by Joann Baker
Pops grabbed a towel and dried his hands. “Look, I know it might be uncomfortable for you. Cal told me what you two were up to—pretending to have a relationship to stop Gabe from being an ass. But Silas and I would really like to have you here. Not to mention Georgie. She’s dying to have another woman to talk to. I think she feels a little overwhelmed with all the testosterone around here.”
Kristen thought about her plans for the night. Go home, order pizza, and find some blow ‘em up, beat ‘em up, action-adventure movie to stream until she fell asleep on the couch, tomato sauce staining the front of the button up pajamas that matched her blouse.
Yep. She had really exciting plans alright. Thinking of the lonely house that awaited her, she gave in. “I’d love to have dinner with all of you, but only if you let me help.”
Pops’ face lit up, and she knew she’d made the right decision. “Unlike my stubborn-assed grandson, I’m more than happy to have help. How are you at peeling potatoes, darling?”
Kristen took the knife he offered with a confident grin. “You want them cut to mash or fry?”
“Mash.”
She eyed the pile of potatoes left by the sink. “I’ll have them cut before you can say saddle-up.”
“Now that’s what I like to hear.”
A half hour later, dinner was almost ready to put on the table. The fare was simple but filling—roast beef, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Pops had also made a batch of scratch biscuits and baked a frozen apple pie. He’d confessed that neither he nor Silas were much in the baking department and Kristen made a mental note to buy the ingredients for her carrot cake with butter cream to make for the men.
All the men, especially Calhoun.
“Why don’t you go ring the dinner bell?”
“Dinner bell?” Kristen’s eyes widened in surprise. “You actually have one of those?”
“Yep.” Pops gave her a wide-toothed grin, showing off the new dentures he’d told her about over making a rich gravy for the roast beef. “It’s on the corner of the porch. Give the rope three sharp tugs, and the boys will come out of the barns and corrals faster than a hare running from a fox.” Pops explained if she rang it more than three times, everyone would think something was up at the main house.
Kristen washed her hands and headed outside. A soft breeze was blowing, and she took the time to enjoy it after the heat of the kitchen, strolling slowly across the wraparound porch. For a moment, she eyed the gleaming bell with bemusement. Surely there was a more modern way to let Gabe and Cal know that a meal was on the table. But it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.
Laughing, she rang the bell and waited to see what happened. Unlike Pops’ prediction, it took a little longer for the cowboys around the ranch to respond to the sound of the bell. After about ten minutes, men began to stream out of the barn, making their way to the bunkhouse where she was sure a warm meal awaited them as well. Others who couldn’t have possibly heard the bell came in on horseback. Maybe, she mused, watching the scene before her, every cowboy had an internal clock that told them it was chow time.
She wouldn’t lie and say she wasn’t looking for the tall, broad-shouldered silhouette of a certain cowboy. After a moment, a couple more horses appeared on the horizon. Her body tensed in expectation. As they neared, she knew instinctively that one of them was Cal. She hesitated, wondering if she should wait on the porch or go back inside. She didn’t want him to think… well, she didn’t know what he would think if he saw her here still here.
As she stood there indecisively, the cowboys parted, one going to the barn and the other riding up to where she stood on the porch.
“Hi,” she managed.
“Hi, yourself.” Cal smiled at her, and she felt her heartbeat start to race. Did he know how sexy he looked? His arms were propped up on the saddle horn, and his hat was pulled low on his forehead, giving him a broody, bad-boy look that all women were drawn to. Kristen was no exception. “Pops give you bell duty tonight?” His voice held a note of curiosity.
“Yeah. He invited me to stay for dinner. I hope that’s okay?”
“Sure. I probably should have thought of that myself.” He looked towards the barn where Gabe had disappeared. “Gabe will be here.”
“I know. Pops told me.”
“It’ll mean us putting on somewhat of a show. For his sake,” he clarified quickly.
Kristen tried not to let the hurt bleed through to her voice. What would it feel like to actually be on the receiving end of Cal’s attention for real? “I know. I think we’ll be okay. Pops said Ryder and Georgie were coming so that should help.”
“Yeah, it should.” He straightened in his saddle and gathered the reins in his hands. “We’ll be in shortly.”
Kristen watched as he rode away before going back inside to help Pops put the food on the table. As she did, the kitchen door opened and in walked the third Anderson brother she had yet to meet. She would have recognized him anywhere, though. He looked like a younger, and dare she say happier, version of both his older brothers. She’d bet her last dollar that the woman beside him was the reason.
She was pleased to see that Georgie Anderson had some meat on her bones which had nothing to do with her pregnancy. Of course, that made her heart skip a beat thinking that maybe the Anderson boys didn’t object to curvy women.
The dark-haired woman’s face was wreathed in a beaming grin as she moved forward. Kristen was immediately engulfed in a warm hug that made her return the smile. Pops had said the other woman was eager for female company. “Hi, I’m Georgie, Ryder’s wife.”
Kristen returned the hug. “Kristen Thomas.”
“Calhoun’s girlfriend,” Georgie grinned as the taller woman stepped back. “Ryder told me you two have been seeing each other and keeping it secret.” She leaned closer to give a fake whisper. “Not that I blame you, this two gossip like a couple of old hens.” She smiled to indicate she’d been speaking of Pops and Gramps who had come into the kitchen as the two women had exchanged greetings.
“Now see here, missy, more talk like that, and there’ll be no homemade ice cream for you.” Silas moved forward and gave Georgie a warm hug. “How’s my new granddaughter doing today?” He looked down at her with concern and Kristen remembered Pops saying something about her suffering from severe morning sickness. Now that she noticed, the other woman did look a little pale.
“I’m fine, Gramps, really.” She stood on tiptoes to give him a kiss on his weathered jaw. Kristen could tell the brothers had gotten their height and broad shoulders from both their grandfathers.
He gave her an affectionate pat on the back and Pops took his turn hugging her.
Ryder stepped forward. “I’m Ryder by the way. The way better looking and more charming Anderson brother.”
When Kristen held out her hand, Ryder gave her a broad grin and pulled her into another warm-hearted hug. The family was very affectionate, she thought.
“You’ve got your own girl, Ry, leave mine alone.” Cal’s voice sounded behind her seconds before she felt a pair of warm hands settle on her shoulders to pull her away from the other man’s embrace.
“You can’t leave a good-looking girl like this unattended, bro.” Ryder returned.
And just like that, Kristen was reminded of the reason Cal was putting on a front.
She cleared her throat. “Where is Gabe?”
“Right here, sweetheart. Were you missing me?” Gabe sauntered into the room, throwing her a wicked grin.
“I was just wondering when we were going to eat,” she mumbled as all eyes turned toward her.
“Now’s the time,” Pops said. “Everyone grab a dish and sit down.
“Come on.” Cal grabbed the potatoes and green beans and took a seat at the large kitchen table, indicating she should sit beside him. She was more than relieved when Georgie took the seat on her other side.
Everyone filled their plates, and it was several seconds before conversation resumed.
Gabe w
as the first to break the silence. “I ran into Bill Ness at The Sundowner last night.”
“That’s not surprising,” Cal answer.
“He’s still pretty pissed about being fired.”
Cal snorted softly. “He should be happy that’s all I did.” He glanced over at Kristen and realized she had no idea what they were they talking about. “He was using a quirt on one of the mares. We don’t allow that. Ever.” Even now, the memory of the man’s cavalier attitude was enough to make Cal’s blood boil.
Gabe divided his attention between the food quickly disappearing on his plate and his brother. “He said he’d be out to get what was due him and if he didn’t get satisfaction, there’d be hell to pay. Granted, he was more than a little drunk at the time and may not even remember anything today, but I wanted you to be aware just in case he shows up.”
“He damn well better not show his face here again. He’s lucky I didn’t have his sorry ass thrown in jail. Any wages he had coming to him had to be used to help pay the vet fee for the horse he beat. It took that and a hell of a lot more to get it healed up. And she’ll still have scars. If he doesn’t like it, he can take it up with a lawyer.”
“I’ll keep a couple more hands close to home in case he is stupid enough to try anything.” Gabe finished his plate and grabbed the platter of roast beef for a second helping.
“Thanks,” Cal nodded, wondering at his older brother’s sudden attentiveness to ranch matters. Granted, he’d always put in his time and made a great foreman when his head was in the game. But that hadn’t been often during the last year. Something more than the past tragedies was bothering his older brother, but Cal had no clue what it was.
“Okay, that’s enough shop talk. Who wants dessert and coffee?” Pops rose from his seat, taking his dinner place with him.
“I’ll take some. And Georgie needs more milk,” Ryder answered.
“Then get up and get it for her, son,” Silas grunted.
Ryder muttered something under his breath but rose to do what his grandfather said. “More potatoes, Kristen?”
“No, thanks.”
Cal watched the smile that crossed Kristen’s face as she answered his grandfather. She really was a pretty woman, he thought. Her fiery hair was a perfect foil for her creamy skin. “Are you done?”
“Yes.” When Kristen started to rise to help, Cal waved her back to her seat and took their plates to the sink. Ryder was helping Pops, and Gabe was still eating.
“So, are you enjoying working here?” Georgie’s question was asked with a smile that Kristen assumed rarely left her face.
“Yes. I never knew there were so many components involved in running a ranch.”
“Or so many good looking cowboys, right, Georgie?” Gabe had finally finished and was grinning at his new sister-in-law.
The other woman gave a snort. “You all must have kept them hidden from me.”
“Hey, now, babe,” Ryder came back to the table, placing a slice of apple pie topped with what Kristen assumed was the handmade ice cream Silas had referred to earlier, “don’t be lumping me in with my ugly brothers. You know I’m good looking.”
Georgie grinned up at him. “You’re not good-looking, you’re beautiful.”
Ryder placed a hard, lingering kiss on her mouth before sitting down beside her.
It almost brought tears to Kristen’s eyes to see the love between the other couple. Cal frowned at her when he sat her dessert before her as if he sensed her emotions.
After everyone had been reseated, silence took over again as they dug into their pie and ice cream. Well, everyone but Gabe. He sat there, fork in hand, looking at Cal and Kristen. She stilled, wondering what the man was up to. The glint in his eyes told her it had the potential to be embarrassing.
“Aren’t you gonna give Cal a thank you kiss, Kristen? Georgie laid one on Ryder.”
“Gabe,” Ryder warned.
“It seems only fair, little bro. Tit for tat, if you will.”
“I kissed Georgie, not the other way around.” Ryder offered quickly.
“Well, seems Cal should want to kiss his girlfriend. What about that, Cal?” he looked his other brother directly in the eye. “Unless, of course, there’s something you want to con—”
Before Gabe could finish his sentence, Cal was leaning over her and taking her lips in a kiss meant to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were indeed girlfriend and boyfriend—if not a heck of a lot more.
CHAPTER FOUR
KRISTEN SPENT THE next few nights tossing and turning, dreaming about what it would be like to really be Calhoun Anderson’s current girlfriend. Current being the operative word because she had no doubt that all three brothers went through women faster than frostbite through a herd of cattle during a high plains blizzard. In all the time she’d been there, she hadn’t seen Cal with another woman, but that was, she assumed, only because he was playing a role to protect her.
Gramps and Pops had greeted her with a wink each morning that was no doubt a result of the kiss she and Cal had shared at the dinner table. She spent each day trying to keep her mind off that and onto the business of getting the Ace in the Hole’s books up-to-date and in working order. She had to admit that Cal had a head for numbers and the books weren’t as bad as she’d originally thought.
Deciding she had more than earned herself a break, she closed the last of the hard backed ledgers and smiled, taking a drink of the coffee Gramps had brought her only moments before. He’d brought it to her along with cream and sugar and the most delicious lemon cookies she’d ever tasted. She glanced over at them now, still on the tray, tempting her. She’d realized a long time ago that no matter how hard she tried, the curves on her body would never completely disappear. Yeah, they’d get smaller and less obvious if she worked at it, but they’d still be there. She sighed, sitting down her coffee cup. Who the heck was she trying to fool? She wanted those cookies. Picking one up, she bit into the rich glaze covering it, moaning as the flavor exploded in her mouth. Damn, that was good. Pops and Gramps might not be the best at baking, but apparently one of the bunkhouse cooks knew his way around an oven. She closed her eyes and took another bite, savoring the delicious sweet treat.
“Watching you eat a cookie should be illegal—or definitely X-rated.”
Kristen squealed at the low, masculine voice coming from the doorway and choked on the crumbs still in her mouth as her eyes popped open. At the suggestive comment, she’d been expecting to see Gabe standing there.
But it wasn’t Gabe. It was Calhoun, a dark predatory look in his eyes that she’d seen more than once in Gabe’s.
“I, umm...” She cleared her throat and brushed her hand across her mouth. Sitting up straighter in her chair, she pulled down the hem of her shirt in the telling self-conscious gesture she usually made when in this man’s presence. “What can I do for you?”
Calhoun straightened from his relaxed position against the door jamb and strolled into the room, his long-legged walk making her mouth water even more than the cookies. He took a seat in front of the large oak desk across from her. “Just came to see how you were doing. Everything going alright?”
“Yes, it is. So far.”
“And?” He looked at her as though he knew exactly what her earlier thought had been—that the books weren’t in as bad a shape as she’d first thought.
“And it might not take me as long as I thought it would get through all this.” She gestured to the files she’d stacked neatly across the surface of the desk.
“Really?” One dark brow quirked upwards. She looked up at him, ready to give as good as she got, but was relieved to see no sign of disdain on his face.
“Really,” she nodded. “You’re an adequate bookkeeper.”
“Damn right, I am.”
She returned the grin that curled one side of his lip. After a moment, she cleared her throat. “There are, however, several suggestions I could offer to make your workload a little easier.”
“My workload? You’re the accountant, baby.”
Kristen’s breath caught in the back of her throat at the random endearment. She glanced at him from beneath her lashes, wondering if he was even aware of what he had called her. Seeing no change in his expression, she decided he wasn’t. She’d always heard cowboys were free and easy with terms of endearment. It saved having to learn their bed partner’s names, no doubt. Her heart seized for a moment. How could she have let herself feel so much attraction for this darn cowboy in such a short amount of time? It just wasn’t right. She dragged a pile of folders toward her. Picking them up, she banged them against the desk.
“There’s no need to pay an accountant’s fee when a knowledgeable bookkeeper can do the same thing for half the cost. All your records need is some fine-tuning. Of course, you’ll still want Uncle Otis to do your taxes, that’s something you shouldn’t cut corners on.”
“The whole idea of you coming here was to get me out of the office and outside working the horses again.”
“Which you can still do. I suggest you hire someone.”
“But just not you?”
Kristen looked up, surprised to see he had risen from his chair and was now leaning over the desk, his face mere inches from her own.
“No, not me.”
“You’re a very honest person, Kristen.”
She licked her lips. Her breath turned ragged when his gaze followed the movement. “I try to be.”
Cal studied her for a few more minutes. “Do you have time to show me now?”
Kristen hesitated, his question throwing her off balance. “Of course. But I thought you were working the herd.”
“I was. Surprisingly, Gabe was on time this morning, so the job didn’t take as long as I’d planned. Seems like I’ve got a couple of hours free.”
A couple of hours in his company? Kristen didn’t know if she could take that much of the cowboy at one time.
“Earth to Kristen.”
Lost in thought, Kristen jumped at Calhoun’s voice.
“Sorry, I let my thoughts get away with me.”
“Hmm. Penny for them?”
