The Cowboy's Twin Surprise

by Cathy McDavid

  The café owner’s wrinkled face glowed as her glance encompassed everyone there. “I’ll make this short. I don’t want to keep the customers waiting.”

  Frankie’s stomach churned. Damn Spence for showing up today of all days. She needed to be on her toes. Ready and alert. Not distracted by the thought of him sitting there.

  Tia Maria’s gaze fell on Frankie, who went still. After a brief pause, it continued to the next person. “As you know, I’m retiring at the end of the month, and I promised to announce the new manager today.”

  Frankie twisted the apron between her suddenly sweaty hands.

  Tia Maria took the man’s arm and nudged him forward. “This is my nephew, Antonio. He moved from Las Cruces to take over for me. I’m very pleased the Cowboy Up Café will remain in the family.”

  Frankie went numb all over as seven heads instantly swiveled in her direction. They’d all expected her to get the promotion, too.

  She reached for the wall, feeling slightly unbalanced.

  “I’m sorry,” someone near her murmured.

  “Me, too.” Had she said that out loud? Her mouth didn’t seem to be working correctly. “Damn.”

  She definitely said that out loud, though softly. She’d been counting on the promotion and the raise. She deserved it, after all her years of loyal service. For Tia Maria to bring in a family member without telling Frankie was unfair. Not to mention total nepotism.

  Drawing in a breath, she straightened her spine, acutely aware of the stares aimed at her.

  “Congratulations and welcome,” she said, with as much dignity and calm as she could muster. Then she spun on her heels, not caring if she received a reprimand later. She simply would not cry in front of these people.

  Entering the dining area, she fully intended to bury herself in work as a defense against her acute disappointment. Naturally, the first person she noticed was Spence. He’d left the counter in order to join her sisters at their table. Of all the nerve!

  Had they called him over? It was possible—Frankie’s entire family had always liked Spence. She didn’t worry that her sisters would say anything about the girls. Mel and Ronnie were completely trustworthy in that regard. So what were they talking about, with their heads bent together over the table? Frankie squinted. Was that his phone they were staring at?

  Pictures. Had to be. Spence’s family had moved from Mustang Valley years ago. He was probably updating her sisters on the Bohanan doings. Their laughter floated across the room and grated on Frankie’s nerves.

  It occurred to her that she’d completely forgotten to turn in his breakfast order. She did that now, rather than break her bad news to her sisters in front of him. They caught sight of her and gestured her over. She pretended not to see them.

  One by one, the staff returned to their stations, unusually subdued. Frankie accepted a “Tough break” from Cook and an “I don’t know what she’s thinking” from one of the waitresses. Neither remark lifted her spirits. Worse, tears stung her eyes.

  She sneaked off to the restroom, not caring about the customers or Tia Maria’s potential anger. Frankie needed a moment alone. Five minutes later, she felt strong enough to face the world again. On her way out of the restroom, she ran into Mel.

  “I’m shocked,” her sister gushed. “Do you believe he’s here? Are you going to tell him about the girls?”

  “Maybe. Yes. Probably.”

  “Really? Jeez, Frankie. Are you ready?”

  “We’re meeting at six. The park. Neutral territory.”

  A customer emerged from the men’s room and gave them a nod as he passed.

  Mel lowered her voice. “What will you say? I mean, you can’t just blurt out, ‘Hey, you’re a dad.’”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “You’d better hurry. Someone will say something if they haven’t already.”

  “I know, I know.”

  Mel’s demeanor abruptly changed. Grabbing her by both arms, she broke into a happy smile. “So, when do you officially start?”

  Frankie had trouble forming the words. Before she could get any out, Tia Maria poked her head around the corner and crooked a finger at her. Uh-oh. She’d been caught slacking off.

  “Call you later,” she told Mel, and didn’t wait for a reply.

  Her employer led her to the same spot where the staff meeting had taken place moments ago. Frankie wondered if she was about to be fired. Could this day get any worse?

  “I should have told you about hiring my nephew,” the older woman said, a trace of contrition in her voice. “I realize you expected to get the job.”

  “You did imply as much.” Frankie resisted the anger building inside her.

  “I was considering you, I swear. Then my sister mentioned my nephew was looking for a job. He’s a good man. Honest and trustworthy.”

  And Frankie wasn’t?

  “I really do want to keep the restaurant in the family,” Tia Maria continued.

  “Does he have any experience?”

  “Some. I’m hoping you’ll teach him.”

  Frankie took that to mean the man knew nothing of the restaurant business. She started to speak when her cell phone vibrated from inside her pocket, signaling she had a message. Was Sam texting about the girls? Frankie had trouble concentrating.

  “I thought that you could help with the ordering and inventorying,” Tia Maria said. “You and Antonio can learn together.”

  No one had ever been allowed to assist with, much less take over, this task handled by the café owner. She was throwing Frankie a bone.

  “Does it come with a raise?”

  Tia Maria drew back. “The experience will be very valuable.”

  For what? Frankie would never need it here. Unless Tia Maria was expecting her to quit. Was it possible?

  “A raise would be better,” she said.

  Tia Maria relented with a shrug. “I’ll consider it.”

  If only Frankie could quit. But she needed a regular salary to cover the bills and put food on the table. Besides, there weren’t many well-paying opportunities for a waitress in Mustang Valley other than the café.

  “Por favor, do your best to make my Antonio feel welcomed. Moving away from home is going to be a big adjustment for him.”

  Frankie had a few big adjustments of her own waiting for her, one of them named Spence. “Sure. No problem.”

  For the first time, Tia Maria smiled. And why not? She’d gotten her way. Her nephew was now manager of the café, and Frankie had basically agreed to train him without guaranteed compensation. She could kick herself.

  Well, she’d just have to expand her catering business. Realistically, she had no other choice if she hoped to increase her earning potential. At the moment, being her own boss sounded very appealing.

  Before returning to the counter, she paused at the doorway to quickly check her phone—a practice generally frowned on, but Frankie didn’t care.

  All right, not a text. Rather, an e-mail from her crowd-funding campaign, notifying her of a donation. Must be the universe telling her she was right to concentrate on her own business rather than someone else’s.

  Tapping the phone’s screen, she opened the e-mail and followed the link to the donation page. Blinking, she looked again. Then a third time. Something wasn’t right. There must be a mistake. The amount showing was a whopping ten thousand dollars!

  She reread the notification over and over, closed the link and started again. The amount in big green numbers remained the same. A numeral one followed by lots of zeros. Ten freakin’ thousand dollars.

  Who would contribute that kind of money to her fledgling catering business? Using her fingers, she expanded the screen to better read the name. Spencer Bohanan! No flipping way.

  She was going to strangle
him. No, wait. First she was going to give him a piece of her very angry mind, then strangle him. How dare he? This wasn’t the least bit funny. In fact, it was mean. A terrible, humorless, tasteless joke.

  Not caring about Tia Maria or the new manager/nephew or even her job, she marched over to the table where Spence still sat with her sisters.

  Shoving her phone in his face, she stated, “I’m not amused.”

  He leaned back to put more than two inches between himself and the phone and read the screen. “Wow. That came through fast.”

  “What are you thinking?”

  “I’m contributing to your catering business.” He grinned. “Isn’t that the point of a crowd-funding campaign?”

  Frankie paid no attention to her sisters, who watched slack-jawed as if witnessing an impending catastrophe. “You don’t have ten thousand dollars.”

  “The donation wouldn’t have gone through if I didn’t.”

  Wha... Wait. That was true. Frankie remembered reading the terms and conditions. All donations were guaranteed by credit card or an online payment system. Spence couldn’t have donated a single cent unless he actually had it—or a substantial limit on his credit card.

  “I refuse to let you go into debt simply to prove a point,” she snapped.

  “First off, I won’t go into debt. I have the money, and a fair amount more where that came from. Second, I’m not trying to prove a point. Unless I did.” He winked at her. “In that case—”

  “You’re broke. You’re always broke.” It was another of the reasons Frankie hadn’t told him about the girls. He couldn’t afford the child support payments, and she hated the idea of a long, drawn-out court battle, only to have him default.

  “I’ve had a run of good luck lately,” he said.

  “You rob a bank?”

  “Come on. Give me a little credit. How ’bout I tell you what’s been happening with me over dinner tonight?”

  Frankie’s sisters were literally sitting on the edges of their seats.

  “No.” Dinner sounded too much like a date. “I’ll bring some brisket and ribs to the park. The picnic area. You recall where it is?”

  “I do.”

  Something flashed in his eyes. A memory, perhaps. He had plenty to choose from involving the park and the picnic area and the two of them. What had possessed Frankie to suggest that as a meeting place?

  Mel abruptly straightened. “I’ll watch the g—” She caught herself in the nick of time. “Feed the dogs. I’ll feed your dogs if Sam can’t.”

  “Sam?” Spence’s eyes lit up. “The new sister? Mel and Ronnie mentioned that she’s living with you. I’d love hearing about her at dinner.” He was at it again, teasing her in order to get his way.

  “We’re not having dinner,” she stated. “Consider the food a sample. If you’re going to be an investor in my company, you should taste the wares.”

  Where had that come from? Frankie was clearly losing her mind.

  She quickly jotted her down her phone number on a paper napkin and handed it to him.

  “I can’t wait.” He scooted out of the booth.

  She wasn’t fast enough, and he brushed up beside her. The electric shock, even from such fleeting contact, was intense. Frankie sucked in a sharp breath.

  Tugging on the brim of his cowboy hat, he ambled over to the counter where, thank goodness, the other waitress served him his breakfast order.

  She didn’t realize she was staring until Mel hitched a thumb at her. “Look at that, Ronnie. She’s still hung up on him.”

  Frankie pivoted in time to see her younger sister nodding in agreement.

  “For the record,” she muttered, “you two couldn’t be more wrong.”

  Hurrying off, she went to properly introduce herself to the new manager. It was that or deal with Spence. At the moment, Tia Maria’s nephew seemed the lesser of two evils.

  Chapter Two

  “Feed the dogs?” Frankie rolled her eyes at Mel, who shrugged in reply.

  “It was the best I could come up with spur of the moment.”

  The two of them were in Frankie’s kitchen. Mel sat at the table while Frankie stood at the counter, packing the picnic dinner. Coleslaw? Seriously? Had she chosen that side dish simply because Spence liked her recipe?

  She purposely included a small jar of bread-and-butter pickles in the cooler. Her favorite. Spence preferred kosher dills. She did, however, select the best pieces of barbecue beef. Only because she had a reputation to consider. And, were she honest with herself, an ego that knew no bounds when it came to her specialties.

  “I’m sorry you didn’t get the manager job.” Mel tugged on the empty adjacent chair, bringing it closer and elevating her feet. “That’s just not right.”

  “It’s her restaurant. Tia Maria can hire whomever she wants as manager.”

  “But her nephew?” Mel snorted. “I heard he hasn’t worked in the food industry since college and then as a waiter in a pizza joint.”

  News did travel fast in a small town. “He has a degree in business,” Frankie said.

  “Not the same.”

  “I didn’t have any experience when Tia Maria hired me.”

  “You didn’t start out as manager, either. You worked your way up. The hard way, I might add.”

  “There’s no point rehashing this. She gave the job to someone else. End of story. Seeing as I’m not prepared to quit, I’m staying.”

  Mel looked contrite. “And here I am pouring salt in the wound.”

  Frankie closed the lid on the remaining brisket and returned the storage container to the refrigerator. At the last second, she grabbed a triangle of leftover cherry pie. Adding that to the cooler, she checked the time.

  “I’d better hurry.”

  At the thought of seeing Spence again, her stomach twisted into a knot and sweat broke out on her brow. This was a crazy idea. Maybe she should call and cancel.

  No. She had to find out why he was here, how long he intended to stay and if he’d by chance become father material in these past four years. Only then could she tell him about Paige and Sienna.

  From the living room, she heard the girls playing animal hospital with their stuffed toys, a game inspired by their veterinarian aunt. Giggling and lively chatter assured Frankie that her daughters were getting along for a change.

  “I appreciate you watching Paige and Sienna.”

  “Are you kidding? I love babysitting. And it’s good practice.” Mel patted her protruding belly. “Besides, Aaron’s on duty until ten tonight.”

  “You two set a date yet?”

  Her cheeks colored. “Actually, we did.”

  “When?” Frankie hurried over to give her sister a hug.

  “The Saturday before Thanksgiving.”

  “Why didn’t you say something? That’s only six weeks away. You can’t possibly pull off a wedding by then.”

  “We’re having a small ceremony,” Mel assured her. “Family and close friends. Aaron already had the big shindig with his late wife. I wanted something different. Special and unique for us two.”

  “I’ll cater the reception, of course.” Frankie paused. “You are having one?”

  “Yes.” Mel laughed. “And I wouldn’t dream of having a reception without your food.”

  “Let me know what else I can do to help.”

  Frankie was already contemplating contacting her sisters and stepmom about throwing a bridal shower. They’d better hurry. Next up would be a baby shower. Mel and Aaron may be planning a small wedding, but with the local vet marrying the local deputy, half the town would probably want an invite to one shower or the other.

  A ping sounded from the table, Frankie’s phone emitting another alert. She quickly snatched it and checked the screen. N
ot a donation notice from her crowd-funding campaign. Just a text from her other sister. She set the phone down.

  “That’s Ronnie. She says practice will run late again tonight, and Sam won’t be home until ten or ten-thirty.

  “She’s really working hard.”

  Sam had turned professional barrel racer after graduating high school and had her heart set on winning a championship title. To accomplish that, she’d first need to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo in December. With Ronnie’s expert help, her chances were good.

  “She’s determined to come back after this last run of bad luck.” Frankie tucked her phone into her purse, which was hanging from the back of a chair. “Two disqualifications in a row and a tenth place. She’s frustrated.”

  “She’s also young,” Mel said. “If not this year, there’s always next.”

  “Yeah. That’s what Ronnie said for ten straight years. She qualified I forget how many times, but never won.” It was their younger sister’s biggest regret.

  Frankie set the cooler on the table. All that remained was to get herself ready.

  “There’s leftover macaroni and cheese and fruit salad for the girls.” She wagged a finger at Mel. “No soda or sweets. I don’t care what you’re craving.”

  It was Mel’s turn to roll her eyes. “I got this. Quit worrying.”

  “I should be back long before their bedtime.”

  “Don’t rush. You and Spence have a lot of catching up to do.”

  Frankie wished her sister would quit smiling. “I’m going to change.”

  In the bedroom, she took much too long choosing what shorts and top to wear. In the bathroom, she fussed with her hair and makeup.

  What had Spence seen when he’d looked at her this morning? Frankie was no longer the thin young woman with long blond hair and an enviable complexion. Her figure had filled out a little after giving birth to her daughters, and she’d cut her hair, opting for a more trouble-free style. Her brown eyes were the same, but these days her skin’s glow came from a bottle of foundation.