“Mother,” she said, her voice trying to be sympathetic to the position she’d placed her mother in. “There are things you don’t understand. Andrew is having an affair. But I-”
“Sadie, he is an up and coming powerhouse. He is going places and men like that are under tremendous pressure. They-they are expected to have needs.”
“Excuse me?” Sadie couldn’t believe this. “Mother, I can’t believe you’d say such a thing. There is no excuse for his behavior.” Trembling from anger and shock, Sadie ended the call, her head spun from fury and frustration swirling around inside of her. A chill flashed over her as she stuffed the phone in her pocket and blinked away tears…she’d never felt so alone in all of her life.
Chapter Five
“Is everything alright?”
Rafe had come back to the table and sat down with his and Sadie’s iced tea and he’d watched her as she spoke on the phone. She looked distressed. Her expression and her stance as every muscle in her body appeared to tense. After she was finished she looked more distressed and she didn’t immediately turn and come his way. She was regaining her composure.
Rafe tensed wondering what was driving Sadie. What was she hiding from or running from? He wanted to ask her but he didn’t want to scare her off before she’d had a chance to settle in.
She sank into the chair and picked up the glass of tea and took a drink, as if to give herself more time to think. He took a drink of his and waited.
“Thanks for this,” she said, drumming her fingertips on the table. Her expression was tense. “Everything will be okay.”
Rafe was pretty sure the brightness in her eyes was unshed tears. But were they from sadness or anger?
She didn’t look like it would be okay. Rafe understood better than most that sometimes a person needed to deal with things in their own way in their own time but he didn’t feel right not asking what was wrong.
“This seems like a really nice group of people,” she said, gathering the edges of her flour tortilla so the chicken and green peppers and other fixin’s were gathered up inside it. “Have you lived here all of your life?”
Nope he didn’t like it but he went along with it for now. “They’re real nice. I’ve lived here for a little more than six years. I started working on the ranch after I got injured and had to stop competing in the rodeo.”
“Oh, I’m sorry you got hurt. What did you do in the rodeo?”
“Tie down roping.”
“That’s where you chase the calf, rope it and throw yourself off the horse at a run then flip the calf and tie him right?”
“Right.” He chuckled. “I have to say that I wasn’t expecting you to know that.”
“Hey! Most Texans know a little about rodeo. But,” she held up a hand. “I will admit that I don’t know a lot.”
A very cute smile played across her pretty lips making Rafe want to see more. “In that case you’re in the right zip code I can assure you of that.” They just stared at each other for a moment and Rafe was suddenly uncomfortable. He’d just met Sadie and she’d already gotten under his skin and that was a very hard thing to do these days.
“So you hurt yourself? How?” she asked, tilting her head slightly, her tawny hair falling over her shoulder.
He didn’t talk about his past much. Especially this. Most people who knew him knew he’d been a competitor and his brother and partners knew about his blown career but he didn’t talk about it much. “Hurt my knee. You have to have your knees in that event.” He had gotten used to saying that without revealing how deeply he’d struggled with the decision that had changed his life. He’d made peace with it but it had taken his moving to Mule Hollow before that had happened.
Her eyes softened. “That was really hard on you wasn’t it?”
It wasn’t a question and the fact that she seemed to know it was hard for him drew him to her more. He nodded. “It was. You better eat that fajita before it gets cold or you’ll miss out on a Mule Hollow treasure. Sam knows how to make one mean fajita.”
She chuckled. “Is it going to hurt me?”
“No, ma’am. It’s going to make your day.”
“Boy, do I need that,” she said, and lifted the filled tortilla and took a bite. Her eyes widened as she chewed. “Oh my,” she mumbled, then continuing to chew she nodded.
“Told you,” he smiled then took a bite of his own fajita.
After that they ate in silence for a contented moment. And all the while he wondered what the phone call had been about.
The music started up while they were eating and Maddie and Cliff moved to the dance area.
Cliff smiled at Maddie and took her in his arms and Rafe watched as a deep satisfaction filled him for his brother and for Maddie. They’d found what he hadn’t been able to find but he was thrilled for them.
Glancing back at Sadie he saw that troubled look shadow her expression.
“You want to talk about it yet?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t.”
“Then I’m thinking a dance might be in order to celebrate the fact that you aren’t still sitting on the side of the road impersonating a carrot loving cottontail and that New Horizon Ranch has just scored a win with a fantastic, amazing new cook.”
She laughed, startling herself if the shocked look in her eyes was any indication of her feelings. “Wait, hold on. I told you I could cook okay but far from fantastic and amazing.”
“And I wasn’t talking about your cooking. I was talking about the cook.” He stood and held out his hand. “Shall we?”
She nodded slowly and slipped her hand in his. He pulled her close, not as close as he suddenly wanted to but close enough that he could smell the sweet scent of her. And then he had to fight off the urge to pull her fully into his arms…
Sadie had had the worst day of her life and she was now dancing in Rafe’s arms and she was smiling. She couldn’t believe it. Shouldn’t she feel horrible? Of course she should but instead, butterflies were winging their way through her as he pulled her within the security of his arms. Her heart pounded at his nearness and she didn’t feel alone against the world as she had moments ago. George Straight sang over the speakers but she barely heard him as her thoughts were consumed with the thoughts of her cowboy in shining armor. The man not only made butterflies go crazy inside of her but there was something about the way he held her and the way he looked at her with those steady eyes that made her feel, as long as he was holding her, everything was going to be alright. And she needed that.
It helped her feel steady after having spoken with her mother. It helped her hold strong and she needed that.
And it helped her realize that everything she’d been feeling about marrying Andrew was right.
But most of all, when she looked up at him, she felt like she’d just stepped into a fairytale. It wouldn’t last, but just for right now, she’d take what she could get because she’d never, ever felt like this before.
Sadie sat in the window and worried long after the party was over and she’d gone to her room. Long after Rafe had asked her once more if she was okay-to which she’d told him she would be fine. She wasn’t.
Her phone was full of texts from friends and family wondering what had happened. Wanting to know how she was. Andrew also resumed calling and leaving messages-which she did not answer or listen to. Yes, she would have to deal with everything but not right now, she was too angry. Too hurt…too confused. Confused with her feelings and emotions most of all.
Despite knowing that in the morning she would face the cooking problem, she was so thankful for the distraction that Rafe and this job were giving her. She hadn’t lied about not being a great cook. She could make coffee and use a microwave but to actually cook something was another story. She’d never really had to cook before. Until she’d moved out on her own Ms. Wriggly, her mother’s cook/housekeeper, had taken her job seriously. Since moving out on her own Sadie had never had the urge or desire to really up her skills and thus she
tended to eat out a lot or just warmed something up. She could cook a few simple things but breakfast was not one of those things. Rafe was willing to hire her so she was willing to give it her best shot and the distraction was more than welcomed.
Thankfully, Rafe had said he’d meet her in the kitchen at six a.m. to help her and show her around the kitchen. The idea of seeing him again was the bright spot in her thoughts. She tried hard not to think too badly of herself for thinking such a thing. As a matter of fact, the fact that she did find him so attractive showed that even before knowing Andrew was an unfaithful roach of a man she’d known she couldn’t go through with the wedding. Known settling for someone she’d thought she loved was not ever going to make up for giving up on finding the man who made her heart ache with love for him. And the fact that she was so quickly attracted to Rafe was positive confirmation that she could and would wait for the right man before she ever acted so foolishly again. She just had to make herself not think about if the man of her heart was out there and that he might not show up.
No, she wouldn’t think about that. Rafe was dulling that thought anyway-the man was gorgeous and had enough charisma for five men piled into that fabulous body of his. The way he smiled caused her internal compass to spin in a dizzying whirlwind that she’d never experienced before. So, was this simply from the strain of yesterday?
She was in no emotional state of mind to trust anything she was feeling right now.
However, when she finally drifted off to sleep sometime in the early hours of morning it was with thoughts of Rafe coming to her rescue on the side of the road. And she realized that instead of curling up and crying over the traumatic day she found herself smiling as she went to sleep…the cowboy must have thought he was seeing things when he saw her rolling around with that tire in her bunny suit. She was thankful he hadn’t thought she was a crazy person and kept on driving.
The truth was that Rafe might well be the saving grace who was going to keep her from going insane through this wedding meltdown she was having.
Chapter Six
“Good morning.”
Sadie jumped at the slow drawl as she entered the kitchen at about five forty-five the next morning. Rafe, looking perfect in older jeans and a dark T-shirt and boots was leaning against the counter beside the coffee pot. He held a mug up.
“Would you like a cup?”
“I’d give my pinky toe for one thank you. You sure are up early.”
He chuckled-a deep rich sound that pooled deep inside her.
“No need to cut off body parts I’m sure that pinky toe is too cute to lose, so hold on a minute while I pour you a cup. And I wouldn’t have had you start your first morning alone no matter what but on the ranch we always start our mornings early. Best part of the day.”
“We might have to disagree about that last part.” She took the mug he handed her and smelled the eye popping delicious scent of the coffee. Just the scent helped clear her thoughts. “This is so needed. Thanks for coming down on my first morning. I need you.”
Their gazes locked up on that and they both took cautious sips of the steaming brew.
“Get a few sips of that in you and then we’ll get started.”
She wasn’t going to argue about that. The strong, caustic goodness seeped through her like a jolt of lightening. She was thankful for the adrenaline of facing something new for helping her not be as exhausted as she should have been because of the night she’d had and the emotional day before.
Instantly the thought crept in—a week from today this would have been my wedding day. What if she hadn’t decided to break off the engagement? She wouldn’t have discovered Andrew’s sorry secret! She wouldn’t have run and she wouldn’t be standing here with Rafe now…
They drank in companionable silence for a few moments.
“Okay,” she said, after a moment, her nerves getting the best of her wondering if she would be able to pull this off. “What do you want me to fix?”
“We’ll be traditional today. Eggs, bacon and toast.” He set his empty cup down and turned to the refrigerator and began pulling things out.
“Where are the frying pans and baking pans?”
He pointed to the cabinet. “Griddle and skillet are in there.”
She grabbed them and set them on the stove. He set the eggs and bacon on the counter and then pulled a bag of frozen biscuits out of the freezer-relief rushed over her that she wouldn’t be expected to make them from scratch! She might be able to fake breakfast eventually but not if homemade biscuits were involved. To her surprise and relief he actually did most of the work. Sadie watched closely knowing that tomorrow would be her turn and if at all possible she wanted to do a good job and not embarrass herself completely.
She was very aware of him standing beside her as they worked and she was fascinated by his efficiency in the kitchen. There were three other amazingly handsome cowboys in the house but none of them made her heart skip with awareness.
Rafe was glad when the others came in a few minutes after they’d started cooking. Sadie had a pair of Maddie’s shorts and a pink T-shirt on, simple but he was having a terrible time concentrating. She was quiet today and he was very curious about what she was thinking. He wondered how her night had gone and if there had been more phone calls after she’d gone to her room after the party.
He was curious about everything to do with her. Holding her in his arms during the dance had been sweet torture to him as he’d had to keep fighting off the urge to pull her close and have her lay her head on his shoulder as their bodies moved together to the music. He’d decided soon after the second dance that dancing wasn’t a good idea because his good sense kept ebbing and he’d been in serious trouble trying not to lose his head.
But he behaved himself and hoped that after they got to know each other better that she might confide in him.
Rafe realized as they were cooking that she had been more than honest where cooking was concerned. The woman didn’t know much at all. But he didn’t care and carefully tried to make it easier on her. Hopefully she would be able to learn it quickly.
Of course that was one more question he had about her-what woman didn’t know a little about cooking?
Maybe that was a chauvinistic thought on his part but almost every woman he’d ever known knew something and he had come to the conclusion as he showed Sadie how to scramble eggs that she might not even know how to boil an egg much less fry or scramble one.
He still didn’t care and decided he’d come down and help her cook every morning if she were standing beside him with her arm brushing his while she sprinkled pepper on the eggs.
Yup, he had it bad…
“Morning, ma’am,” Chase said coming in from outside and tipping his hat at Sadie before hanging it on the long hat rack next to the door. “It sure smells appealing in here.”
Ty and Dalton came in right behind him.
“Thanks, but Rafe did most of it this morning,” Sadie admitted, smiling so appealingly that Rafe knew good and well that as long as she smiled at them like that his partners wouldn’t complain. “I’ve just never cooked before. Growing up we had a cook and she took her domain seriously. But I’m a fast learner,” Sadie laughed.
So, that was one question answered Rafe noted as they all sat down at the table and filled their plates and grinned at her like fools. Did he look that dopey?
“These are great eggs,” Chase said immediately-he obviously had gone deaf.
Sadie waved a hand. “Remember not me but Rafe.”
“Well it probably tastes so good because of your pretty presence in the room,” Chase added without missing a beat and then winked at her. “His eggs never tasted this good before.”
Heat crawled up Rafe’s neck feeling immediately territorial. He shot Chase a tight warning. Chase kept right on grinning at Sadie.
She looked a little perplexed as chuckles rolled around the room as all his partners shot looks at him. They were yanking his chain he realized
and that made him all the more hot.
“So, you joining us to work cattle today?” Dalton asked, barely hiding the fact that he saw the back-off warnings Rafe was sending out and was clearly giving Rafe a hard time.
All of his partners knew that Rafe hadn’t dated much in the last few years and they also knew that given his personality that his sudden interest in Sadie was an uncommon affair. So of course he was going to have to endure a steady razing during the day to come but so be it.
Sadie missed the interaction between him and Chase as she looked up from her plate with startled eyes. “Me! Work cows, oh no, no, no, not happening. The kitchen is going to be a learning experience enough.”
Ty paused lifting his cup to his mouth-his lip twitched as if he was fighting not to smile. “We’re going to be out there without time to stop. Do you think you could scrounge up some sandwiches and fixin’s and bring them out to us in one of the trucks?”
“That would be a great idea,” Dalton added, grinning openly. “What do y’all think about Ty’s idea?”
Chase nodded. “Ranks right up there with Rafe hiring Sadie on as cook. Great thinking.”
Liking the idea of seeing Sadie at noon Rafe joined in with a smile. “I like it. I’ll give you instructions on where to come.”
Sadie looked a little overwhelmed. “Sure. You’re all paying me so I’ll try to do what you’d like.”
“Don’t look so worried,” Rafe said. “No chuck wagon meal or anything. Just some simple sandwiches is all.”
Truth was that Rafe didn’t care if she brought food or not as long as she showed up and he got to see her smiling face in another few hours.
Chase stood. “We better head that way boys. Daylights burning. Thanks for breakfast. We’ll see you in a bit.” He winked again and Rafe thought about giving him a boot in the backside. “This ranch just got even more appealing since you came along.” With that he snagged his hat and strode out the door-sauntered was more like it.
Rafe: (Contemporary Western Romance) (New Horizon Ranch: Mule Hollow Book 2) Page 4