Heart of a Texan

by Charlene Sands

  “He’s doing as well as can be expected,” his brother said. “He’s young and strong and he’ll heal eventually.”

  “I see. That’s good news. So then why are you here?”

  “It’s just that—” Cooper scrubbed a hand over his jaw “—he can’t seem to get you off his mind. He wasn’t all too coherent that first night and he can barely remember you at the hospital and...well...I think he needs to see you and thank you personally. It’s important to him.”

  “I, uh, understand, but that’s not really necessary.”

  “It is to him,” Cooper said, his face somber. “Believe me, if it wasn’t I wouldn’t be here right now.”

  “You still haven’t told me how you found me.”

  Cooper’s mouth twisted and he let out a deep sigh, making it obvious he didn’t want to divulge the information. “My wife...is a nurse.”

  He didn’t have to say more. Though she was surprised that her personal contact information had been breached, she wasn’t angry. She should be, but she just plain wasn’t. Cooper wasn’t there for nefarious reasons. He was there on behalf of his brother, who could’ve died a few days ago.

  “Lauren, my wife, is a good woman,” he began, “and she loves Jared, too. It took a lot of arm-twisting, if that makes you feel any better. I hope you’ll consider coming to the ranch to see my brother. I can drive you myself or I can send a car for you.”

  Suddenly, Sienna ambled into the room, her soft black hair mussed. She clutched her stuffed bunny rabbit in one hand and rubbed her eyes with the other. “Hi, baby girl. Did you have a nice nap?”

  Her child eyed the stranger cautiously, making a wide berth around him to get to her mommy. Bella knew the look; her daughter was wary and shy of strangers. She considered that a good thing and picked her up. Immediately, Sienna buried her face in her chest. “Sorry, she’s a bit shy.”

  “She’s adorable,” Cooper said, a twinkle in his eye. “My wife, Lauren, is pregnant. Our baby is due in early spring.”

  Lauren, the wife who’d rifled through her personal files. “Congratulations. It’s exciting. Is this your first?”

  He nodded. “Yep, it’s our first. How about you? Do you have any other children?”

  “No, my husband died last year. It’s just the two of us.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Must be hard being a single mother.”

  “It is. But I have great friends who help out. Amy, the woman who was with me the night of the accident, is letting us stay here until I can find employment. She’s been wonderful.”

  “So this isn’t your home?”

  “It’s where we live, for the time being.”

  His head slanting to the right, he studied her as if puzzling something out. “What kind of work do you do?”

  I’m the disowned heiress of Forte Foods. “I’m a cook. Well, a chef really, but right now, I’d sling hash in the local diner if it would pay my bills.” She smiled to wipe away Cooper’s concerned expression and furrowed brow. That’s all she’d say on the subject.

  “Mommy, I hungry.” The tiny voice echoed against her chest.

  “Okay, sweetie. I’ll make you something to eat.”

  Cooper rose from his seat and grabbed his hat.

  She stood and gestured to Sienna. “So now you see why I can’t just pick up and come to your ranch today?”

  “I do see. But please consider driving out. Soon. And bring the little one. I bet she’d love to see the horses. We’re at Stone Ridge Ranch. Here’s my brother’s card. It has his address and phone number on it.” Cooper walked over to place the card in her hand. “And thanks for not freaking out about how I found you. It went against every shred of Lauren’s sense of propriety, but at the same time she agreed that the only way Jared can heal mentally from the accident is to speak to you.”

  “That’s putting a bit of pressure on me.”

  Cooper’s brows lifted, his face the picture of innocence. “Is it working?”

  She tilted her head and admitted, “Maybe.”

  * * *

  You’ve got to go. I know you’re dying to. Just go and satisfy your curiosity, Bella. See the man whose life you saved.

  Amy’s words burned in her ears as she stood on the doorstep of Jared Stone’s home. There was a chill in the air and she cradled her bundled-up daughter even tighter. Mesquite trees surrounding the property were strung with big colorful ornaments. The door she’d just knocked on a moment ago was bedecked with twin pinecone wreaths reminding her that Christmas was just weeks away.

  Funny, it didn’t seem like Christmas. When Paul was alive it used to be such a fun time of year. Those four Christmases she’d shared with him had been the best. Now it was something she’d have to get through. But for Sienna’s sake, she was going to make it special.

  Her little girl was taking in the decorations in wide-eyed wonder. She pointed at an old-fashioned red buckboard wagon decorating the grassy portion of the front yard. The bed of the wagon was filled with buckets of thriving poinsettias. “Want ride, Mommy.”

  “Oh, sweetie, I don’t think that wagon works.”

  “Why?” Everything lately required an explanation. Her little one was a curious soul.

  “It’s kind of old.”

  “O-kay. Is pretty,” she said, still fascinated by the wagon.

  “Yes, the flowers are pretty.”

  So was Jared’s house, which was accented with thick beams of light wood and beautiful stone siding. It was modern with rustic flair. As she’d come upon it, passing stables and barns, horses and cattle along the way, somehow she could picture Jared living here. It fit. Which was a weird thing to think, since she didn’t know the man. At all.

  The door opened and a sixtysomething woman greeted them. “Why, you must be Bella Reid. Come in. We’ve been expecting you. I’m Marie, Mr. Stone’s housekeeper.”

  Last night, after she’d made the decision to come by, she’d called Jared but the phone call had gone straight to voice mail. At least, she’d given him fair warning she was coming and was glad the message had been received. “Hello, Marie. Nice to meet you.”

  “And who is this little darlin’?”

  “This is my daughter, Sienna.”

  “She’s a beautiful child.” Marie didn’t waste time. “Please come inside. Jared’s in the other room, waiting for you. He’s very glad you came by.” The affection in Marie’s voice was unmistakable. “And I’m tickled to meet you. You saved his life. The entire family is in your debt.”

  Marie stopped outside a closed door and suddenly wrapped her arms around her and Sienna and gave them a hug. “Thank you.” She pulled away quickly. “Don’t mind me, I’m a silly woman,” she said, wiping an unshed tear from her eye. “But I just had to do that.”

  “No, it’s fine,” Bella said. “It’s obvious you care about Jared.”

  “Since he was a boy.”

  “Marie?” an impatient male voice called out.

  “They’re here, Jared.” Marie swept an arm toward the door. “You’d best go inside. I left a pitcher of lemonade and a plate of cookies on the table. I sure hope you like chocolate chip,” she said to Sienna. The toddler grinned at the mention of cookies. “If you need anything else, please let me know.”

  “Thank you.”

  Marie walked off slowly and Bella caught her grimacing, placing a hand to her back as she exited.

  With a bit of trepidation, she entered the room to find the tall man slowly, carefully, unbending his body and rising from his chair, his expression etched with sheer determination. But there was no masking the pain he was in. “Bella Reid?”

  “Hello, Jared. Please sit down,” she said softly.

  His face seemed to mellow, some of the strain melting away as soon as the words were out of her mouth. He wore comfortable clothes, black sweats and a T-shirt w
ith Stone Corp printed over a graphic of a rugged mountain peak. Their company logo, she assumed.

  “After you,” he said. Texas manners being what they were, she wouldn’t argue. She took a seat, holding her shy daughter on her lap.

  “Thank you for coming,” he said, his voice low and deep and much more commanding than when he’d been in the hospital. He winced as he lowered himself down. There was a bandage draped over his left eyebrow; some reddish scrapes peeked through his dark blond stubble. His longish straight hair seemed to fall in a natural part, Brad Pitt–style. His eyes were alert, deep blue and mesmerizing, the kind of eyes it was hard to turn away from. “Is this your child?”

  “Yes, this is Sienna.” Her daughter wouldn’t look at Jared. But it was okay. She wouldn’t force the issue. “She’s in a clingy stage right now.”

  Jared smiled. His entire face brightened and she could see the man beneath the pain now. “How old is she?”

  “She’s twenty-two months.”

  “She looks like you. And that’s a compliment.”

  “Thank you. How are you feeling, Jared?”

  “I’m breathing and alive, getting by okay. I’ll probably be laid up for a couple of weeks.”

  “You look...much better than the last time I saw you.”

  “I suppose I do.” Again, he smiled. “I, uh, wanted to thank you properly for what you did. No, that’s not entirely true. I needed to thank you. You dragging me out of the car and bringing me to safety saved my life. I can’t thank you enough. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to repay you.”

  “Heavens, you don’t need to,” she said on a breath. “I’m just glad we were coming down that road at that particular time.”

  “So am I. It was a lucky day for me. All I remember of that night was a soft hand covering mine, giving me comfort and soothing the panic that was building up inside. And then you spoke and the sound of your voice was like a gentle balm, an angel’s call telling me I was going to be all right.”

  He inhaled and his face wrinkled up in pain.

  “Does it hurt to talk?”

  “No. Just to breathe,” he said, his eyes half twinkling.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I’m Texan. You know how we are.”

  She smiled.

  “Cooper filled me in a little about you. You’re a widow. I’m sorry for your loss, Bella.” He spoke with reserved respect that made it seem less like prying, less like opening up old wounds.

  “Thank you. It’s been a bit tough, but Sienna and I are managing.”

  “That’s good. I understand you’re between jobs right now. Is that by choice?”

  “Heavens no. I’ve been interviewing but...well, it’s not going—” She paused and shook her head. “It’s not important.”

  “I think it is.”

  She blinked, gazing at his solemn face. “You do?”

  “Of course I do.” His gaze traveled over to Sienna, who’d begun to warm up a little. She was peeking at him through her spread little fingers.

  “You don’t owe me anything, Jared. Honestly.” God, if he wrote her out a check, she’d be mortified. She hadn’t saved his life for a reward.

  “Well, the truth is, I’m thinking you can help me and I can help you.”

  “How?”

  “You met Marie. She’s a sweetheart, but she’s getting on in age and my present condition is taking a toll on her with all the extra work she has to do. For years, she’s worked part-time here and part-time at Cooper’s place. Now I’m afraid the chores are too much for her.”

  “What are you saying to me? How can I help?”

  “I understand you’re good in the kitchen and it just so happens I’m in need of a personal chef.”

  She gulped air, totally surprised. “You need a personal chef?”

  “Yes. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. Marie’s got too many chores around here as it is. She could use the break and...well, I’m offering you the job.”

  “To...be...your...personal...chef?”

  He smiled, his eyes lighting up again, as if he was glad she was catching on. Oh, yeah, she was. He was indebted to her and this was how he was going to repay her. “Yes.”

  “But, you don’t even know if I’m qualified.”

  “You can send me a résumé at your convenience. But I don’t need one. I trust you’re up to speed on your cooking skills.”

  “Oh, yeah? And how would you know that?”

  “Because...I already know what kind of person you are. Besides, I’m not fussy. Just put a burger and fries in my face and I’m happy.”

  She laughed. “I’ll remember that.”

  “So you’ll take the job?”

  “I didn’t say that. There’s a lot to consider.”

  “You need a job and I need a cook. What’s to consider?”

  “You’re forgetting that you live way out here, miles away from Dallas. Working out babysitting arrangements would be difficult, if not impossible. I don’t want to be gone from Sienna for too long during the day.”

  “That’s the beauty of this great big ranch house.” He spread his arms wide. The gesture cost him physically. Her heart went out to him, seeing him so bravely mask his pain. “You can have your own wing of the ranch house, two rooms just for you and Sienna upstairs. I’m basically living down here right now anyway since climbing the stairs is like a Ninja Warrior obstacle for me. You’d have all the privacy you’ll need.”

  “My goodness, Jared. You want us to move into your house? I mean, that’s generous and all, but I can’t—”

  “Don’t say you can’t. Think about it. You’ll have a job where you won’t have to leave Sienna at all. She’ll be right here while you’re working. She’ll have a yard to play in and wide-open spaces to run at her heart’s content. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful that you saved my life, but I really do need some more help here. My solution is a good one, for all of us.”

  He had a good heart but her pride was getting in the way of her good sense.

  “I don’t know...”

  “Give it a try, Bella.” His voice cut into her senses. So deep, so sincere. He really wanted to help her and she appreciated that. “If it doesn’t work out, there’ll be no hard feelings. It’ll be up to you.”

  He was offering her something better than she could ever hope for: employment, a home and a way to stay close to Sienna. Taking the job would buy her time to sort out her life and make some long-range plans. “Let me talk it over with my best friend. I, uh, just need a little bit of time.”

  “It’s a deal,” he said and then glanced at her daughter. “Would you like a cookie, Sienna? You can have as many as your mommy says you can have.”

  Sienna faced him and smiled, her sweet dimples lighting up her cheeks.

  “One,” Bella said in her mommy tone.

  “Like I said,” he began, “you can have one cookie. And I bet your momma would spring for some lemonade, too.”

  Sienna giggled, nodding at the man who could barely move on the chair opposite her.

  He was in bad shape right now and seemed genuine in his job offer.

  Could she take a leap of faith and accept the job? Could she go through with it, concealing her true identity from Jared Stone in order to keep Sienna safe?

  Or maybe the real question was, could she afford not to take the job?

  * * *

  Later that night Amy plunked down on the sofa next to Bella and handed her a glass of pinot grigio. “Here, take this and sip at will. There’s plenty more where that came from.”

  Bella stared at the wine bottle sitting on the cocktail table in front of her. She probably would need to empty it before she could come to a decision.

  Amy crossed her legs under her, sinking into a conversational posture on the sofa and s
ipping wine. “Not that I’m trying to get rid of you but, honestly, Bella, this man is offering you a golden opportunity. Why not jump at it?”

  Sienna had fallen asleep an hour ago. And this was supposed to be Bella’s Zen time. Where she could find some peace in the quiet surroundings and shut her mind down a little bit. But Jared Stone’s offer kept interrupting her serenity. Amy was on board with the idea, but there was still a nagging notion that wouldn’t go away. “Because I know why he’s offering me a job. Or making up a job. He sees me as the poor widow, a single mom raising a baby all by myself. It’s charity.”

  “For one, you are all those things and more.”

  Bella stared at her friend.

  “What I mean is, he sees you as a widow raising a child alone, but also as the courageous person who saved his life. It’s so not charity. If he was going to hire someone—and you said it yourself, his housekeeper really seemed like she could use the help—why can’t he hire you? I’d bet he’d much rather hire someone he trusts, someone who really needs the work, than a total stranger.”

  “I am a stranger. He didn’t even want to see my résumé.”

  “Lucky for you, he didn’t. What would you put on there? Former heiress of Forte Foods.”

  “I did go to culinary school, you know. Even though I didn’t finish, I learned a lot and what I didn’t learn I taught myself. I have been around the food industry and chefs all my life.”

  Amy smiled. “There, you see, you just made a great argument for yourself. You are qualified for the job. My goodness, he’s one man. You could cook for him with your eyes closed.”

  “I’d have to move to his ranch. And I’d be deceiving him the entire time. Could I really do that?”

  “For Sienna’s sake, you have to. It’s a darn good reason.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What don’t you know? It’s perfect. What do I have here for you and Sienna? Concrete and glass. My balcony is too dangerous for Sienna, so the poor kid can’t even get some sunshine or breathe fresh air. Sienna would love being in a place where she could run wild. She’d be around cattle and horses. Maybe a dog or cat or two. And how long do you think it would take your father to find me, if he really wanted to? He knows we’re friends. If he came looking for you, you’d be out of luck. But this way...”