“This is she.”
“This is Victor Poole.”
She recognized the name. “Mr. Poole, how nice to finally speak with you.” All her interviews with the supplemental staff not involved directly in the therapy aspects of the ranch had been done over email. “I’m looking forward to finally meeting you face to face next week.”
“Ah, yes. Well…” The chef’s voice faltered a moment before he cleared his throat and continued. “I’m afraid I have received a better offer for much higher pay, and I’m inclined to take it.”
Nothing major, just a few little hiccups, right?
Her inner self could be such a bitch.
“What is the compensation for the competing offer?” He named a salary that made her eyes cross. No way could she afford that, not even if she ran a for profit ranch. Gripping the phone tightly, she tried for a calm, professional tone. “I’m afraid I can’t match that. But think of all the good you’d be doing here. All the people you’d be helping. I know you’re not part of the treatment program, but it’s said that good food is healing for the soul.” She’d pull out all the lame platitudes in the world if it would get this man to change his mind.
“I’m sorry. I admire what you are doing there, but I simply cannot turn down an offer this lucrative.”
The crappy thing was, the guy did sound remorseful, so she couldn’t even hate him. Well…maybe a little. Trying to hang on to her mad, but failing utterly, she sighed. “No, I suppose you can’t. Thank you for calling to tell me personally.” She had to hand it to the guy for that one. He could have sent an email. Taken the coward’s way out. “Good luck with your new job.”
“And good luck with your ranch. I really do think you’re doing a marvelous thing.”
She swiped her finger over the screen, ending the call. “Not enough to stick to your commitment, ya jerk.”
Shame prickled at the back of her neck. Victor wasn’t really a jerk; a jerk would have emailed or just never shown up. This guy had to do what was best for him and that meant taking a higher paying job in a place that probably didn’t smell like horse poop 24/7. Still, it didn’t mean she had to be happy with the situation. Add another problem to the pile.
No chef. No one to prepare meals for her staff or the patients. What was she going to do? She couldn’t cook. Literally. Her first job might have been working in a cupcake shop, but most of the time, she worked the counter. Maggie did all the baking.
Thinking of her former employer made an idea pop into her head. Bingo!
Maggie could help her. The woman couldn’t come be her chef, she had a shop to run and twins to chase after, but she’d bet her old boss had tons of connections for finding a new one. Yes, Maggie would be the perfect solution to her problem.
Shuffling through her contacts, she found the number for Cupcakes Above the Clouds and hit Call. She knew the woman would be there because it was the middle of the day. Prime cupcake time.
After two rings, the familiar voice came across the line. “Cupcakes Above the Clouds, how can I help you?”
“You can solve my crisis.”
“Jamie?”
She laughed at the worried tone. “Yes, it’s me, and I need help.”
“What is it, sweetie? You know I’ll do whatever I can.”
Emotions clogged her throat. Dang, she’d really missed home. The people here…they were unlike anywhere else. Everyone was family; everyone helped out. You didn’t get that in the big city.
“I need a chef.”
“What?”
“A chef, cook, culinarian, hash slinger.” She went on to explain her problem while Maggie listened patiently, not saying a word until she finished.
“While I can understand the man’s need to see to his own future, that’s a pretty crappy thing to do.”
You’re telling me. “So, can you help? Do you know of anyone looking for a job who can make a halfway decent meal for large groups?” She worried her bottom lip, anxiously awaiting her former boss’ reply.
“Let me ask around. I’m sure I can find someone with the skills you need.”
With a grateful sigh, she sank into her chair. She knew the baker was the woman to call. “You just saved my bacon, Maggie. I owe you.”
A soft chuckle filled her ear. “Oh no, don’t think I’ve forgotten all the hard work you did for me. All the help you gave me when I first took over the shop. I’m just repaying long overdue debts.” With a promise to get back to her tomorrow, Maggie said goodbye.
A weight lifted off Jamie’s shoulders. Life could try its best to knock her down, but she would keep getting right back up. Nothing would stop her dream from happening, nothing and no one could distract her.
A face entered her mind. A very distracting face with dark brown eyes and twin dimples that set her heart on fire once upon a time.
She shook her head, dislodging the image. No, she wouldn’t think of jerk-who-didn’t-deserve-to-be-named. The only reason he came to mind was because she saw him in town yesterday. He was only here for a short while. They probably wouldn’t even see each other again.
Yeah right. Do you remember how small Peak Town is? You’ll probably run into him tomorrow.
She needed to turn off her mind.
Sucking in a deep, calming breath, she reached for her to-do list. The best way to get a mind off troubles was by accomplishing something. Mindless chores would help recenter her. Rolling up her sleeves, she glanced over her list. She had a lot to get done and not a lot of time to do it. Things were in place to solve the current issues, so she’d be best spending her time cleaning and not daydreaming about sexy men who she had absolutely no reason to think on anymore. She had a ranch to clean and a dream to build.
Time to cowgirl up.
Chapter 6
A breeze snaked through the trees, cutting through his lightweight jacket with unexpected iciness. What the hell? It’s June for shit sake!
He’d known the mountains were going to be cooler than the city, but he didn’t think it’d be this cold. He’d been fine all day, but now, with the heat of the sun gone and the cold dark of night settling in, he was beginning to rethink his plan.
Gazing through the forest to the ranch beyond, he watched through a pair of cheap, clunky binoculars he borrowed from his father. He’d told the old bastard he was going bird hunting.
As-fucking-if!
He’d never spied on birds in his life. At least, not the winged variety. A figure moved in the ranch house. The curtains were drawn, but the lights inside blazed bright, allowing him to see someone shuffling about inside. From the slim build and small height, he knew exactly who it was.
Jamie.
He’d recognize her anywhere, even if he couldn’t see her face. Of course, he also knew it had to be her because he’d been watching the place all day and no one else had come over. Why would they? This place was way up in the mountains surrounded by nothing and more nothing. No fast food, no mall, hell, they didn’t even have a twenty-four hour grocery store.
He could not fathom why anyone in their right mind would want to live in this small hick town.
“You made a mistake leaving, Jamie.” The soft words left his lips, dying in the howl of the bitter wind.
Seriously, what the hell is with the weather here?
He’d always hated the cold, even as a kid he’d secretly turn up the thermostat during the winter months. Every time his dad found out, he’d get a smack upside the head.
Jackass.
Whatever. He had his own place now and could crank the heat up as high as he wanted. Too bad he wasn’t there now.
He zipped up his ineffectual jacket, cursing the woman he followed hundreds of miles for making him miserable. She didn’t know he was miserable; she didn’t know he was here. And that’s how it would stay for the moment or his plan might not work. When she left, a piece of him left with her.
The woman freaking ripped his heart out, but did she care? No.
Why had she left? They were a good team
. Okay, so they weren’t really a team, not anymore, but they could have been again. If she would have just given it another chance, given them a chance.
He knew how great they could be together. All he had to do was show her, and she’d realize what a huge mistake she made leaving him.
The kitchen curtain parted. A slim hand he knew to be soft as silk tucked the white lace back, revealing the beautiful face of the woman his body longed for.
“There you are, my sweet girl.” He tightened his grip on the binoculars, fingers cramping in protest against the cold. A dark haze of anger boiled in his gut as he stared. “You shouldn’t have left me like that.”
Jamie stood there, sipping something from a dark blue mug. A serene smile lit her face, but her happy expression only served to raise his temper. How dare she stand there as if she didn’t have a care in the world when she left his own in shatters. Who the hell did she think she was? She was his. She belonged with him, not on some godforsaken ranch in the middle of the freaking cold Rocky Mountains!
A sharp crack rent the silent night air. Jumping at the sudden sound, he glanced around only to discover the noise had been caused by him. He looked down to see the plastic casing on his binoculars had broken under the pressure of his grip.
Shit! Keep it together, man.
Fury boiled like a volcano waiting to erupt, but violence was not the answer. Not yet. Women like Jamie didn’t respond to threats; they needed to be wooed, romanced. A plan he’d been executing until she left him, dammit!
No problem. He had a new plan now, one to make her see the error of her ways. Once she realized the futility of this stupid therapy ranch, how cut off from everyone and everything she’d be out here, she’d come running back to him. He’d already set the first part of his plan in motion—helping her chef find a better offer. He’d had to call in a few favors, but it was worth it. Bringing Jamie back home where she belonged was worth everything. In a place as small as Peak Town, there’d be no chance she could replace a chef of such caliber. It might not be a big blow, but without a cook how would she feed her staff? Her patients? Besides, he wanted this to feel organic. If she lost it all in one fell swoop she might try again.
No.
He had to make her dream seem impossible—little problems, tiny fractures in the structure until it all came crumbling down. That’s how you broke someone’s spirit. Sad really, he never wanted to break Jamie, but she left him with no choice. If she’d just stayed put, stayed with him, none of this would be necessary. Things had been going fine; life was great. Why did she have to go get dreams of grandeur? Her life was with him, not on some fool-hardy ranch.
“You go ahead and dream, little dove.” He dropped the binoculars, letting them hang from his neck by the strap. “Just remember who will be there to catch you when you fall. And fall you will.”
He’d make damn sure of that.
She turned, pulling the curtain back into place, obscuring his view. No matter, he was done here for tonight anyway. Every part of his body stiffened with cold. A hot shower and large drink would go a long way to making him feel normal again.
Unfortunately, nothing would be completely normal until Jamie came back home where she belonged. As much as he wanted to rush his plan, he had to be patient. Make it so it appeared to be her idea. She had to come back to him on her own…but he didn’t mind helping her along a little.
Turning from the house, he made his way through the woods back to the road where he parked his car. Step one complete. Before long, Jamie would see the error of her ways and then…then she’d be his. Forever.
Chapter 7
What the hell am I doing back here?
Tony shifted the gears in his uncle’s old-as-dirt pick up, putting the truck in park. His gaze swept over the area, the large ranch house in front of him, the barn to his left, and far in the distance the large, old, oak tree. Emotions slammed into him at the sight. Happiness, lust, regret all vied for his attention the longer he stared at those thick, gnarled branches covered in green leaves the size of his palm.
He still couldn’t believe he was here, back where it all started. This ache inside only seemed to grow with each passing year. At the time, he’d thought he’d done the right thing by ending the relationship with Jamie. She’d had so much on her plate. He hadn’t wanted to be a reason for her failing, for a future regret.
But now, he began to wonder. Jamie had become successful, evident by the land he currently stood on. A licensed doctor opening a camp for people in need, what could be more successful than that? But she was different from the girl he remembered. The Jamie he knew had been all smiles. A bright, bubbly ray of sunshine always willing to lend a hand to everyone. The girl had carried the damn sun around on her shoulder, he would have sworn by it.
When he ran into her in town the other day there’d been something about her, something…broken. It killed him to think he might have been the cause.
“Get over yourself, man,” he berated himself.
Just because she wasn’t as cheerful as he remembered did not make it his fault. Hell, it’d been seven years. People changed, things happened. How arrogant of him to assume the shift in her personality could be attributed to him breaking up with her. A lot could have happened over the years to steal the smile from her face. It burned his ass to think of anything tarnishing her Pollyanna outlook on life…but life wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Everyone figured that out eventually.
God knows he learned that lesson far too young.
Besides, the meeting the other day had been brief and a shock to them both. Nothing said she acted aloof all the time. Maybe she simply reserved it for him.
And don’t I deserve it.
He grimaced, stepping out of the truck and slamming the door. Yeah, that was it. She probably just hated coming face to face with her ex again. Her distant attitude the other day might not be the new Jamie at all, but simply her reaction to him.
Making his way across the lawn, he noticed the brown, unkempt grass. Patches of dirt and weeds scattered about, revealing a long neglected upkeep. The house appeared to have been let go as well. There were loose shutters on the windows, torn screens, and the entire place could do with a fresh coat of paint. Had Jamie had this place inspected before she bought it? He’d bet his secret tamale recipe old Mrs. Dunn hadn’t done any repairs in a decade.
He hopped up the steps—fearing they might give way with the creaking sounds they made under his light footfalls—and knocked on the wooden framed screen door.
A voice called out from inside the house beyond the open door, “Be right there—oh son of a biscuit eater!”
His lips twitched, a smile tilting them as he recognized Jamie’s frustrated swear. The charming woman never had been one to curse. She claimed her parents forbade it, but he’d always suspected her to be too sweet to stoop to anything as vulgar as cursing.
“I’m coming.”
It only took a moment before her form came running up to the door, dark brown hair bouncing in a high ponytail with each step she took. The smile on her face faltered as recognition lit her gaze.
I knew this was a bad idea.
Light brown eyes narrowed as she pushed the screen door open, causing him to take a step back.
“Tony, what are you doing here?”
“Maggie sent me.”
Confusion, then enlightenment entered those beautiful, honey-colored eyes, right before they filled with fury. “Oh, no. No she did not. I will kill her.” Throwing up her hands, she stormed back into the house.
Not seeing any other option, Tony followed.
“She did not send my ex to be my replacement chef! How could she be this cruel?”
As confused as she about Maggie’s intentions, but insulted by her vehement denial, he piped up, “You know Maggie doesn’t have a cruel bone in her body. You needed a chef, and I happen to be available.”
“Yeah, but—”
“You’re desperate right?”
She whipped around, glaring daggers at him.
Holding up his hand in surrender, he added, “Maggie told me your chef quit at the last minute without warning. Only needing meals for your staff and patients, I assume you didn’t hire a sous chef or kitchen staff?”
Jaw clenched, she crossed her arms over her chest. “It…wasn’t in the budget.”
He understood that. New business ventures were always costly, and you had to cut expenses wherever you could.
“You called Maggie for immediate help, but this being Peak Town, she had a limited pool to choose from, hence”—he gestured to himself—“me.”
Jamie shifted on her feet, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. An old urge to run his thumb along that lip, place his mouth on hers, and kiss the poor, bruised appendage hit him square in the gut.
He shook his head, dispelling the craving. He no longer had the right to soothe her stressed nerves, no matter how badly his body craved he do so.
“I’ll just stay on until you can find a replacement chef.” After all, he had a life of his own in New York. He only planned to be here for the summer.
“What about your uncle? I thought you were here helping him?”
Looking for any excuse to get rid of me, huh?
“I only have to drive him to his doctor and physio appointments. Twice a week, two hours round trip each visit. I can work around that.”
Her shoulder’s sagged. “I guess it’s not like I have much choice.”
Oh great, she was settling for him. The woman really knew how to make a man feel all kinds of spectacular. He could remind her he was a nationally renowned chef with two very successful restaurants, but he understood her hesitance.
Still bruised his pride.
“Great.” He tried for a smile, but knew it fell flat by the grimace on her face. “Why don’t you show me where the kitchen is, and I can see what I’ll be working with?”
“Follow me.”
Her shoulders tightened, chin raised despite her defeated tone. She didn’t seem happy to have him here.
Join the club, lady.
He’d rather be anywhere than at the place he used to sneak off to for private time with the girl he cared deeply for, with the girl he cared deeply for all grown up and hating him. This job was going to suck. But he’d do it, because he owed Maggie. The woman had helped him become a citizen and find his calling in life. He owed the cupcake maker more than he could ever repay.
Love on the Free Side Page 5
