Maybe now that people had seen the new food choices, more of them would come here to eat.
She glanced back at Nick, who was calmly cooking and plating food amidst the turmoil in the kitchen. He’d taken her suggestion and moved some of the food prep stations around as well as relocated the pantry. So now, instead of a frenzied mess, the cooks moved in more of a chaotic, syncopated rhythm. Nick looked as cool as a cucumber, but he had to be as excited as she was.
“How’s it going out there?” Nick asked.
“Still packed.” Sam went to him. “Hargrove looks content, and all the pecan pies are gone. I guess we should have made more.” Between her and Beulah they’d made sixteen pecan pies. Each pie served ten, which meant the restaurant must have served at least eighty people. She imagined it was probably the best night they’d had in a while.
The smile on Nick’s face said it all. He was pleased. “Well, if you’re done then why don’t you go out and join the others?”
Sam scanned the kitchen. There were several sous-chefs chopping and frying, but she could do any of those jobs. “I could stay here and help you.”
Nick leaned over and dropped a kiss on her nose. “No problem, I got it covered. It’s almost closing, and there’re only a few more orders. I want to make sure they come out perfect. Why don’t you go out and relax?”
“Okay.” Sam would have liked to have stayed and cooked, but she didn’t want to be pushy. Maybe Nick didn’t want her around in the kitchen? She tossed her apron in the laundry barrel and headed out front. Tessa waved her over. She pulled out a chair and slid in beside her.
“Hey, awesome pie, Sam.” Cash pointed to his empty dish.
“Thanks.”
“Could use a bit more bourbon,” Melina said, holding up a forkful. She was apparently more sober than the last time Sam had seen her and didn’t look the least bit embarrassed. Did she even remember the other day in the bar? “But it’s pretty good. Beulah, on the other hand, poured it in like water.”
“Yeah, she can drink it like water, too,” Jackson joked.
Sam eyed the money in the middle of the table. “I see you guys have a bet going. Who’s coming out the winner?”
“I think it’s even,” Iris said diplomatically.
“But we’re not telling who voted for who,” Cash cut in.
“As long as Hargrove liked them, I don’t really care who wins.” Sam snuck a look at the corner booth where Hargrove was smiling up at Beulah.
“I think he likes more than the pie,” Jackson said.
Sam’s brows shot up. “Really? Beulah?”
“She’s only in her nineties. Still plenty of spunk in her,” Kade joked.
“Well, I’m hoping her pie wins.” Sam glanced at the glass container at the front near the podium. It looked like a giant cognac glass and was filled with the little pieces of paper that customers had used to cast their vote for which pie they liked best. Rena was standing next to it, taking out the pieces to tally the score.
“Really?” Tessa leaned in and lowered her voice. “I think your pie was better.”
“Yeah, but Beulah is older. I have more opportunities in front of me to enter pie contests.”
Tessa regarded her out of the corner of her eye. “Oh, so does that mean you’ll be staying in Sweetrock?”
Sam jerked her gaze from the giant cognac glass to Tessa. “I didn’t say that. I think they have pie contests everywhere.”
Did they? The truth was Sam actually had pictured herself entering them right here in Sweetrock.
“I know. But I would love it if you stayed here, and I think there is someone else who would love it, too.” Tessa’s eyes flicked toward the kitchen.
Sam shifted in her seat. “Well, I don’t know about that. I mean, I haven’t known Nick that long…”
Tessa waved her hand in the air. “Oh, come on. He’s smitten. Any idiot can see that, and I should know. I know Nick better than most anyone. And I know you pretty good, too, and I have a feeling the smitten-ness might be mutual.”
Sam blushed. She was smitten, but how long would that last? Was one week of knowing someone enough to base a future on? Then again, she didn’t really have much of a future in Boston. There wasn’t much to lose back there. But organized planners didn’t pick up and move halfway across the country on a whim.
And what about Nick? He probably didn’t even want her to move out here, though Tessa seemed pretty sure and she’d known Nick since they were kids. Sam knew that Tessa, Nick, and Cash were almost like brothers and sister. They knew how to read each other.
“I’ve never seen him look at a girl quite the way he looks at you, Sam. And I’ve seen him look at a lot of girls,” Tessa added as if reading her mind. “What have you really got back in Boston, anyway?”
“Well, my family is near there, and I love the city life.” Sam liked living close to her parents and her sister, but the truth was she didn’t see them all that often. Not only that, but she realized that these past couple of days she hadn’t even missed the city life. The beautiful countryside and advantages of living in Montana were growing on her.
Tessa covered Sam’s hand with hers. “Look, I don’t want to pressure you. I’d love it if you stayed, but if you want to go back I understand. In either case, I know you’ll be leaving in a few days so how about you and I go out tomorrow night? We haven’t spent a lot of girl-time since you’ve been here. Unless you’d rather…” Her eyes drifted toward the kitchen again.
“No. I want to spend more time with you. I’ve been so busy with the chili contest, and I apologize for ignoring you. Tomorrow night. It’s a date.”
As if summoned by the conversation, Nick came out of the kitchen, a smile blooming on his face as he approached the table. He stood slightly behind Sam, resting his hand on her shoulder as if it belonged there. “Thanks everyone for coming. It really means a lot.” He looked at the restaurant behind him. “Great turnout, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Awesome.”
“We knew you could do it.”
A round of glass and beer-bottle clinking ensued.
They were seated near the door and when it opened to admit a tall, gorgeous blonde it drew the attention of most of the table, but when she walked into the other room where the bar was, their attention returned to the table. Except for Nick and Cash who were giving each other raised eyebrow looks.
“What’s that about?” Sam murmured to Tessa.
Tessa shrugged. “Who knows with those two. Pretty girl. Probably in town for the fair. One of them probably has their eye on her. Cash, not Nick.”
Sam's chest constricted as images of another blonde—Lizette—flashed through her mind. Lizette had gone after Eddie like a piranha after a goldfish. Though she'd soon realized she was much better off without Eddie, she still felt an ominous pang. Blondes were bad luck for her.
She glanced at Nick, but he wasn't looking at the blonde anymore. He was looking straight at Sam with something in his eyes that made her heart flutter. Her cheeks flamed. Of course Nick wasn't as shallow as Eddie—he didn't have intentions toward the blonde. Tessa was right. He was looking to fix her up with Cash.
Sam didn’t get much of a chance to think further about the blonde. Beulah had come to stand beside Rena. She clapped her hands together loudly. “Okay, now it’s time to announce the winner of the pie contest.”
The restaurant hushed, and everyone looked at Beulah. “Since I made some of the pies,” Beulah paused graciously to accept applause. “We’ve chartered an impartial party to count up the entries. Rena, will you tell us who the winner is, please.”
Beulah made an exaggerated gesture toward Rena, who looked nervous and uncomfortable. Rena held up a pile of papers. “After counting up twice, just to be sure, I can safely say that the winner is…Beulah Grady!”
The restaurant erupted in applause. Sam clapped enthusiastically along with them. She was happy Beulah had won. She didn’t really care about winning. It was f
un just to do the baking. Fun to be in the kitchen at The Chuckwagon using her pastry skills. Fun to cook alongside Nick.
Beulah bowed and hammed it up. Accepting a trophy—an old rodeo trophy they’d pulled out of storage in a pinch just to have something to award.
“Let’s hear it for my competitor, Sam Dunn.” Beulah gestured toward Sam. “Didn’t she do a great job? I think we’re both winners.”
Sam’s cheeks burned as Beulah came over and shook her hand, pulling her in and whispering. “You did good, but stick with me here in Sweetrock, kid, and I’ll teach you how to really make pies.” She winked as she walked away to show her trophy off to some of the customers.
Apparently, most everyone that was there for dinner had stayed to see who won the pie contest and the place emptied out soon after that. They divvied up the money from the pie bet good-naturedly, those who won apologizing to Sam for betting against her.
“Well, Sam, you’re quite a chef. The pie was just as delicious as your chili. I haven’t tasted chili quite like it, actually, and now I’m regretting betting on Nick.” Cash slid teasing eyes in Nick’s direction.
“Thanks.” Sam leaned close and said in a false whisper. “They’re secret family recipes.”
Everyone laughed, and Sam felt like part of the gang as if she’d been hanging with these people her whole life.
Everyone gathered their things to leave, and Tessa turned to Nick. “I have somewhere to go. Maybe you can take Sam home?”
Nick grinned. “My pleasure.”
Tessa shot over her shoulder as she walked away, “I believe she has some extra clothes in the bag I brought her today, so I won’t wait up.”
“Yeah, that’s no problem with me either,” Sam joked. “Not that she gave me any choice.”
“Well, looks like you’re at my mercy.” Nick pulled her close, his eyes dropping to her lips. “I might hold you captive and try to kiss those secret family recipes out of you.”
Sam stepped in closer, her lips a scant inch from his. “Don’t threaten me. I’ll never give those up.”
“No? It sure will be fun trying, though.”
18
Nick woke the next morning with Sam in his arms and a smile on his face. Only two nights together and it already felt right to be waking up holding her. They made the trip to visit Nacho together, and Nick’s heart tugged with the sweetness of watching Sam discover her love for horses.
They were already developing a routine. That felt right, too.
They got to the fairgrounds and went to their separate tents. He couldn’t believe the contest was going to be over in a couple of days, and then what? If he wanted Sam to stay, he had better make his intentions known, but was that really what he wanted?
He’d known her less than a week, but he’d never felt this deeply for any of the other girls he’d dated.
It had felt good to have Sam in The Chuckwagon kitchen cooking with him the night before. Her ideas for rearranging the kitchen had made things flow more smoothly at dinner time, something he really appreciated, especially considering how important it had been to get orders out on time. She’d made some great suggestions for the new menu, too, and he knew she’d be an asset to the restaurant.
But her capabilities in the restaurant were just a bonus. Nick wanted her. He wanted her to stay. But would she want to?
When Nick realized it was ten o’clock, and he hadn’t even looked at the scoreboard, he knew he was in deep. His interest in the chili contest had been over-shadowed by his interest in Sam. In the short week he’d known her, she’d managed to grab a solid hold of his heart and twist up his priorities. But in a good way.
A quick glance over at the scoreboard showed that they were tied again, but he didn’t care. Maybe it didn’t matter which one of them won. Maybe if Sam stayed they could…
“Nicky, look!” Rena’s excited squeal pulled him out of his thoughts. She was standing in front of his booth holding a newspaper. The article from Hargrove must have been published. Nick leaned across the table, apprehension gripping him as he took the paper from her.
“He loved everything and the best part is we have more reservations for tonight!” Rena bubbled.
“That’s awesome.” Nick’s apprehension turned to joy. This might be just what the restaurant needed.
Rena continued. “And a lot of the ladies who reserved wanted to be sure we’d have the new menu in place, so I’ve been busting ass to make that happen. Because you’ve been here.”
“Sorry…” Now Nick felt guilty. He would have been able to help out at the restaurant if he wasn’t here trying to win ten thousand dollars, but he still didn’t want to tell Rena that. Though he did notice she’d stepped up a lot at the restaurant and wanted to do more. Maybe he should tell her. She owned half of it, and he should probably stop trying to shelter her and trust her with the truth. No sense now, though, not when he was so close to staving off the foreclosure. Why worry her over nothing?
Rena waved her hand in the air. “That’s okay. I really like doing the work. I never got a chance to work much because Cyrus was such a control freak and it feels good to be productive.” Rena shivered at the mention of her ex and Nick felt a surge of protectiveness for his little sister. Cyrus had been a first class jerk, and Nick was glad he was out of the picture, but he felt bad that Rena had those memories. Maybe focusing on the restaurant would help make those fade away.
Rena continued. “But anyway, most of the thanks should go to Sam. She came up with the menu, and I think that’s what’s really getting us the interest.”
Nick wanted to run over to Sam’s booth and give her the good news. And thank her. And kiss her. And do a bunch of other things that he probably shouldn’t be thinking about doing right here in the middle of the fair. But customers came and wanted chili. Talking to Sam would have to wait.
In the throng of people, Nick noticed that blonde who he had seen Cash eyeing the day before. Cash must not have been able to catch up to her, though, because he hadn’t said anything to Nick about it. Two days in a row she’d been at the fair and then last night at The Chuckwagon. Nick wondered if she was new in town or just passing through.
A plan started to form in Nick’s mind. Maybe he could help things along. Make sure they ran into each other tonight. Nick knew Cash’s usual haunts so it would be easy to drop a hint to her. Was that meddling? Nick didn’t think so. He wanted his best friend to feel the same things that Nick felt with Sam. Nick didn’t know if the blonde was the one for Cash, but there was only one way to find out…and come to think of it, Cash had been having a bit of a dry spell so, either way, he was sure his friend would appreciate her company.
While Nick had been musing about the blonde, the crowd had died down, and Sam must have taken the opportunity to dash off to the ladies’ room. Nick covered up his crockpots and headed in that same direction, meeting up with her halfway. He pulled her into a secluded section in between two tents.
“Hey there, Mister. Are you trying to sabotage my efforts to dole out chili?” Sam teased, fitting into Nick’s embrace like she’d been made for it.
“I have some good news to tell you and I couldn’t wait.”
“The food review from that food critic Hargrove?” The excited look on Sam’s face had Nick’s heart practically bursting in his chest. Was she just as invested in Hargrove’s write-up about The Chuckwagon as he was?
“Yep, it was very favorable and not only that but Rena stopped by and said the restaurant has been getting more than the usual amount of reservations for tonight. That’s mostly due to your menu changes.” He snugged her close and brushed his lips against hers. “And I wanted to thank you for that.”
“Well, you’re very welcome. Is that the only reason you pulled me into the alley?” She waggled her eyebrows.
“No. I also missed you.”
“I missed you, too.” She kissed him, a long and lingering kiss.
He ran his hands down her back, then shoved them into her b
ack pockets, pulling her close, hip to hip just to show her how much he missed her.
“Hey, you make it hard for me to concentrate on cooking.” Her voice was tight, breathless.
“Well, how do you think it is for me?” Nick pressed even closer.
Sam giggled. “Yes, I can feel how it is for you.”
Nick turned serious. Suddenly, he was desperate to ask Sam to stay, to know if she would even consider it. But his brain was a jumble of words that he couldn’t form into a coherent sentence and his heart, so fragile with vulnerability, was terrified of her answer. “You know, I could use a pastry chef at the restaurant and—“
“Ahem!” Beulah stood in the aisle looking in at them, her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face. “Aren’t you two supposed to be cooking chili?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Nick laughed, reluctantly letting go of Sam. Maybe Beulah’s interruption was for the best. He needed time to think about the proper way to ask Sam to stay. To find the right words. He might only get one chance, and he didn’t want to screw it up. His future happiness depended on it.
19
Sam would have much rather spent the rest of the day between the tents in Nick's arms, but Beulah had a point. She wouldn't win the chili contest if she didn't hand out chili. She rubbed her hand over her lips, which still burned from the kiss and shrugged at Beulah who burst out laughing.
"I warned you about those cowboys, girl. Better be careful." And with that, Beulah strode off in the direction of her tent.
"Well, I guess we better get to it." Nick pulled Sam along, dropping a Kiss on her forehead when they parted to go into their respective tents.
"Were you going to ask me something?" Sam asked.
Nick hesitated. "Later."
A feeling of disappointment washed over her. What had Nick been about to ask and why was he putting it off now? She was genuinely happy about the good review from Hargrove and the surge in reservations. Proud that her menu suggestions might've contributed to that. For a second, she'd thought—hoped—that Nick was going ask her to stay and work in the restaurant.
Some Like It Hot (Sweetrock Cowboy Romance Book 1) Page 12