He forced his eyes off her and back onto the task at hand. It really didn’t matter. It wasn’t like he was looking for a woman to settle down with or anything. No way was that in the cards for him.
Suddenly aware of the hot sun drawing rivulets of sweat down his back, he stuck his shovel in the ground and moved toward the shady area next to the old garage by the barn. Tandy, the ranch cook, had left them a small cooler filled with water bottles. He grabbed one, cracked it open, and took a swig, then angled his head to peer through the window of the garage.
Adam had accommodated his request for a covered place to keep his truck, and Micah gave it a quick check. That and his bank account were pretty much all he had left of his old life.
Pleased to note that his truck had remained undisturbed, he shifted his focus to the old blue pickup next to it. It looked to be a Chevy from the 1940s. Quite a sharp contrast to his own rig, which was barely a year old and gleamed as new as the day he’d taken delivery of it.
“That’s a nice old truck.” He stepped closer, leaning in to get a better look. “Does it run?”
“Don’t know.” Owen had joined him by the cooler. “It’s Janessa’s, but nobody ever drives it.”
Micah nodded. So the girl had an appreciation for old farm trucks. Alarmed by his growing list of reasons to want to get to know her better, he determined to steer his mind in another direction.
He looked over at the house, which was at least ten times the size of the ranch house he’d lived in as a kid. This place looked like it belonged in a movie with its white siding and round towerlike things. That front porch alone was probably the size of their whole main floor back home.
Home. Funny that he should think of that word to describe the place he hadn’t been back to in the twelve years since he and his dad had walked away. He choked down the hard knot that tried to creep up his throat whenever he pictured that place. That was so long ago, and so much had happened. But a part of him wanted to never forget what it had felt like to be there.
Not now, he told himself. Let it go, Micah.
Taking another draw of the cold liquid, he scanned the field where the lesson was still in full swing. “So, who are the kids?”
“They come from all over the county to learn to ride. Janessa’s one of the best teachers around.”
“No kidding.” He looked up at her again, his admiration growing. So much for getting his mind off her.
“Yeah.” Owen cuffed Micah’s arm. “I hate to break it to ya, but she’s planning on leaving in the fall for school.”
Micah’s heart sank a little, although that didn’t make sense. It was good news that she’d be leaving. Great news, in fact. He wasn’t about to get anything started with anybody, especially not the sister of his overly protective new boss. She’d only be a distraction, and that was one thing he did not need right now.
Forcing his attention back to the partially dug ditch, Micah firmed his resolve. He wasn’t about to let himself get roped in by anyone, no matter how cute she looked in or out of the saddle.
Chapter 2
Janessa peered through the oven window as though it had actual entertainment value. Who needed a big-screen TV when there was choux pastry to monitor?
Exhausted from her day of slicing and dicing at the restaurant followed by her spirited hour of teaching, Janessa’s emotions were on edge. It didn’t help that her mind kept drifting back to Micah. It had taken way too much concentration to try to ignore him watching her teach instead of focusing on the ditch he was supposed to be digging.
Oh, well. Knowing Adam, he wouldn’t put up with that for long. He was probably lecturing the guy at this very moment about keeping his mind on his work.
Tandy looked over Janessa’s shoulder. “They don’t bake any faster by being watched.”
“I know.” She sighed. “They’re not puffing up anyway.”
As they stood side by side peering into the oven, Janessa’s mood lifted just a little. She had spent so much time in the kitchen with Tandy over the years that she had come to think of her more as an aunt than the ranch cook.
The timer beeped, and Janessa reached up to turn off the oven. She grabbed a hot pad, then opened the door and pulled out the baking sheet, staring glumly at the perfectly browned, but perfectly flat little ovals. Discouragement rippled through her spirit. She had so wanted this to be the day she mastered the art of the cream puff.
“What am I doing wrong?” Her voice sounded like a cow stuck in barbed wire, but she couldn’t help it. “I’ve been trying to get this down for so long. You’ve tried. Mama’s tried. No one’s been able to get to the bottom of why they keep flopping.” She felt her lower lip protrude. This was a basic pastry. If she couldn’t master this, how could she possibly think of becoming a chef?
“You’ll get it, honey.” Tandy moved across the kitchen, wiping her hands on the ever-present apron that covered her round form. “Just keep trying.”
Janessa twisted her mouth and set the pan down on the big butcher-block table in the center of the kitchen. Maybe she could find something online after dinner that would help her solve this. A blog...a video...anything.
She huffed out a sigh. “I guess I can use them as ladyfingers in a trifle tomorrow night.”
“That’s the spirit. And tonight, you can rejoice in your victory over the potpie.” Tandy pulled a large golden pastry out of the other oven.
“Pie’s easy. It’s as easy as...” Janessa considered. “Well, pie.”
“Not for everyone.” Tandy’s tone turned thoughtful as she moved to check the stew she had simmering on the stove. “You should have seen your mama struggle with it at first.”
“Seriously?”
Tandy nodded. “For months your daddy and I endured the tough, the soggy and the crumbly, not to mention the tears. I thought she was going to cry her eyes right out of their sockets when her first entry in the Thornton Springs fair didn’t even win an honorable mention.”
“No way.” Janessa started to transfer the shells into a plastic container. “I thought she had always walked away with top honors in everything she entered. That’s why all the ladies in town say she’s the one to beat.”
“That may be true today, but her first year all she walked away with was a complimentary dough scraper. It was downright humiliating to her.”
“Wow. I had no idea.”
“You know your mama doesn’t like to brag, but that experience made her all the more determined to win a blue ribbon the next year.” Her tone soothed as much as her kind face. “But remember, just because your mama has a reputation for winning all the blue ribbons in the county for baking doesn’t mean that has to be your specialty, too. You make the best chili I’ve ever tasted, and that’s a more practical skill than French pastries, if you ask most people around here.”
“Thanks, Tandy.” Lidding the container, she fought back her defensiveness. “But right now I’m not aiming to please the people around here. I’m aiming to please the people at my school. If they ever let me in, that is.” She swallowed the sorrow brought on by that thought.
Even though she’d been accepted to a few other schools, her heart was set on Le Cordon. She had only applied to the others because people had warned her, in so many words, not to put all her eggs in one French couffin shopping basket.
She sighed. “Besides, no one says you can’t be good at all of it. Just because something’s a challenge doesn’t mean you ought to give up and just do what comes easy.”
“That’s very true. God gives us skills, but it’s up to us to hone them. If you’ve got the desire to make a perfect pastry, then you just keep on working at it, and God will honor that.” Tandy moved to pick up the pie.
“Let me.” Janessa put on her favorite oven mitts—the ones with the cow faces that made it look like the cows were car
rying the food in their mouths—and lifted the dish.
While examining how evenly the top had browned, she carefully followed Tandy into the dining room. She imagined she was about to present her creation to the jury at her exhibition at Le Cordon. Once in front of the table, she held it up proudly.
“Ta-da!” She looked over the top of the crust, expecting to see the supportive faces of Mama and Courtney, and maybe Adam if he’d made it in from the paddock. They were all there all right, plus someone else. Directly across the table from her, Micah stood with the corners of his mouth quirking. What was he doing here?
She froze, her pie hovering in front of her and her mouth hanging open.
“Oh, sweetheart.” Mama clapped her hands together. “That looks and smells delicious.” She gestured toward Micah. “Have you met our guest?”
All Janessa could do was give a dumb nod. Without his cowboy hat, his full head of thick sun-kissed hair just begged a girl to run her fingers through it. He was the kind of gorgeous that could easily rob her of all ability to speak and, judging from his self-confident cockeyed grin, he was well aware of it.
Snapping to alertness, she set the pie down on the table, a little too mindful of Micah’s eyes zeroing in on her. She wanted to reach out with her cow mitt and wipe that self-satisfied smirk off his handsome face before he tried to point out her shortcomings as both a horse owner and a cook.
“Sorry I forgot to tell you we’d be having company, Ness.” Standing at the head of the table, Adam pulled out the chair next to him for Courtney.
“There’s always enough for one more.” Setting down the salad, Tandy gave Janessa’s arm an encouraging squeeze before going to finish getting the stew ready for the other ranch hands.
Janessa wanted more than anything to follow her to the safety of the kitchen, but she felt stuck in place. She looked over at Courtney, who made an exaggerated swipe across her own cheek, then flashed a look at Janessa’s hands.
Her stomach jolted. No wonder Micah was smirking. She whipped off those juvenile mitts and tossed them onto the sidebar behind her, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she did. Ergh! She looked like a disaster. Wiping the flour smudge off her cheek, she tried to send her mother a silent message to start dinner without her so she could dive into the kitchen to adjust her hair. Or better yet, disappear up to her room to starve rather than endure a meal with this annoying and yes, impossibly attractive guy.
“Sit down, honey.” Mama was clearly oblivious to her plight. “We’re all famished.”
Facing the table, Janessa tried to collect her composure. So much for her mother’s ability to read her mind.
Subtly smoothing her hair with the back of her hand, she slipped into the seat next to her mother. Adam pulled out his own chair and motioned to Micah, who gave Janessa a quick wink as he took the seat directly opposite her.
Trying to keep her eyes anywhere but on him, Janessa looked to Courtney for support, getting a knowing look in return.
Great. Just what she needed. She shot Courtney a glare that she hoped communicated Don’t even go there, but probably read more like I know, right?
Right. The guy was a hunk. So what?
She draped her napkin across her lap. Why was she letting him get to her? It wasn’t like he actually mattered in the big scheme of things. There was just something disconcerting about the way he eyed her. Almost as if he knew things she hadn’t given him permission to know. Maybe things she didn’t even know herself.
“Dear.” Mama reached out her hand to Adam, indicating that it was time to give the blessing on the food.
Oh, no. As Mama’s other hand lingered just above the white linen tablecloth, waiting for Janessa to clasp it, she wanted to slink under the table and out of sight. With only the five of them at the long table, there was no one to serve as a buffer between her and Micah. If she waited till everyone else shut their eyes, could she get away with not taking his hand?
She made the mistake of looking at him as he observed everyone else joining hands. Taking hold of Courtney’s fingers, he caught Janessa’s eye with a look of pure challenge. Of course, she had no choice. Not reaching out would earn her a gentle reminder from Mama, which would only throw a spotlight on the whole awkward situation.
Micah arched one eyebrow, no doubt reading her thoughts with maddening accuracy.
Her hand felt like an anvil as she pulled it from her lap and thrust it across the table. Flashing a triumphant smile, he took it in his, then snuck another wink before shutting his eyes. Janessa rolled hers, thankful that all heads were bowed and her small gesture of rebellion had remained between her and the Lord.
“Father,” Adam began. “We come together tonight, to praise You and to thank You for the blessings of the day.”
Micah’s hand felt reassuringly warm, reminding her of her daddy’s work-roughened skin when he’d held her hand as a little girl. She pondered: how could Micah’s skin feel soft and rough at the same time?
“Thank You for this delicious meal, Lord...”
Adam’s strong voice prompted her to pay attention to his words. She was supposed to be giving thanks to their provider, not thinking about the hand that seemed to fit so nicely into hers.
“We give thanks also for our guest tonight. We ask that You would bless his time here with us at the ranch. In Jesus’ holy name...”
“Amen.” As Janessa’s eyes slipped open, she met the amusement in Micah’s incredible, and annoyingly deep, blue orbs. Glancing around, she realized that the collective attention of her family was focused on her hand, which was still joined with his at the center of the table. She let go so quickly, she practically tossed it at him. A blush crawled up her neck as she planted her hands in her lap. What a dope she could be sometimes.
“Where are you from, Micah?” Ever the gracious hostess, Mama smiled across the table as she cut into the pie.
He cleared his throat. “Up north, ma’am. A little ranch just outside of Havre.”
“And does your family still live there?”
He shifted, as if something in her question made him uncomfortable. “No, ma’am. We sold the place a dozen years back.” He held up his plate as Mama served the pie. “This does look tasty.”
Janessa narrowed her eyes, sensing that his compliment served more as a subject changer than a genuine courtesy. What was he trying to hide?
“I do hope you’ll enjoy living out here on the Bar-G.” Mama adopted her usual air of motherly concern. “There are other young men your age, so it’s not as dull as it might seem.”
“I could use a little ‘dull,’ truth be told.” He set his plate down in front of him and reached for the salad.
“Well, it’s anything but dull around here this summer.” Courtney spoke as she passed her plate to Mama. “We’re having a movie premiere in town next week.”
“So I hear.” He took a generous helping of the fresh greens before passing the bowl to Janessa.
“The movie was shot in Thornton Springs.” Mama beamed with pride for their hometown’s new claim to fame. “They even shot several scenes right here at the ranch.”
Taking a stab at his salad, Micah looked up. “No kidding.”
“Yes,” Mama confirmed. “In fact, that’s how we got to know Courtney. She came here to work on the movie.”
Micah nodded in Courtney’s direction, seeming to take a polite interest.
After giving a few details about how she had worked as the personal assistant to Angela Bijou, the star of the movie, Courtney continued her list of things to do in Thornton Springs. “...then there’s the fair coming up in August.”
“It’s pretty small as fairs go.” Mama sounded almost apologetic. “But folks around here get awfully caught up in the excitement.”
Micah looked down, slicing his fork into the flaky crust on
his plate. Janessa caught herself holding her breath.
“There’s a rodeo, too,” Courtney continued.
When Micah glanced up, his eyes flashed something. Fear? Concern? Annoyance?
Janessa narrowed her gaze, her curiosity piqued.
“Just a small rodeo,” Adam added. “But the town gets pretty involved.”
“I think most of our hands are competing in one event or another,” Mama went on. “You could enter, too, if you’re interested.”
All heads turned to Micah, whose eyes grew round as two perfect sapphires. “I...don’t have much interest...I guess.” He moved a hunk of chicken around his plate, and looked over at Adam. “So, how many head of cattle you running?”
Janessa scoffed. Not only had he failed to comment since tasting the food, but he was acting like he had something against rodeos. Not that it mattered, but the guy was basically shooting down the two things in life, apart from Jesus and her family, that she loved the most.
Connecting again with those oh-so-blue eyes that she found dangerously fascinating, she swallowed hard. As far as she was concerned, this meal couldn’t end soon enough.
* * *
After helping to clear the table, Janessa went outside and plunked herself down onto the porch swing. She gazed at the pink watercolor-washed sky and took in a restorative breath. This was her favorite time of day, when all the hard work was done and she could just relax and review her plans.
At the risk of falling dead asleep, she tipped back her head and allowed her lids to lower. She mentally calculated how much money she’d be bringing in this week, what with her classes, the overtime she’d committed to at the restaurant, and the catering gig she had with her best friend, Andra. If she was going to be able to swing the apartment move-in money, first semester tuition, all her books and supplies, and still have something left over to live on, she’d have to work like a plow horse right up until she left for Seattle.
She let out a little groan. With everything in her, she didn’t want to have to take out student loans or borrow from Mama. She also didn’t want to have to work while she was in school, but that would mean taking on overtime every week for the rest of the summer. Her boss would give her all the hours she could handle, but she had to know her own limits.
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