AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Damn.
“I’m not grumpy.”
“Let me guess. You wouldn’t tell me if therewassomething wrong.”
He sighed. “It’s fine. It went fine.”
“Okay. I hope you can handle whatever you’re not telling me.” She was his sister. Of course, he couldn’t hide his mood from her, even if it was just his mild annoyance at Lisa.
He shook his head, still frustrated, but knowing that he had to get his head on straight. “It was a good idea and I’m feeling a lot better. I’m on the way.”
“Happy Birthday, big brother.”
“Thanks.” He half grunted the word.
This seemed to remind Haylee of some important information. “Everyone is coming in tonight for your dinner.”
He shook his head. “Thanks for not letting it be a surprise.”
She was laughing as she spoke to him. “Hey. I know how you feel about them.”
“I think Belle is gonna be cooking. Who knows how it’s going to turn out.” He could have laughed. Belle was a good woman, but pretty much cooked basic food.
“Nothing fancy then. When is that new cook going to show up? That five-star city girl?”
His sister just wanted to try five-star food.
“Tomorrow’s supposed to be her first day,” he said.
“Maybe she’ll show up early?”
He had the same hope. “Probably not, but I’ll see you all soon.” He hung up the phone by hitting the same button.
As the miles rolled by, the thought wandered into Carter’s head that his sister sent him specifically to Lisa to get hit on, but he shot that thought straight out of his mind. He knew his sister wouldn’t do anything like that—that wasn’t the type of person that she was. He wouldn’t put it past her to be aware of Lisa’s crush, however.
He focused on the road. It wouldn’t do anyone any good to get all worked up over some stupid crush and few personal questions.
He still felt relaxed, even if the woman had come too close to him wanting to ask for a happy ending.
CHAPTER2
Kit Beaumont glanced out at the scenery speeding by as she spoke on the phone with her best friend, Daisy. It was closing in on eight in the morning, the cloudless sky bright and as blue as blue could be. The heat and dryness were instantly recognizable in the sparse vegetation.
“I’ve been to Arizona before.” Kit guided the car into the right lane of the Superstition Freeway as desert scrub and cacti gave way to more scrub and cacti. “I know I’ll like it here.”
“Just wait ‘til you hit triple digits in theteens. L.A. doesn’t get close to 117 degrees in the summer.” Daisy sounded exasperated as her voice came over the speakers in the Lexus SUV. It was great having an old friend to keep her company on the trip of a lifetime. “You’re going to miss the 70-degree weather.”
The sign showed the turnoff to King Creek coming up in one mile. “I’m tough.” Kit had been through far worse than a little heat and had survived.
“Not to mention stubborn.” Daisy went on, “Being a chef in a five-star boutique hotel is a big difference from being a cook at a one-star ranch.”
Kit laughed. “It could be a five-star ranch for all I know.”
“It’s probably more like a zero-star.” Daisy was smiling. Kit could tell from the laughter in her best friend’s voice on the other end of the line. Even in the desert it came through like Daisy was sitting right next to her in the car.
“I don’t think there’s such a thing as a zero-star anything.” Kit followed the direction her GPS pointed her in and guided her SUV from the freeway and onto the off-ramp. “If it’s below one, it’s too crappy to rate.”
“You never did tell me why on earth you’d want to go work on a smelly, dusty, place in the middle of nowhere.” Kit could imagine Daisy shaking her head at the idea.
