The Chef Chases his Cowboy Dream (Silverstone Ranch Book 3)

by April Murdock

  The front door stood wide open as her nephew stood before it. Titan folded his arms across his chest as he stared at the three visitors. “Where are you going with Aunt Lily tonight?”

  Christian laughed. “I’m taking her to dinner. Is that okay with you?”

  “Whatcha gonna eat?”

  Lily smiled as her eyes drifted to Wesley. His white dress shirt was open at the neck, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows as was his preference. He smiled at Titan as well with Mia hanging on his arm. Then he glanced at her and her world stopped spinning. Those blue eyes she’d missed seeing for the past few years. The crooked grin on his face. She’d be lucky if she survived the night watching him get closer to Mia.

  She dragged her gaze away from him and met Christian’s. He straightened his shoulders and let out a whistle. Stepping around Titan, he came closer and took her hand. Christian spun her in a circle with an appreciative smile. “Why, Miss Lily, you’ve grown up.” He looked over at Wesley. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  A blush crept across her face. Christian didn’t let go of her hand right away. Instead, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. He smiled at her, clasping her hand within both of his. In a whisper only she could hear, he said, “If you don’t want to go on this date, just say so. I completely understand.”

  Her eyes widened and shot to Wesley and Mia, who seemed to watch with rapt interest. Quickly, she shook her head. “It’s perfectly fine. Thanks for your willingness to do this.”

  “My pleasure.” He straightened.

  Boy, he was tall. At least a full head taller than Wesley and so attractive. It was a wonder he hadn’t found someone to settle down with. Christian moved her hand to his left hand and led her forward. “Ready everyone?” The two of them slipped past Mia and Wesley and out into the evening. Christian’s hand tightened on hers. It was almost comforting. What did he think of this whole situation? Could he tell she didn’t have the slightest interest in him? Did it bother him? It’d bother her, but then she preferred not wasting her time or anyone else’s.

  Just one date.

  Chapter Six

  Wesley’s discomfort only grew as he watched Christian touch and get closer to Lily. The way he leaned in close to whisper things to her almost drove him mad. This was supposed to be a fun double date and yet Christian acted like he’d been dating Lily for ages. Is that what she liked? Had Lily turned him down because he wasn’t taking charge? Maybe he should have kissed her.

  He’d let Christian drive, which had been a grave mistake. Now, he had a front row seat to everything his brother did to draw in his prey. The low hum of talking was indiscernible, but not the quiet laughs Lily graced him with. He’d known his brother was a flirt, but watching it play out was another thing entirely.

  Mia rested her head on Wesley’s shoulder. “Aren’t they adorable?” She snuggled close to him.

  Guilt ripped through him like a sharpened chef’s knife, tearing apart his insides. He’d been so focused on Lily and Christian that he wasn’t giving Mia the attention she deserved. He forced a smile and nodded. “Adorable.”

  “You think he’ll invite her to your party tomorrow night?”

  “I don’t see why he’d need to. She’s already invited.”

  Mia lifted her head and gave him a funny kind of smile. “But if they get along tonight, then don’t you think they’d come to the party together?”

  He shrugged. Honestly, he didn’t want to think too hard about it. Wesley wasn’t ready to deal with his brother dating his best friend.

  She nudged him. “Come on, don’t you want her to be happy?”

  “Of course I do. I just don’t think Christian is the one to do that.”

  She let out a little laugh. “So, not Todd, and not Christian. May I remind you that Christian was your idea?”

  He let out an exasperated breath. “She’s known him for years. If something was going to happen, it would have already.” Couldn’t the same be said for him? He laced his fingers through Mia’s. “It doesn’t matter. We could play matchmaker until we’re blue in the face. But if Lily isn’t interested, then it won’t happen. I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

  They pulled up to the restaurant. Christian hopped out and ran around the front of the truck before Lily had a chance to open her door. Wesley rolled his eyes as Mia crooned. It was all a show. Christian didn’t like Lily. He had to be doing all this just to be irritating.

  Wesley pushed the door open and climbed out, his eyes following Christian and Lily. She placed her hand in the crook of his arm as they walked up to the entrance of the Italian restaurant. Mia climbed out and shut the door.

  “I think they’re hitting it off. Maybe we should go to the burger place down the road and let them get to know each other.”

  Wesley grabbed her hand. “Nah. I have a craving for Italian.” He pulled her forward. The last thing he wanted was for his brother to get chummy with Lily. They went inside and were immediately led to a table. Two chairs sat across from a bench.

  Christian pulled out a chair for Lily and she took a seat. If he thought he was going to sit beside her, he was sorely mistaken. Before Christian could take a seat next to Lily, Wesley pulled the other chair out for Mia.

  Mia gave him a strange look and Christian smirked. His brother shrugged and moved around the table to slide onto the bench across from Lily. Wesley sat beside him.

  Christian leaned toward him and muttered, “That’s not what I’d call discreet.”

  “Mind your own business, Chris.”

  The girls paid no attention to the guys’ low conversation as they scanned the menu in front of them. A waitress brought four glasses of ice and a pitcher. She smiled at them. “I’ll be back to take your order.”

  Christian picked up his menu. “This is my business,” he murmured. “You’re not on a date with her.”

  Wesley bristled. It wasn’t for lack of trying. Lily just didn’t want him.

  His brother leaned close again. “Do yourself a favor, Wes. Back off and let the girl enjoy her evening.”

  Wesley stiffened. He snuck a look in Lily’s direction. She seemed to be enjoying herself. “What makes you think she isn’t having fun?”

  “Dude. The tension is practically rolling off you. We can all feel it. You need to loosen up.”

  “Wesley? Are you listening?”

  He looked up at Mia, who gave him a patient smile. “Hmm?”

  “We’re thinking of the Fritto Misto to share. What do you think?”

  “Sure. Whatever you want.”

  Lily didn’t look at him. Was she avoiding him? Great. Christian was probably right. He wasn’t enjoying himself and it was his own fault. Time to move on. Wesley picked up his menu and found a new dish made with penne noodles. Mia chatted with Lily about how her design internship was going.

  Lily took a sip of her water. “You’re going back to the city next week, right?”

  Mia nodded. “I’ll be back on the weekends, though.” She met Wesley’s eyes. “Now that I have a reason to make the trip. Did you figure out how long you’d be in town, Wesley?”

  A lump formed in his throat as three pairs of eyes turned to him. He didn’t know. He hadn’t gotten that far. He turned the glass of water between his hands. “Not sure. A few weeks at least.”

  Christian nudged Wesley with his elbow. “Enough time to get reacquainted with you, I’d wager. Maybe he’ll be spending some time in the city too.”

  Wesley kicked Christian under the table, getting a satisfying groan from his brother.

  Mia’s eyes lit up. She beamed at him. “I’d love that!”

  Christian leaned forward. “Are you working, Lily?”

  Wesley kicked him again. Christian shot him a warning look before returning his attention to Lily.

  Lily chuckled. “That’s a complicated question. I do a lot at home for my dad. You know, laundry, cooking, cleaning… that kind of stuff.”

  Christian leaned back and folded his arms. “S
o, you’re like a housekeeper.”

  Wesley attempted another kick but Christian dodged him.

  Lily blushed and stared at her hands in her lap. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

  “That’s a tough job—a lot of work.” Christian picked up his glass and took a drink. “I haven’t been able to find a good housekeeper for years. Your dad is really lucky to have someone like you.”

  Lily met Christian’s eyes and smiled. It was the first genuine one Wesley had seen all night. Her work was a touchy subject, and Christian had validated her. Maybe they were a match.

  The realization created a new turmoil inside him. She deserved to be happy with someone who valued her. Lily had been the most important person in his life. Things were so different now. Just because she’d refused him didn’t change that he wanted that happiness for her. But why did it have to be Christian?

  The waitress returned and took their order, and the evening continued without issue. Christian and Lily got to know each other better and he became reacquainted with Mia. He could almost forget that he’d admitted his interest in Lily.

  The waitress brought their food. Wesley stabbed his fork into the penne and paused, feeling eyes on him. Why was everyone watching him? He lifted the pasta to his mouth and took a bite. “What?” he asked after swallowing.

  Lily snickered and dug into her food.

  Mia nodded to his plate. “How was it?”

  “Good.”

  Christian grinned. “Anything familiar?”

  Wesley took another bite and focused on the taste. “I suppose so. It said it was a new dish. Should I recognize it?”

  “It’s the same dish you entered into a competition at the fair before you became a hotshot.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I think you’re mistaken.”

  Mia pointed her fork at him. “The chef here found the recipe in an old magazine. Don’t worry, everyone in town knows it’s yours. It’s one of his most popular dishes.”

  “I never submitted a recipe to a magazine.”

  Lily coughed, her hand flying to her mouth.

  Mia stared at him. “I’m sure you did. It had your name on it.”

  Wesley shook his head. “I think I would have remembered.”

  Lily continued to cough. He glanced at her. “Are you okay, Lily?”

  She nodded, her face red.

  “Are you certain?” He put his napkin down and stood up.

  Lily waved her hand through the air, shaking her head this time. She grabbed a glass and took a deep swallow.

  Slowly, Wesley sat down. “I didn’t submit any recipes anywhere, Mia. Sure, it’s familiar, but I don’t think it’s mine.”

  Lily finally caught her breath. She didn’t look at him, nor could she hide the smile on her face. “It’s definitely yours.”

  “How would you know that?”

  “Because I submitted it for you.”

  Chapter Seven

  This whole evening was ridiculous. Between Christian’s charm, Wesley’s irritation, and Mia’s blind euphoria, it surprised her it was going so well.

  To be fair, it was hard not to fall for Christian and his charisma. He knew all the right things to say and do. If it wasn’t for Wesley, she might actually be enjoying herself. But he’d made sure that wasn’t going to happen. With every scowl or kick he gave his brother, she was reminded of their conversation earlier that week.

  She made the mistake of making eye contact with Wesley. He stared at her with confusion, not releasing her gaze.

  “You submitted a recipe for me?”

  Lily cleared her throat and took another sip of her beverage. “It was a few months before you moved up north. I didn’t know if they’d publish it and I thought it would be a neat surprise.”

  “Where did you get it?”

  Was he upset? Technically the recipe belonged to him. She didn’t have a right to send it to the editor. She didn’t have a right to do anything with it except maybe try to make it in the kitchen at the ranch. “I found it in my car. It was scribbled on a piece of paper.”

  Wesley took another bite of his pasta. Then he looked around the table. “Needs work. Some adjustments would make the flavors blend.”

  Lily choked on the water she was drinking. Mia and Christian laughed. There was the Wesley she grew up with. The funny, easygoing guy she’d been in love with for so long. Nope. She had to squash those thoughts before they took root.

  The guys picked up the bill and they made their way out of the restaurant to Christian’s truck. Christian placed his hand on the small of her back. The warmth of his touch was oddly comforting. It was something so simple and unassuming—not like how hard he’d been trying to impress her all night. Maybe spending more time with him wouldn’t be the worst idea. It was like Marguerite had said—he was nice to look at. Not to mention, she needed something to take her mind off the fact Wesley would never be hers.

  Before he opened her door, Christian turned to the group. “What do you guys think about going mini golfing?”

  Wesley shook his head. “Lily doesn’t like—”

  “Sounds fun.” Lily stepped in front of Wesley and looked up at Christian.

  He lifted a brow and gave her a half-smile. “Then, let’s go. Winner buys ice cream.”

  Wesley snorted “Don’t you mean loser buys ice cream?”

  Christian laughed and slapped him on the back. “None of you have a shot at winning against me. I’m buying.” He opened the door and Lily got in. Mia climbed in behind her and Wesley shut her door.

  Mia tapped her on the shoulder. “Girl! Christian is so sweet! Are you going to see him again?”

  Lily shrugged as she looked over her shoulder. “I don’t know. Initially, I didn’t think so. But he’s growing on me.” A crooked smile spread across her face.

  “This is so perfect. Wesley is back, you’re finding a guy… I wish we would have done this a long time ago.”

  If she’d started dating Christian years ago, how would things be different? Would Wesley have admitted he wanted to take her out? Not likely. Wait a minute. If she was taken, Wesley would have to move on. All she had to do was remain interested in someone else and it would fix all her problems. Who knew? If she spent enough time with Christian, she might develop some real feelings for him.

  Once they arrived at the mini golf course, Wesley pulled Lily aside as Mia and Christian went to get their clubs. The skin on her wrist tingled, his warm touch waking up her senses like it had when he was at her place. Lily pulled her hand away and placed it behind her back. She met Wesley’s gaze and tipped her head to the side. “You need something?”

  He leaned close and lowered his voice. “You don’t have to be here, you know that, right?”

  She let out a laugh. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You hate mini golf.”

  “So?” She couldn’t believe he remembered. “It’s a date. It’s not a life sentence. Besides, it’s who you’re with, not what you’re doing.” Something in her stomach twisted. It had been nice to spend time with Wesley when he’d stopped by. It had even been fun at dinner after the tension broke. But just as quickly as that tension left, it returned. The problem was how drawn she was to him still. They’d been friends forever but she felt so much more than friendship for him.

  His steady blue eyes studied her, like he was trying to figure out some kind of secret.

  She shifted, then ran a hand through her unruly hair. “Is there anything else?”

  Wesley focused on something behind her. “Oh, um…”

  “What?”

  “I’m sorry I agreed to set you up with Christian.”

  “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I’m having fun.”

  “You are?”

  “Sure. It’s better than being set up with a stranger.” She patted his forearm. “Don’t worry about me, Wes. If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be. I’ve enjoyed catching up with everyone.”

  Mia and Christian returne
d. Christian held out a pink club to Lily. “From what I understand, you don’t do golfing.”

  Lily groaned and shot Mia a menacing stare. “I didn’t like it in high school.”

  Mia snorted.

  Christian glanced between them with a smile. “Why not?”

  They headed toward the first hole.

  “Because every guy thought it was the best date on the planet. You can go golfing only so many times before you can’t take it anymore.”

  Mia let out another indignant sound. “If you don’t tell them the truth, I’m going to.”

  Lily stared her down. “Don’t you dare.”

  Wesley stepped closer. “I don’t think I’ve heard this one.”

  Mia gasped. “You’re kidding.” She looked at Lily. “I thought Wesley was in on it. You two were always in on stuff like this.”

  Lily widened her eyes and pressed her lips together, giving her head a little shake.

  Both men looked between Mia and Lily. She wasn’t going to win this battle. There was no point in pretending it didn’t happen. She was lucky she didn’t get caught.

  Mia lifted a shoulder. “Okay. Like Lily said, she despised mini golf when she was in high school. How many guys brought you here when you were a sophomore?”

  Heat rose to Lily’s face as the men listened with keen interest. She dragged a hand down her face. “At least twelve.” She blew out a breath and faced them. “I filled all the holes with cement, okay?”

  The guys collectively gasped.

  “That was you?” Christian looked her up and down. “Wow, I didn’t think you had it in you, Greene.”

  Wesley rubbed his jaw. “I was going to take Stephanie golfing that weekend. We had to come up with something else to do.”

  Christian slapped him on the back. “I guess Lily saved you from doing the boring thing that week, huh?”

  Wesley’s eyes didn’t leave her face. Had the realization that she’d tampered with his date hit him yet? Before she set him up with Mia, he’d been interested in a witch. Okay, she wasn’t really a witch, but she was one of the meanest girls in school. He deserved better. At the time, she’d hoped he’d finally see what he was missing—and ask her out. Instead, he dated Stephanie for about a month before the wretched girl moved on to someone else. She liked to think he’d have made the decision himself, but she beat him to it.