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“I bet you do, but still . . .” Billy’s gaze scanned the kitchen. “What time are you supposed to start serving lunch today?”
“In about two hours.” Bella pointed at the walk-in refrigerator. “I prep a lot of stuff so it’s ready to go when needed.”
“I could stay,” Billy said impulsively. “And help out.”
“You?” Now she was definitely smiling at him. “Don’t you have a huge dude ranch to run or something?”
“Not really,” Billy confessed. “My boys seem to have that in hand. I suspect I’d be more useful right here. I’m a trained chef.”
“You are?” Bella blinked at him. “Since when?”
“When I decided to stop drinking and get a job, the only place that would hire me on was as a dishwasher in a restaurant. I stuck it out for about two years, and somehow ended up moving on to more useful things like washing and prepping the fruit and veg. Eventually, I took classes at night school and earned my stripes.”
Now Bella was looking at him as if she’d never seen him before. “That’s amazing.”
He literally squirmed in his seat. “Not really. I’d already messed up so badly that there wasn’t anywhere else to go but up.”
“A lot of people never work that out.” She sat back and studied him. “Can you man a grill?”
“With one hand tied behind my back.” He held her gaze. “I’ll check in with Mom, but I don’t think anyone will miss me if I’m not up at the ranch.”
She reached over and shook his hand. “Okay then, you’re hired.”
* * *
Bella snuck another glance at Billy Morgan as he put on an apron and went to wash his hands in the big industrial-sized, stainless steel sink. He wore the Morgantown uniform of jeans, a plaid shirt, cowboy boots, and a hat. Now he’d taken off his Stetson and looked quite different. His hair was streaked with silver, as was his short beard.
She’d known him since they were in kindergarten together, which was more than forty years ago. He’d gone on to marry a girl from out of town and had five kids whereas she’d married a local boy and only had Jay before her husband died in a car accident. Both of them were widowers now, and had resumed their friendship when Billy had sweet-talked her into using organic Morgan Ranch beef in her patties and other dishes she created for the bar.
“Okay,” he said as he came toward her, his vivid blue gaze meeting hers. “Where do you want me to start?”
For a moment, she couldn’t think what to say. After the shock of the morning, seeing him in her kitchen was so unexpected her brain wasn’t functioning properly.
“How about I show you where everything is?” Bella suggested. “I know you won’t remember it all, but some of it will stick.”
He laughed, displaying his nice white teeth and the fine lines around his eyes. “I dunno, Bella. At my age remembering my name is a bit of a challenge.”
“You’re not that old,” she scoffed.
“I was twenty-one when Chase was born, and he insists he’s thirty-two now, so that makes me pretty damn old.”
“You’re a year older than me, and I’m not old,” Bella told him firmly. “You’ve still got all your own hair, your teeth, and no beer belly, so you’re doing good.”
“You too.” His blue eyes twinkled back at her. “Unless that’s a wig.”
Bella patted her dark hair, which was drawn into a bun on the top of her head. “It’s all mine. I can promise you that.”
“Yeah?” He smoothed a hand through his own hair. “Do I need one of those stupid hairnets?”
“I think you’ll be okay.” His hair was still very thick, but he kept it quite short. “Unless you’d like one. I could do with a laugh.”
In fact, just being with him was calming her down and making her feel better. He had a soothing effect on everyone, which, considering his history, was somewhat surprising. He definitely wasn’t the boy she’d known, but unlike some of the townsfolk who whispered about his past, she wasn’t afraid of him. She’d never believed he’d murdered his wife and baby in cold blood, and she’d been proven right.
