“See you two later,” Hunter called as they left the kitchen.
It was a quiet but somewhat tense walk to her room. Maybe he was mad that the kitchen was soaked just as his brother got into town. The whole home was so tidy all the time. He’d flicked her first, though.
When she paused at the door, her shoulders sagged. “I’m sorry I messed up the kitchen, but you started it. If I’d known Hunter and Reagan—”
“I’m not upset.”
“You’re not?” She lifted her gaze to his. “I thought that’s why you wanted to walk me to my room.”
A smile tugged the corners of his lips up. “No. I wanted to walk you to your room to tell you I enjoyed your company this morning. That I liked helping you in the kitchen. Thank you for spending time with me when you didn’t have to.”
She touched her hand to her chest. He was thanking her for spending time with him? “It was my pleasure, Bear.” She circled her arms around his neck. “I’ve enjoyed my time here.”
He placed his palm on the flat of her back, pressing her harder against him. “I’m glad you feel that way.”
Winnie dropped her arms and stepped back. “I’ll get cleaned up and then be downstairs in a bit.”
“Okay,” he said and then froze as their eyes locked. For a minute, she thought he was going to lay one of those toe-curling kisses on her, but he cleared his throat and strode off to the stairs.
This time, Winnie watched him go. Coming or going, he looked fantastic. Dear heavens, it was only Thanksgiving, and she was falling for him. Head-over-heels, not-a-chance-of-slowing-down kind of falling.
She couldn’t, though. If she fell for him, what then?
With a long sigh, she shut her door and palmed her face. What could she do now? If she did something to push him away, it would hurt him, and there was no way she was doing anything like that to Bear. He had a spirit as gentle as a feather, and she wasn’t going to be the one to change that.
All she could do was keep herself in check. If she lost every fingernail, she’d have to find that cliff she was tumbling down and latch on before she hit bottom. That was her only solution. She was returning to San Antonio, and he was staying on his ranch. It was the West Texas version of a Nicholas Sparks novel. There wasn’t enough tissue made to wipe away the buckets of tears she was sure to shed when it came time to go home.
Chapter 13
The house was filled with the scent of Thanksgiving Dinner. While Bear thought Bandit’s cooking was delicious, Winnie was giving him serious competition. The turkey especially. That thing was going to be picked clean by the time dinner was over.
“I’ve got the turkey, Winnie. You take the mashed potatoes.”
A large grin lifted her lips as she picked up the bowl. “I’ll wait for you.”
After slipping on some oven mitts, he pulled the oven open, and his mouth watered. It was brown and juicy-looking, and he was hungry. He took it out of the oven and closed the door with his foot. “I’m right behind you.”
As they entered the dining room, his family gushed. “Oh my goodness. It already smelled good, and that was a faint whiff while it was in the oven. This close, I’m thinking we should have cooked one for each of us,” his dad said as Bear set it down in the middle of the table.
“Winnie, I think you might have spoiled us,” Pauline Fredericks added.
Deep red blanketed Winnie’s cheeks, and Bear’s chest swelled with pride. His girl had hit it out of the park, and he was proud of her. Then it dawned on him that he’d thought of her as his girl. Well, she was, for the moment. Plus, it seemed she needed someone to have her back. He could do that.
Just as she turned from setting the bowl of mashed potatoes down, he caught her around the waist and set his lips against her ear. “I’m proud of you. Not for this food, but for your heart. With this meal, you’ve put that on display, and it’s beautiful. There’s no doubt in my mind that your restaurant will be successful.”
When she responded with a sniffle, he leaned back and found her furiously wiping away tears. He pressed a kiss to her temple. “Thank you for being here.”
Winnie kept her head down as they took their seats, but he could see her smiling. Being the source of it made him feel useful to someone. Sure, running the ranch and providing jobs and a home that his family could gather in was great. But that wasn’t nearly as satisfying as being someone’s reason for happiness.
“Well,” his dad said and stood. As in past years, he’d taken one end of the table while Amos Fredricks took the other. “Here we are once again. Another year deserving of our thankfulness that our families can come together.” He tipped his head in Amos’s direction.
Amos stood. “Our family grew again this year with the addition of Camry and Molly and Ellie, and it will soon grow with one more.” He smiled at Molly who rubbed her growing belly as Josiah beamed. Love and family. The same thing Bear was desperately searching for.
Continuing, Amos turned to Pauline. “King and I have found ourselves blessed beyond measure.”
Pauline took his hand, nodding. “More than blessed.”
Bear’s dad started again. “Yes, and now we have Winnie Fordham added to the fold.”
She lifted her head and smiled.
“We would like to offer our gratitude to you for this meal. Thank you, Winnie. We’re glad to call you one of ours.” He grinned and took his seat.
“I couldn’t have said it better,” Amos added and then sat.
While they ate, the conversation was mostly directed at Winnie. Bandit’s cooking was great, no one was implying otherwise. Bear’s family loved him, but they loved the meal she’d prepared. In private, Bear would choose hers.
Once the meal was finished, his family cleared the table, keeping Winnie from lifting a finger. She’d lifted enough for the day. It felt like it would take a week before Bear would be able to eat another bite, and with the sluggish way his family was getting around, they seemed to agree.
That didn’t mean they weren’t up for cards. His mom and Pauline had taken the kids upstairs to get them ready for bed so that those with the littles could play. They’d thrown the names in a hat and drawn Rook.
Josiah couldn’t lie to save his life when it came to people, but in cards, Bear’s brother was ruthless. And Rook was his thing.
“Oh, come on, Josiah, are you going to play or not?” Gabby asked as he took his time making a move. “At this rate, we’ll be leaving for Black Friday before this game is over.”
Bear leaned over to Winnie. “I told you.”
She giggled. “You did.”
Carrie Anne sat between Winnie and Israel. She shook her head. “I think he gets slower every year.”
“All of you, hush,” Josiah grumbled.
Molly rolled her lips in and looked away before laying her arm across his shoulders and kissing him on the cheek. “This is the only time he can tell a lie,” she said, looking at Winnie.
“That’s what Bear told me.”
“Can I help it that I’m a naturally honest person? This is cards. It’s different.”
Molly leaned her head on his shoulder. “Whatever, babe.”
“So, Winnie, are you coming shopping with us? No pressure, but we have a ton of fun,” Carrie Anne said.
Winnie looked at Bear. “Uh, actually, I think I will. The airline called me earlier, and they still haven’t found my luggage. In addition to my knives, some of my clothes were in there and a few other things I’d like to replace.”
Bear set his cards down. “They called? You didn’t tell me you had other stuff in there.” She’d lost her things because of him. She’d agreed to the arrangement, but it wasn’t supposed to cost her anything but time.
“It was while I was getting cleaned up after chores. I just forgot about it until now. I mean, if you’re going to lose stuff, this is the best time of the year. Everything’s on sale.” She smiled.
“Well, I’d like to help with that.”
“Don’t
worry about it. You already replaced some of the knives. Maybe they will still find my bag. And with me taking another flight, I probably should wait to buy a lot of it until I get back home.”
“Will you be doing Christmas with your family after the new year then?” Bear’s dad asked.
Winnie nodded. “My stepfather travels a lot, so the timing just worked for me to get to spend it with Bear this year.”
“Well, we’re glad you were able to make it.”
Bear was thinking the same thing. He’d enjoyed their water fight, working with her in the kitchen, and everything in between. Her laughter had filled the kitchen, and it was the first time his home had really felt like a home. Of course, he felt that way when his family visited, but with them gone, it was just walls and paint. Winnie made it more than that.
It had been so long since he’d given companionship a thought, and he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed it. Just being her friend, having her near, brightened the place. But he shouldn’t let himself think that way. Not when she was leaving in a few weeks. She’d go on her merry way, and he’d still be working the ranch. Alone.
Yeah, Angela had taken a lot of his time. The new year wasn’t going to be the same song. He had a life, and he needed to live it. Now that he’d had a reminder of what life could be like with someone special in it, he wasn’t going back to the way things were. And while there was a huge part of him that wished it was Winnie, he couldn’t dwell on that. It would only cast a shadow on something new. He’d spent enough time under a raincloud. It was time to let the sun shine again.
Chapter 14
It had been a while since Winnie had been Black Friday shopping. She hadn’t remembered the traffic, the crowds…the pushing and shoving. Four-dollar mittens for a dollar as a doorbuster wasn’t exactly that huge of a deal. Certainly not worth getting elbowed in the ribs. Who needed twenty pairs of mittens?
“Okay, was it just me, or were people taking the doorbusters entirely too seriously this year?” asked Reagan.
Winnie shook her head. “No. That was nuts.”
They’d stopped at a breakfast place before heading back to Caprock Canyon. Mrs. West, or Caroline—she’d quickly shot down being called Mrs.—had needed a little coffee for the drive.
Gabby raked her hand through her hair and then tied it in a ponytail again. “Good grief and gravy. Some of those people needed a refresher on manners.”
Carrie Anne took a sip of her coffee. “Right? That guy who took the pillow out of my cart. Who does that? It was a three-dollar pillow.”
“Yeah, I’d stuck it in Carrie Anne’s cart. I was getting it for Captain,” Reagan said, leaning forward. “I found the cutest pattern online for a doggie stuffed animal. He’s so big, and he just chews through everything lately. He’s a big ole baby.”
Bear had told Winnie about Captain. She’d hoped Reagan and Hunter would bring him, but they’d left him at home in Georgia. He was going through the terrible twos, or that’s what Reagan was calling it. They’d done puppy training classes and even gone through advanced classes. He was a well-mannered dog, but he was a chewing machine, apparently. He’d taken a corner of their door like he was a beaver, and Reagan didn’t trust him to go anywhere.
“At least we got the pillow back,” Carrie Anne said. “He looked positively shocked that I demanded to have my pillow, acting like he had no idea what I was talking about. He must have been from out of state because he wouldn’t have tried that had he been Texan. Our men are smart enough not to pull stunts like that.”
Caroline set her elbows on the table and yawned. “Oh, Carrie Anne.”
“It’s true.”
Laughing, Caroline waved her off and looked at Winnie. “So, Bear said you were thinking about opening your own restaurant.”
Nodding, Winnie smiled. “I am. I’ve secured a location, and I’m currently talking with a contractor about the kitchen remodel to fit the new appliances I’ve purchased. The seating wasn’t exactly the atmosphere I was going for, and I’ve been talking looking for replacements.”
“Sounds like a ton of work,” Stephanie added.
Pauline nodded. “It sounds like you’ve been working on this a while.”
Winnie took a sip of her water. “I have. I had a little setback, but things seem to have worked out now.”
“A setback?” asked Carrie Anne. “What happened?”
“My best friend emptied our bank account and ran off with her boyfriend. All the startup money was gone.” Winnie paused to give herself a second to think of a way she would have replaced the money without telling them the truth. “I got it back, though, so it was only a small delay.”
“That’s awful,” Gabby said. “Has she apologized or anything?”
Not hardly. Winnie had tried contacting her right after it happened, and Tammy wouldn’t answer. “No, she left a note and took off.”
Caroline patted Winnie’s hand. “I’m so sorry. That had to be devastating. Not just because you had to postpone things but that your friend would take the money and leave you. What a horrible thing to do.”
“I was angry at first, believe me, but she didn’t have the best homelife. She was a little manipulative and somewhat overbearing, and I put up with a lot because I was too forgiving.”
Pauline shook her head. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
Molly nibbled on a piece of bacon and then set it down. “Do you have a specialty dessert?”
Carrie Anne snorted and covered her mouth with one hand. “This girl loves her sweets.”
“Pie. I love pie. That’s not sweets as in plural. And I can’t help it.” She rubbed her belly. “The baby asks for it nightly.” The last sentence was said with a slight Scottish accent, and she laughed while everyone just looked at her. “Seriously? You guys have still not watched So I Married an Axe Murder?”
Stephanie touched Winnie's hand. “She does this stuff all the time.”
Molly barked a laugh. “I’d deny it, but it’d be a lie.”
“I’m so glad you came with us today. Did you have fun?” Caroline asked.
“Yes, ma’am, I really did.” Bear…oh, that amazingly wonderful man, had given her a credit card with her name on it. Something he would have done long before she arrived at the ranch. Black Friday was a tradition with the women in his family, and he’d figured she’d be invited. He didn’t want her to feel left out.
She’d tried to make him take it back, but he wouldn’t. He’d kissed her forehead, hugged her, and told her she deserved to have a good time shopping after fixing such a fantastic meal.
It wasn’t near worth what he’d whispered in her ear just as they sat down to eat. Bear had brought her to tears. Called her heart beautiful. He was proud of her. Believed in her. He’d leaned back, and she knew he was being truthful. He really had faith in her that she’d be successful.
“Are you okay?” asked Pauline.
Wiping her eyes, Winnie nodded. “I’m fine. Just glad I could come spend the holidays with Bear.”
“Oh, sweetie, I’m sure he feels the same way. He’s been alone too long.” Caroline tapped the rim of her coffee mug as a waiter passed by. A second later, her cup was filled, and steam was billowing from it. “He was really hurt the last time he dated. I was thrilled when he started telling me he was seeing someone and had invited you to spend the holidays with us.”
Winnie wanted so badly to ask about Angela, but she wanted that information to come from Bear. Getting the information from anyone else would be a breach of trust in her mind. Plus, she and Bear weren’t really together, and growing closer to him would only make it harder to leave.
Those secrets needed to be shared with someone who planned to build a life with him. That wasn’t her. She liked him. Truly enjoyed the kiss they’d shared, but he’d only kissed her because of Stephanie. He didn’t want more than what they’d agreed to, and Winnie knew that was for the better anyway.
Chapter 15
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The day of shopping had worn the women out. With that in mind, Bear had asked Winnie to sleep in instead of helping with the horses the next morning. She’d tried to tell him she was okay, but with the dark circles under her eyes, her argument was short-lived. The women had fixed some sandwiches and spent the remainder of the evening resting. Then they’d gone to bed earlier than usual.
After finishing with the horses, Bear saddled Spur, his gelding, and went looking for his three ranch hands: Caleb, Jayce, and Mark. There were a few pregnant heifers close to calving, and they’d be checking them daily until the calves arrived.
He found the lead ranch hand, Caleb Watson, returning to his bunkhouse. “Hey, Bear,” he said, slowing his horse as he reached his boss.
So far, Bear was impressed with the man. He’d taken charge of the other hands like he’d been there since the beginning. The man had a work ethic akin to Bear’s. Whatever needed to be done, they did it. That was a rare find these days.
“Hey, any calves yet?”
“Yeah, three so far. One isn’t doing so great. Jayce is taking that one to his bunkhouse. He wants to try and save it.” Caleb rubbed his horse’s neck. “I told him it was fine with me.”
Bear was glad he’d decided to give each ranch hand’s cabin their own small barn. It made it easier for them to take care of their horses, as well as other ranch animals as Jayce was doing with the calf.
Jayce Knight was the last ranch hand to arrive. He was the guy Wyatt had recommended. Until recently, Jayce had toured with the rodeo as its newest star. Then he’d allowed fame to go to his head. Roughly two months ago, he’d found himself in a bar fight and then in the county jail. His sponsors had fled like he had the plague, leaving him broke and no place to go.
“How’s Jayce’s attitude?” asked Bear.
Caleb chuckled. “Terrible, though slowly improving, but he also knows we’re the only ones willing to give him a place to stay at the moment.”
The Fake Girlfriend's Billionaire Match (Caprock Canyon Romance Book 4) Page 6
