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He wasn’t the playful man I’d seen after supper. This man was all business. Not that it was bad, but I’d liked the man who wasn’t serious. He turned and I followed him into the massive living room area.
The words living room didn’t feel grand enough. The large stone fireplace sat front and center in the middle of the wall, that seemed like it went up for miles. No fire graced the fire box tonight, but I could imagine what it would feel like in the middle of winter, blazing hot, with logs popping and spitting sparks as they burned. I could see myself curling up with a book at the end of a long day, with a mug of apple cider, falling asleep trying to read. Kipp would carry me to bed and tuck me in, kissing my head gently. Where the hell had that come from? Shaking the thought from my mind, I sat in a chair across from Kipp, but far enough away that my ridiculous thoughts wouldn’t get the better of me.
“We get up early around here, so breakfast needs to be ready by six. Tomorrow, we will be working around here, so we will stop for lunch, but if we have to work away from the house, lunch needs to be packed. Nothing fancy, just some sandwiches are good. The freezers in the basement are stocked with anything you might need. If there’s anything you want, write it down, and the next time someone goes to town, we can grab it. Any questions?” He crossed his leg over his knee at the ankle and waited.
“How often do you go to town?” It was a ridiculous question, but I’d seen him a few times in the last three weeks.
“About once a week. In the winter less than that because nobody has the time. Can I get you a beer?” he asked, moving to stand.
“No thank you, unless you want me falling asleep before this conversation is over.” I laughed nervously and watched a small smile crack the face of this stern man. I had a feeling there was a business Kipp, and a regular Kipp and, right now, I was an employee and he was my boss. He grabbed his beer and leaned back in his chair.
“When are you branding? I will need to get prepared for that and if my math is right, it should be in a few months or so?” As the words left my mouth, I knew I’d said too much. He would know I had more than a little ranch knowledge.
“Very astute. Are you sure you only spent summers on a ranch?” He smiled and took another swig of his beer. Maybe if I didn’t talk anymore, he would forget about it. “We will brand in nine weeks. My mother is more than happy to cook, but she’d much rather be out in the corrals working.”
“I don’t mind a bit. Is there anything special you’d like?”
“We brand for seven days. In that time, people come and go. Sometimes, there’s a pile of people here and sometimes there’s just a few. Whatever you cook is going to need to be versatile and last for leftovers. First day and the last day are always the days with the most people.” He stopped talking and stared at me. “Are you thinking about quitting?” He narrowed his eyes at me, and I watched his jaw clench.
“Not in the slightest. I’m just deciding what I should make. Beef for days one and seven, pulled pork for day two, with leftovers for day three noon meal. Did I see a smoker on my way in?” I wanted to run outside and see if it was and how much I could fit in it.
“You did.” He nodded.
“Perfect. That gives me so many more options.” I smiled and was almost too excited to remember I was exhausted. “What’s your favorite meal?” I asked, raising up in the chair and tucking my legs under me.
“I don’t have one.” He rolled his eyes and drank his beer.
“Oh, come on, everyone has a favorite meal. If you only had one meal left, what would it be?”
“Are you asking me if I was on death row what would I choose to eat?” He needed to lighten up. The stern rancher wasn’t a good look on him, although it was exactly how I’d met him. The fun loving, playful side from supper was what had been unexpected.
“Well, sure, if you want to look at it that way.” I shrugged. It wasn’t exactly what I was thinking, but he wasn’t wrong.
“Prime rib, cooked so perfectly it melts in your mouth, baked potato with butter, sour cream and real bacon bits, not the store-bought kind. An entire pecan pie but only if my mother makes it and a pitcher of Koots beer cold from the tap.” He looked far away as he was thinking of it. “I suppose you’re going to make me eat a salad with it?”
“A little green never hurt anyone. Your cattle sure seem to like it. I still have time to plant a garden. Are you opposed to it?” Clasping my hands, I’d hoped he would say yes. I missed working in the dirt and watching things grow. It was such an important part of my childhood, and I wanted Cooper to know that feeling.
“No, not at all. I will work on my mom’s old spot tomorrow. I bet she still has seeds someplace.” He motioned out the window and I looked out into the darkness, wondering what it was like back there.
“I will make a list for branding week and let you know what I need.” Standing, my legs tingled as the circulation returned to them and I wiggled my toes. “I’m going to turn in. Morning will come early. Good night.”
Smiling, I took a deep breath and looked around again. The large deer heads on the wall spoke to someone being a hunter. There were a few banners with cattle on them that said Champion in bright blue script and family pictures all over the room.
“Good night.” His voice was huskier than it had been. Smiling at him, I turned and walked quietly back to my room. Leaning on the door, I let out a sigh. That man wasn’t going to be easy to avoid, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to.
CHAPTER NINE
KIPP
I’d left my door slightly open last night in case Nora needed anything, but it had taken me hours to fall asleep after our talk. Her sweet smile filled my brain when I closed my eyes, as if she’d still been standing before me.
Pops and sizzles from the kitchen woke me up, and the smell of bacon frying wafted through the open door. My stomach growled, and I closed my eyes, trying to ignore it. According to the clock, I still had fifteen minutes to sleep, but there was something else I could hear over the bacon.
Humming. She was humming an old country song, something by Alabama. Lady Down on Love, that was it. And she was humming beautifully. Slowly, the humming turned into her singing and harmonizing with the radio I now realized was on.
Kicking my covers off, I grabbed some jeans and slid into them quickly and pulled a shirt off the hanger. Teeth brushed, shaved, deodorant on, and I was out the door of my room, buttoning up my shirt as I went. I just finished tucking it into my pants when I rounded the corner of the kitchen. My jeans weren’t done up, and my belt buckle bounced along as I walked. Backing up, I finished getting ready and stepped back into the kitchen again. She hadn’t seen me, or if she had, she’d had the good sense to not say anything.
“Good morning,” she said with her back still to me. I watched her fill glasses up with orange juice and set them back on the table, almost silently.
