Sun Burnt

by Cat Miller

  Kesslyn climbed the few steps to the long front porch and pulled out her key, but the door wasn’t locked. It was going to be hard for her to adjust the trusting way of life in the country. She pushed open the door and was greeted by delicious smells coming from the kitchen and Frank Sinatra’s smooth tones floating in the air. Kesslyn headed straight towards the smell of food. She was starving, and she’d been too out of sorts when she left Mr. Baird’s to try to find a grocery store.

  She pushed open the swinging door to the kitchen to find a lovely woman with steel grey hair in a tidy twist on the back of her head. She wore an apron over her pink dress and shiny black heels on her small feet. The outfit was so out of place in the kitchen. The lady looked like a gracefully aged June Clever. Kesslyn could only hope to age so well.

  The elegant woman was stirring one pot and supervising the progress in a couple of others. She peeked into the oven where two trays of what looked like homemade rolls were baking. Kesslyn’s mouth watered.

  When the woman turned and saw Kesslyn standing there, tears came to her eyes. She put down her pot holders and looked Kesslyn over. Kesslyn stepped into the room and extended a hand.

  “Hello. I’m Kesslyn Walker,” she introduced herself feeling a little perplexed by the tears on the other woman’s cheeks.

  “I know who you are, sweet girl. You have the look of your daddy.” Instead of taking Kesslyn’s proffered hand, the woman pulled her into a tight hug. The hug was a bit awkward for Kesslyn at first until she relaxed into it. This woman had obviously known her father. It was true that she looked just like her dad. The only trait she inherited from her mother was the auburn hair.

  “Oh, now, looking at me crying all over you. Please forgive me. I’ve only recently learned of your father’s passing, and so soon after Russell and Claire.” The woman released her and dabbed at her tears with a delicate handkerchief she retrieved from her handbag.

  “I totally understand. There’s no need to apologize.”

  “Let me introduce myself properly. I am Tippy Nelson. I worked for your grandparents from the day your granddaddy inherited this land until just after your grandma passed on to her reward.” She gestured toward the long kitchen table.“Have a seat, baby. I’ll get you some iced tea, and we’ll talk.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Tippy. I could use a drink.” Kesslyn sat and took the tall glass of sweet tea gratefully.

  “Just call me Tippy. We’re family. No need for formality, baby.” She took a seat.“Let’s see. Where to start?” She tapped her chin.“At the beginning, I suppose. I went to school with your grandma. Claire and I were the best of friends. So when she and Russell took over the ranch, and they were in need of a cook, she insisted I come give it a try. The rest, as they say, is history.” She smiled, and tiny lines creased the corners of her eyes.“I was what your granddaddy called the chief bottle washer. I worked here in the big house. I did most of the cooking and supervising of the other employees, other than the cattlemen, of course. We have a foreman for that.”

  “So you knew my dad.” She must have if she’d worked for the Walkers since her grandfather took over the ranch when he was thirty. Her father would have been around five by then.

  Tippy smiled fondly.

  “I did. I changed the boy’s diapers. Your grandma and I were friends. He was a good boy. Never gave his parents any trouble. Until he decided to go off to law school that is. Your daddy went to college to learn about business and such, but he came home and decided he didn’t want to run the family business. He was a hell of a cowboy, but he didn’t have a passion for it the way his daddy did.”

  “Is that why they stopped speaking?” Finally, a reason for the split. Kesslyn really wanted to understand what had torn her family apart.

  “Well . . .” Tippy hesitated.

  “I’d really like to know why I never got to meet my grandparents, Tippy. Please tell me.”

  “Okay. You’re right. You deserve to know.” She took a slow breath.“Your granddaddy didn’t want your father to go to law school, but he gave in and sent him anyway. Russell figured the boy could use his knowledge of business and law to grow and protect the company. He truly believed your father would get to missing life on the ranch, come to his senses, and settle into life here in Walker Creek. It didn’t happen that way.”

  “Dad really wanted to be a lawyer.”

  “Yes, he did, but in my opinion, that wasn’t the reason he and your grandfather never spoke again.”

  Kesslyn waited expectantly. She really wished she’d questionedher dad more adamantly about this part of his life. When she was younger and asked questions about her grandparents, he said he’d tell her when she was older. When she got older, he would get very testy if she brought it up. So she stopped asking.

  “Your father met your mother when he was finishing up his law degree.”

  Kesslyn knew this story. They met on spring break in Daytona Beach. It was love at first sight according to the happy couple. Mom was working a job she loved as a nurse at the University of Maryland. Dad followed her back to Baltimore and asked her to marry him.

  “Your father was in love, and he wanted to go be with Lara. Your granddaddy got it into his head that this unknown young woman was a gold-digger out to capitalize on his son’s soft heart, and he told your father so.” Tippy shook her head.“He gave your father an ultimatum then. Either he came home and worked for the family, or he would be cut off. No money. No help of any kind. He would be alone in the world.”

  Kesslyn’s mouth fell open. Her mother was not a gold-digger!

  “Don’t get yourself all worked up, baby. Your granddaddy reacted in the moment and said some unkind things. It wasn’t long before he calmed down and regretted it very much. Your father wasn’t the kind of man who threw the L word around, and we all knew it. He said he’d never be alone in the world, because he would always have his Lara by his side. He left that night, and we never saw him again.”

  “Never? If Granddad knew he was wrong, why didn’t he call? Apologize? Something?”

  “That’s the thing about men, baby. They’re stubborn. Russell wanted his son to apologize for walking out on the family, the business, the town. All of it. He knew he was wrong about what he’d said about Lara, but the rest of it he wouldn’t budge on. He wanted your daddy to come to him first.”

  “My dad would never do that.” Kesslyn knew her father.

  “I can’t say for certain, but I believe the insult to your mother was the reason your father never returned.”

  That Kesslyn could believe. Her parents were inseparable. The love and devotion between them was a tangible thing. She hoped to one day know a love like that.

  “I agree. I think my dad was just as stubborn. He wouldn’t have come back after being disowned. He certainly wouldn’t have overlooked the insult to Mom. He would have waited for his father to come to him.”

  They sat quietly for a bit, contemplating what might have been if one or the other of the men had reached out over the years.

  “You stopped working here when my grandma passed away?” Kesslyn asked.

  “I went into retirement at your granddaddy’s insistence. I really should have retired much sooner, but I enjoyed the work. I like to be busy. The ranch house was always a busy place. Many of the cowboys living here in the bunk house usually ate dinner here.” She gestured around the room. The table was long and wide.“The bunk houses also have kitchens, and they have a cook, too, but some of the boys just loved my cooking. Your grandparents always welcomed everyone as long as they behaved.”

  “Grandma didn’t cook?”

  “She did sometimes, especially if she wanted to make something special for your granddaddy, but Claire was more of a business woman than a homemaker. She oversaw the business end of things while Russell ran that cattle. She was one smart cookie. That kept her busy most of her life. When the cancer took her, Russell just kind of gave up. He gave me a generous retirement and hired another cook to feed the cow
boys out in the bunk houses. I would come by to check on him most days, but he wasn’t interested in life anymore after Claire was gone. His foreman was running the ranch. Hodges, that’s Mr. Baird, was taking care of the business. We all hoped Russell would come around, but not even a year after Claire passed, Russell had a heart attack.”

  “He died of a broken heart, do you think?”

  “Yes, baby. He did. No one’s been here in months.” She looked around.“Hodges called to tell me you arrived yesterday. I left straight from church this morning to come fill the cupboards and supervise the cleaners. They’ll be here soon. If I’d known you were coming, I would have had everything in order.”

  “You shouldn’t come out on Sunday, Tippy. I don’t know why you came, at all. Goodness, it isn’t even your job anymore. I would have made do. I hate to be a bother. I was really surprised Mr. Baird wanted to see me on a Sunday. Tomorrow was soon enough.”

  “Yes, well, you’ll find that many people are willing to go out of their way to please you, Ms. Walker.” There was a lot of emphasis placed on her name. Yeah, she’d already learned she would get special treatment.“As far as I go, it’s like I said, we’re family. I’m only doing what I know your grandma would do for one of my kids or grandkids. I have no intention of coming out of retirement to run this kitchen again, but I’d like to help out until we get you some permanent help hired and trained up.”

  Tippy went back to the stove to stir her pots. She made a pleased sound and added a little salt to one of the pots.“I’m making beef stew for supper.” She smiled at Kesslyn over her shoulder.“With high quality Walker Ranch beef.”

  Kesslyn smiled back. She didn’t want to mention that she wasn’t exactly sure she’d be needing permanent help, but the more she learned about the town and her family connection to it, the closer she got to staying. She thought of Beau again. If she stayed in Walker Creek, she might find him again. Damn. She really needed to stop thinking about that hot ass cowboy.

  “You mentioned the foreman. I’m supposed to be meeting him here any time now. Has he been working here as long as you?” She needed to get her head back in the right place, and that was not in Beau Knox’s pants.

  “Oh, my, no. The current foreman has only been on the job for a few years. His grandfather was the foreman for thirty years before he retired. He passed away recently as well. It’s been a sad time in Walker Creek.” She dabbed at her eyes.“Beauregard was a good man. He and his wife raised his grandson up right, too. The boy’s momma and daddy both abandoned him, but he never used it as an excuse to act out. No, ma’am. That man learned beside his granddaddy and earned his position here on Walker Ranch. He’s a young man but he works hard. Your granddaddy loved him. We watched him grow up here on the ranch, running cattle.”

  Tippy kept talking about the new foreman. She was praising his skill and ensuring Kesslyn that her cattle were in expert hands. He was the best of foremen, and all of the cattlemen respected him and followed his direction, despite his youth. Tippy was still talking, but Kesslyn’s mind had caught on one word. Beauregard. Why did she feel like she should know that name?

  The front door opened without a knock, and the sound of heavy booted footsteps quickly approached the kitchen.

  “Here he comes now. I promise, you’ll like him. He’s quite a charmer,” Tippy was saying as the kitchen door swung open.

  The big blond man in jeans, boots, and Stetson hat was already familiar to Kesslyn. She stared at him, trying desperately not to slide out of her chair onto the floor. This was not the sexy ass man in a finely tailored suite she’d danced with at Hooligans. It was not the professional-looking panty melter who gave her first and only one-night-stand. No, this was far, far worse. This was that man dressed as a cowboy. A heart-stopping, world-rocking, denim-wearing cowboy. Kesslyn was furious.

  “Kesslyn, baby, let me introduce you to Beau Knox. He’s the foreman here on the W. That’s what you’ll hear the cattleman call it.” She turned slightly and gestured to Kesslyn.“Beau, this is Kesslyn . . .”

  “Kesslyn and I have already met, Tippy.”

  Beau strode over to her with that loose limb gait that made her heart stutter. He took Kesslyn’s hand and kissed it. Her whole arm tingled, and she couldn’t stop her hand from wrapping around his fingers.

  “The question is why you are here, Tippy? How do you know Kesslyn, and why is she here?” Beau never took his eyes off hers while he spoke to Tippy. He looked arrogantly pleased about finding her here. As if maybe he thought she had hunted him down.“As much as I’m dying to catch up with you, Yankee, I can’t just now. I’m meeting the new owner of the W. He should be here by now, actually. Why don’t you go back to your room in town, and I’ll meet you there a little later.” His words combined with his beaming smile confirmed her suspicion. This arrogant jerk thought she’d followed him to his job. Beau believed she was there just for him. Him and his monster dick.

  Her brain was still trying to assimilate what it thought it knew about Beau, the professional with the truth, Beau the even hotter ranch foreman. It just wasn’t computing yet. Tippy’s next words whipped the smile right off his handsome face.

  “As I was saying, Beau, I’d like to introduce you to Kesslyn.” Beau looked over to Tippy with confusion.“Kesslyn Walker is the daughter of Russell, Jr. and the new owner of Walker Ranch.”

  FOUR

  Beau stormed into the barn and headed straight for Zeus’s stall. He needed a long, hard ride. Judging by the way Zeus snorted and stomped his hooves, he was ready to oblige. He patted the beautiful, grey gelding’s neck. Several other horses stuck their heads out of their stalls in search of attention. He was such a sucker for animals. Beau calmed his racing blood and went down the line, patting and praising each animal as he went.

  He’d been thinking about his sweet yankee redhead and little else since Saturday night. He’d made up his mind to head over to the hotel after his meeting with Russell Walker, Jr., the new owner of the W. He could only hope Kesslyn was still there. If not, he was going to attempt charming Kesslyn’s last name, and maybe even an address or phone number, out of Ms. Betty at the registration desk. Then, he’d find that girl and see where things led, because damn it, he wanted more of that woman. She was so luscious and warm. The scent of her, the flavor of her sweetness lingered hotly in his memory, and Beau wanted more.

  It turns out he wouldn’t have to go to all that trouble to locate the woman. Finding Tippy hard at work in the Walker kitchen had been a pleasant surprise after seeing the house vacant for so long. Walking into that kitchen to find the very woman who’d had his cock hard for days was even better. He was such an idiot sometimes. What had he been thinking, that maybe she’d been just as enthralled by their encounter as he had? That’s exactly what he’d thought was going on. Beau’s ego swelled at the idea that his little obsession had somehow searched him out. It wouldn’t be hard. All she’d have to do is ask about him in town. Anybody she met would know where to find him.

  He was looking into those eyes, those deep blue eyes the color of the evening sky, and imagining getting her into an actual bed so he could play out all the fantasies plaguing him so relentlessly. He wanted her naked and open to him. He wanted to taste every inch of that creamy skin before he claimed her body again. Beau was already mentally peeling her out of that sundress and releasing her gorgeous auburn hair from its ponytail when Tippy dropped a bomb at his booted foot.

  Her name was Kesslyn Walker of the Walker Creek, Walkers. She wasn’t just the boss’s daughter. No, she was the boss. It seemed that no one in Walker Creek, including his late employer, had been aware that Russell, Jr. had been killed along with his wife two years before. Tippy went on about how the town was in shock, but thankfully Kesslyn had come to take over Walker Ranch. Beau just stared at Kesslyn in horror.

  Their meeting had been short and stilted. Tippy had picked up on the tension immediately and tried to smooth things over. Tippy did most of the talking while he and Kesslyn
tried to pretend all was well.

  It was decided that Kesslyn would be working with Tippy for the next day or two to find more staff for the big house. Tippy would also be taking Kesslyn to meet all the appropriate people in town. Yeah, because she practically owned the son of a bitchin’ town. Everyone would want to meet their patroness.

  This couldn’t be happening. Kesslyn was his yankee princess, not his fucking boss. She was a sexy, unattached woman he wanted to get to know better. Not a fucking millionaire who was far above his reach. Damn it! He wanted to shout. He wanted something.

  Kesslyn came striding into the barn with fire in her eyes. She skidded to a halt when she saw him leaving the tack room with Zeus’s saddle.

  “Oh, I thought you left,” she said with her cute little nose turned up. She went to the nearest stall to inspect Butterscotch, the silky brown mare leaning her head over the stall door in search of an affectionate pat.

  “I work here, Ms. Walker. I thought we’d just had this discussion.” He didn’t know why she was acting like the injured party here. He was the one who’d be fighting his lust for the boss for the rest of his natural life. He groaned inwardly. Why hadn’t he gone to the hotel yesterday? He could have at least tasted her one more time before she was moved from his reach.

  “Isn’t that interesting?” she grumbled to the horse.“I’m Ms. Walker now.”

  It was clear that she was just as peeved as he was, but Beau could see no reason for her attitude. He was glad she’d come out to the barn. It was better they had it out now. There were no witnesses around to spread the tale to all of Walker Creek.

  “You got a problem with me, Kesslyn Walker? Because if I’m gonna get shit-canned, I’d like to know now.”

  “No, Beau, I don’t have a problem with you, and I have no intention of firing a foreman who by all accounts is the best cowboy around.” She glared in his direction.

  Kesslyn moved down the line to look at the next horse. It was Samson, a big black stud. He was usually a little testy with strangers, and Beau was about to warn her, but Samson seemed to preen under Kesslyn’s attention, showing off for the pretty lady. Beau couldn’t blame the animal. He wanted her attention too.