A Cowboy to Remember

by Rebekah Weatherspoon

“Would you like my number?”

  “Yeah. Let me get my phone.” Evie stood up and slipped into her room. Zach followed and leaned against the wall as Evie grabbed her cell off its charger. “Here.” Zach took her phone and saved his number into her contacts. “You can text me whenever you want. You can also call me. Even if I’m up at the ranch.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. I have a lot of work to do. I have to become a master chef so I can take my show back.”

  “If anyone can do it, I know you can.” The determination in her voice made his chest warm inside. He couldn’t believe he’d missed so much of her rise to stardom.

  “Did you ever watch my show?” she asked.

  “I saw an episode or two, but I don’t keep up with it.” Zach was being honest. He may have left out the fact that he had every episode of television that Evie had ever appeared on saved on his DVR. She didn’t need to know all that. “I had a feeling you didn’t want me to watch.”

  “That might have been true. I don’t know if I’m ready to watch myself,” Evie replied with a yawn.

  “Here. I’ll let you get to bed.”

  “Before you go there’s something I think I should tell you.”

  “What’s up?”

  “I’ve given it a lot of thought and I think we should kiss.”

  “Oh word? How much thought exactly?”

  “If I’m being really specific, since maybe three thirty this afternoon, but it doesn’t mean it wasn’t deep, serious thought. We should give kissing a try.”

  “I agree—” Before Zach could respond further, she stepped in close and pressed her lips to his. Her mouth was so soft, softer than it looked, softer than he imagined. Zach wasn’t going to waste this moment. He slid an arm gently around Evie’s waist and pulled her closer, kissed her deeper, his tongue carefully sliding against hers.

  She seemed unsure at first, but almost instantly she relaxed against him, letting her tongue respond. Zach hated everything he’d done wrong with Evie before, but he did not regret waiting for this kiss. There’s no way his sixteen-, seventeen-, even twenty-year-old self wouldn’t have fucked this up. But now he knew what he was doing and he knew what it really meant when a woman sighed into his mouth.

  The kiss stretched on and Zach took in everything about those long moments. Evie’s perfect breasts pressing against his chest, the way she was straining up on her tiptoes, the painful urge to scoop her up and throw her on the bed, how hard he was getting. When Evie pressed her thigh against his erection, he knew it was time to stop.

  He pulled away, his eyes struggling to open. When he could finally focus on Evie’s face, he reached up and lightly brushed her cheek. They were both breathing heavy and Zach had a feeling neither of them wanted this to be a one-off. This was only a preview of things to come.

  “That what you had in mind?” Zach said, catching his breath.

  “Yeah. I think that worked.”

  “Good. When you’re feeling up to it, I’d love to show you the ranch,” Zach said.

  “I would love that. Maybe after I get my stitches out. I’m seeing the doctor on Monday.”

  “Monday night then.”

  “But I’ll see you again before then?”

  “I live right next door.”

  “All by yourself.”

  “Yep. All by myself.”

  “Good to know.”

  Zach lowered his head once more and lightly pressed his lips to hers.

  “Goodnight,” he whispered when he pulled away. She didn’t say a word when he slipped out of her bedroom door, but that immature teenager in him hoped she’d send him a late-night text.

  Chapter 11

  Evie woke up to the sounds of her alarm. It was cloudy outside, but the sky was still bright. She slipped on her glasses and as soon as everything came into focus, she couldn’t stop herself from smiling. She touched her lips, thinking about the way things had unfolded the night before. She’d kissed Zach, in real life, not in a dream. She’d been aroused in her dreams, but nothing close to how turned-on she’d been when Zach pulled her into his arms.

  She picked up her phone off her nightstand and considered sending him a text, but she knew it was better to make him wait. She liked Zach, a lot. He was so handsome it hurt to look at him, and that smile of his was truly dangerous. She didn’t blame everyone for warning her, telling her to guard her heart and her panties. But when he apologized without a sly smile and without a hint of sarcasm, she knew he was sincere.

  Zach Pleasant was, at the very least, drawn to her, and whatever happened before, Evie knew it was more important to move forward and think about the future instead of dwelling on the past. Unless Zach did something to make her feel some other way, Evie was going to follow her gut, and her gut told her it was absolutely okay for her to be crushing on Zach.

  Evie pulled up the text conversation she’d been having with Blaire and sent her a new message. I think I’m ready to tackle reverse cowgirl.

  She hit Send and then started to get ready for her day. When she got out of the shower she had a handful of text responses and one missed call. She dried off and applied a generous amount of this wonderful-smelling lotion Blaire had packed for her, all over her body. When she was dressed, she looked at the messages on her phone from Blaire.

  WHAT??!?! DID YOU SLEEP WITH HIM?!

  Evie thought about calling Blaire back, but she wasn’t ready to have this conversation out loud. She started typing a response instead. No we didn’t have sex, but I went for it and kissed him. We also looked up reverse cowgirl together on his phone. It does look interesting, but I don’t think it’s the first position I want to try. I hope I’m not terrible at sex.

  Blaire was already responding. No, sweetie. I bet you’re the best at sex. You’re great at everything you put your mind to.

  Evie laughed, thinking about how many man-hours she’d have to dedicate to becoming a master of sex. She started to reply when there was a light knock on the door.

  “Are you decent?” Vega said.

  “Yes, come on in.” She sent Blaire a blushing emoji, then set her phone down on the bed.

  “Good morning.” Vega entered her room wearing a fresh pair of scrubs. Euca was right behind her, wagging her tail as soon as she saw Evie.

  “Morning,” Evie said before she gave the dog’s head a little scratch. “And good morning to you, puppy.”

  Vega smiled, patting Euca’s spotted fur. “She’s a stage-five clinger, but it’s okay ’cause she’s a sweetie pie. It is miserable outside. I went for a short walk with Miss Leona and Corie this morning, and then it just started pouring. It’s barely drizzling now, but it’s still a perfect day to stay inside.”

  “That stinks, but I have a lot to do, so maybe it’s for the best.”

  “Oh yeah? What’s on the agenda?” Vega asked as she gently took Evie’s wrist. Evie waited until she finished taking her pulse.

  “I’m learning how to cook.”

  “Nice. How’s your head?”

  “Good.”

  “Just gonna check your stitches a half dozen more times, and then we can move on.” She changed Evie’s bandage and checked her pupils and they were done with their morning checkup.

  “If you need a taste tester, I’m your girl,” Vega added.

  “That would be great.”

  “Let’s do it.”

  Evie watched Vega as she made some notes on her iPad, and for some reason the words came tumbling out of her mouth. “You’re not asking me about last night?”

  Vega did an almost convincing job of suppressing her own smile. “Like I said. Miss Leona isn’t paying me to get all up in your business, but is there something you want to share with the class?”

  “I kissed him.”

  “You made the first move?”

  “Yeah. He walked me down here and I kissed him.”

  “You’re proud of yourself, aren’t you?” Vega teased.

  “A little bit.”

  “Well, I
am happy for you. He is not hard on the eyes at all. Okay, ma’am, you are good to go. Is it time to get cooking?”

  “I think so.” Evie stepped into her slippers, then followed Vega down the hall with Euca by her side.

  * * *

  “First lesson. We eat with all of our senses,” Miss Leona said. “Our eyes, our sense of smell, the textures that hit our mouths, the flavors that hit our tongues. They are all important. If someone can’t see your dish, you want them to be drawn to the wonderful aromas. I’m going to teach you the basics and then you’re going to practice making it pretty.”

  “Okay. I’m ready.”

  “Just what I want to hear,” Miss Leona said as she handed Evie an apron. Evie tied it around her waist and walked over to the other side of the island to join her new teacher. “You’re gonna make our frittatas. I already gathered some eggs. I want you to go into the fridge and grab the butter, then you’re going to pick out two different vegetables to include in your dish. Miss Vega, do you have any food allergies?” Miss Leona asked as Evie grabbed the butter.

  “No, ma’am. Is it okay if I watch?”

  “Absolutely. You cook?”

  “Sort of, but I’d love to pick up some pointers.”

  “And Evie needs to get used to having an audience,” Miss Leona added. “Make yourself comfortable.” Vega hopped up on a kitchen stool and they got to work.

  Evie grabbed some tomatoes and spinach and set them on the counter next to a small onion Miss Leona had already set out. For some reason she felt a little unsure about her choice, but she stuck by it. “I know we had tomato and spinach yesterday, but it was delicious. I’d like to have it again.”

  “Lesson number two: Eat what you like. You also cut down on food waste by actually using the ingredients you have on hand. Tomato and spinach sound perfect to me. Any objections from Miss Vega?”

  “My mom said diners can’t complain when they’re eating for free.”

  “Your mom sounds cold-blooded, and I think we’d get along great. Now Evie, I want you to cut up that onion. Like this.” Evie paid close attention as Miss Leona peeled off the thin outer layer of onion then started making small slices across the top, then more slices in cross sections. She made one more cut and neat little pieces of onion started piling up on the cutting board. The smell of the onions burned Evie’s eyes, but she liked the aroma. Something about it was familiar to her.

  “You try, and don’t rush. Slow is much better than taking a chunk out of your hand. At some point you will cut yourself. It will not be the end of the world, and we have a lovely young nurse on staff, but let’s hold off on the flesh wounds as long as we can.”

  Evie took the remaining half of the onion and mimicked Miss Leona’s actions. She went slowly at first, but somehow her hands seemed to know exactly what to do. In no time she had what looked like a finely diced onion.

  “Very good.”

  Evie felt her cheeks warm at the simple praise.

  “Now, do you want diced tomato or tomato chunks?” Miss Leona asked.

  “What are we doing?” Corie asked as she walked into the room. She took a seat at the island.

  “Chef Buchanan is getting back in the ring,” Vega replied. Evie glanced at Corie and didn’t miss the way she and Vega were looking at each other. She’d have to think about that later.

  “Um, which do you think will taste better?” she asked Miss Leona.

  “That’s not what I asked you, baby. Which would you like?”

  “Let’s try diced.”

  “Great.”

  Evie rinsed the tomatoes and then watched Miss Leona demonstrate the best way to dice them up. Evie followed her lead, cutting up the tomatoes into small pieces. It was slow going at first, but again her hands seemed to just know what to do. And so it went on. Miss Leona walked her through each step of the frittata. She was an excellent teacher. Calm and patient, and when Evie hesitated, her lack of confidence tripping her up, Miss Leona encouraged her not to be afraid.

  “Worst thing that happens, you burn down my kitchen, and I have insurance. Let’s keep going.”

  In the end, they had a beautiful breakfast, with enough food for six people. Miss Leona had Corie grab four plates and then Evie had the honor of serving her breakfast guests. Evie waited, the nerves setting off sparks in her stomach as Vega and Corie each took a bite.

  “What do you think?” Evie asked.

  Vega took one more bite before she answered, while Corie made a dramatic show of chewing extra slowly. “It’s good!” Vega said. “Ten out of ten would eat again. It’s really good.”

  “Could use a little salt,” Corie said before a teasing smile spread across her lips. “I’m messing with you. It’s good, Evie! Are you gonna try it?”

  “Oh, I guess I should.” Evie picked up her fork, took a deep breath, and then took a nice healthy bite. “Mmm,” she said, shocking herself. Corie and Vega burst out laughing.

  “What?” Evie chuckled a bit herself. She took another bite and another. “It is good.”

  “Don’t be so surprised. You know what you’re doing,” Corie said.

  “It’s called muscle memory,” Vega added. “You probably don’t remember a lot of things, but your body does. That’s great. With some practice you’ll be cooking on your own in no time.”

  “I hope so.” Evie didn’t want to sound too eager, but that was exactly what she wanted to hear. She would get back in a professional kitchen if it was the last thing she did. No stupid head injury was going to stop her.

  Miss Leona polished off her own slice, then leaned against the counter. “It was delicious, baby. Almost as good as mine.”

  “Thank you.”

  “As we go along I’ll share what I know about wine pairings and table settings. Hungry people just want to eat, but presentation matters, especially in your line of work,” Miss Leona said before she motioned to Corie and Vega. “Now you two. Do the dishes.”

  Evie helped with the cleanup, and after the kitchen was spotless and the remaining pieces of the frittata were packed away for Lilah whenever she got back from her trip into town, they all sat down to watch cooking shows on Miss Leona’s streaming service. They settled on Anita Bower: Fresh From Home. The meals she created seemed difficult at first, but as Evie followed along, making notes in her head, they didn’t seem impossible. She just needed the ingredients, a little moral support from Miss Leona and her taste testers, and a little faith in herself. Evie could do this.

  Halfway through the second episode, where Anita was now preparing a meal of lobster salad, fresh rolls, and these elaborate fudge brownies for her dinner guests, Miss Leona’s cell phone started ringing.

  “Oh that’s my son.” Miss Leona left the room, answering the call as she went. A few minutes later she came back. “Evie, baby,” she said from the hallway.

  “Yeah.” Evie looked around the side of the couch and saw Miss Leona waving her over. She followed her down to her wing of the house and stepped into what appeared to be Miss Leona’s office. There was a comfy-looking couch and a large desk. Zach wasn’t kidding. This room was also filled with photos and trophies, evidence of Miss Leona’s accomplishments. Evie waited by the door as Miss Leona walked behind her desk. She motioned to a tablet that was resting against an ornate metal stand on the desktop. “My son, Jesse Senior, just wanted to say hello. He’s off starring in a British procedural.”

  “Oh, okay.” Evie came around the desk, and sure enough there was Jesse Senior on the screen. She recognized him from his pictures. Evie could see all three of his sons in his features and his broad shoulders. He also had a nicely manicured beard. She just had to pretend to know what a British procedural was.

  “Hello, Yvonne.” His voice was deep like Jesse’s, but warmer, like Zach’s.

  “Hi, Mr. Pleasant.”

  “Heard you’ve had quite the holiday.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Is that Evie?” she heard a woman’s voice say a moment before Mrs. P
leasant appeared over her husband’s shoulder. She was absolutely glamorous in an ivory turtleneck sweater. Her hair was pulled back in a high bun and she was wearing the most stunning shade of red lipstick. Massive diamond earrings hung from her ears. Evie remembered seeing a photo of a younger version of Mrs. Pleasant in an evening gown wearing a MISS CALIFORNIA sash. Now on the screen she looked like she’d barely aged a day. Right when she laid eyes on Evie, her expression seemed to brighten as a smile spread across her face.

  “Hello,” Evie managed to get out.

  “So glad to have you home,” Mrs. Pleasant said. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

  “Um . . .” Evie glanced at Miss Leona. “It’s nice to be here with Miss Leona, yes.”

  “And the boys. I’m sure Zach is happy to see you,” Mr. Pleasant added. Something in the way he said his son’s name made Evie’s stomach tense. She had the odd sense that maybe Zach’s parents were the only two people not trying to keep them apart.

  “Zach and Jesse have been very helpful and very welcoming. I look forward to spending more time with them both.”

  “We’re in Paris right now, but we’ll be back in the States at the end of spring. It would be good to catch up with you,” Mrs. Pleasant said.

  “I’d like that.”

  “Honey, we should go,” Mrs. Pleasant went on. “We were invited to this over-the-top after-hours dinner party by one of the producers. Too much every which way, but the star has to make an appearance.”

  “You two have fun,” Miss Leona said. “We’ll talk soon.”

  “Evie, make sure Zach gives you a tour of Big Rock. He’s really done a great job with the place. You’ll see. You’ll be real proud of him. He’s helping to turn the whole town around.”

  “She’ll love it, Jesse. I’m sure. You two get going.”

  Evie wasn’t sure what to make of the weird tone of Miss Leona’s voice, like she was trying to stop Mr. and Mrs. Pleasant from saying more. Evie remembered then the way Zach had avoided the topic of his parents when she’d asked about them in the hospital. Clearly there was some tension he didn’t want to talk about. They seemed like perfectly nice people. She wouldn’t push, but she was dying to know what was going on.