by J. L. Beck
The afternoon in the big kitchen had almost overwhelmed her. She rushed all over and was covered in flour. Tucking a strand of her runaway red hair away from her face, she knew she must look a mess. Brea couldn’t care though. She wanted this first meal to impress the cowboys. But mainly one in particular, of course. She moved over to check on the corn on the cob which was boiling away in a huge pot. Almost done.
Turning toward the ovens, she bumped right into what felt like a brick wall.
Hands rose up to steady her. “Whoa there, girl.”
His mesmerizing blue eyes were glued to her face. “You just get yummier, every time I see you.” He lowered his voice to a sexy tone.
Staring at his smile, she raised her eyes up to his.
He was staring at her boobs. “Yeah, very yummy,” he added.
An odd feeling came over her and it wasn’t a good feeling like she’d expected when Cole finally made a play for her. She looked down at his smooth, soft looking hands and froze when she realized that this wasn’t Cole. She’d known almost instantly, because this man had a different scent and now that she’d talked for all that time with his twin, she recognized that his voice was different too. Pushing away, she tried to smile but failed. “I’m awful busy.”
He shrugged and raised his hat up a little. “I was just checking in to see if maybe you needed help.”
Nodding, she tore her eyes away from the sexy, helpful cowboy. “Thanks, but I’m almost done.”
“You know, I was wondering why you came out to get this job. I mean, you seemed happy at the diner.”
Okay, now she knew what he was getting at. “No, I wasn’t as happy as all that.” She walked over to the fridge and got out the 5 pounds of butter bricks for the corn on the cob.
“So, you gonna be stayin’ in the cottage?”
Brea busied herself with the meal making and wondered what he was aiming at with that question. “Yep, that’s what Mable said.”
He was right behind her again. “So, maybe we could have a visit there?”
Okay here it was… the come on she’d dreamed about for weeks. She turned around to look at him. “You mean like the kind you was having there today?”
With a twinkle in his eyes, he grinned at her.
Disbelief flooded her. Was she really standing here with who she thought was the man of her dreams and about to turn him down flat?
Jet chuckled and grabbed her around the waist. “Come on now, I know how you were always looking at me like you were thirstin’ for a Popsicle in the heat of the desert.”
Anger suddenly overcame any previous hesitation she’d felt. He’d known and never cared until now—and why was that, I wonder? “Oh, really?”
He nodded and gave her that self-satisfied smile she’d never noticed until she met his brother.
“Well, you know that was true,” she admitted.
Looking confident, he kept nodding and tugged her closer.
“Until I realized that certain Popsicles have different—flavors.”
He leaned back to look at her face. “What?”
Brea shrugged. “You know, my momma always told me something I never understood till just now.”
He stepped back while looking bewildered.
“She would say, ‘Quit goin’ around your ass to get to your elbow’.”
Shaking his head, he scoffed, “What the hell does that even mean?”
Brea turned away, grabbed a frying pan and she burst out laughing. “Yeah, exactly!”
Still shaking his head, he backed away. “I just don’t get you!”
Setting the pan onto the stove, she grinned over at him. Funny, how a conversation could be so confusing yet so dammed enlightening. He didn’t get her, because he never even made the effort before now. “Again, that is exactly what I’m saying.” Her laughter rose in the kitchen, as he rushed out through the back door. Yep, one big obstacle is now out of the way. I never realized that my Momma was so stinkin’ smart! Her laughter grew as she poured oil into the pan.
“Well, you sure seem to be having a good time.” Kanda noted from behind her. “I sure as hell never enjoyed this hot, greasy job like that!”
Still chuckling, Brea dropped some battered chicken into the hot oil. “It’s work, I’ll give ya that, but actually it was your brother’s expression just now that had me laughing.”
Kanda stepped up next to her, and handed her the tongs. “Oh yeah, and which brother might that be?”
Brea’s laughter grew out of control again. “Exactly!”
Kanda looked confused.
Brea tried to catch her breath as she looked around to make sure they were alone. “I’m gonna come clean and tell you the truth.”
Leaning in while looking around, Kanda’s expression was curious. “Yeah?”
“Well, I came out here on a quest.”
Kanda blinked her eyes at her.
“A quest to get—”
Kanda nodded. “Yeah, I saw the way you looked at him before.”
Suddenly embarrassed as the hilarity left, Brea then added more chicken to the oil. “Yes, but I don’t want Jet.”
The woman shook her head.
“I mean, they’re nothing alike… him and Cole.”
Kanda was laughing. “Yeah, I know that, but just be careful.”
Turning the chicken over, she swung her gaze over to Kanda.
“Don’t be pullin’ a Vikki.”
Puzzled and curious, Brea turned over another drumstick. “A Vikki?”
“Yep, that happened over six months ago, but I’ve been worried about the backlash for a long time now.”
Brea turned to look at her. So, here might be part of this twin puzzle.
“I love both my brothers, so don’t get me wrong, but it’s been like this ever since they were babies. First, they fought over bottles, then toys.” She shook her head. “Then it was who would get the best horse and then who had the best truck? And now of course…it’s women!”
“So, Vikki and Cole—?”
“Yep, that was a real bad situation. It always seems to turn into a war between them two, and Vikki? Well, all I can say is that when women go wrong, men go right after them.” She grabbed a platter. “Jet has just got to have anything Cole has.” She set the platter on the counter next to Brea. “You just better be sure who it is you do want and stick with that.” Her eyes grew beady. “Don’t make me regret getting you the job.”
The situation was getting clearer to her now, but that clarity didn’t make her feel any better. Now she knew why Cole was so mad at the cottage, when she called him Jet and the way he acted about this Vikki person.
Thinking about more obstacles in her path that were even bigger than those beefy cows she saw this morning, she muttered, “I hope I don’t regret it either.”
* * * *
The rest of the afternoon did not proceed as smoothly as she’d hoped. There’d been a few spills and she’d dropped some eggs on the floor, then she slipped on them and dumped the flour. If a cooking job ever called for floor batter, she’d be the one to hire, all right! In between preparing dishes, she’d cleaned up the messy fiasco as best she could.
Brea had been baking, frying and boiling for several hours. Her thoughts were full of how the entire day had been just like that too.
First, when she started out on this change your life quest? She found out in that cottage that she’d had a simmering of want for the wrong cowboy. Then, as she’d gotten to know his brother, her feelings really heated up, because in truth, he was the sexier and sweeter of the two. Until finally, the situation was at the boiling point, once the first cowboy turned up the heat by stepping into the situation.
So, now as she waited for the twin she actually wanted to show up, was she in fact, jumping from wrong frying pan to the right fire?
Still, she tried hard to focus on the job too and despite all the ups and downs in the kitchen, she’d managed to lay out an impressive spread. She peered at the long buffet table, mentally recou
nting what all should be there and she was satisfied that everything did look great.
The men started to wander in, some in chaps and spurs while others were just dressed in jeans and tee shirts. Brea had never seen so many hot cowboy bods in one room before. The pheromones were as thick as trees in a dark forest and she could even sense that over the scent of all the food she just brought out. The obvious question rang in her mind. Why was it again, that I stayed in town till now?
The only hot cowboy she wished to see didn’t seem to be here. The men were all lining up to get her fried chicken and side dishes, complete with homemade biscuits. She almost didn’t pull them out of the oven in time. She gazed down at her bandaged finger. The burn was still bothering her, but at least she hadn’t cut herself and that was a victory in and of itself.
Seeing that Cole wasn’t present, she took a plate and filled it up to save for him.
He came in the door and she watched him closely. She paid close attention to the way he walked and how he turned to smile at someone who spoke to him. Nope, that’s Jet, the wrong brother. Yes! I can tell them apart.
After a minute or two, he finally looked over at her. He raised his brows but his blue eyes twinkled at her.
She knew her cheeks were red and flushed. All that time I wanted this man to look at me and now that he is? I just want him to ignore me again. Dammit, I probably blew it!
She remembered something very important just now. More of that sage Momma advice that always befuddled her before this adventure gone crazy happened. When ya play hard to get? It always makes em hard for ya. Why didn’t I remember that before I rebuffed him in the kitchen earlier?
Looking away from the Adonis like cowboy, she wondered just what she needed to do to turn him off completely? Where was mom’s detailed advice when I really needed it?
Avoiding looking directly at him, Brea kept herself busy with various things along the buffet, which wasn’t hard to do, considering they were eating up the line like pigs at a trough. The chicken was running low and she knew that extra batch she made had been a good idea. Rushing through the swinging kitchen door, she went to retrieve it.
“Miss Plush?”
Turning around, she saw Mable coming in through the side door.
“Yes, ma’am?”
Mable grinned at her. “You’re a hit for sure!”
Brea was elated that the older woman was pleased.
“I hope you’ll be happy here. Here, let me help ya.” The woman grabbed the platter of chicken from her grasp.
“Oh, thanks. I did need to get the chocolate cake out there next.”
“You made cake too?”
“Yep, I sure did.” Brea opened the fridge and looked down at the very large cake. It had M &Ms dotted on it. “What the…?”
The colored candy spelled out a message: Save a piece for me.
Oh, wow. How can I tell who left that message? Would Cole do a thing like that or would his smug brother be that creative?
Mable peeked over her shoulder and her eyes widened.
Too late, the old woman saw the candy spelled message.
Feeling really uncomfortable, Brea tried to explain it to her. “Um, I don’t—”
Mable was chuckling. “Oh, my. I already see that you’re a hit with my son!”
Brea was flabbergasted by the woman’s giddy reaction. Taking a deep breath, she knew she would regret this question for sure. “Um, which one?”
The old lady stared at her for a few seconds, and then laughed harder.
Well, that sure as hell was no answer, she thought. “I mean, I do…?” she halted. “I don’t wanna—” she stuttered to a halt.
Mable grinned at her. “Well, I have a better question for ya.”
Brea bent down and plucked the M&M’s from the frosting, before anyone else saw it. “Yeah?”
“Who do you want it to be from?”
Startled by the unexpected question, she froze.
“I mean, they are twins after all.” The older woman gave her a piercing icy blue stare.
Brea squared her shoulders. “That doesn’t mean they’re alike though.”
Mable raised her gray brows.
For a good answer, Brea searched round in her head into that infinite volume of wisdom her momma had preached all these years. Maybe the one about two in the bush? Eek! She grimaced, no!
“Well, Miss Plush. Are you that confused about it?”
Shaking her head, she threw momma’s handbook out for a minute. “Nope, I’m not confused. I did come here following one of em, and then I met the other one.” Brea thought about the horse hit and run thing with a smile. “He’s got the same looks all right, but that’s where all the similarities stop.”
The old woman stepped back and seemed to listen to her brave explanation.
Bringing the cake out of the fridge, she faced Cole’s mother. “I tell you what? I want the one who looks at me instead of himself, the one who looks out for other people. The one who smells like—“ Brea rummaged in her mind for what his scent reminded her of. “—well, a blend of cotton candy and Irish Spring, to be exact.”
Mable gazed intently at her. “Well then, you do want the one who left them candies on yer cake!” Her low chuckle echoed through the kitchen.
Brea smiled.
“Cole would do my cakes like that all the time when he was a kid. Messages like: Who loves ya, momma? Or… Don’t forget the candles for me.” She chuckled. “One Valentine’s, he covered the entire frosting with them message hearts and they all had ‘LUV U MOM’ on them.” She headed for the door. “Oh, and make sure you save him a slice.” She halted her steps and swung around while holding the chicken. “Give him some sweet message back too, that always gets to him.” She gave Brea a huge wink and went through the door.
Brea was happy on all accounts as she followed her out. His mom was even supportive now. While she set up the small desert plates and the silverware for the cake, her brain was busy working on just the right message. Like, ‘how big a piece do you want?’ Or maybe…’Eat me, please?’ She laughed aloud and looked up.
Cole came in through the side door. He looked all around and his gaze halted on her. There! That was another thing that was different. He immediately looked for her! She was mentally compiling a detailed list to dazzle Cole with later. At least, she hoped there would be a later?
He made his way to the buffet line and the closer he got, the more her heart pounded. This guy was so sexy, hot, funny, and I am going to have him! He was interested and that spurred her on. Okay, now play it cool, Brea, look away, look away! Nope, her eyes just wouldn’t obey. That man could probably do me in ways that my dreams couldn’t match! I could just look at him all day long too, and never get bored with it.
He stepped into the line with the other men, his twinkling eyes remaining on her the entire time.
Shaking her head at him, she motioned for him to come over.
Cole stepped around the guys and came around the backside of the buffet table.
Brea raised his plate up. “I saved you some.”
He looked at it briefly, took the plate, and then her hand.
Her eyes widened and she wondered what was going on now. He looked mad again. She found herself wondering if she might get a nosebleed from all the ups and downs on this, I’m gonna get my cowboy rollercoaster ride.
Leading her through the kitchen, he stopped at the fridge. He let go of her hand and opened it. Grabbing two bottles of beer, he shut the door. He then turned and headed over to the back entrance.
Bewildered, Brea stood, blinking her eyes and yes, they dropped to his ass again, as he walked away. I should write on his piece of cake in M&Ms, ‘Give Me That Sweet Ass’! Releasing a chuckle, she kept her spellbound eyes on that fine cowboy’s behind.
CHAPTER FOUR
Nothing Ever Hurt So Good!
“Are you coming?” Cole asked as he sauntered out the door.
Brea rushed over and realized with a panic tha
t she was actually looking too excited, so she slowed her steps. Damn, Brea, you just can’t act cool can you?
He was walking up the path to the cottage. “Come on, Plush!” he called back over his shoulder and went in through the front door.
Plush? She wondered at his seemingly challenging use of her last name while trying to keep her breathing steady. She needed to get composed so she halted at the open doorway.
“Are you that shy all of the sudden?”
He was challenging her? She willed her nerves to calm the hell down. After all, you’ll never get to the top if you don’t climb the dammed tree. Brea mustered up her false courage while ignoring her true fear of heights that could dazzle you into a stupor and she stepped in.
Cole was sitting at the wooden kitchen table as he lifted a beer bottle. “Want one?”
Releasing a nervous breath, Brea decided that liquid bottled courage could be better than the false kind as she nodded and stepped over to take it.
He grabbed her and set her onto his lap.
“Oh!” she gasped out.
He set the bottle down and tightened his hold on her waist.
Surprised and overwhelmed, she couldn’t seem to swallow as that wonderful sweet cotton candy/spring scent of his wafted up to her nose. Oh, boy, I’m getting vertigo from this climb all right!
Cole must have sensed her anxiety. “Don’t be afraid,” he whispered to her ear.
Afraid? “I’m not afraid,” she denied with a little girl’s defiance, as if she was being challenged on a dare or something. She was terrified in fact, but not of him. Her true fear was that she would do or say something supremely stupid.
He looked at her burned finger and released a heavy sigh. “Now why did you go and hurt yourself?”
Brea shook her head and floundered for an answer, because it wasn’t like she’d done it on purpose.
“First off?” He spoke as he blew lightly onto her finger, and then switched to nuzzling her neck. “I want to apologize.”
Brea’s body tingled all over at the warmth from his breath on her skin. She’d never received an apology like this one before.
“For acting like an ass before.”
