front of her. It was, and is, a beautiful love story. Emmy made their family perfect. And it is doubly sweet because the two ranches are side by side, separated by a fence line. So they were next door neighbors to begin with while Josie was growing up.”
Rio had sat quietly, watching her as she spoke. “You believe in romance and true love and happy ever after.”
“And you make it all sound silly. But I don’t think it is. We need more of those things in the world today. However, I’m also a realist. I know that many people never find that in their lives. So it’s nice to know there are those who do…especially when they’re people you care about.”
“I’ve heard the praises sung about Chance Braxton from many people in town. And his crew all think he’s a fair boss. But they don’t have much to say about his brother or his father.”
Dee shook her head. “The past is just that…the past. Chance and Josie and Emmy…they have turned a good page in the Braxton history.”
“Thanks for sharing part of their story.”
“Glad I could do that given this dinner you provided tonight. You’re a man of many hidden talents.”
Another loud clap of thunder followed a bright flash of lightning that lit the room for a moment. Dee looked at the baby monitor sitting next to her on the low table.
“If she sleeps through this round of storms, she can sleep through anything.” Rio stood, taking his plate and Dee’s with him. “Ready for dessert?”
