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by Jenn Alexander

  “I didn’t doubt that for a second,” Kate said. “Daniel Stanford is an excellent chef, and you must be as well if he hired you as his sous chef.”

  Rowan’s entire demeanor shifted. Gone was the forced confidence she’d tried to project earlier. Now, true pride and passion were evident in Rowan’s smile.

  “I’m not bad.”

  Even in the modest answer, Kate could hear Rowan’s pride in her work.

  “Are you feeling any more settled in Texas?” Kate asked. She should be leading Rowan in to get the meat for the order, but instead she was standing on the dusty gravel drive outside of the cow pasture, making small talk and not wanting that small talk to end.

  Rowan looked at her for a breath before answering. “Honestly? Not really. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time, but right now I miss home.”

  She hadn’t been prepared for the honesty in Rowan’s answer, and the moment of vulnerability hit her square in the chest. She’d known that Texas felt a little disorienting for Rowan, but she hadn’t thought about the homesickness Rowan must be feeling, and what she must have sacrificed to follow her passion. She shifted her weight forward, leaning slightly closer to Rowan and wanting to offer her some kind of comfort.

  “You must be really passionate about cooking to have moved here for the job,” Kate said, hoping her admiration shone through.

  Rowan met her eyes and held her gaze for a long moment, her features softening with the weight of Kate’s words. “I am. This is all I’ve ever wanted to do. Ever since I was little, making playdough pizzas for everyone. It’s my dream job.”

  Kate could feel the passion in Rowan, who had left everything she knew for the chance at her dream. Kate could relate to that level of sacrifice, as well as the loneliness that came with it. Since her dad’s accident, her life had consisted of her dad, the hospital, and the ranch. She had also stepped through the looking glass. Her world was familiar and yet entirely upside down.

  “Have you been to the rodeo?” Kate asked, surprising even herself with the question.

  Rowan laughed. “Um, that would be a no.”

  “Well now, there’s a good way of getting introduced to Texas,” Kate said. Suddenly the rodeo seemed like the fun night in Texas that they both needed. “Let’s go.”

  Rowan looked caught off-guard, and Kate’s stomach tightened in anticipation of Rowan’s answer. She hoped she hadn’t crossed a line. She found herself really wanting to show Rowan a little piece of her Texas.

  “What day?” Rowan asked.

  Kate smiled. “Well, normally the rodeo is only Friday and Saturday nights, but this week is the American finals, so we could go tomorrow night before your big launch if you’d like.”

  Rowan looked a little uncertain, but she nodded. “Why not?”

  “Excellent,” Kate said, already making plans in her mind. “I could pick you up and we could grab dinner beforehand? There’s a famous Tex-Mex restaurant near the Stockyards. The food there is delicious. I think you’d really like it.”

  This time Rowan smiled widely. “You should’ve led with that. I’m not so sure about this whole rodeo thing, but I’ll never say no to trying new foods.”

  Kate laughed. “Noted. I promise that even if you hate this ‘rodeo thing’ you’ll have a delicious meal to compensate. Now, how about I pick you up tomorrow at five?”

  “Sounds good,” Rowan said.

  This boldness was a new experience for Kate. She had certainly never invited clients to the rodeo before, but she hated the thought of Rowan being miserable in Texas without ever experiencing any of the quintessential Texas experiences that the state had to offer.

  “Let’s go get your order rung up, and you can write down your address and phone number while you’re at it,” Kate said.

  She turned and led the way to the office while Rowan followed close behind. On the walk, Kate replayed the conversation in her mind.

  I’m just being nice, she told herself. Helping her adjust to living in a new place. The offer certainly had nothing to do with Rowan’s adorable dimpled smile or that biting sense of humor and bright laugh that she couldn’t seem to get enough of.

  It was a completely innocent invitation.

  Kate could keep telling herself that.

  ❊ ❊ ❊

  Rowan had never had any interest in going to see a rodeo, and yet she could think of little else for the rest of the day.

  She dropped the steaks off at On the Range, ready for Friday night’s big launch, and then she went back to her empty mess of an apartment. She slumped down onto the couch and wondered lazily if she should unpack some boxes. Even just one box. She made no move to get up. Instead, she replayed the morning’s events.

  Rowan was unsure what to make of Kate. She was so very Texan. They had absolutely nothing in common. And yet Kate was warm and likable. Rowan felt like maybe they could even be friends. Of course, she wasn’t about to tell Kate that she was gay any time soon, and so it would be a limited friendship, but still it would be nice to know a friendly face in Texas.

  If nothing else, it would all make a good story to tell her friends back home. She couldn’t wait to see the looks on their faces when she told them she had helped herd a group of escaped cows. She didn’t know anyone in Portland who could say anything like that.

  As if cued by the thoughts of home, her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and smiled when she saw her dad’s name on the screen.

  “Hi, Dad,” she said, sitting back and kicking her feet up onto her coffee table.

  “Rowan, I’ve got your mom here, too. We were here missing you and wanted to give you a call and see how you’re doing.”

  “It hasn’t been that long since we last talked,” Rowan said with amusement. Her parents had called her first thing in the morning the day after the soft launch to ask how it had gone. Paul and Emily Barnes had always been Rowan’s biggest supporters.

  “It’s been ages,” her mom said.

  “I’m pretty sure it’s been forty-eight hours.”

  “Ages,” her mom stressed.

  Rowan didn’t want to admit that it had, in fact, felt like ages. She was a grown-ass woman who could live on her own. And yet, back home, she talked to her parents almost daily, and she saw them every few days. It was rare that they went a week without talking to or seeing each other, and if they did it was because they were all really busy. Now, Rowan was far away and alone.

  “How’s Texas going?” Emily asked, as though reading Rowan’s thoughts. “Any better than when we last talked?”

  Rowan shrugged, then realized that her parents couldn’t see the gesture. “It’s going. It’ll take awhile to really settle in, I think. It’s still hotter than hell, but it definitely helps to be keeping busy with work. I look forward to our full launch.”

  “We’re so excited for you,” Paul said. “We couldn’t be prouder. I’ve been telling everyone to look for your name now that you’re cooking in the big league.”

  “Dad, I’m a chef, not a celebrity,” she said, rolling her eyes but grinning at her dad’s sentiment.

  “I don’t see the difference,” he stated.

  She felt the blush creep up her neck and she smiled, glad just to hear her parents’ voices. They had always been her cheerleaders.

  “I’m going to the rodeo tonight,” Rowan said.

  “The rodeo?” her dad asked, as though he couldn’t quite believe what he’d heard.

  “I know.” She shared the same tone of disbelief. “I’m still not quite sure what I’ve gotten myself into. I was invited to go, and I figured I might as well check it out. At least once. When in Rome, right?”

  “Who are you going with?” Leave it to her mom to ask the hard questions.

  “Her name’s Kate.”

  “Her?” her mom asked. “A special her?”

  “Mom, I’ve barely been here two weeks. Besides, trust me, this girl is as straight as they come. She’s a bona fide Texas Southern belle cowgirl
.”

  “And how did you meet this Texas cowgirl?”

  “I picked up the steak for our restaurant from her family’s ranch.”

  Her dad laughed. A loud belly laugh. The kind of big laugh that was always saved for moments when he was truly, deeply tickled.

  “A really real cowgirl,” he said.

  “Born and raised,” Rowan confirmed.

  “That’s brilliant.”

  She could practically see her dad clasping his hands together with a grin of delight on his face.

  “I helped round up her cows today.” She wished she could actually see the look on her dad’s face, because she was pretty certain it was even better than what she was envisioning.

  “You what?” he asked.

  Rowan laughed at the surprise, and also horror, in her dad’s voice.

  “Oh, I’m sure it was quite a sight,” Rowan said. “I wish you’d been there to see it. I pulled into the ranch and the cows were running everywhere. Kate was on her horse trying to round them up into their field. I opened the gate while she herded them all in.”

  Rowan smiled as she replayed the memory. Kate had been especially sexy, riding her horse to round up the cows. She had the cowboy hat and boots and everything. Her flannel button-down shirt had been tucked into her jeans, and the entire outfit had highlighted every delicious curve.

  “Anyway,” she continued, “I’m not going to be given the title of ‘ranch hand’ any time soon, but those cows . . . they were massive. They could have charged if they wanted to.”

  “Honey, I think you’re confusing them with bulls,” her mom said.

  “I’m pretty sure they’re the same animal, just different genders,” Rowan said. “I risked my life out there today. And as a ‘thank you’ Kate has offered to take me to the rodeo. Show me a bit of Texas.”

  Her mom laughed. “You did not risk your life. I can’t stop picturing you trying to get the gate for a bunch of cattle, though. I so wish I’d been there.”

  “I hope you didn’t touch them,” her dad added. “You be careful around those cows.”

  “I don’t intend on spending any more time around ‘those cows.’”

  “Good,” he said, resolutely. He’d always been the cautious one in the family.

  “Give us a call tomorrow and let us know how the rodeo was?” her mom added.

  “I will. Absolutely. I’m sure I’ll have all sorts of stories to tell.”

  “I’m glad to hear you’re going out tonight,” her dad said. “I worry about you way down there in Texas.”

  “I know, Dad, and I’m good. It’s just going to be a bit of an adjustment.”

  “Home is here to welcome you back anytime,” he added. “You know that, right? Go kick ass at this job, but if you don’t like it, you don’t have to stay.”

  “The job is great. Texas will take getting used to, but I’ll be all right. I love you both.”

  “Call anytime,” Emily said.

  “Always.”

  Her parents each told her that they loved her, and Rowan turned off her phone, feeling less alone already. There was no cure for homesickness quite like hearing from her parents. They were her rocks. Her nerdy, lovable, wonderful rocks.

  She would go to the rodeo. She would have fun and maybe take some photos to send home. It would be an adventure. A part of the Texas experience.

  Kate was so very Texan.

  What had she gotten herself into?

  Chapter Four

  “You’re sure it’s okay if I go out tonight, Daddy?” Kate asked, for what had to be the tenth time in the past hour. “I can cancel. I don’t mind, really. Let’s stay in with popcorn and a movie.”

  She didn’t want to cancel. She had been looking forward to the rodeo from the instant she’d posed the invitation, but she couldn’t help the guilt that coiled around her like a lasso, holding her to the ranch. She had more work on her to-do list than she could finish in a lifetime, and her dad needed her. His therapy appointment had not gone well. She’d gone inside after brushing down Stryder at the end of the day, and she’d found him sitting in his wheelchair, staring out the window, more defeated than she’d ever seen him in her life. He’d refused to talk about the afternoon other than to grumble about how much he hated PT as he wheeled out of the room. And now she was supposed to be leaving for a night out while he stayed home, miserable. It didn’t sit right with her. Even if she was desperate for some fun in her life.

  “I want you to go,” he said. “The last thing I want is for you to cancel your plans to stay home with me. I don’t want company. Home care will be by in a couple of hours. I have all the support I need.” He softened. “I’ll feel better knowing my baby girl is still able to go out and have a good time.”

  Kate frowned. That was the same answer he’d given the last nine times. She hadn’t expected a different response this time, but still she didn’t feel right leaving him. He would be taken care of. She knew that. But she wished there was a way of assuaging her guilt so she could actually relax and enjoy herself. Her dad was practically pushing her out the door, yet she couldn’t let go of the feeling she was abandoning him and the ranch.

  “You deserve a break,” he continued. “You’ve been up at the hospital almost as much as I have. I’m thrilled you’re going out tonight. I’ll be here for you to look after when you get home.”

  She pulled out a dining-room chair and took a seat across from her dad so she could look him level in the eyes. “Only if you’re certain.”

  “I’m beyond certain.” His gaze didn’t waver, and he gave a single resolute nod signaling it was decided.

  Kate exhaled some of the guilt and nodded. She hated leaving him, but buried beneath the guilt of going out for the evening was an excitement she hadn’t felt in a long time. There was something about Rowan she was drawn to. Maybe it was the spark in Rowan’s dark eyes when she riffed on Texas. Maybe it was the vulnerability Kate had seen when Rowan admitted she was having a hard time adjusting. Maybe it was that, on top of those things, Rowan was super cute. That was a plus. Whatever it was, she looked forward to showing Rowan a small part of the Texas she loved.

  Kate stood, kissed her dad’s head, and hesitated, giving him one last questioning look.

  “Go,” he said.

  She did as she was told— grabbed her keys off the iron cow-shaped wall hook, and headed out into the hot early evening.

  She checked her hair and makeup in the truck’s rearview mirror, and then pulled out of the drive, leaving her dad alone for the evening.

  It took her about an hour to reach Rowan’s apartment in the heart of Fort Worth. As she drove away from the ranch, her guilt began to dissipate, and nerves overtook her in its place. She replayed the invitation, wondering if the vague offer had been construed as a date or if she had simply come across as friendly. She wasn’t sure which interpretation she hoped Rowan had formed. She took a few steadying breaths as she pulled up along the curb, parked, and headed up the stairs to knock on Rowan’s door.

  She told herself it was just a friendly offer to show Rowan Texas, but that didn’t stop the butterflies from fluttering in her stomach as she waited for Rowan to answer. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt butterflies.

  Gosh, it’s like I’m thirteen again, she reprimanded herself, smoothing her hair behind her ears.

  Rowan answered, and her dark eyes widened at the sight of Kate.

  “Shit,” Rowan said. “I’m sorry. This place is a mess. I didn’t expect you to come up.”

  Kate watched with amusement as Rowan fumbled for her keys so she could close the door before Kate saw inside. It was too late, though. She had caught a glimpse of Rowan’s living room, cluttered with boxes and piles of belongings.

  “Hi,” Kate said with a smile, resting a hand on Rowan’s forearm to steady her. Rowan’s skin was even softer than it looked. “Are you ready to go?”

  Rowan met her eyes, then cast the briefest of glances over her, taking her i
n, and sending a wave of heat washing over her.

  “Yeah. Let’s do this,” Rowan said with a nod.

  Kate led the way downstairs to her truck, trying to remind herself to breathe. The butterflies swirled en masse within her, but despite the nerves she smiled. She was ready for an evening out, whatever it had in store.

  ❊ ❊ ❊

  “This place is one of the oldest restaurants in Fort Worth,” Kate said as she pulled the truck into the parking lot.

  It became evident that the restaurant Kate spoke of was, in fact, the run-down concrete building on the corner of the lot, and Rowan had no difficulty believing its age.

  “They won’t give you a menu,” Kate said, still speaking excitedly. “You can get enchiladas or fajitas in either chicken or beef. They keep it simple and delicious.”

  Rowan didn’t think the dilapidated building was even open, and if it was, it was small and shady-looking. But she would trust Kate’s recommendation.

  “I know it doesn’t look like much,” Kate said, as though reading her mind, “but give it a shot. The food is good. I think even an expert such as yourself will agree.”

  “I’m trusting you,” Rowan said, looking at the building with definite doubts.

  She followed Kate in, surprised to find the restaurant seating was mostly outdoors in a large garden stretching out back. They did not even enter the building that she had first assessed. Kate gave her name to the hostess for the reservation, and the hostess seated them under the shade of a bright green tree. The entire garden was practically canopied in trees, there was so much foliage. Large fans kept the area somewhat cool, and for the first time since the move she found herself enjoying being outside.

  “This place is seriously beautiful,” Rowan said, looking around in awe. There were trees and flowery bushes and potted plants— greenery everywhere. In the middle of the garden was a large water feature, and a few smaller fountains were spaced throughout the rest of the venue. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “And miss the look on your face when you saw how very wrong your expectations were?” Kate leaned forward with a grin. “No thanks. Your expression right now is priceless.”