Melt My Heart, Cowboy (Love at the Chocolate Shop Book 1)

by CJ Carmichael

  Or was it?

  Rosie felt a flush of excitement as she imagined what it would be like to be kissed by Brant so intensely. Was it wicked to hope Brant might pick up a few ideas from this movie?

  Well, even it was, she didn’t care. Maybe she and Brant didn’t have a future, but they had chemistry, no doubt about that.

  And right now, it seemed like more than enough.

  As Rosie slotted the DVD into the player, Portia came in via the kitchen entrance. She took the presence of their visitors totally in stride.

  “Hey there, Brant. And you must be Sara Maria. Nice to meet you.”

  “Did you finish the posters?” Rosie asked.

  “Sure did. I stopped to put one up at our store on my way home. Make sure you admire it tomorrow.” Portia turned to the TV screen where the movie was just starting. “Hey you’re watching Jerry Maguire. My sister thinks that’s Tom Cruise’s best movie.”

  “I agree. Sit down and watch it with us.” Rosie settled back into her spot next to Brant, secretly thrilled when he stretched his arm along the back of the sofa and stroked her neck again.

  “There’s lots of pizza and cola,” Brant added.

  “Cool.” Portia grabbed a slice of the pizza then settled in one of the armchairs. She smiled at the girl and dog curled up beside her. “Hey, Sara Maria, looks like Huck is totally in love with you.”

  “I’m totally in love with him, too.” Sara Maria pressed her cheek against the top of the lab’s head.

  “Well, Rosie does need to find a new home for him when she moves,” Portia said, probably thinking she was being helpful.

  “Rosie’s moving?” Sara Maria looked alarmed.

  “Once my house sells, I will be.” She held her breath, wondering if this would spark a tantrum, but though she looked sad, Sara Maria didn’t display any inappropriate reaction.

  “You aren’t taking Huck?”

  “I’ll be moving to L.A. Huck wouldn’t be happy in a big city.”

  “No pets are allowed at the care home because of allergies,” Sara Maria said. “But I wish I could keep Huck. He completes me.”

  Rosie gave the younger woman a close look. “I thought you said you hadn’t seen this movie?”

  To her utter amazement, Sara Maria winked back at her.

  *

  The next few days were crazy busy. On Saturday, Rosie worked a full shift at the chocolate shop while Brant finished priming all the window frames and doors. He left for Three Bars Ranch, exhausted, at seven-thirty, at which point Rosie picked up her laptop and resumed writing the next scene for her brother’s script.

  The flow felt awkward, though, and she couldn’t pinpoint why. Rosie decided to print out the troublesome pages. Sometimes she could spot problems easier on paper than on her laptop.

  As the printer in her parents’ bedroom spewed out the sheets, she decided to try working at her dad’s desk, see if some of his creative powers might wear off on her.

  It felt strange at first, sitting in his chair, at his desk. But she knew if he were watching he’d be glad to see her here. Her father had always encouraged her writing, just as much as he’d encouraged Daniel’s.

  On Sunday, Rosie dragged herself out of bed after a scant six hours of sleep and went to pick up Sara Maria for the day. As they were exiting the care home, Rosie recognized one of the nurses from when she had worked for Rosie’s mom’s GP. “Hi, Annie, how are you?”

  “Rosie! It’s so good to see you. I heard you were coming around regularly to take our youngest resident on outings.” The petite woman with her wavy hair and lively brown eyes smiled at Sara Maria.

  “Rosie’s my new friend.

  “That’s real nice to hear.” She turned to Rosie. “I was talking to Nadine the other day about how Sara Maria has perked up recently. It’s good for her to socialize with people her own age. What are you all up to today?”

  “I’m not sure.” Rosie had been taken aback by her first sight of Sara Maria this morning. Brant’s sister was far from a fashionista, but she’d hit a new low today with her ragged jeans and a t-shirt with an obvious bleach stain at the hem. “Maybe we’ll go hiking?”

  Sara Maria surprised her by shaking her head no. “I want to help paint your house.”

  Rosie planted her hands on her hips and swiveled for a closer look at her. “Seriously?”

  “I think it will be fun.”

  “I can’t afford to pay much.”

  “I don’t want to be paid. I’ll paint for free.”

  Annie laughed. “Do you think you could give my fence a fresh coat while you’re in the mood?”

  Sara Maria didn’t get the joke. “No. I just want to paint Rosie’s house. I like her house and I especially like her dog, Huck.”

  “Okay then. I guess we’re spending the day painting.” Though Rosie had serious doubts about whether Sara Maria would enjoy painting as much as she seemed to think she would.

  When they arrived at the house, Brant was just stepping out of his truck.

  “I’m going to help you paint Rosie’s house,” his sister announced.

  “Is that so?” He looked from Rosie to his sister, then back again. From his raised eyebrows, Rosie guessed he was dubious about Sara Maria’s painting abilities, too.

  “Sure you wouldn’t rather go hiking with Rosie?”

  For her answer, Sara Maria picked up a paint brush.

  “Okay then.” He gave a resigned sigh. “Here’s how it works.”

  Brant demonstrate the basic technique and after watching him for a minute, Sara Maria dipped her brush and mimicked him.

  “Not bad.” Brant watched her a while longer.

  While Sara Maria painted slowly, she was also meticulous, so Brant assigned her a couple of window frames. Meanwhile he and Rosie traded their paint brushes for rollers. “These are great for applying paint quickly, but there will be splatters. Best wear something to protect that crazy hair of yours.”

  “I put my hair in a very tidy ponytail today, so I object to the adjective ‘crazy’.”

  From his truck Brant retrieved an L.A. Dodgers baseball cap. “Object to my adjectives all you want, you still need to wear a cap. And since you’re moving to L.A. you’ll have to start cheering for these guys.”

  She started backing away. “No way. I’d feel like a traitor to the Mariners.”

  He pulled her closer, then planted the hat on her head. “They’re in different leagues.”

  “It’s still baseball.” She twisted away, then removed her hat and flung it at him.

  He caught it easily and promptly placed it back on her head.

  “Jeez. Sara Maria is your brother always this bossy?”

  Sara Maria’s “Yes!” was so heartfelt Rosie had to laugh. Brant didn’t look amused though.

  They painted all day long with only short breaks for lemonade and muffins. When it was time for Sara Maria to return to the home for dinner, Rosie asked if she would rather eat with them, but apparently Sunday’s dinner at the care home was always vegetarian lasagna—one of Sara Maria’s favorites.

  “Okay.” Rosie conceded. “I’ll drive you home on my way to pick up take-out burgers for your brother and myself.”

  Sara Maria grimaced at the mention of burgers, and happily washed the last of the paint from her hands.

  On the short drive to the care home Rosie said, “Thanks for all your hard work today. You remember that you’re meeting Rachel from the Gingerbread and Dessert Shop tomorrow right?”

  “I remember.”

  “The care home has organized a ride for you. Have you decided what to wear?”

  “No. What should I wear, Rosie? Does it matter?”

  “This is basically a job interview, so, yes, it does matter. Do you have black pants and a white shirt?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Wear that. And you’ll probably be invited into Rachel’s kitchen, so tie your hair in a ponytail.”

  “Okay.”

  Rosie stopped i
n front of the care home. “Good luck tomorrow.”

  Sara Maria swallowed. In a quiet voice she asked, “What if Rachel doesn’t like me?”

  “Just keep reminding yourself that you make really good pies. That’s what Rachel is interested in. If you believe in yourself, then Rachel will believe in you, too.”

  “That isn’t very logical. But I can see how that might work. Thanks, Rosie.”

  “See you soon. And thanks again for today. You did an awesome job with the window frames.”

  Rosie waited until Sara Maria was safely inside, then she headed for the Main Street Diner to get burgers, fries, and milkshakes to go. After all their hard work they’d earned the treat.

  She and Brant ate on the porch swing at the front of the house, Rosie turning on the strands of outdoor patio lights as the sun sank lower.

  Huck, who’d followed Sara Maria around all day, was sleeping on the far edge of the porch now. Brant tried tossing him a French fry. The lab didn’t even give it a sniff.

  “I’m worried about the old boy.”

  “Was he always your dad’s dog?”

  “From day one. When Huck was a puppy I was still going to school, Mom was working full time, and Daniel was already in L.A. So he spent his days with Dad, sleeping by his desk while Dad wrote. Dad would take him out for a walk in the morning after breakfast and again at the end of the day when he’d finished his pages.”

  “Well, no wonder Huck’s depressed. His entire world has changed.” After a paused Brant added, “A lot like my sister’s has.”

  Rosie was glad to see Brant display some empathy for his sister. “She seemed pretty happy helping us paint today.”

  “It was a good day.” Brant put his arm around her shoulders.

  “Speak for yourself. My neck and arms are aching.”

  Despite her cheeky words, her heart felt giddy, like a stone, skipping over water. She had the same reaction every time he touched her, heck, all he had to do was look at her. There was a certain gleam in his eyes, a knowing quirk in his grin.

  “Poor baby.” He brushed his hand across her back to her neck, then began working his fingers into her muscles. “How does that feel?”

  “Lovely.”

  He continued the massage for about five minutes, then he shifted slightly, so he could look at her face. They were screened from the street by a hedge of lilacs, leaves all gold, but still clinging to their branches. So even though they were in the middle of a small town, it felt like they were entirely alone.

  “Too tired for me to kiss you?” Brant asked.

  “Don’t think I could ever be that tired.”

  “Ah, Rosie. I feel the same way.”

  He kissed her on the lips first, then on the cheek and her jawline. Gently, he nuzzled the side of her neck, the ridge of her collarbone.

  Her nerve endings danced at each point he touched. Rosie closed her eyes, savored the sweet sensations, until finally he drew her close into a hug.

  “Ah, Rosie. You make it so difficult for me to be a gentleman.”

  She wanted to ask him what was so great about being a gentleman. But a vehicle had just stopped in front of their house. She had a feeling it was Portia, and Brant seemed to take it as a hint to leave.

  “You don’t have to go.”

  “I should. I’ve got a lot of work to get done tomorrow.”

  “I’ll be helping, too.”

  “I thought you worked at the chocolate shop on Mondays?”

  “Dakota and I switched shifts again. You said we’re running out of time this late in the season. I felt I had to do my part, as well.”

  “Thank you for that.” He kissed her one last time, then got up from the porch swing. “Sleep well, darlin’.”

  “You, too,” Rosie said softly.

  He went around the house to where he’d parked his truck in the lane. Meanwhile Rosie heard the faint squeak of the front gate as Portia returned.

  She seemed surprised to see Rosie sitting outside on the porch.

  “Hey, there. Aren’t you a little cool?”

  Now that Brant was no longer by her side, she was.

  “You’re right. Time to go inside.” Rosie grabbed the paper bag from their takeout dinner, and then nudged Huck toward the door.

  Once they were all inside she asked Portia, “So how was your day?”

  “I spent most of it on the Circle C. Aunt Callan owns some really sweet quarter horses. I especially like a beautiful grey gelding named Pinstripes.”

  “Cute name for a horse.” Rosie followed Portia through the family room to the kitchen. “So what were you doing on the ranch?”

  “Aunt Callan and I went on an awesome trail ride. My mom and Aunt Sage are both amazing riders, but Callan is something else. I’d love for you to meet her.”

  “I’ve seen her in the shop a few times. She’s always in a hurry.”

  “She’s so tough on the outside but a real softie where it counts. Usually when we’re around one another it’s a big family occasion. It’s been fun getting to know her better.”

  “You’re lucky to have such a large family. My parents were both single children and I can barely remember my grandparents, they passed away so long ago.”

  “Yeah, it is good to have lots of aunts. But I wish I saw more of my dad.” Portia stooped to give Huck a cuddle. “He hasn’t been around much since he left my mom.”

  “I’m sorry.” Though her parents had been plagued by bad health in their final years, she’d always felt lucky that, for the time they’d had together, they’d been very happy.

  “Yeah. It sucks.” Portia stood and then shrugged one of her slim shoulders. “What about you? Did you spend your entire weekend painting?”

  “When I wasn’t working, yes.” Daniel would be upset that she still hadn’t finished that last scene. Rosie resolved to stay up as late as it took tonight to do it.

  “I hope you don’t mind that I haven’t been helping. But being pregnant…”

  Rosie suddenly felt like an idiot. “Duh. Right. Being around paint fumes probably isn’t a smart idea for you right now. Oh, my gosh. I’m so sorry, Portia. I should have realized…”

  “No, no don’t worry. What else could you have done? You need to sell your house and this is going to help so much.”

  “Do you think the odor inside the house is too much?”

  “I’m not sure. But I’d rather not take a risk. Especially since there’s loads of room at the Circle C ranch and it’s not that far from Marietta. Callan said she’d love to have me stay there for a while—and I can help her exercise some of her horses in my spare time.”

  “That does sound ideal. But I’ve really enjoyed having you as a roommate.”

  “It’s been great for me, too. But now that Brant is in the picture… I’m a bit of third wheel.”

  “No. I wasn’t thinking that at all.”

  “I’m just teasing. But I do think my moving out to the Circle C is the right solution. My parents bred and trained Tennessee Walkers when I was growing up. I used to ride almost every day and I miss it.”

  “Since I haven’t cashed your check yet, I’ll just rip it up. But—I’m going to miss you.”

  “Me, too. We’ll see each other at the chocolate shop, though. And we can go for lunch. You’re my best friend in this town, Rosie.”

  “I feel the same way.”

  Why were all the nicest people coming into her life now as she was preparing to leave?

  Chapter Fourteen

  On Monday, Rosie didn’t feel ready to get out of bed at eight o’clock. She’d been awake until after two a.m. when she’d finally emailed the closing scene to Daniel. Hopefully he agreed she’d nailed the dialogue between the two main characters and found just the right narrative twist to end the script with a bittersweet sense of inevitability.

  By eight thirty, she couldn’t make any more excuses. She dragged herself into the shower, and then let Huck out into the yard. Was he a little livelier this morning
, or was that just her wishful thinking?

  Brant showed up at nine sharp. From the kitchen window, Rosie enjoyed watching him step out of his truck in his form-fitting Wranglers, paint splotched from yesterday, and a clean white t-shirt.

  She slipped out the screen door, letting it fall shut behind her.

  “Coffee?” She proffered a mug.

  He stepped toward her with a warm, lazy smile. “Wish every work day could start this sweet.” He lingered with one soft kiss before accepting the mug.

  “It’s supposed to be a hot one today,” he said after his first sip. “I was thinking we’d start on the west side, then tackle the north around noon.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” she agreed.

  Rosie brought out her iPod docking system and plugged it into an exterior socket so she could play some of her country favorites. They worked hard all morning through to the afternoon, eventually turning down the music because it was making it hard to chat. Several times Brant made her laugh so hard with his stories from working on the ranch she had to stop painting and wait to catch her breath.

  At two-thirty Rosie’s cell phone rang. She whipped it out of her back pocket and checked the display. No name. She rattled off the number and was surprised when Brant said, “That’s my sister.”

  “I didn’t know Sara Maria had a cell phone.”

  “I’d forgotten myself.” Brant shrugged. “This is the first time I’ve known her to use it.”

  Rosie pressed “Accept.”

  “Hey, Sara Maria. How are you?”

  “I’m so happy. Rosie, I got a job! Rachel had me roll out a pie crust and as soon as I was done, she asked if I could start tomorrow. She wants me to work in her kitchen on Tuesdays and Fridays. On Tuesday I bake pies and on Friday I help with cleaning and organizing ingredients for other recipes.”

  “Fantastic! Good for you.”

  “This means I won’t be able to help you paint tomorrow, though.”

  “Don’t worry about that. I think it’s great that you have a job.”