by Zoe Matthews
“What did Miss Kathy do?” Stella asked, wondering how she herself would have reacted to such a mess.
“She handed them each a broom and a rag and told them they had to clean it all up. Then she pulled Ashley and Elysha out from under the counter and told them they had to sit on the stools until the boys were done.”
“What did you do?” Stella asked, wondering how she’d come to have a puppy in her arms.
“Cade was walking through the kitchen and offered to take me to you.”
“And the barn was on the way to the lodge?” Stella asked, knowing it was not.
“No. But Tucker needed someone to play with.”
“Tucker?” Stella asked.
“The puppy. His name is Tucker and Cade said he doesn’t have the temperament to be a cattle dog. What’s temperament?” Misty asked, petting the puppy who was now asleep in her arms.
“It means he doesn’t have the right personality to be a cattle dog. Tucker, huh? I like the name. Why don’t you go find a place to sit with him and let him finish his nap?” she suggested.
Misty nodded her head and went back out into the main foyer of the lodge. She chose an overstuffed chair and curled up with the puppy still in her arms. Stella was still watching her when a voice sounded from behind her. “Don’t be mad at me. She asked if she could name him and I couldn’t tell her ‘no’.”
Stella turned and looked into Cade’s eyes. “You know she’s growing too attached to that dog. When you sell him she’s going to be heartbroken.”
Cade shook his head. “I’m not going to sell him. I’m going to give him to her. That is, if you don’t mind.”
Stella looked at him. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. She always picks him up and he follows her around the barn like a duckling. He’s good for her and she is good for him.”
“She seems more at ease when she has him with her,” Stella agreed.
“Then you don’t mind if I tell her the puppy is hers?” Cade asked, watching her closely.
“I don’t mind at all. In fact, would you let me cook you dinner tomorrow night as a way of saying ‘thank you’ for everything you’ve done for Misty?”
“Tomorrow night, huh?” he said with a grin.
Stella nodded, nervous now that she’d issued the invitation. She’d been looking for excuses to see Cade all week long, but hadn’t acted on them as of yet. Now you go and invite him to dinner! Way to step out, girl!
“Dinner sounds great. But if you’re only doing it because of the puppy, you don’t have to.”
Stella swallowed and decided since she’d gone this far, she might as well test the waters and go a little further. “What if I wanted to cook you dinner and it wasn’t only because of Misty and the puppy?”
Cade leaned in close to her and whispered, “Then my answer would definitely be ‘yes’.”
Stella blushed and nodded, “Is eight o’clock okay? The guests will have already eaten by that time and I’ll see if Misty can spend some time with Sierra and her girls.”
“Eight is fine. I’ll see you then. Have Misty come by the barn later and I’ll give her some food and a box for him to sleep in.”
“Okay. She’s going to be thrilled.”
“I hope so. I don’t see that little girl smile often enough. Maybe Tucker will help change that,” Cade replied.
Stella nodded and looked back out into the foyer. Misty’s expression was soft and open as she stroked the sleeping puppy. The two had bonded and Stella realized that she was willing to do whatever it took to make that little girl smile.
Chapter 12
Stella finished serving dinner to the last of the guests and then she disappeared back into the lodge. She quickly grabbed the clothing she’d brought from the ranch house with her earlier this afternoon and ducked into the closest bathroom to change.
She was both nervous and excited about the upcoming evening. She hadn’t dated much in the last year, not at all since coming back to Colorado, and while this wasn’t truly a date, it sure felt like one.
She glanced at herself in the mirror and smoothed her auburn hair back over her shoulders, having taken it out of her trademark bun and fluffed it with her fingers until it fell in soft waves down her back.
Her eyes were bright, and framed by long lashes that had never needed mascara. She didn’t wear much makeup, her complexion smooth and even, and she hated that sticky feeling her face got when her makeup began to cake after working over a hot stove for hours at a time.
She decided years earlier that it was more convenient to just dab a little lip gloss on and let her face go bare. She wasn’t trying to impress anyone and figured if they didn’t like her natural look, they didn’t have to stick around.
She smoothed a finger over her lips, leaving a thin coat of pale peach lip gloss behind and then sighed, relaxing her shoulders at the end. She was ready for this, and couldn’t wait to see how her latest dish went over with Cade.
Ever since coming to the ranch, Cade had been very vocal about her cooking. When she’d tried a new recipe for the vegan guests that might be coming to the ranch, he’d been the first one to tell her that tofu was not turkey, and there was absolutely nothing she could do to it to make it taste edible.
Her siblings had been a little more tactful, but Cade had just put it out there, telling everyone there was no reason to sugar coat the truth. The dish was a failure and should never be made again. Ever!
Stella had laughed and promised to remove it, and the remaining tofu, from the kitchen and her cookbook. It had been refreshing to hear an honest appraisal of her cooking, and from there on, she’d developed a friendship with the man that had continued to grow, bringing them to the evening.
She knew that tonight was a turning point. It was the first time they would be alone, in a secluded, semi-romantic setting, without the fear of being interrupted or disturbed. Stella was hoping it would be the night of their first kiss.
Ever since Cade had told her he wanted to kiss her on the patio, she’d been able to think of nothing else whenever he was around. She had even begun to dream about him and found her eyes straying to his lips whenever she thought no one else would see.
Glancing at her watch, she realized Cade was due any minute. She left the bathroom and stowed her bag away, grabbing the fresh arugula salads, she’d made earlier, and dressing them with the cranberries and almonds she’d already bathed in the cranberry vinaigrette. It was a new combination, but she loved the way the flavors blended.
She set them on the small table in the private dining room that had been added to the lodge for those guests wishing to dine in a more intimate setting.
She checked the table setting once more and then turned when she heard a noise behind her. Cade stood in the doorway, dressed in a black button down shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up and the first two buttons left undone. His hair was damp as if he’d just showered, and the smile he sent her way had her heart skipping a beat. He was definitely the most handsome man she had ever seen.
“Hi,” she told him with a shy grin. “Come on in.”
Cade looked her over and Stella could see that he approved of how she looked. “You look gorgeous. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with your hair down. I didn’t realize it was so long.”
Stella lifted a self-conscious hand to her hair. “I don’t usually wear it down. It’s too hot in the kitchen and gets in my way.”
Cade walked up to her and lifted a hand to touch the soft tresses. “You should wear it down more when you’re not cooking then.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she assured him, nervous with him standing so close to her. “Are you hungry?”
Cade let his eyes drop to the table and then to her lips. “Starving. I skipped lunch so that I could fully appreciate tonight’s meal.”
Stella backed away and gestured for him to be seated. “I’ll be right back.” She escaped to the kitchen, leaning against the closed door for a moment to still
her racing heart. She couldn’t get the smell of his cologne out of her nostrils and she took several deep breaths to calm herself down.
She pulled the two plates from the warming oven, setting them on the serving tray and then covering them with the service lid. She carefully carried them back into the dining room and set the tray on the serving table.
“Let’s eat our salads first and that way the plates will stay warm,” Stella told him, noticing that he hadn’t taken his seat yet. “You can sit down.”
Cade shook his head at her and then pulled her towards the opposing chair, pulling it out and nodding for her to be seated as he scooted the chair in. Once she was comfortably seated, he leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Ladies first. In fact, since you made this marvelous meal, it will be my pleasure to serve you tonight. Would you care for some wine?”
Stella nodded her head, struck dumb by being treated so carefully. She’d had men hold her door on occasion or help her in and out of a car before, but she’d never had one seat her with such care. Cade’s actions made her feel special and she could definitely get used to feeling that way.
“I’d love some wine,” she answered him with a smile.
Cade uncorked the bottle she’d left chilling earlier and poured them both a glass. He handed it to her and then took a sip from his own glass. “Very nice.”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d like it,” she told him, taking a sip from her own glass.
“I don’t usually go for alcohol much. But this is nice.”
Stella smiled at him and then waited for him to take his seat before putting her napkin into her lap. She watched him, waiting for his reaction to the salad and smiled when he grinned and took another bite.
Chapter 13
“This is amazing! You should definitely add this to the menu,” he said as he took another bite.
“Better than the tofu?” she teased him with a grin.
“Gazillions better! I can’t even think about that dish without remembering how bad it tasted. No offense.” He smiled at her to soften his words.
“None taken. And I promise what’s on those plates is not tofu.”
“Good.”
They continued to eat the salad in silence and then Cade got up and served their plates with the main dish. Stella had been playing with several new recipes, but after tasting the dish, she decided this one was definitely a keeper.
The salmon had been sliced and then rolled up to form a small circle. Inside the circle, she had used a mixture of rice, finely chopped vegetables, and her own creamy cheese sauce to make a stuffed salmon entrée worthy of any five star restaurant.
She’d blanched baby asparagus tips before dousing them with garlic butter and lemon juice, and then she’d created a masterpiece of a potato dish. She’d finely sliced a baking potato and a sweet potato. She’d then alternated them, adding a slice of onion every so often before tying them up tightly inside a piece of aluminum foil. She’d baked them in the oven and then let them cool down so that the sugars from the sweet potato would set slightly before being plated.
The resulting dish was both colorful and full of flavor. It was something she was hoping could be converted to a campfire meal in the future. Cade was so enthralled with the food on his plate, it was many minutes before he finally spoke.
“Stella, I don’t even know where to begin. Everything is absolutely amazing! The potatoes are probably the most colorful thing I’ve ever seen. I don’t usually like sweet potatoes, but these are really good!”
“Thanks. I wasn’t sure if combining them would work…”
“Believe me. It worked!”
Stella smiled at him and they finished their meal in relative silence once again. She’d not made dessert, choosing instead to use vanilla ice cream and a simple mixture of berries as the topping.
It was the perfect meal, with the perfect ending. But once the food was eaten, and the dishes were cleared away, Stella felt her nerves tighten up once again.
They had discussed Misty and the new puppy, the cattle he was working with, and the crops he was hoping to plant come spring time. Stella had lightheartedly discussed the other aspects of the ranch, including the one acre parcels that were being gifted to each of them.
“So, are you planning to move out, or stay in the big house?” Cade asked.
“I haven’t really decided yet. I’m comfortable where I am now, but I can also see the need to have a place of my own. Misty certainly needs more space, so I’ll probably take Sheridan up on his offer.”
“That would probably be a good idea. I should probably head off and let you go get Misty to bed.”
“Yeah, it’s getting pretty late,” Stella agreed, wondering when 10 o’clock at night had become late. She figured it had something to do with the fact that she was normally in the lodge cooking by 5 a.m. each morning, but she didn’t comment on that fact.
“Can I walk you back to the big house?” Cade offered.
“Thanks.” Stella grabbed her bag and then turned the lights off. She preceeded him out of the lodge, going out the side door in hopes of avoiding any of her siblings who were still wandering around interacting with their guests.
Cade immediately saw through her action. “Trying to escape under the radar?” he asked with a grin.
“Yes. You’ve seen my siblings in action. Who knows what they’d make of us having dinner together.”
Cade was silent for a moment and then he reached over and took her hand in his own, steering her away from the path leading towards the house and towards the corral fence. “Would it be so bad for them to think something was happening between us?”
Stella lowered her voice. “It’s not that. I just don’t want them thinking there’s something going on when there’s not.”
Cade didn’t say anything for several minutes as they stood by the fence and then he turned her around and kissed her. He didn’t hold anything back, taking her mouth in a kiss that swamped her senses and left her unable to do anything but follow his lead. Her heart was racing and her breathing ragged when he finally pulled away from her.
After several long moments, he lifted his head and looked her in the eyes. “Maybe you should put that into your thinking cap, and see if you still think there’s nothing going on.”
“Thank you for a wonderful meal. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He turned and walked away, leaving her by the fence with a hand on her lips and confusion in her eyes. She’d wondered what it would feel like to kiss Cade, but never in her wildest imagination had she ever thought it would rock her world.
Everything she’d ever thought she knew about love and relationships flew away in the light of his kiss. She’d never felt this way before in her life, and as she looked up at the night sky, she realized it was a feeling she definitely wanted to feel again.
Chapter 14
The next evening was the barn dance and the entire ranch was abuzz with activity from the rising of the sun, until the vehicles carrying party goers started to arrive.
Spencer had hired a local band to provide live music and Sheridan and Bridger had built a stage inside the large cattle barn. The straw had been removed to reveal the wooden flooring, and strings of Christmas lights had been added to provide a happy atmosphere for everyone who attended.
Stella and Kathy had worked tirelessly all day long to create trays of finger foods that would be served throughout the night. Kathy and Annie had put themselves in charge of refreshing the trays, leaving Stella with nothing to do but enjoy the dance.
She spent a few minutes talking with her siblings and then darted back to the main house to make sure Misty was doing okay with the other kids. Jed was in charge of the kids this evening, claiming his knees were too old for dancing, and if he couldn’t dance with Kathy, he didn’t want to dance with anyone.
There had been a brief argument amongst the younger kids regarding which movie they were going to watch, the boys wanting something with action and adventure, and the younger girls wanting a
princess movie. Jed had finally settled the dispute by retrieving a collection of older cartoons the children had never seen before.
When Stella walked into the large den area, all of the kids were watching Jerry the mouse befuddle Tom the cat. The kids were laughing, and even Misty seemed to be enjoying herself.
Tucker was curled up in her lap, and Stella marveled at the difference the small puppy had made in Misty’s life. Jed spied her and motioned for her to back out of the room.
“The kids are fine. Why aren’t you over there enjoying yourself?” he asked.
“I just wanted to make sure Misty was participating. I’m worried about her.”
“She’s doing fine. Each day her sadness fades away a bit more. Just give her time and all the love you can. She’s going to be fine.”
“Thanks, Jed. I guess I’ll head back. Call if you need anything…”
“Go,” he shooed her away. “Remember what it’s like to have fun, just for fun’s sake.”
“Yes sir.”
She returned to the barn, deciding that she was ready to see Cade. She’d avoided him all day, not quite sure what she would say when she saw him, and so she just made sure she didn’t see him. It was fairly easy to do with everyone bustling around, but now that the entire ranch was gathered in the barn, she realized avoiding him was going to be impossible.
Time to put on your big girl panties and go after something that makes you happy. She stepped into the barn and immediately spied him out on the dance floor.
The band was playing a fast number, and the short blonde he was dancing with didn’t seem to be in tune with the beat. She kept dancing way too close to him, and Cade looked relieved when the song ended.
