by B. J Daniels
“Poppy?”
She was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t heard him come back into the kitchen. She spun around, feeling her face heat with embarrassment as if afraid he could read her mind.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” he said. “I was just thinking as I was leaving. The guests have free time tomorrow morning to do things on their own. So if you’d like to go for a ride...I have something I want to show you.”
He looked so glad to be able to do something for her. She told herself it was just his guilt motivating this, but at the same time, she wished he wouldn’t be so nice and thoughtful. He was making this so much harder.
“I’ll plan on that,” she said, excited about the prospect of a horseback ride with him. Maybe too excited about it.
As she watched him go, she warned herself not to fall for the cowboy again. “Not a chance,” she said under her breath, even as she couldn’t help noticing how handsome he was as he left—not to mention the wonderful way his jeans fit his perfect backside.
She shook her head, reminding herself to keep her eye on the prize. Will Sterling’s reckoning. So deep in her plotting, she didn’t hear Dorothea come up behind her.
“Now I get what you’re doing,” the woman said. “You’re a kitchen witch.”
Poppy shook her head and tried to laugh it off. “That’s ridiculous,” she said, turning back to what she had cooking on the stove.
“You are seducing that cowboy with your culinary skills. I saw the look on his face when he tasted whatever concoction that was you gave him. He was besotted—just like you were with him when you were twelve.”
Poppy hoped Dorothea hadn’t witnessed everything. “Isn’t it possible that I merely enjoy cooking?”
“Cooking up trouble for our Will with your cookies and your secret sauces. You’ve got him literally eating out of your hand.”
She wished. “You’re making too much out of one small bite of tonight’s sauce for the roast beef,” Poppy said, turning to the woman. “Let me get a spoon so you can have a taste—”
“Oh, no, you don’t,” Dorothea said, stepping back. “You can’t work your powers on me with your conjuring sauces.”
“Don’t be silly,” she said, turning back to the stove. “As if with one spoonful I could put you or Will under my spell.” She laughed. “You’ll be sorry, though, if you don’t try this sauce at dinner. It is really good.”
“I saw how good it is.” Dorothea left, muttering to herself.
Poppy wished the woman wasn’t onto her. But as long as Will didn’t suspect what she was up to...
* * *
LAMAR WENT STRAIGHT to his cabin after his run-in with his father. Big Jack could be impossible—especially when it came to running a business. He was too impulsive, priding himself on making decisions without giving them any thought.
And when he’d called his father on it, Big Jack had come back with, “That’s why I named the business On the Fly. That’s how I live my life.”
“Like the way you sprang this retreat on me?” Lamar had demanded. “Do you even care what this is costing the company? And what was the purpose?”
“I don’t have to explain my decisions to you. But I will tell you this. I have an announcement I’ll be making at the end of the retreat.”
“An announcement? And you aren’t going to tell me until the end of the retreat?” When his father had said nothing, Lamar snapped, “Actually, you do need to explain your decisions to me. You put me in charge of On the Fly and since you are running the business into the ground with your...decisions, I’m sorry, but it’s time for you to step down, Dad.”
Big Jack had looked as if he was going to bust a major blood vessel. “I knew that’s what you’d been up to, trying to kick me out of my own business.”
“You turned it over for me to run when you got bored with it,” Lamar had pointed out. “You can’t suddenly decide to jump back in and take over again, especially when your motives are questionable.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Ruby. You think I didn’t notice the way the two of you were looking at each other?” he had demanded. “You should be aware of the no-dating policy since you were the one who implemented it after Mick got us in hot water with one of the female employees.”
“This is none of your business.”
“None of my business? Are you serious? You want to start running things and dating one of the employees.”
“We’re not dating.”
“Whatever you want to call it,” Lamar had snapped. “It has to stop. I have power of attorney. I don’t want to fight you, Dad, but I will to save the company and our employees’ jobs.”
“Don’t you mean the nice little setup you have going?” Big Jack had spat and lowered his voice threateningly. “You think I don’t know what’s going on?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The money going out the back door of On the Fly. Is that why you want me out?”
Lamar had been so shocked he couldn’t speak. Nor had he gotten the chance before his father had stormed off toward the lodge.
He’d stared after his father, wanting to go after him and yet knowing he wouldn’t get a straight answer out of him right now. Maybe after they both calmed down, he’d thought on his way to his cabin.
With every step, he played back their discussion. Big Jack could not think for a minute that Lamar was stealing from the company. But was someone? No, that wasn’t possible. Their bookkeeper would have caught the discrepancy. Unless it wasn’t a discrepancy. Unless the thief was stealing product out the back door before it had been inventoried. Was that what his father meant?
Lamar had been so busy trying to keep Big Jack from bankrupting the company with his bad decisions and his excessive spending that he hadn’t been paying close attention to what might have been going on at On the Fly. If one of their employees had been stealing...
Now he glanced out the window of his cabin. He could see horses in the nearby pasture running in the afternoon breeze, their manes aloft as they kicked up their heels. Behind them pines towered over the bunkhouses, the scene so picturesque he knew he’d seen it on the Sterling Montana Guest Ranch brochure.
A terrible thought struck him. Was this why his father had insisted on an impromptu retreat in Montana? Were these four days about cornering the thief?
CHAPTER SIX
WILL COULD HAVE cut the tension in the room with a chainsaw as he joined his guests before dinner was to be served later that evening. The only ones who didn’t seem to notice the mood of the group were Mick and Allison. They had managed to sit next to each other in one of the large deep leather love seats, while everyone else was scattered around the massive lodge.
Dean had come up from his cabin even though Dorothea had said he’d planned to skip the evening meal. Will thought he was looking for sympathy the way he held his injured wrist, but he got none from this bunch. If anything, all he managed to do was look pathetic, making several of the guests snicker.
Channing had said something no doubt rude and, laughing, now hid her face behind the open magazine she’d been thumbing through.
“Lexi, that was amazing the way you stayed on your horse today,” Kirk said and grinned. “I thought it was your first time on horseback. That was an eight-second ride, wasn’t it? Ever thought about joining the rodeo?”
“Or the circus,” Channing said.
Lexi said nothing, as if she could tell Kirk was only saying these things to rub it in that Dean had fallen off. Will saw Dean push his glasses up and glare at Kirk, who only laughed when Lamar told him to knock it off.
Lamar and his father sat on opposite ends of the room, neither apparently speaking. Ruby and Channing were both thumbing through magazines, appearing to tune Kirk out as he began talking about one of his rad snowboarding half-p
ipe tricks he used to do.
“Used to do,” Dean mumbled loud enough for everyone to hear.
Kirk scowled at him and turned back to Ruby, continuing with his story about when he was a semi-pro snowboarder.
Lexi sat alone, pretending to read an article in one of the magazines. Will saw that she had it open to a how-to on horse grooming, something he doubted was of interest to her. She still looked pale and scared and he doubted they would be able to get her back on a horse. A trail ride was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Will wasn’t looking forward to it.
He was relieved when Dorothea announced it was time for them all to go into the dining room for dinner. Ruby threw down her magazine and left in the middle of one of Kirk’s stories. The others followed, taking chairs either with or away from the people they’d been avoiding in the lounge. No one looked happy. Not even Mick and Allison. She seemed to flirt with him one moment and then push him away the next. Will could tell that he wanted more than she was willing to give.
Glancing toward the kitchen, he couldn’t help but wonder about Poppy. He felt more sure-footed now. He wasn’t sure exactly what it was that she had in mind when it came to him. But at least now he knew what was at stake, which he told himself was more than she knew.
Will reminded himself that Poppy was only a small concern given this group of guests. Big Jack had consumed several drinks. His face was flushed and his eyes rheumy as he took a chair at the far end of the table. Will took his place at the head and was glad when Poppy came out with her cheerful countenance. He hoped the food was half as good as the afternoon snack—and that bite of sauce she’d given him. Just the memory stirred more than his appetite. That had been the point, he reminded himself. But now that he was onto her...
“Tonight, what I have for you,” Poppy said as she and Dorothea brought out the serving dishes, “is a honey-glazed beef with my top-secret sauce recipe.” Her gaze lit on Will for a moment, their eyes meeting across the long table. “It will be served with whipped garlic potatoes, asparagus hollandaise and roasted root vegetables in a maple reduction, along with a side of smoked duck salad in a light citrus vinaigrette.” Poppy’s offerings were met with one compliment after another and more excitement than he’d ever heard from any of Buckshot’s meals. “Please enjoy and let me know if there is anything else I can get you.”
Will had to admit, Poppy was definitely lightening up the table of guests with her rich, mouthwatering dishes. Truly, she had outdone herself. He had to hand it to her. The woman could cook. And to think he’d actually questioned whether she could handle this.
He’d definitely underestimated her talents, he thought. But quickly reminded himself how much trouble he was in. Of course she wanted payback for the way he’d hurt her all those years ago. He’d thought she might get her retribution by being a horrible cook. Or that she might even poison him.
Now he knew different. Her plan was much more insidious. He’d seen it in her smile. She was using her amazing cooking skills to wrap him around her finger. But then what?
It came to him in a flash. She’d left the ranch brokenhearted twenty years ago. Now she’d come back to lure him in with her cooking and then break his heart when she left.
Not that he didn’t deserve it. But she was wasting her time. He couldn’t let this go on. What would she do when she failed? Maybe that was when she poisoned him. He had to show her that he wasn’t that cocky fifteen-year-old cowboy. Once she saw the real him...
“Poppy,” he said impulsively. “Won’t you join us for dinner?” She looked surprised and hesitant. “Please pull up a chair. We’d love to have you enjoy the meal with us.”
Several of the guests chimed in. “Do, sit with us.”
She smiled and reluctantly took an open chair near Dorothea, who shot him an alarmed look. Hadn’t she heard the old saying about keeping your friends close and your adversaries even closer?
As the plates and utensils were passed around, the guests helped themselves, filling their plates.
“You are an amazing cook,” Allison gushed. “How did you learn to do this?”
Poppy shrugged. “I learned from great cooks,” she said and met Will’s gaze. “And I experimented, honing my craft.” She looked embarrassed. Her cheeks were flushed. But she also looked flattered.
He smiled down at her. He would make sure she joined them for every meal during this retreat. And not just so he could keep an eye on her. She was a ray of sunshine and this group definitely needed the light. He noticed, though, that she took only a small portion of each dish. Had he been as suspicious as Dorothea, he might have thought she’d done something to his meal. But he thought she was more worried about there not being enough. She shouldn’t have. There was plenty even with everyone taking seconds and, some, thirds.
Will had to admit as he ate the incredible meal that, his and Poppy’s past aside, hiring her was the best thing he could have done. He could well imagine this meal with Buckshot in the kitchen. This group was morose enough without that. While a decent cook, Buckshot had no social charms in the least. Don’t like his food? Don’t eat it, that was his motto. He was fine with letting the guests starve if they wanted to be picky.
They all ate in a pleasant contented atmosphere. Poppy’s doing, he thought as he stole glances at her. She looked so sweet and innocent that for a moment he thought he’d only imagined all that innuendo earlier with the spoonful of sauce. But as he saw her take a bite of her meat dripping with that very secret sauce and lick her lips, her gaze came up to meet his.
Oh, yeah, there it was. That come-hither look and that luscious mouth of hers. He reminded himself it was only four days. He prided himself on his willpower. This woman was not going to get to this cowboy. He would kill her with kindness, so to speak. He would derail her plan starting with their horseback ride.
When everyone said they couldn’t eat another bite, Poppy rose to help Dorothea clear the table and announce dessert.
“I have fresh raspberry cake drizzled with dark chocolate shavings resting in a cloud of sweet clotted cream,” she said as she brought her masterpiece to the table.
Even though he was stuffed himself, he wasn’t about to let her think he was afraid to taste her cake. “I’ll take a small piece,” he told her. He watched her carefully slice it, the flesh of the cake a pale pink against the white of the sweet clotted cream reminding him of her skin.
He knew she was watching him as he took a bite. He’d told himself that he was ready for whatever magical potion she’d put in the cake. But he hadn’t been ready for the rush of flavors. He closed his eyes for a moment, unable not to moan in delight. If he thought he could resist her food, he was kidding himself.
Will opened his eyes and met her gaze. She wanted to play dirty? “Okay,” he said. “You’ve got me. I’m in love with this cake.”
Poppy smiled, that gleam in her eyes, and everyone laughed.
Everyone but Dorothea.
* * *
LAMAR WANTED NOTHING more after dinner than to go to his cabin. He had brought some paperwork and was anxious to get on it, especially after what his father had said. If someone was stealing from the company, he needed to find out who, how and how much, and put an end to it quickly.
“Will, I believe you mentioned line dancing,” Big Jack said as they all left the dining room.
Lamar saw that he wasn’t the only one who wanted to escape, but his father wasn’t having any of it.
“Sorry, but some of the events on this retreat are compulsory,” he said in his booming voice. “Line dancing is one of them.”
Everyone was steered into the dance hall behind the main lodge living room for Western line dancing. The wranglers, Slim and Huck, who’d helped saddle the horses earlier came in to get the music and dancing started. Lamar watched Allison light up when Slim, a handsome young wrangler, pulled her out on the floor to kick things off. Mi
ck followed, making sure he was next to Allison.
Lamar could see that his father had had just enough to drink that he wasn’t going to let anyone out of this. He groaned under his breath as Huck dragged Lexi out on the floor. Big Jack pretended to lasso Ruby and pull her onto the dance floor. She came out laughing to fall in between Huck and Big Jack.
Lamar motioned for Kirk and Dean to get their behinds out there. Dean pointed at his wrist and shook his head. He took a chair near the old stereo and watched, looking miserable.
When Poppy appeared in the doorway, peering in as if enjoying watching, Will went to her and drew her out on the dance floor. She looked flushed, but both pleased and surprised. Lamar saw her darting glances at Will. Was it as obvious to everyone else what was going on there?
He felt his father glaring at him. Going to the back of the dance group so no one could see how bad he was at this, he tried to keep up with what everyone else was doing. He didn’t know his left foot from his right, and on every turn, he came out facing the wrong way.
But Big Jack seemed to be enjoying himself. Some of the others, not so much. Lexi was worse at this than even Lamar. But Ruby, Allison and Channing were naturals. As he watched and tried to keep up, he noticed the way his father and Ruby would look at each other and swore.
Completely on the wrong foot, he bumped into Kirk, who cussed at him and glared at Allison’s back as if he would have liked to kill her. Allison was flirting with Mick—and the wrangler next to her—and having a grand old time as the song ended and another began. Slim was surprisingly good at this, no doubt having had a lot of practice here on the guest ranch.
After stumbling through the last dance, Lamar saw an opportunity to duck out the back door. His father be damned. He’d deal with his wrath when Big Jack realized he’d gone. But right now, Lamar needed to find out if it was true that someone was stealing from their company—not bumbling around like a fool on the dance floor.