by Emily Mayer
“Well, and here I thought you’d be one of those city girls Ben is always running around with, asking for non-fat grass-fed milk and fake sugar. If you tell me you don’t like kale, we’re keeping you,” he said with a good-natured smile.
“No worries there, Sam,” Ben said, giving me a mischievous grin that I knew was a big part of the reason he was currently in so much trouble. “I’m pretty sure Evelyn’s never even tried kale.”
“Hey! I’ve tried kale before, thank you very much. You made me try that kale-apple-mango smoothie thing,” I said defensively.
Ben threw his head back and laughed. “How could I forget? You gagged and spit it back into my cup.”
“I almost died!” I exclaimed, shuddering at the memory.
I heard chuckles from the table, and was reminded of the other three men in the room. Ben turned toward the man he called Sam.
“Evelyn, this is Sam, the foreman of the ranch. He’s the only one who knows this place better than Jack.”
“Pleased to meet you, Evelyn,” Sam said, dipping his chin slightly in my direction.
I returned his smile easily and followed Ben’s hand as he motioned toward the table.
“You remember Jack,” Ben said. Jack was looking at me, a slight scowl marring his handsome features. Either he was not a morning person, which I could absolutely respect, or he was still not happy I was here. We stared at each other briefly, and a weird silence lingered after Ben’s introduction. Finally I couldn’t take it any longer.
“Of course,” I said, attempting a smile in his direction. It only seemed to make his scowl deepen. Well, okay then. Wanting to end the entire interaction—or lack thereof—I immediately darted my gaze to the very handsome man sitting next to him on the bench.
He looked to be about the same age as Ben, and bore a strong resemblance to Sam with his sandy blond hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in a worn pair of jeans and a white t-shirt that hugged every muscle—and there were a lot of muscles. I seriously questioned what was in this state’s drinking water and if it could be bottled, because Jesus, I was fighting the urge to pinch my arm to make sure I was in fact awake and not dreaming.
“This is Cole, Sam’s son. He has a spread about twenty miles or so south of here but shares grazing pastures with us. Cole and Jack also work the breeding program together,” Ben said, turning my thoughts to the words breeding program for reasons that would have made Corinne proud.
“Hey, Evelyn. It’s nice to meet you. I promise not everyone here has manners like a grizzly,” Cole said, charm oozing from his smile. I noticed him flinch slightly and caught the movement of Jack’s leg under the table.
“Hi.” I heard my voice come out, part whisper and part sigh. I felt myself blushing. Clearing my throat, I tried for a sturdier voice. “It’s nice to meet you too, Cole.” Much better. I sounded like an adult and not a teenager at a One Direction concert.
I followed Ben’s gaze as it traveled to the last diner in the room.
“And this is Gabe, head trainer, occasional cowboy.”
Gabe was by the far the largest of the group gathered in the kitchen. His dark hair made his almost silver eyes pop out of his tanned face. With his sharp, chiseled cheekbones and a nose that had clearly been broken a few times, he would never be described as handsome, like Ben or Cole. Or Jack. But one corner of his mouth pulled up slightly, revealing a dimple, and it changed everything about his hard features. My heart stopped for a second, then started beating frantically against my ribs like I had just finished running a marathon. Not that I had ever run a marathon, but that was how I imagined it would feel. He was completely devastating. I could almost feel my hormones rapid-firing as I stared at him, desperately clutching my mug. That was all I could seem to do—just stare, and maybe drool a little.
Hank Williams came lumbering around the corner, nose pressed to the ground. I tore my eyes away from Gabe and greeted my little four-legged savior. Mary turned the corner a minute later, carrying a small basket wrapped in white cloth.
“Ladies gave me a lot of eggs this morning. They must know how much you all eat,” she said, smoothing down a wayward piece of hair with her free hand. Mary smiled at me as she set the basket on the counter.
“Good morning, Evelyn. Please tell me one of these boys offered to feed you some breakfast,” she asked, slowly eyeing each of the men in the room. They all looked down at their plates, suddenly interested in their breakfasts again. Mary made a disapproving noise in her throat, one of those noises only a mother can make.
I thrust the coffee mug in her direction, still a little dazed from that dimple.
“Oh, it’s fine. I’m not really much of a breakfast eater. More of a coffee person.”
I heard Ben snicker around a mouthful of toast. I glanced in his direction with an expression that I hoped conveyed how much I wanted to strangle him.
“Not much of a breakfast person, huh? Because I’ve definitely seen you take down an entire stack of pancakes, more than a couple times.”
“First of all, thank you for mentioning how many carbs I can eat in one setting. Girls love that, for future reference. Second, it was dinner. Everyone likes reverse dinners.”
I heard a masculine chuckle but was too self-conscious to figure out its owner. Instead, I took another sip of coffee and peered out the large window, suddenly aware that I was the center of attention again.
“Well, I certainly can’t have a guest go without breakfast, so how about I whip you up some pancakes to go with that coffee? You haven’t had pancakes until they’ve been made with fresh eggs and cream,” Mary said, opening cabinets and pulling out a pan and mixing bowl.
“Oh no, you don’t have to go to all that extra trouble for me. Really. Coffee is fine,” I said as Mary moved past me to open the fridge and pull out various ingredients.
“It’s no trouble at all!” She breezed past me again with her arms full, and began scooping and pouring.
“At least let me help you,” I offered, watching her pour a generous amount of cream into the bowl.
“Thank you for offering, but I’ll have these ready for you in no time.” She gave me a reassuring smile.
I watched Mary whisk the ingredients together and pour the thick batter onto the sizzling pan. Conversation hummed all around me mixing with the sizzling sound of the pancakes. Just as Mary was reaching for the spatula, Rodney wandered into the kitchen. I felt my mouth drop open as I took in his appearance. Rodney was dressed like he had just stepped out of a John Wayne movie. A red button-up shirt was tucked into a pair of tight jeans that looked like they had been painted on to his body. A thick tan belt with a large, shiny buckle matched his gaudy cowboy boots, which I was confident had never seen a cow or a horse or dirt. Completing the entire look was a wide-brimmed cowboy hat. He kind of reminded me of Woody from Toy Story, if Woody wasn’t allowed within five hundred feet of children or a school.
Rodney clapped his hands together, smiling enthusiastically at everyone in the kitchen.
“Oh good! I didn’t miss breakfast while I was getting changed. A man’s gotta eat before a big ride, am I right?”
I heard the sound of throats being cleared and coughs clearly attempting to mask laughter. Before I could close my mouth and fix my face, Rodney noticed me leaning against the counter. His smile turned into the slightly lecherous grin that always gave me chills—the bad kind.
“Hey, Evelyn. You look extra pretty this morning. I think this country air is already doing you good. Then again, anything would be better than that stuffy pantsuit you were wearing yesterday.”
I had to fight to keep my face from showing my annoyance. Thankfully, I didn’t have to try to open my mouth to answer without barfing, because Rodney, good old Rodney, never needed another person to participate in a conversation.
“I hope you're joining us on our ride this morning. It would be nice to have a lady break up all this testosterone.”
I could feel myself epically losing the battle n
ot to roll my eyes, but I was way past the point of caring. All my energy was needed to keep my hands firmly planted around the mug and not wrapped around Rodney’s neck. As if sensing my control was fading fast, Mary came to my rescue with a plate of pancakes that looked like fluffy heaven.
“Rodney, can I make you some pancakes? Or would you prefer eggs?”
While Rodney rambled on about the importance of protein in the morning, I surveyed the room and weighed my seating options. One hand holding a surprisingly heavy plate of pancakes and one hand holding my mug, I forced myself to start moving toward the breakfast bar where Sam had taken a stool to eat, figuring the third stool was the least intimidating option.
“Oh honey, I put the syrup and silverware on the table for you,” Mary called, halting my progress.
I turned to see that Mary had indeed set a spot for me at the table while I had been distracted by Rodney’s ensemble. I silently cursed him for being so obnoxious. My eyes locked on the fork laying on the table in the open spot next to Jack, and I felt like I was in the cafeteria on the first day of high school. I took my spot and reached for the syrup, never lifting my eyes to the other occupants of the table. I could have reached across the table and kissed Cole when he chuckled quietly.
“That is some outfit. I’m going to enjoy watching him try to mount a horse in those pants.”
Gabe graced us with one of his devastating smiles, and I had to actively remind myself to chew. I did not want to choke on my pancakes. With my luck, Rodney would be the one to give me the Heimlich—and if I was lucky, he would wait to cop a feel until after I was breathing again.
“I bet he got that entire outfit from a costume store,” Gabe added.
The theories flowed around me but I stayed silent, focusing on taking small bites of pancake instead of shoveling them into my mouth like I wanted. Mary was absolutely correct. These were the best pancakes I had ever eaten. I almost moaned when I took the first bite. But I was self-conscious about eating at a table with these men I didn’t know, who were all easily the most handsome men I had ever laid eyes on. From the corner of my eye, I watched Jack’s arm moving: picking up his cup to take a drink, lifting the fork to take another bite. Always returning his arm so close to mine.
I was so absorbed in watching Jack’s arm and trying to take small bites that I didn’t notice Rodney sit down on the bench next to me until I felt his hand land on the strip of skin my braid had left exposed on my neck. He squeezed it lightly which made me jerk reflexively to the left, hitting Jack in the arm I had just been fixated on. Jack jerked to his left, completing the chain reaction of horror. Still leaning away from me like I was infected with a contagious disease, Jack shot me a questioning look. I could feel his eyes take in my scrunched shoulders and then the unwelcome hand on my neck. Without saying a word, he straightened and quietly moved down the bench. I had no idea whether he was moving to get away from me or to give me an escape route, but I slid into the opening he left, effectively dislodging the hand on my neck.
"So, you never did answer my question, Evelyn. Are you going on the ride with the menfolk this morning?"
"Uh, no," I said, shooting Rodney some serious side-eye. "I'm sure Ben has lots of work to get through this morning, with the unexpected trip and everything."
"No work this morning. Get settled in and explore the ranch," Ben said from somewhere behind me.
I snapped my head around to glare at Ben, then widened my eyes and twitched my head toward Rodney. I hoped he got the message that under no circumstances did I want to spend an entire afternoon with the Wyatt Earp wannabe. Ben just gave me his most charming smile, like he didn’t realize I was trying to avoid going along.
I was going to murder him. Slowly. This poor man obviously underestimated the skill set required to survive growing up in a house with two older sisters.
"I really should at least answer some emails. I haven't had the chance to reply to Katrina Kent's invitation to the Arts Gala, and I know how much you’re looking forward to going with her this year. I would just hate for her to think you weren't interested and find another date. You know, I should probably send her some flowers too. Roses, I think,” I said, in an overly innocent voice.
Ben had taken Katrina to dinner over a year ago, and ever since then she’d been operating under the assumption that Ben was going to propose at any minute. There had never even been a second date, but that hadn’t stopped her from leaving at least four voicemails a week and dropping by the office once or twice a month. I ran more interference than an offensive lineman.
I couldn't stop the smile of satisfaction that took over my face when Ben choked on his toast. He needed to cough several times before he could answer.
"I thought you already declined that invitation."
"Did I?" I said, shrugging, false sweetness oozing from my voice.
"You did, because you know that woman is completely insane. And she laughs like a hyena."
"Katrina Kent? A little crazy might be worth it since she got all those enhancements." Rodney held two cupped hands up to his chest, presumably referencing Katrina's very large, very fake breasts.
I shot a look Rodney's way. Taking small bites was getting easier; this conversation was making me lose my appetite.
"Not worth it. She sent me one of those pictures that predicts what your future children would like—after our first, and only, date."
Sam whistled, shaking his head, as the men around the table laughed.
"Oh! Do you still have the picture?" Mary asked, turning away from the sink to face Ben with a hopeful expression. "Don’t look at me like that, Benjamin. At the rate you two are going, that picture will be the closest I come to getting a grandchild." She waved the spatula accusingly at her children.
I couldn't help but laugh at the outraged expression on Ben's face.
"Okay, back to the original point of this conversation. Evelyn, you don't have to come with us on the ride this morning."
At the word "us," I spun my entire body around to face Ben, my back brushing lightly against Jack's arm.
"Us? As in you’re going to ride a horse?"
"Yes, Evelyn, I’m going to ride a horse," Ben said, his voice laced with annoyance at my obvious disbelief.
"Do… you know how to ride a horse?" I asked, still having a hard time picturing Ben getting on a horse on purpose. In my defense, I knew how much he spent on his suits and his dry cleaning, and I’d forced to wait on him to finish getting ready more than once.
"Stop looking at me like that. Why is it so hard for you to believe I can ride a horse? I did spend a lot of time here growing up. What do you think I did all those summers?"
"Do you want an honest answer?" I responded, raising one eyebrow slightly.
"You know I can fire you, right?"
"One man's loss is another man's gain,” Rodney chimed in, aiming that signature creepy grin my way.
I shot him a look that hopefully conveyed my thoughts on that comment. My side-eye game was strong this morning.
"Actually, if you don't need me, I was thinking about going for a walk. I saw a lot of what looked like really pretty trails on the way here that I’d love to explore a little,” I said with genuine enthusiasm.
"Oh, honey, I don't know about you going out alone. This isn't like one of your parks in the city,” Mary said, turning from the sink to give me a concerned look.
"I wasn't planning on doing any serious hiking, don’t worry. Just take in some of the scenery. I thought maybe I could take Hank Williams with me? He seems like good company for a walk."
At the sound of his name and the word walk, Hank lifted his head and gave an enthusiastic wag of his tail, then plopped back down to resume his nap.
"Well," I said, drawing out the word. "He’ll definitely make sure I don't wander too far. I don't know what his official job is around here, though, so I don’t want to steal him away if someone needs him for something."
Mary and Sam chuckled. "Hank Williams is a
professional napper. If he isn’t following Jack around, he’s hunkered down in a sunny spot," Sam responded, bending down to give Hank an affectionate scratch behind the ears as if to say no hard feelings.
I rose from where I sat, sandwiched between Jack and Rodney on the bench at the table, and brought my half-empty plate to join Mary. Taking a spot beside her at the sink, I reached for a towel and started to dry the dishes despite her protests about me being a guest. It seemed like the least I could do after those life-altering pancakes.
"It's okay if I take him then?"
"I’m sure Jack can part with him this morning. He can show you where his leash and harness are kept,” Mary said, handing me a dripping frying pan.
8.
We worked in silence for a few more minutes, Mary washing dishes and silently passing me each one while the men in the room carried on multiple conversations around us. I silently marveled at the number of dishes it took to cook for all these people, and felt sorry for the poor chickens. They must need to lay an insane amount of eggs to keep them all fed. Not that I know how much effort it takes to lay eggs. I don’t actually know much about chickens at all. I think I remember reading somewhere that chickens don't lay eggs. Maybe it’s hens?
When the stack of dishes waiting to be washed no longer resembled one of the mountains just outside the window, Mary drew me out of my silent chicken debate by removing the dish towel from my hands.
"Thank you for your help, Evelyn. I can take it from here. I think the boys are about ready to start their ride, so why don’t you have Jack show you where Hank's stuff is?"
At hearing his name, Jack turned toward us and gave his mom a look that effectively communicated how thrilled he was by that idea. I could barely contain my eyeroll. My eyes were getting a lot of exercise this morning. He looked like he was being asked to go with me on the walk, not show me where a leash was kept. Unreal.
He grabbed the same faded red baseball hat from a rack by the door, and mumbled something that could have been "Come on" as he walked toward the hall. I wasn't sure if the mumbled command was directed at me or the dog, but Hank Williams didn’t look like he was going to be moving any time soon so I quickly abandoned my spot at the sink and once again started to follow Jack.
