“Janessa!” Andra moved with an urgent canter. “I’m glad you’re still here.”
Janessa took a step toward her, not feeling up to matching her enthusiasm.
“Guess what?” She bounced on her toes. “The dentist is moving to Anaconda.”
Janessa frowned, then lowered her voice like they were in a spy movie. “And the fish flies at midnight.” She straightened. “What dentist?”
“You know. The one who wanted to rent the candy space. He’s moving to Anaconda instead.”
“Oh.” She forced herself to switch gears with only a modicum of success. “But...isn’t the space still too much for your catering business?”
Andra closed her eyes, seeming to mentally retrace her steps so she could catch Janessa up. “Courtney was telling us that her friend Sheila is going to come out for the birth of her baby. You remember Sheila?”
“Of course. Her maid of honor.”
“Right. And while she was talking, I remembered what Sheila does for a living.”
Slowly, Janessa became fully engaged in the conversation. “She works for a big restaurant design firm in L.A.”
“So then it hit me. I asked Courtney to give me Sheila’s number, and I called her right then and there. She said she thought it was a brilliant idea and that she’d be happy to help.”
Janessa shook her head, still missing a key piece to this puzzle. “Help with what?”
A broad grin crossed Andra’s face. “How does this sound—” She spread her hands in front of her face with a directorial flourish. “Golden Pear Café and Catering.”
Suddenly, all the pieces fell into place. This was so obvious, yet they had totally missed it. “Andra, that’s brilliant.”
“Isn’t it great?” Andra grabbed her by the elbows and they jumped up and down the way they had when they were kids at a winning soccer game.
“This is so exciting.” Slightly out of breath, Janessa stopped bouncing. She looked at her friend. “I knew you’d make your dream come true. I’ve always admired your determination.”
“Really? Because all those times when I felt like giving up, you were the one who kept me going.”
Janessa gave her a warm smile. “What are best friends for?”
A sheepish look crept over Andra’s face. “I might as well tell you...I’m a little disappointed that you got accepted to your school.”
“What?”
“Don’t get me wrong.” She held up her palms. “I’m excited for you and everything. It’s just that I’ve been secretly hoping for a long time that you’d decide to stay here and go into business with me instead.”
Janessa missed whatever Andra said next, as that last bit looped in her head. Go into business with me. Why hadn’t that ever occurred to her?
Suddenly, the fog in her brain cleared to reveal the picture that had been hidden there all along. Hidden behind her careful, self-seeking plans.
Andra was still talking. “...need to find really good people. Maybe before you go, you can help me interview.”
Still sorting out her thoughts, Janessa tossed out a response. “You’re right. It’s really important that we find just the right crew...”
“Janessa...” Andra leaned over to catch her eye. “Did you just say we?”
“We. You. Whatever.” Suddenly fully alert, Janessa did an abrupt one-eighty and called back over her shoulder as she quickstepped toward the arena. “I’ll be right back!”
“Hey,” Andra called out. “Where are you going?”
Without stopping her forward momentum, she spun around to explain. “I have a certain cowboy I need to set straight!”
Breaking into a near run, she dashed around the barn, dodging a couple of kids who were working their way over to the arena. From what she could see of the stands ahead of her, they were pretty much packed full. How on earth did she expect to find Micah?
She had to talk to him tonight. This couldn’t wait.
Her eyes darted around the area behind the stands, landing on the lone figure of a cowboy leaning against the fence where she had stood earlier in the day watching the tie-down roping.
She pulled in a breath and yelled. “Micah!”
Straightening, he turned first his head, then his body. A slow smile crept across his face as she galloped toward him, skidding to a stop just short of pinning him up against the fence.
He let out a laugh. “What are you doing?”
Her heart thumped so loud, she was certain he could hear it. “I have to ask you a question.” Breathing in shallow spurts, she took a moment to find her voice. “You said you were going to buy a little ranch.”
His brows rose to a knot in the middle of his forehead. “Yeah.”
“Where? Where are you going to buy this ranch?”
“I thought right around here.” The barest hint of a smile found his lips. “Why?”
A laugh spurted out before she could stop it. So much for self-control. “You know—” she cleared her throat “—I got accepted into other schools, not just Le Cordon.”
Resting one hand on the fence, his eyes brightened. “Oh, yeah?”
She nodded. “One of them happens to be the community college in Helena. They have a fine culinary program.”
He angled his head. “Good to know.”
“Yes. And it’s only twenty minutes from the Bar-G.”
He cautioned a step toward her. “What are you getting at, cowgirl?”
Her hands reached up of their own volition, touching the front of his cowboy shirt as she closed the chasm between them. “That your days of ‘nothing serious’ are over.”
He took her by the shoulders and gazed into her eyes, a corner of his mouth lifting in agreement. Before she knew what was happening, his lips met hers in a kiss that could only be meant to seal a promise.
An earsplitting boom jarred them apart and they looked up to see sparks of vibrant color shooting across the big sky overhead.
They looked at each other and laughed.
He turned mock stern. “Hey, I thought you said if you stayed in this town your life would go nowhere.”
“Right.” She smiled up at him. “Nowhere is exactly where I want to go.”
He flashed that dimple of his, and kissed her again.
When they pulled away from the kiss, they wrapped their arms around each other and stood there gazing up at the fireworks. She knew then with absolute certainty that what she’d really wanted all along wasn’t to live in Seattle or to go to a fancy school, but to be a chef. She could do that right here at home.
Home—in Thornton Springs.
Chapter 12
Janessa stood in front of the oven holding her cow-mitted hands over her eyes. “I’m afraid to look.”
“You have to face your fear.” Micah’s voice was soft but stern. “Or they’re going to burn.”
She slid the mitts away from her face and glanced at Micah, who had his hand on the oven door handle like a gatekeeper awaiting the signal to open the steer chute. Bracing herself with her cows held up in front of her, she nodded. He opened the oven.
She gasped, then blurted out a laugh. She reached in and pulled out a tray of perfectly puffed choux pastries. “We did it!”
“We?” He shut the door and followed her to the butcher block table in the center of the kitchen. “All I did was cheer you on. You’re the one who did it.”
“Then I must have needed the cheering.” She set the pan down on the cooling rack and wiped away a threatening tear with her mitt. “I can’t believe it. I finally managed to conquer the cream puff. This is the best Christmas Eve ever.”
“I’d have to agree.” Rubbing his hands together, he smiled. “So, what do we do now?”
“We let them cool so we can fill th
em.” She set her mitts down next to the pastries and picked up a platter of spinach tortilla sandwich rounds that she’d arranged into the shape of a Christmas tree. She assessed the platter of jalapeño pepper halves filled with barbecued beef and wrapped in bacon, on the table in front of Micah. “Looks good. What do you call them?”
He pondered. “How about Cowboy Canapés?”
“I like it.” A smile lifted. “Well, come on, cowboy. We have people to feed.”
She led the way from the kitchen into the dining room, where the sliding double doors opened up into the parlor. The two rooms and the foyer beyond brimmed with people— family and guests of the Greene’s annual Christmas Eve open house.
She crossed to the large dining table and set her tray down amidst the plates and platters that were already there. Stepping back, she evaluated the delectable display of everything from Tandy’s prime rib to Mama’s chocolate peppermint cream tartlets.
As she took one of the jalapeño halves from the tray Micah still held, she gave him a good-natured elbow to his ribs. “You know, if you’re really nice to me, I might let you feature these at the café.”
“I don’t know if they’re ready for the big time yet.” Looking around the room, he lifted the tray and held it out as people approached the table. “What do you think, Dad?”
Looking intrigued, Mr. Brody took one of the hors d’oeuvres and popped it into his mouth. He gazed off contemplatively as he chewed. “Mmm. Good, but something’s missing.”
Andra reached around Micah’s arm and took one. All eyes were on her as she bit into it.
“Ranch dressing,” she proclaimed. “It would cool the jalapeño and add a nice zesty flavor.”
Micah looked impressed. “Ranch dressing. Really.”
Andra nodded. “I have a recipe I can share with you.”
Janessa cleared a space on the table for him to set the tray. “You’re turning into a regular sous chef, Micah. We might be asking you to put in some hours in the kitchen soon.”
He set down the tray and wrapped his arm around her. “It’s not enough that I’m your best customer?”
“Best customer?” Andra grabbed a sandwich roll. “I’d say that’s a toss-up between you and Hank.”
“Come on.” Janessa urged Micah toward the parlor. “Let’s go mingle.”
Just as they crossed the threshold, Owen and Keely entered from the foyer, rubbing their arms to warm up from being outside. Keely shook out her blond hair, which looked damp from the falling snow. They headed toward where Janessa and Micah stood next to the fireplace.
“Hey, Janessa, I have some news.” Owen beamed. “It looks like you’re not the only one who’s going to be going to school in Helena after Christmas.”
“You got into vet school?” Janessa threw her arms around him. “Owen, that’s great!”
Keely gave him a sideways look as she warmed her hands in front of the crackling fire. “It’ll keep him out of trouble while I’m off competing.”
Janessa put an arm around Keely, who had become a good friend over the past several months. Now that Janessa was a part-time student and full-time co-owner of the café, Keely had taken over most of her teaching. Janessa was grateful, but just a little jealous now that Micah and his dad had finished the heated indoor arena at their ranch. It was perfect for horseback riding and roping practice during the cold winter months.
Adam came in from the dining room just then, carrying a heaping plate of food that he handed to Courtney, who sat on the settee next to Mama.
She smiled at Adam, then looked up at the amused faces around her. “Oh, come on. You know what they say about ‘eating for two.’”
“Sweetheart,” Mama patted Courtney’s knee. “Can you believe that next Christmas, we’ll have a toddler in the house? I’m so excited, I can hardly stand it.”
Mr. Bloom, who sat next to Mama enjoying a cup of Tandy’s nonalcoholic but decadently rich eggnog, gave both women a warm smile. Janessa couldn’t help but wonder if the little one would be calling him Grandpa someday. The thought made her smile.
Micah spoke softly in her ear. “Shouldn’t we be getting back to the kitchen for the...you know...surprise?”
She smiled at him, appreciating the acknowledgment of how much her cream puff success meant to her. She was going to love presenting them for everyone to see.
Arm in arm, they returned to the kitchen.
He went to the sink to wash his hands. “Okay, what do you want me to do?”
“All you have to do is cut them in half, like this—” She grabbed a knife and demonstrated by slicing the top off one of the puffs.
He proceeded to do his part while she crossed to the fridge and took out some whipping cream.
She moved to the counter. “Did I tell you I got a Christmas card from Hana?”
He chuckled. “Is she still living in her mom’s basement?”
“No.” Shooting him a warning look, she took a mint-green Pyrex bowl out of the cupboard. “As a matter of fact, she got a job at a coffee place in Seattle and moved into that studio apartment she found. I think living alone really suits her.”
“Great. That reminds me—” he sliced the top off another puff and eyed it critically “—I got a card from Carly.”
“Oh?” Pouring the cream into the bowl, Janessa tried to keep the slight hint of jealously out of her voice. She could tell by the raised-brow look he gave her that she hadn’t been entirely successful. “I didn’t know she had your new address.” She took out the hand mixer and plunked the beaters into the cream. Flicking the switch up to High, she unintentionally gave Micah a moment to craft his response. The second the cream was fluffy, she shut off the mixer.
“She didn’t.” Finishing up with the pastries, he picked up a towel and wiped his hands. “She sent it to general delivery.”
“Oh.” Feigning indifference, she opened the cupboard and took out the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. She added the last two ingredients to the cream, then carried the bowl to the table. As soon as it was stirred, Micah dipped a finger in the bowl.
She swatted at him with her spoon handle. “You want to help?”
“No, I’ll just watch you.”
She picked up the first puff and removed the top, then filled it with a dollop of whipped cream and replaced the lid.
“We’re invited, by the way,” he said.
“To what?” Carefully, she centered the first puff on the special Santa-in-his-sleigh tray she’d selected for her special dessert.
“To the wedding.”
She froze, puzzled. “Wedding? Whose wedding?”
“Carly’s.” He snuck another finger full of cream. “Didn’t I tell you? She met a doctor at her rehab center. They’re getting married.”
Suppressing the urge to yell Yay!, Janessa stuck with a sincere, “Oh, that’s great.” She took the top off another puff and was about to plop some cream into the center of it when something snared her eye and she stopped cold. Dropping the spoon, she drew her hand to her mouth and let out a gasp.
The next thing she knew, Micah had moved around the table and was standing by her side. He reached into the pastry and removed the diamond ring that had been propped up inside it.
Taking hold of the hand she didn’t have covering her mouth, he spoke softly. “It sounds like a good idea, don’t you think?”
If she could have found her voice, she would have screamed. She was aware of him getting down on one knee, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the very familiar jewel in the center of the ring.
“Janessa...” His voice was a gentle refrain outside the blare of her own thoughts. “Will you be my wife?”
Her eyes drifted to his face as the reality of his question washed over her. Fighting back a torrent of tears, she nodded, still unable to speak.
/>
With a smile of relief, he stood and slipped the ring on her finger, then took her face in his hands and kissed her. When their lips parted, she looked down at the ring on her hand, which had at its center a beautiful heart-shaped jewel surrounded by tiny diamonds. “Micah...” She could barely get his name out through a lump in her throat. “That’s my diamond.”
He nodded.
“But, where... How did you...” Her mind was swimming. She didn’t even know what question to ask first.
“I found it on the sidewalk the night of the parade.”
“You did?” She looked into his deep blue eyes. “You mean you’ve had it all this time?”
He nodded again. “I was going to give it back to you right away, but there wasn’t a good time, and then you never mentioned it. I didn’t think about it again until I had this idea. You don’t mind, do you?”
“No. It’s amazing.” Tears of joy welled up and spilled down her cheeks. “It’s the best thing anybody’s ever done for me.”
He kissed her forehead. “That’s what you said about Old Blue.”
She laughed. “Well, cowboy. I guess you’ve outdone yourself.”
Wrapping her arms around him, she held her ring in front of her face and counted her blessings. It was true that she would always have her daddy in her heart, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t room for Micah. When she met him, he’d been kind of a big shot, dead set on staying a bachelor, but that really didn’t matter now. She loved him for the new man he’d become.
And she would love every minute of being Mrs. Big Sky Big Shot.
* * * * *
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Big Sky Bachelor (9781460320624) Page 16