by Judy Duarte
She hoped Tex had come to the same conclusion about her, that they’d drawn close. Well, as close as the circumstances—a terminal illness and a crazy family feud—would allow.
Either way, it was time to lay her request on the table, especially since doing so would also provide her with an opening to ask the questions she’d been harboring since hearing Savannah’s name.
“I found a cabin on the ranch that had the windows boarded up,” she said. “And I wondered if it would be all right with you if I aired it out—and maybe even cleaned it up.”
Tex didn’t respond for the longest time. Then he let out a weary sigh. “I suppose it’s time to do that. After next weekend, we’ll be unlocking a lot of old memories—the good and the bad.”
“You mean bad memories about Savannah?” Tammy asked.
Tex grimaced.
Tammy couldn’t tell whether it was from the mention of the woman’s name or from physical pain.
When she feared he wasn’t going to say anything at all, he clicked his tongue. “Thirty-some-odd years is a long time to hold a grudge, don’t you think?”
She nodded. “Yes, I do.” And she couldn’t help wondering if those rumors she’d heard were true. “Did Savannah cause the family rift?”
“I’m not going to get into that now. I took sides once, but I won’t do it again. Your father and your uncle will have to hash things out when Sunday rolls around, although I hope they’ve done that already.”
“Sam isn’t here yet,” Tammy said. “And when my dad first arrived at The Flying B, I asked him about the falling-out they’d had. He mentioned that his brother had done something unforgivable, then he clammed up.”
“That’s how it’s been between them since the day things blew up. And how’s that working for them? I’ll tell you right now—” Tex coughed and sputtered. Then he took a moment to catch his breath before he continued. “It hasn’t worked out very well for me. I missed out on being a part of my grandchildren’s lives.”
And now he was trying to make things right, even though he was dying.
“So go ahead and take the damn lock off that door,” Tex said. “It’s time we all began a healing process.”
As the old man closed his eyes, his head settled back onto the pillow.
Tammy wouldn’t quiz him anymore. He clearly didn’t want to discuss it with her. Besides, Sunday was just around the corner. And when the day of reckoning finally dawned, the secrets would all pour out, and she’d finally have the answers she wanted.
Still, she stood there a moment longer. Then she reached down and placed her hand on top of his. “Get some rest. I’ll be back to see you later,” she told her grandfather. Then she stepped into the hall and headed for the mudroom.
She wanted to get that cabin ready for company—possibly tomorrow night—so she would need a few things.
After filling a bucket with cleaning supplies, Tammy gathered a broom, mop and clean rags. Then she headed to the dream cabin.
If Doc was coming for dinner, she wouldn’t have to risk sharing him with the rest of her family—even though they all seemed to be keeping to themselves and rarely ate together.
She’d also have to drive to town for the groceries she would need, as well as some candles and wine. She had big plans for tomorrow night.
And big plans for Doc. The man might not put much stock in the fact that Tammy could rope and ride like Annie Oakley. But would it help if he learned that she could also cook like Betty Crocker?
Well, she could. And she didn’t need a tutor, either. Her dad even boasted about her skill in the kitchen.
More than once, her father had told his friends, “My Tammy can throw an old boot in a pot of boiling water and, with a few herbs and spices, make it taste like homemade beef stew.”
While Tammy had been known to complain at times about having to be the chief cook and bottle washer at home, the truth was, she actually enjoyed trying new recipes and preparing meals. But she’d never admit it in a million years. Otherwise, she might have been forced off the ranch and into the kitchen for good.
On her way to the cabin, she stopped by the barn and picked up a pair of bolt cutters. There was no reason to risk falling out of the window again. She was going to need two good arms if she wanted to whip up a special meal and spend a quiet—and hopefully romantic—evening with Doc.
Ten minutes later, she’d removed the old padlock and entered the cabin. She opened the front window to let in some fresh air. Then she got to work in the kitchen. While she scrubbed the counters and the stove, she realized that the place wasn’t as neglected as she’d thought—no mold or rotting wood. For the most part, it was only musty and covered with dust. Savannah, the last one to stay here, had left things clean.
Someone had unplugged the fridge, leaving it open a crack. So after wiping it down, Tammy found the cord and plugged it into the socket. Now all she had to do was fill it with food and plan a special dinner for two.
She entered the bathroom, with its old faucets and pale blue tile. Since Savannah had clearly left the place clean and tidy, the only thing Tammy had to do, besides mopping the floor and scouring the sink, was to deal with the water marks in the toilet. A quick flush helped a little. She didn’t have a scrub brush with her, but she poured a good bit of bleach into the bowl, then let it sit.
By the time Tammy had finally cleaned and freshened up the cabin, the sun had slipped low in the western sky. But instead of returning to the ranch house, she went into the small bedroom.
She’d already stripped the mattress, planning to wash the linens, as well as the chenille spread, tonight. Then she would replace them tomorrow. She’d also dusted the bureau and wound up the old alarm clock that had stopped thirty-some years ago.
But there was something else she needed to do, something she wanted to take with her—the cookbooks.
So she opened the top drawer of the nightstand and pulled them out. Yet instead of leaving with them, she turned on the lamplight, took a seat on the edge of the mattress and opened the one she was most curious about, Romantic Dinners for Two.
As she scanned the pages, stopping to look at the colorful photos, she lay back on the pillow, settling into the softness. The last thing she’d planned to do was to doze off, but after exerting so much elbow grease over the past few hours, she couldn’t help closing her eyes for just a minute. But one minute turned into another, and before she knew it, she drifted off to sleep.
The small alarm clock tick-tocked on the bureau, but Tammy no longer heard it. Instead, she slipped into another world, where the sights and sounds were all outdoors.
She stood in the doorway of the cabin and studied the full moon that cast a gossamer glow over the ranch. An amorous cricket called to its mate, and in the distance, a horse whinnied.
Her feet bare, she padded across the plank flooring and made her way to the chipped wood railing. In the cool evening breeze, she caught a whiff of night blooming jasmine. She closed her eyes to savor the sounds and scents of the ranch at night.
“There you are,” a man said softly.
Tammy opened her eyes to see Doc approaching the porch, where she stood. He was wearing dark slacks, a light green shirt and a dazzling smile that turned her heart inside out.
“Everything looks great,” he said, pointing behind her. “Thanks for going to all this trouble for me.”
Tammy glanced over her shoulder at the small linen-draped table set for two and adorned with a red rose in a bud vase, a flickering candle and an open bottle of wine.
Oh, yes. Of course. She’d invited Doc to have dinner with her at the cabin.
“It was no trouble,” she said.
Doc climbed the steps and made his way to the table. When he pulled out a chair for her, she took a seat. Then he sat across from her.
She had
n’t noticed before, but from inside the cabin, music played soft and slow.
Somewhere in the night, a phone rang. She tried to ignore the annoying jingle, but it grew into a shrill.
She turned to Doc, who’d heard it, too.
She blinked several times, then opened her eyes, only to find herself staring at the bedroom ceiling—and her cell phone ringing.
Rather than wonder who was calling, she rued the annoyance that had wakened her and ended her dream.
Disappointment crept into her voice as she answered the call. “Hello?”
“Hi, sweetie,” Barbara said. “Dinner’s been ready for a while. Where are you? Should I keep your plate warm?”
Tammy blinked again, trying to shake off the effects of her nap while still holding tight to the awesome dream of Doc staring across the table at her, a buzz of sexual awareness swirling around them so intense she could practically touch it.
She’d never had a dream so vivid, so real.
“Are you there?” Barbara asked. “Do we have a bad connection?”
Uh-oh. Tammy sat up, swung her feet over the feather mattress and stood. “I’m sorry, Barbara. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” She just had to clear her head and gather her cleaning supplies.
As she hit End to disconnect the call, she couldn’t help thinking about that amazing dream. Before heading for the door, she scanned the small bedroom one last time, her eyes lighting on the feather bed on which she’d slept.
Her breath caught as she remembered the legend surrounding the bed—and the belief that the dreams a person had while sleeping in that bed came true.
She wasn’t superstitious by nature. Nor was she one to believe in magic. But come hell or high water, she would do whatever it took to make that dream come true.
First thing tomorrow morning, she was going to drive to the nearest grocery store. Then she’d create a chicken risotto dish, as well as a salad with her homemade vinaigrette dressing. Dessert would be Texas chocolate cake, which she knew for a fact would impress anyone.
She had the recipe memorized right down to the fudge frosting. Of course, she’d have to borrow a cake pan from Barbara, as well as measuring spoons and a sifter. But everything else she would need was already in the cabin.
After the prep work, she’d wait for Doc to arrive for his daily exam of Tex. When he was done, she’d invite him to stay for dinner—in the privacy of the dream cabin.
All she had to do now was to re-create everything she’d envisioned just moments ago. The table setting on the small porch would be easy. She’d have to buy red roses, a candle and wine. That shouldn’t be a problem.
Then she would wait for Doc to arrive—and agree to eat with her. The opportunity of a lifetime was hers—if she didn’t screw it up.
As she left the cabin, her mind was abuzz with romantic possibilities—until she realized she might be wrong about Doc truly wanting a rain check on dinner until he could be alone with her.
If she’d misunderstood, if she’d read him wrong and he declined, she’d...
Well, she’d offer the chicken risotto to Hugh and some of the ranch hands. Then she’d create a brand-new meal the next day and invite Doc all over again. Eventually, he’d have to agree. Wouldn’t he?
If there was anything at all to that dream legend, he certainly would. And Tammy, who ought to be skeptical of the claim, chose to believe it was true. Because if she wanted Doc, she was going to need all the magic she could get.
* * *
Mike hoped he hadn’t made a mistake by agreeing to have dinner with Tammy at the Flying B tonight, but for the past couple of days, after he’d finished checking in on Tex, she’d invited him to stay and eat with her in one of the cabins. And each time she had done so, she’d offered him a tempting menu.
Truth be told, he’d nearly agreed the very first time she’d asked him...and not just because chicken risotto had sounded good. He actually found himself looking forward to running into her lately.
Ever since she’d gone shopping with her cousin Jenna and met him at the door wearing that sexy black dress, he’d been... Well, he’d really sat up and taken notice of her. He’d also been tempted to start something that he wouldn’t be in Texas long enough to see through. And with her grandfather dying, it didn’t seem right to suggest a...what? A temporary friendship with benefits?
Yet for some reason, when she asked him to stay for dinner again, he’d agreed, reminding himself that it was Saturday, the weekend was in full swing and he’d gotten sick and tired of spending all his free time at home in front of the TV.
That was true, of course, but there’d been something else going on.
When he’d first arrived at the Flying B this afternoon and parked in his usual spot, Tammy had been perched on the top railing on a nearby corral, almost as if she’d been waiting for him. Then again, he could never be sure about anything with her.
He’d remained in the car for a beat, intrigued by her. And wondering what she was doing, seated on that railing while wearing a blue sundress that really set off the color of her eyes. She’d been barefoot, too, with toes polished a pretty shade of pink. And when she’d glanced his way and smiled, she’d reminded him of a fairy—or maybe even a wood nymph.
For a moment, he’d been mesmerized. In fact, he’d damn near forgotten why he’d driven out to the Flying B in the first place.
“Hey, there,” she’d said, as she climbed from the railing, her movements girlish and more in line with those of the cowgirl he’d first met. But when a breeze kicked up the hem of her dress, revealing a shapely leg, he’d found himself moonstruck once again. And a bit speechless.
What did a man say to a woman like her?
He’d be damned if he knew. Still, he opened the driver’s door and got out of his truck.
“How about dinner tonight?” she’d asked, as she approached him.
She’d mentioned pot roast yesterday, and he’d made an excuse on why he had to pass then. But he’d gone home and fixed a sandwich instead, then kicked himself for missing out on a homemade meal. Who would have thought the cowgirl he’d first met could cook?
“I’m making carne asada,” she added.
He loved Mexican food and wondered if she’d known how tempted he was.
Okay, so the temptation went beyond the food.
“Are you hungry?” she asked.
He certainly was. Just standing here, looking at her, at the sparkle in those pretty blue eyes, stirred his hunger in other ways. And before he could give it another thought, his resolve bit the dust. “As a matter of fact, I am. And dinner sounds good.”
At that, she’d flashed him a hundred-watt smile. “Great. It’ll be ready whenever you are.”
Then she’d given him directions to the cabin where she’d prepared the meal.
He’d stuck around outside for a while, just talking to her...and not about anything in particular. There was just something about Tammy that fascinated him more each time he saw her.
It was funny how he hadn’t really noticed her at first. But now? For some damn reason, he found himself thinking about her at the strangest times—even when he wasn’t on her grandfather’s ranch.
So now here he was, about to have dinner with her. And actually looking forward to it. After leaving Tex’s bedroom, he gave a few instructions to Tina, the housekeeper. Then he made his way outdoors and followed the path to the knoll Tammy had pointed out to him earlier.
The sun had already begun to set, streaking the horizon in shades of pink and gray. There was something peaceful about the ranch even a city boy found appealing.
The soles of his loafers crunched on the dirt path. When he spotted the cabin, his stomach actually growled.
Tammy had said she’d have dinner ready when he arrived. He hoped so. He’d had a light lun
ch today and was ready for something hearty.
As he reached the cabin, he spotted a table had been set up on the porch. A red rose sat in a bud vase next to a flickering candle. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but certainly not this.
A smile stole across his face. He’d never met a woman like Tammy before, and something told him he never would again. He might even miss her when he returned to Philadelphia.
“Hey,” Tammy said, as she walked out the front door wearing the slinky black dress that hugged her curves and made it difficult for him to focus on anything other than her.
“Thanks for coming,” she said. “Can I get you something to drink? Lemonade, an ice-cold beer...? Maybe a glass of red wine?”
“What are you having?” he asked.
“Wine. I just uncorked a bottle.”
“Sounds good to me.” He scanned the romantic table setting. “So what’s all of this about?”
“I thought...” Tammy paused and bit down on her lower lip. “Well, I thought you might like a little more atmosphere than the inside of a small, cramped cabin.”
Okay. He supposed that made sense. “But what about dinner? Tex has a cook—and a good one at that. So it seems weird that you’d be skipping her meals and preparing your own.”
“Barbara is pretty territorial in the kitchen. And since I love to cook, I started coming out here to do my own thing.”
“You eat alone?”
“Not if I don’t have to. That’s why I invited you.” She tossed him a breezy smile, her eyes sparkling as though she’d had some plan he wasn’t privy to.
But then again, who knew what Tammy had on her mind?
“Will you excuse me for a minute?” she asked.
“Sure.”
She slipped into the house and returned with an uncorked bottle of merlot and two goblets. “If you’ll pour the wine, I’ll bring out the food.”
“Of course.” Mike took the glasses from her, then filled them halfway.
Minutes later, Tammy brought out a tray with all the fixings for their meal—guacamole, salsa fresca, sour cream and cilantro. She also had a basket of warm corn tortillas.
