The Wranglers' New Chef [The Wranglers of Bear Mountain 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Marla Monroe

  “Don’t worry, Mrs. Marshall. I made sure his meal is within the legal limits of his diet tonight.” She winked at the woman.

  It was obvious the other woman didn’t believe her. That was fine. She knew what had gone into the man’s meal. He wouldn’t have trouble from her food. As she made her way to where Laramie had fixed her spot, people nodded at her and told her how good the food was. She couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride in her work. Still, she wasn’t going to let it go to her head. She still had the guests to impress and please starting tomorrow night.

  “This is amazing, Billy,” Laredo said, leaning closer to her. “I’m impressed. It sounds fancy, but it’s really good.”

  She couldn’t help but chuckle. She knew he was teasing her. He wasn’t going to let it go that she might have assumed they didn’t know their way around a properly set dinner table.

  “Thanks. The crew here want and need filling food, but your guests are going to expect fancy food that showcases the area they’re staying in. That means local meats and such.” She looked around the table and was pleased to see that everyone appeared to be enjoying their food.

  The waitresses kept busy refilling glasses and taking away empty dishes. She started to get up to help them with dessert, but Carol waved her away, saying they could handle it. She nodded and let them work. It was refreshing to know that they would do their job and were happy doing it. There was no backbiting or fussing going on between any of them.

  She found herself watching as the twin’s father took his first bite of the hot apple cobbler with a side of fat free ice-cream. The look of delight on his face warmed her heart. She grinned at him when he lifted his glass in her direction.

  “You know mom’s going to fuss at him for eating all of it,” Laredo whispered to Laramie sitting on the other side of her.

  They chuckled over her head. She grinned, knowing that what she’d made wasn’t in the least bit dangerous to his health. When Laredo caught the smug smile, he frowned and leaned close to whisper in her ear.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  “You two are. You asked me to make something he could eat on his diet, and when I do, you act like I had ignored you about it.”

  “We know you didn’t ignore us. You just didn’t have a lot of time to prepare for a special diet,” Laramie whispered in her other ear.

  Billy shook her head. “I’m a professional. I have to be able to produce in a pinch. Everything you guys ate and your father ate was on his diet. Even the ice cream is fat free. I can provide you with the recipe and show you if you’d like.”

  “Even this apple cobbler? It’s delicious,” Laredo admitted.

  “Even the apple cobbler. I made it from scratch, so I know what’s in it. Food can still taste good even when it’s good for you.” She grinned at them.

  They shook their heads and continued eating. She relaxed and finished her dessert. Then she got up and helped the waitresses clear the tables. Everyone congratulated her on a great meal and begged her to marry them. She laughed and brushed them off, knowing it was all said in jest. When she looked up though, she noticed that Laredo was scowling at her. She quickly lowered her head and retreated to the kitchen. Obviously she’d stepped out of line in how she joked back and forth with the others.

  Nearly an hour later, she had most of the dishes either washed or in the automatic dishwasher as the last waitress filed out of the kitchen with her sincere thanks for a job well done. She leaned back against the counter to relax her aching back and enjoyed the quiet in the room for a moment. She would go back over everything and make notes on what she wanted to do differently next time later. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy the pleasure of a successful evening.

  The door to the kitchen swooshed open and Mrs. Marshall swept into the room with a smile on her face. The lines at the corners of her eyes and mouth spoke of someone who smiled often. Billy liked that.

  “Mrs. Marshall. Can I get you something?” She stood up straight again.

  “Call me Betty. Please. May I call you Billy Jean or do you prefer Billy?” she asked.

  “Oh, either is fine. I get both.” She smiled back at the woman because it wasn’t possible not to. She oozed warmth and affection.

  “That meal was absolutely wonderful, dear. Then Laredo assured me that everything we ate was made according Frank’s diet restrictions and I had to come and thank you personally. My cooking leaves a lot to be desired with what he’s allowed to have. I know he misses how I used to cook,” she said.

  “I only went on your sons’ assurance that he was on a low fat and low salt diet. If he has other restrictions, I can adjust to them. Just get me a copy of his diet and I’ll make sure he sticks to it here, too.”

  “More than likely, you even managed to cut out more than I have been able to. I’d love a copy of the recipe you used for that apple cobbler. He’s over the moon happy. And thanks for the leftovers, too.” Betty took her by surprise and hugged her.

  “Oh, well I’m glad he enjoyed it. I’ll be glad to write it down for you. Do you have a minute?” she asked.

  “Yes, of course. I’m so excited you’re here. Now I won’t worry quite so much about coming to visit. I’ve worried he would eat too much of what wasn’t good for him if he came very often. He’s been chomping at the bit to get over here.”

  Betty talked nonstop while she wrote out the recipe for the apple cobbler as well as the dressing she’d made. She learned more about the original ranch and how their sons had saved it by taking over. They’d resigned themselves to losing it with Frank’s health deteriorating like it had. She was glad they’d cared enough about their parents and the land to step in.

  “If you’ll get me a copy of his official diet, I’ll help you make up some dishes he likes that conforms to his needs. It will make it easier on you if he enjoys what he’s eating. I trained to be able to adjust for special dietary needs. I’m only too happy to help,” she offered.

  She wasn’t prepared to have Betty wrap her in another bear hug. She had to fight to breathe through it. When she let go, Billy realized she was near tears. She missed the closeness she’d once had with her parents. It was all gone now. Until that moment, she hadn’t actually felt just how much it was true.

  “Betty Boop! Time to go, hon. The boys need to work on last minute details and get some rest.” Frank Marshall ambled in using the cane with the twins right behind him looking like new fathers watching a baby take his first steps.

  “I’m ready, Frank. I’ve kept Billy Jean from finishing up in here.” She looked back at her with a frown. “I’m sorry. I’ve made you late getting finished.”

  “Not at all. I enjoyed talking with you,” she assured the woman.

  “We’ll help her get things squared away for the night, mom,” Laramie told her.

  “Young lady. Thank you for that wonderful meal. I can’t wait to come back and see what else you have up your sleeve.” He winked at her then wrapped his arm around his wife. “Let’s go, dear.”

  Laredo followed them out leaving Laramie behind. She swallowed nervously then turned back to the sink to start drying the big bowls that she didn’t put in the automatic washer. Large hands settled on her shoulders startling her.

  “I’ll do this. I know where these go. You take care of whatever else needs doing.” Laramie easily snagged the bowl and drying cloth out of her hands.

  “Really, I can do it,” she fussed.

  “I know, but tomorrow is a big day for all of us. Let’s just finish up and get to bed.”

  Billy tried not to let that thought take her to forbidden territory, but it did anyway. Her pussy grew moist. She quickly walked away before he realized how she’d taken his statement. It hadn’t been meant to tease her. Everything about the twins stirred her blood. She had to get better control of herself or she was going to ruin her chances of finding he dream job. She’d be known instead as the chef who had a thing for bosses and squash any hopes she had of ever getting out of t
here.

  Minutes later when she turned around to see if Laramie was finished drying and putting away the serving bowls and other odds and ends, he was standing right behind her. His clean, masculine scent reached her less than a second before he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, ruining her efforts at keeping him at arm’s length.

  Almost immediately, she’d lost herself in Laramie’s kiss. His flavor, similar to Laredo’s yet still different, was like an aphrodisiac on her tongue. The same tongue he took control of and sucked on in an erotic rhythm.

  The slam of a door jarred her from the kiss, a cruel parody of the one she heard slamming on her career in her head. Even as she looked around Laramie, she knew it was Laredo. Not only had the door slammed, but a veritable hardware store of locks appeared on it to slam the point home. The look on Laredo’s face was the last straw. She began to tremble and worried she would pass out. What had she done?

  Chapter Seven

  Laredo fought to hold on to the thin thread of control that was fast unraveling inside of him. The sight of his twin kissing Billy tugged at his chest as if she meant something to him. She didn’t, couldn’t. She was their employee and off limits. Laramie knew that. No, they didn’t have a policy in place to stop it, but mixing sex with business was a recipe for disaster. He groaned at that very timely thought.

  When the door slammed behind him, Billy had jerked from his brother’s arms. A guilty expression slid across her face an instant before her face crumpled into defeat. A mask of resignation quickly replaced it as her eyes dulled, their brilliant blue light doused. She slowly removed the still crisp white jacket she wore when in the kitchen.

  “Laredo,” his brother began, taking a step toward him.

  “Are you finished with cleanup, Billy?” Laredo asked, ignoring his brother for the moment.

  “Yes, sir.” She didn’t look at him, her eyes remained downcast, her fingers fidgeting with one another.

  “Get a good night’s sleep. Breakfast is early in the morning with our guests arriving after lunch.” He watched as she carefully hung the jacket up before skirting widely around him to get to the door. He didn’t say another word until she’d left, the kitchen door closing softly with a snap behind her.

  He waited until he was sure she’d had time to reach the stairs then he turned back to his brother. Laramie stood feet planted wide apart, arms crossed. They rarely had disagreements, and when they did, they reasoned them out fairly easily. This, he didn’t think, would be that simple. Deep down inside, he knew this was serious. It wasn’t just about him flirting with an employee. It was about their futures.

  He dug his fingers through his hair, amazed he hadn’t pulled it out in clumps by now. Between their father’s stroke and the threat of losing the ranch, Laredo had surely carved a furrow in his skull by now with all of the stress and pressure they’d taken on. He couldn’t accept it all on his shoulders. His brother had shared in it, though not to the extent that he had. Laramie tended to be more action oriented while he was the planner of the two.

  And here they were about to have words over a woman. In all their years of skirt chasing and dating, they’d never allowed a woman to come between them. They had always liked the same women, being attracted to the same general type of female form and personality, yet either one or the other would back away and let the other have free reign. It didn’t look like that was going to happen this time. Evidently Billy was the one woman worth fighting for in both of their eyes. Until he’d walked in and seen her wrapped in Laramie’s arms, he hadn’t realized just how important she’d already become to him.

  “Hell,” he snapped.

  At the same time, his twin growled out, “Fuck.”

  “It isn’t her fault. I kissed her, took her by surprise. Don’t blame her,” Laramie said in a harsh voice.

  “What is she to you, Laramie?” he asked, looking him straight in the eyes.

  Laramie took a step back. Understanding widened his younger brother’s eyes before they narrowed and he spat out another curse. It was all Laredo really needed to hear. What the fuck were they going to do?

  “You didn’t say anything,” Laramie accused.

  “I didn’t hear you lay claim to her either, brother.”

  “You knew I was attracted to her,” his twin said.

  “Guess I missed the switch from attraction to full-blown pursing. It’s been less than a fucking week, Laramie.” Laredo resisted the urge to pull at his hair.

  “What did I miss? I hadn’t realized that you’d said more than a few words to her. Your week doesn’t last any longer than mine does, brother.”

  Laredo sighed. Without another word, he walked out into the dining room and across to the bar. They weren’t open tonight since they didn’t have guests, but as he was one of the bosses, he had the key to the liquor cabinets. He could feel his brother dogging his heels. Christ, they didn’t need this tonight. Not the night before their first guests of the season arrived.

  He unlocked the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Jack then reached below the counter and snagged two glasses. Laramie had already opened the bottle and poured two fingers into each glass. They both downed the amber liquid, barely a wince from either of them, and Laramie poured again. This time they walked over to a table and sat down.

  “What are we going to do?” Laramie finally asked.

  “Fuck if I know. She’s our chef and she’s damn good. We can’t afford to lose her at this stage in the show. On top of that, we both want her. I suspect that neither one of us would be worth much if she left. How in the hell did she get under our skin this fast?” he asked before taking another sip of the whiskey. He relished the slow burn on the way down.

  “Do you love her?” his brother asked quietly.

  “Hell, I don’t know. Like I said, we just met her. But there’s something there, something that’s got my gut all knotted up and my head squirrely.”

  “Yeah,” Laramie said.

  They sat there for a while longer, sipping and staring into their shot glasses as if they were crystal balls. No matter how hard they stared, they didn’t show even a hint of the future to them.

  Laredo cleared his throat. “Do you remember what Dad used to tell us about falling in love with Mom?”

  Laramie looked up with a frown that slowly changed to a scowl before it settled into a ghost of a smile. Then the smile faded into worry.

  “He saw her across the room at a county dance after a 4H show. He was only sixteen at the time, but he knew right then that he was going to marry her. He didn’t even know her name or where she was from. Said it felt like a rope stretched between them and tied them together in that instant when their eyes met.” He looked over at his brother across the table. It was obvious that he’d felt the same thing.

  “But both of us? Why? Just because we’re identical twins doesn’t make us identical in everything. We have different personalities and different likes,” Laramie argued. “Why should we latch on to the same woman?”

  “I don’t have the answers. I’m not even sure what the questions are anymore. Do we both pursue her and let her decide? Or do we try and ignore this—this connection we have and hope that it fades over time?” Laredo asked.

  “I don’t want to compete against you, and it’s not fair to put her in that kind of position, anyway,” Laramie began. “As for just ignoring it, good luck with that. I tried that. It didn’t work out so well.”

  “In the meantime,” Laredo downed the last of the whiskey and stood up. “We have a ranch to run with guests that don’t care about our love life. We’re going to be busy for the next few days tending to them as well as the running of the breeding program. Just leave things be for now, Laramie.”

  Laramie nodded but didn’t stand up. He stared out the window into the night. By the grip he had on the shot glass, his brother was fighting as hard as he was to remain as calm as possible. “Wait and see” wasn’t a part of his vocabulary. Although he had patience enough to lie in wai
t for an enemy in the worst of conditions for hours and days on end, Laramie didn’t do “wait and see” without a plan.

  Laredo left him there in the dark and dropped off his dirty glass in the kitchen next to the sink. Then he locked up as he walked out of the lodge to his truck. It was after ten. A Montana night rife with the nocturnal sounds of nature filled his ears as he climbed up into the cab of his truck. On the short drive to their cabin, he thought over every second he’d spent in Billy’s presence, trying to pinpoint the instant he’d moved her from employed chef to important person status in his head. It seemed to be a series of moments, each building on the last until she held a piece of him he hadn’t realized he was missing.

  But is it my heart? Can I love her after only a few days—just one kiss?

  His father had only looked at their mother once and knew. Hell, he hadn’t even gotten to speak to her until much later in the night. He couldn’t shake the memory of how her voice had affected him when he’d first spoken with her over the phone. Even then he’d been aware of her.

  Laredo couldn’t figure out why he was so reluctant to accept the possibility that she was meant for him. Something inside of him kept urging him to walk away, push her away, or maybe even send her away. Why? What did his subconscious know that he wasn’t getting?

  And it hit him. Winning her could very well cost him his relationship with his brother, not to mention the ranch. If he pursued her and managed to convince her to accept him, Laramie wouldn’t be able to deal with losing a piece of his soul yet seeing her every day. He’d leave. Laredo knew that in his heart because that is what he’d have to do if their positions were reversed. And they might be. He might have to leave in order to keep the peace and his sanity.

  How could something that would tear his family apart be right? Laredo was no closer to an answer when he pulled into their drive than he’d been when he left the lodge only moments before. He stepped down from the truck and climbed the steps leading up to their wraparound porch. Turning, he looked out over the ranch from his vantage point above it. It had been in their family for generations. He and Laramie were adding their stamp in keeping it there. But in the great scheme of things, where was his heart? Was it with the ranch, his family, or slowly wrapping around a pipe dream called Billy?