Mischievous Maid (River's End Ranch Book 15)

by Cindy Caldwell

  “No clue,” Tony said as he offered her his arm.

  Mira tightened her grip as they passed the end of Jaclyn’s yard and she took a last glance at Gorgeous George and the frog that sat at his feet, watching them walk away.

  Chapter 7

  Tony had walked Mira back to the Old West town but in that time they hadn’t come to any more conclusions than they had before. Neither one of them was certain how Jaclyn had known what she had and they parted ways, agreeing to meet at Jaclyn’s house first thing in the morning.

  Mira tried to work on her painting for a while but she couldn't quite concentrate. Her eyes drooped and she finally fell into bed, hoping that she didn't dream of frogs. Her last thought before she fell asleep was of Tony — his dimples, his kindness, and she was surprised to find that she was looking forward to seeing him the next day. At the very least it might be an adventure.

  Morning came quickly and she finished her coffee as she got dressed and brushed her hair, pulling it into a braid so that it wouldn't be in the way on their excursion. She slipped on her blue jeans and reached for the red cowboy boots she’d bought when she first arrived at River’s End Ranch. She’d never owned cowboy boots of any kind before. The weather in Southern California was much different and she hadn’t needed them. But now that she was going out in the snow, she thought that they would be the perfect thing.

  She glanced at her watch and quickly set her empty mug in the sink. She pulled on her coat and at the last minute grabbed a scarf that was on the rack by the door. Since they were just taking George on this excursion and it was mostly a scouting mission, she made sure she had her phone to take some pictures. She didn't think she needed to take an easel or any paints. That would come later. She did grab a sketch pad and a couple of charcoal pencils, though. Sometimes just being out in nature gave her some new ideas, and although she was doing a portrait, Jaclyn did say she wanted to be on a majestic background.

  She walked as quickly as she could to Jaclyn’s small cottage. As she was running a little late, she didn't have time to go get coffee at Sadie's. She supposed that could wait, though, and her tongue was still a little sore. As she rounded the corner into the RV park, she spotted Tony standing by his truck, or what she assumed was his truck. He was as bundled up as she was although she did notice that he had gloves on and she'd forgotten hers again. He wasn’t in his security guard uniform or his sheriff’s outfit, and his plaid flannel shirt was tucked into faded blue jeans.

  He turned and waved when he saw her, his dimples deepening once again. She sighed heavily. She never for one second thought that there might be somebody that she’d be interested in here at River’s End Ranch. That was the last thing she needed, but she had to admit she was glad to see him.

  "We are all set to go," he said when she got near enough. "I've even got some hot chocolate that my grandma sent in case we need it."

  "You're in for a real treat, Myra," Jaclyn said as she lifted up the small bundle that was wrapped in a blanket. "You'll take good care of him won't you?"

  Myra reached out and gently took the bundle from her. "Of course we will," she said as she held it to her chest.

  Tony opened the door of the truck and helped her up. Jaclyn smiled as Mira nestled George on the seat between them, strapping him in with the seatbelt.

  "Thank you, my dear," Jaclyn said as she nodded. "I can't wait to see what the two of you come up with." Tony tipped his hat at Jaclyn as he pulled out onto the road that would take them to the spot on the river. "Well, I guess we’re off," he said.

  Mira rested her hand on the top of what she assumed was gorgeous George's head on the seat between them as she watched the scenery flash by. She hadn't been out this way since it had snowed, and she'd only seen it in the pictures hung on the walls and the bunkhouse. It was all new to her as she hadn't spent much time in the snow herself, and she watched as the stands of trees rushed by.

  It wasn't too long before Tony turned off the main road and slowed down quite a bit as he crossed over more rugged terrain. "Am I still headed in the right direction?" he asked as he traveled down a small road that paralleled the river.

  "I believe so.” She leaned forward, trying to peer around the bend. It had been several months since she’d been here, and the landscape looked completely different. Soft snow dusted the boulders that once stood stark and white along the banks of the river. "There. I think it's right around that bend,” she said as she pointed past the stand of trees in front of them. He pulled up to exactly the right spot, stopped the truck and hopped out, coming around to her side and opening the door for her. He reached his hand up and she unbuckled Gorgeous George, handing him down gently. He turned and set him down on a bed of pine needles and turned back around, offering up his hand to Mira.

  "Where are your gloves?" he asked as she placed her hand in his.

  "I always seem to forget," she said as she hopped out of the truck. "I think maybe I need to get a safety pin and attach them to my coat."

  "My grandma used to do that when I was in grade school," he said. "But I've had my hands freeze enough times that I actually can remember now. Maybe that’ll happen to you."

  She laughed as her boots crunched along in the snow. Maybe someday she would learn. She shoved her hands in her coat pockets and looked up at the mountains on the other side of the river. She spun slowly as she squinted at the beautiful stands of trees, some pine trees that were still green but dusted softly with snow and other stands of trees that were barren with the winter cold.

  "I think maybe I see a spot for him right over there. On that boulder right next to the river," she said. She walked over to the spot and stood on it, looking north, south, east and west. "Yes, I think this is a good place for him.”

  Tony pulled out his buck knife from his back pocket and cut the string that was tied around Gorgeous George over his blanket. He unwrapped him gently walked over to where Mira stood, setting him down and nestling him in so that he wouldn't fall over. "I certainly don't want to be responsible for another death in the gnome family," he said.

  Mira laughed. "I don't either," she said. The buzzing of an engine carried over the meadow on the far side of the river. Mira instinctively knelt down beside Gorgeous George, placing her hand on him as the sound grew nearer. She shielded her eyes against the sun in the glare from the snow at the snowmobile that was approaching.

  A woman with short brown hair pulled her snowmobile to a stop on the far bank of the river. "Hey, Tony," she called as she waved her arm in their direction.

  "Hey, Dani,” Tony hollered back with an equally big wave. "What are you doing out here?"

  "Scouting routes for the snowmobile races. You know, for Christmas."

  "Oh, right. Are you going to need help again this year?" he asked.

  "Every year, Tony. I'm counting on you again."

  "I'll be there," he hollered as she waved again and spun her snowmobile back in the opposite direction.

  "Dani Weston?" Mira asked as the figure in the red snowsuit faded in the distance.

  Tony put his knife back in his pocket. "Yep. Good friend. She's in charge every year of the snowmobile races at Christmas time and I've always helped."

  Mira looked up at him and smiled. Yes, he was exactly the type that would help. No matter what.

  She turned back to George, and stood up once she was positive that he was safely secured in this position. She took a few steps back and got out her phone, snapping as many shots as she could before her hands felt like they were going to freeze. She put her phone back in her pocket and rubbed her hands together, blowing in her cupped palms.

  "You really should have brought gloves," Tony said as he came up behind her and turned her toward him, holding her hands in his. "Hang on a second," he said as he pulled off his gloves and put them in his pocket. "It always warms up faster with bare skin," he said as he rubbed her hands gently.

  Mira stared at her hands for a moment, enjoying the prickly sensation as the blood tric
kled back into her fingers.

  “I have something else that might help. Let’s get Gorgeous George back in the truck.” He lifted the gnome carefully and wrapped the blanket around him, securing it with the twine he’d cut off earlier.

  He fastened him in the seatbelt between them and helped Mira in before he reached behind the seats and took out a thermos. He closed both the doors and started the engine with the heater blasting before he poured steaming liquid into the cup, passing it to her.

  “Wrap your hands around this,” he said as he screwed the lid on the Thermos and set it on the floorboard. His eyes twinkled as he turned toward her. “Maybe wait a bit before you sip it. It’s hot.”

  “Gee, thanks,” Mira said. She laughed and gripped the cup tightly as he headed back to the ranch.

  Chapter 8

  Mira blew on her cup of hot chocolate, prepping herself to take a sip, and she held it out in front of her as the truck bumped along on the road. The snow was slick, but Tony had no trouble driving over ice, and she sat back, feeling safe and in good hands. Tony hit a straight patch of road and she seized her opportunity to take a drink, holding the cup to her lips.

  As the warm, velvety liquid slid down her throat, she closed her eyes. It was the best hot chocolate she’d ever had—maybe with a hint of spice?

  “This is delicious,” she purred as she leaned back and watched as the pine trees sped by, the sunlight spilling through the branches and glinting off the ice.

  “My grandmother will be happy to hear that,” he said. “It’s one of her specialties.”

  “Well, that would be one she’d certainly pass down for posterity,” Mira said as she took another sip.

  Tony cleared his throat and gripped the steering wheel. Mira turned toward him and cocked her head, wondering if she’d said something wrong. She really liked Tony, though, so she decided if she was in for a penny she may as well be in for a pound.

  “Your mother doesn't like hot chocolate?” she asked.

  He glanced quickly in her direction before turning back, his eyes on the road. She felt bad — there was no sign of dimples on his face at the moment.

  "My parents died when I was a baby, in an accident while they were on vacation," he said quietly. "I never knew her, but my grandma does say that she liked hot chocolate. A lot."

  Mira’s heart sunk at the information. Even though her mother was a little difficult — well, very difficult — she couldn't imagine what it would be like never to have known her. She reached over and placed her hand on Tony's arm, giving it a little squeeze as she rested her elbow on top of Gorgeous George's head. "I'm sorry, Tony. That must be very hard.”

  Tony shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly, I never got to know her. We lived with my grandmother at the time they died. Grandma raised me and is everything to me. She's been the best mother I could hope for."

  He pushed his hat back up on his forehead and patted the steering wheel.

  “How about lunch?” Tony asked as he turned down the main road to the ranch. He glanced quickly at his watch. “Or maybe a late breakfast?”

  “Lunch sounds great,” Mira said as he turned on the road back toward the ranch, and she packed all the questions she had for him back in her heart.

  "Working days, I haven't been able to get out for lunch much," she said. "Or for dinner, either, I guess."

  Tony turned toward her and asked, “Are you telling me you haven't been to Kelsey's Kafé? I know we just met but you've been here quite a while, right?"

  Mira finished her hot chocolate and screwed the cup back on top of the Thermos. "Yes, a few months, now. But honestly I've spent all of my free time painting." She gestured over toward the mountains and down toward the river. "There's just so much beauty here that I wanted to capture as much of it as I could. Especially since I wasn't sure how long I was going to be around."

  "Is there someplace you need to be? Rather than here at the ranch?" Tony asked as he turned to her, his eyebrows raised.

  Mira didn't think she wanted to tell him how she ended up at River’s End. Not quite yet, so she changed the subject. "What's best to eat at Kelsey's Kafé?"

  "Oh, I see. You get to ask questions but I don't," Tony said.

  She squirmed in the passenger seat, grateful as the cafe came into view. Tony parked the truck and came around to open the door for her, helping her down.

  "Do you think Gorgeous George can wait in the car or might he be hungry?" Tony asked as he tilted his head toward the gnome in the truck, his eyes twinkling.

  Mira laughed. "I think he’ll be all right. We’ll have him back to Jaclyn in no time."

  A pretty blonde who was very pregnant stood behind the counter and waved as they walked in. Tony took off his hat and nodded and she gestured for them to take a table.

  As they sat, Mira grabbed her phone and scrolled through the pictures she’d taken with Gorgeous George. “So what did you think of the spot for the portrait?”

  “I thought it was great,” Tony said as he placed his menu to the side of the table. He flipped through the pictures when she handed him her phone, and he settled on one and handed it back to her.

  “This is the best angle, especially with the light hitting him quite like that. It would make him look like part of the scene.”

  She looked from the phone to him and scrolled back and forth through the pictures. “Wow, you have a good eye. Picked that one right out, and you’re right. It’s the best angle, for sure.”

  She sat back in the booth and looked at him more closely. He certainly was handsome, no doubt about that. But something she thought even more important—he had the eye. He saw the angles, the sun streaming like she did. It was a rare person who had that gift.

  “I’d love to see your paintings some time,” she said. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” she said, laughing as she twisted her fork. Was she actually flirting?

  “I’ll take you up on that,” he said. “You know, my grandma makes all the enchilada sauce for the cafe, and she’s making a ton of enchiladas for the Westons traditional Thanksgiving feast. Interested in coming over sometime and helping? It’s a lot of work, and we could use the extra hands.”

  Mira wasn’t much of a cook and her stomach tightened. “I’m not very good at that stuff.”

  He waved his hand and shrugged. “Not much to it. Shredding cheese, rolling tortillas. Well, I think maybe my grandma makes it look easy, but I’d like to help her and I’d be happy if you’d join us.”

  “Sure,” she said. “That sounds nice. I guess I can learn.”

  “Is tomorrow enchilada day?” the girl in the red snow suit they’d seen before asked as she stepped up to the table, unzipping the padded suit and pulling it off to reveal a turtleneck and plaid shirt underneath. She ran her hand through her short hair and smiled at Mira.

  “Hi, I’m Dani Weston. Haven’t I seen you around before?”

  Mira took her outstretched hand and said, “Hi, I’m Mira. I’ve worked here for a while, but I pretty much keep to myself. Nice to meet you.”

  “Same here,” Dani said as she looked around. “I can be there to help if you need me.”

  Tony cleared his throat and glanced from Mira to Dani. “Mira agreed to help, so I think we’re all set.”

  Dani’s eyebrows rose and she smiled at Tony and nudged him in the shoulder. “Okay, I get it. Not needed. Check.”

  Mira flushed and looked down at her menu. Surely they could use more hands than just her inexperienced ones.

  “Nice to meet you, Mira,” Dani said as she turned toward the kitchen. “I’m sure I’ll see you again.”

  As soon as Dani left, another woman stepped up. This one wore a security guard uniform and Mira watched as she tipped her hat at Tony.

  “Howdy, Tony. Ma’am,” she said as she nodded at Mira and thrust out her hand, giving Mira’s a firm shake. “I’m Charley.”

  “Mira,” she said as she smiled.

  The pretty woman turned back toward Tony. “H
ow’s your day off?”

  “Good, except it’s not actually a day off. I have to work tonight, after you leave. How’s it going on your first day alone?”

  “Okay. Just doing rounds, and have a few phone calls to return after lunch.”

  “Phone calls,” Tony asked as he perused the menu.

  “Yeah, just small stuff. Inquiries and the like. No big deal,” she said as she hooked her thumbs on her belt. “I can handle it.”

  “I’m sure you can,” Tony said as he set the menu down on the table and smiled up at her.

  “I’ll be on my way, then,” she said, tipping her hat at Mira and then at Tony. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. See you later, Sheriff.”

  He winced when she called him sheriff and Mira smiled as he hung his head and the man behind him—who appeared to be a real sheriff with a real badge—turned and said, “Sheriff?”

  “Hey, Shane. I told you Wade wanted me to wear that sheriff get-up. I started yesterday and can’t seem to get folks to stop ribbing me about it.”

  The man hung his arm over the back of the booth, his smile wide. “Well, I appreciate the help. I’m busy keeping my eye on my wife, there. You know how that can be.”

  Tony laughed as he nodded at Kelsi. “Mira, this here is Sheriff Shane Clapper. Shane, meet Mira...um, Mira—” he said as he looked at Mira and cocked his head.

  She never had told him her last name. In fact, she didn’t even know his, which was strange as she was beginning to feel as if she knew him very well.

  Mira smiled and nodded at the sheriff. “Walters. Mira Walters,” she said.

  “Nice to meet you,” the sheriff said. “That’s my wife Kelsi over there. We’re having a baby.” He beamed proudly at his wife and waved, and was met with a wave and an air kiss.

  Mira met so many people in the cafe that she was tired by the time they’d finished eating and Tony said they’d better be getting Gorgeous George home and themselves, too. Somewhere in there, they’d both need to get some sleep before their night shifts, and Mira happily gave her his hand as he helped her into the truck, her stomach full of good food and her head swimming with happy memories of the day.