Reed shot an angry glare at Dylan before turning back to his uncle. "That's absurd. Why would you let someone like this loose in one of your restaurants?"
J.T. shook his head and looked back to Dylan. "I'm taking my nephew here out to dinner. Want to join us?"
Undaunted by Reed's hissy fit and figuring it was his time to head back to the ranch, Dylan put his hat on and tipped it toward the two men. "Thanks for the offer, but I have to pass. Have a good day, gentlemen."
#
Lucy checked the clock on the wall. She had a few hours to finish the prep work for a baby shower she was catering that afternoon. She'd intended to surf the web during one of her late-night insomnia sessions to come up with some new recipe ideas for the event, but for some reason she'd been sleeping better than she had in years.
She glanced around the tiny kitchen, trying to figure out where she planned to assemble hundreds of tiny canapés. The kitchen in her condo wasn't big enough for this kind of job, but she couldn't afford to stop catering until she assumed the role as executive chef. She couldn't imagine having to ask Paige, or worse yet, Kenneth and her mom, to loan her money to pay her bills for the month.
Running her own kitchen again would be satisfying. Sure the high-pressure dinner rush was going to be stressful, and the long hours in the kitchen would be grueling, but at least she'd have something to be proud of.
Working with Dylan would be even more awkward and difficult after that stupid stunt she'd pulled at his party. What had she been thinking, kissing him like that?
The timer went off, and she pulled the perfectly browned cake from the oven. The hostess had planned to order cupcakes from a bakery downtown, but Lucy had volunteered to make a strawberry cake covered in pink sugar roses at no extra charge.
Kenneth had warned her about under charging for her services, but baking and decorating cakes didn't feel like work to her. That was the fun part.
She left the cake to cool and moved to check on the sauce on the stove. Standing here, cooking alone, she couldn't help but think of the contrast from when she stood in Dylan's hot and crowded kitchen, breathing in the sweet smell of caramel.
In comparison, her kitchen felt cold and lonely. She dipped the tip of the spoon into her sauce. The bland mixture stuck in her throat. Frustrated, she tossed the spoon in the sink. The hurt she'd seen in Dylan's eyes haunted her.
But he had to know the kiss was a mistake. Two people like Lucy and Dylan would only let each other down. They had nothing in common. Just like her parents, the heat she'd felt for Dylan in the kitchen would eventually subside, and they would be left with an attraction that only led to regrets.
There was a knock on the door. She figured it was her sister coming home with an armful of groceries and no empty hand for her keys.
Without removing her apron, Lucy swung the door open and found Reed in the hallway with two paper cups.
"Reed, what are you doing here?"
"When you didn't answer your phone, I called Paige. She said you're swamped with this catering job. I thought you could use coffee." He smiled and handed her one of the cups. "And I wanted to see you."
Internally, she chastised herself for being so ungrateful. She should be happy he was here, and with coffee, no less.
The sharp smell of her sauce reminded her that she'd forgotten to turn down the heat on the stove. She hurried to the kitchen, careful not to let the coffee slosh out of her cup. She set her coffee down, grabbed the handle of the saucepan with a dishtowel, and pulled it from the heat.
She turned and nodded to the coffee. "That was nice. Thank you." She stopped and smiled at him, hoping to make up for how distracted she was.
His gaze moved across the mess in the kitchen. "Is everything okay in here?"
"Just one of those days."
Reed had actually been pretty thoughtful lately. Maybe her parents were right. Maybe she had messed things up with him.
He took a sip. "I was wondering if you wanted to get lunch today."
"Like a date?"
He shrugged. "A date or as friends. Whatever you want, Lucy."
What did she want? She wasn't even sure anymore. She glanced at the ingredients strewn across the counters and the kitchen timer still ticking down for the eggplant in the oven. "I'm stuck here for a while." Suddenly the lonely kitchen wasn't looking so bad. "Maybe I could take a rain check?"
"How about dinner or lunch tomorrow?"
His offer and his attention were flattering. But what had changed since they broke up? Where was the guy who was so obsessed with himself and his work that he sometimes forgot about their dinner plans? The look in his eyes had changed from distracted when they were dating to...what was it? Determination?
She pushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead with the back of her hand. "I'm swamped getting this menu for the wedding figured out. My partner and I need to get together to nail down the details. Can we push it back until after the wedding?"
His eyes narrowed. "Your partner? Are you talking about Dylan Lawson?"
"I didn't realize you two knew each other, but I guess you probably met at the brunch."
He set his cup on the counter. "Actually, I ran into him yesterday." His voice was smooth, but his jaw tightened. "Seems like a cocky jerk to me."
Whoa. What had they talked about at the party? "He's not such a bad guy."
"Could have fooled me. I don't know why my uncle would invite him to his office."
Her breath caught in the back of her throat. Why would Dylan have been in J.T. Shaw's office? "Are you sure we're talking about the same Dylan?"
Reed's lip curled. "He's pretty hard to miss with that ridiculous hat and those boots."
Her stomach sank. "Did he say what he was doing there?"
His brows furrowed together. "He has some crazy notion that he should be executive chef of J.T.'s new restaurant."
The kitchen spun around her, and Lucy gripped the edge of the counter for support.
"I mean really," Reed continued, disgust in his voice. "What we need are more sophisticated restaurants in this city. Don't we already have enough barbecue joints with peanuts on the floor?"
"Dylan told you that? That he wanted the restaurant?"
"I talked to him at J.T.'s office. You didn't...he didn't tell you?"
How could she have been so stupid? How could she have fallen for his crap? "Is your uncle actually considering him?" Memories of their kiss made her stomach turn. How could he not have told her? And to think she'd felt guilty for walking out on him the way she had.
"Looks like it's going to come down to the food at the wedding...unless I can talk some sense into J.T. before then," Reed stepped closer. "But you'll be fine. There's no way his food will beat yours, especially at a wedding like this one."
But the truth was, Dylan did have a shot at it. His food could overshadow hers—just like it had at the tasting. She forced a smile despite the panic rising inside her.
Reed ran a hand down her arm. "I didn't mean to upset you."
Lucy shook her head. "No. I appreciate you telling me." She looked into his eyes. "Really. Thank you, Reed."
His chest puffed up inside his suit coat. "Anything for you, and I'll do my best to get this crazy idea out of my uncle's head."
She nodded. "I just feel so stupid for not realizing—"
"Don't say that. You know how guys like Dylan can be. Sweet talking their way into any situation."
How stupid and gullible she'd been. Dylan didn't care about her. That kiss didn't mean anything to him. He was simply weaseling his way in to steal her job. The job she'd worked hard for. The job she needed if her family was ever going to respect her. There was no way she would let this guy swoop in and steal her prize.
Reed stepped closer. "So how about that lunch."
Lucy glanced around at the chaos in her kitchen. "I really can't today, but maybe we can do it another time." Obviously her instincts about Dylan were all wrong. Maybe her parents were right. Maybe it had been a mistak
e to break things off with Reed.
"What about Saturday night?" he asked.
"Mrs. Tornsten invited me to a charity dinner this weekend. She's on the planning committee, and I certainly can't afford to turn Nana down at this point."
Reed smiled with that perfect smile and those perfect teeth. "I think I got an invitation to that event too. Let's go together."
Reed had been nothing but sweet to her lately—recommending her for the restaurant, bringing her coffee, warning her about Dylan. She had no doubt Nana had also invited Dylan to the dinner. Maybe being on Reed's arm would help her face him. "Okay. Let's do it." There was no way she was going to allow Dylan to take this job from her. This would be the last time she'd give a cowboy the chance to let her down.
Chapter Twelve
Lucy walked down the steps toward the tennis courts.
Her mother sat on a bench and bent forward to tie her shoes. Would anyone from their old life even recognize her mom in her white skirt, visor, polo shirt and pale pink sweater tied over her shoulders? Unlike Lucy's, her transition to the city had been seamless.
Her mom's opponent, a woman with a long blond braid, waved goodbye. "See you next week, Beth."
Even her name was different. Beth Morgan was a far cry from Beth Anne Pickett, who'd fallen in love with a bull rider when she was only a teenager.
Lucy sat beside her. "Isn't it a little hot for tennis today?"
Her mom unzipped her bag and slid her racquet inside. "I was about to head to the clubhouse for a glass of sweet tea. This is a pleasant surprise. I never see you here anymore."
Lucy avoided the country club as much as possible, even when Paige invited her to the pool for sunbathing. Lucy didn't feel comfortable in the land of the rich and powerful—especially since it was on her stepfather's dime.
Lucy held up two pieces of card stock with elaborate gold lettering. "I was on my way home from the senior center and stopped to pick up the tickets Mrs. Tornsten left for me for the charity fundraiser this weekend."
"For the Penelope Foundation?"
It wasn't until her mom said the words that she recognized the name of the little dog that had popped out of Nana's purse at the tasting. "You've heard of it?"
"Of course. It's one of the biggest events of the year. Her foundation raises money for a local small dog rescue. Kenneth and I will be there."
Lucy scoffed. "Since when does Kenneth care about rescuing little dogs?"
"Mrs. Tornsten is a family friend. She's in my canasta club. Everyone will be there." Her mother looked at the two tickets. "Is one of those for Paige?"
"No. Paige has another event that night. A rehearsal dinner, I think. Reed and I are going together." She still wasn't sure if she'd done the right thing agreeing to go to the fundraiser with Reed, but it would be nice to have someone by her side.
Her mom clasped her hands. "Are you back together? That's wonderful, honey. He's such an impressive young man. J.T. is bound to hire you now."
"That's not why I'm taking him, Mom. J.T. is a smart businessman. He would never hire me just because of Reed."
"Well, it couldn't hurt."
"Trust me. It doesn't make a difference. I found out he's considering Dylan Lawson for the job."
Her mother stiffened. "I thought you said he was a cowboy, not a legitimate chef. Why on earth would Dylan Lawson be up for the restaurant?"
"He's talented." It was true, but it didn't make the words any easier to say.
"Where's he working now? What are his qualifications?"
"He does some catering, but since he's been home, he's been helping out on his father's place. His dad owns the Lone Tree Ranch now."
Her mom glanced around as if they were in the witness protection program. "You mean that ranch?"
Lucy braced herself for her mom's reaction. "Yes, but it looks different than it used to. I guess they sold off a lot a land. It's not a huge operation anymore."
"You were there?"
Her mom might have acted less shocked if she'd said she'd gone to San Quentin. "Paige and I went by to test out some of his food for the wedding menu."
Her mother stared at the trimmed hedges that lined the court. "When you mentioned him the other night, I knew I should have told you to keep your distance from that boy."
He was hardly a boy these days. "I wish it were that simple, but Mrs. Tornsten insists that we cater her granddaughter's wedding reception together. Apparently, J.T. is giving executive chef to whoever does a better job."
"This is silly, Lucy. Let Kenneth make a few phone calls and work all this out. He doesn't mind. He wants to help."
Because obviously there was no way she could do it without Kenneth's help. Lucy sighed. "No. I'm going to beat him on my own. I don't need Kenneth to call in any favors for me."
Her mother stood, hoisting her bag onto her slim shoulder. "Do you want to go inside and have a glass of tea with me? Afterwards, I'm meeting the decorator at Kenneth's office. I've finally convinced him to get rid of those awful burgundy arm chairs."
Lucy pulled her keys from her pocket. "I need to work on the menu if I'm going to impress J.T."
They walked toward the ladies' locker rooms. "Well, I think you should make halibut. Everyone loves halibut."
"I'm not sure halibut fits into this particular wedding." Unfortunately, Lucy still hadn't figured out what kind of food would make sense and please the couple, Nana, and J.T. Shaw.
"Lucy, if you don't mind me giving you a word of advice—"
"Something other than the halibut?" Lucy laughed, but her mom's expression remained serious.
"Keep your distance from the ranch and that Lawson boy. He'll bring you nothing but grief."
#
Dylan drove his truck through downtown Dallas. He pulled over and took his cell phone from the cup holder. Rallying the courage to dial Lucy's number, he squeezed his phone in his hand.
Dread crawled through his body as the phone rang. She deserved to know about his conversation with J.T., but telling her would probably end his chances of Lucy ever planting another one of those earthshaking kisses on him.
"Hello."
"Hey, Lucy. It's Dylan."
She was silent for a moment. "What can I do for you?" She definitely didn't sound happy to hear from him.
"I'm near your house. Can I see you? Maybe we could go get breakfast or a cup of coffee. We still need to discuss the menu." With less than four weeks until the wedding, they were running out of time.
She cleared her throat. "I can't. I'm at the farmers market right now," she said, her voice clipped.
"The one on Pearl Expressway?"
"Yes, but—"
"I'll be there in ten minutes."
He hung up before she could argue with him.
Minutes later, walking through the open-air shed, he made his way past people with bags of produce and fresh flowers. Farther into the market, he finally found Lucy carrying a big canvas bag on her arm and inspecting a table of yellow squash. Her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, she wore a pair of dark jeans, an emerald green shirt, and brown tennis shoes.
Their kiss felt like a dream, but seeing her again, it all came rushing back to him. Her sweet smell and the way she'd fit in his arms. The way she'd bolted out of his kitchen. The memories of it still stung and only made what he needed to do that much tougher.
She moved to a booth of herbs and talked to the man behind the table. She hadn't noticed him yet, so he walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you."
She tensed and pulled away from him. "You found me." She smiled at the man at the table and walked away.
"You left in a hurry the other night, and we didn't get a chance to talk."
They maneuvered through the row of booths—past a table of green lettuce, baskets filled with peaches, and a woman selling handmade soaps. A trailer filled with watermelons brought back visions of Lucy at the senior center wearing those jeans.
He saw a table of okra. "Hang on," he told Lucy. He scooped up a giant handful into a bag and gave it to the woman, along with some cash.
"I'm sure you're going to fry that," she said, never looking at him. "You know there are other ways to cook okra than drenching it in grease."
He waited as the woman pulled change from the pockets tied around her waist. "Sure, but why would you want to cook it any other way."
Lucy kept walking.
He had to run to catch up with her at the end of the row. "Is everything okay? You seem on edge today."
The lines of her jaw tensed as she stared straight ahead. "I think we should both do our own menus. There's no reason to work together any more than we absolutely have to."
"Listen, Lucy, if this is about the kiss—"
She stopped and spun around to face him, her cheeks flushed. "This isn't about...that. That was a huge mistake."
Even though he could now see that the kiss probably shouldn't have happened, hearing it from Lucy still hurt.
Lucy groaned. "I don't want you to get the wrong idea about us. We got caught up in the moment after talking about old times."
Despite everything, the kiss had been amazing, but if Lucy wanted to pretend like it hadn't happened, he'd be happy to oblige. It was probably for the best. "I agree that we should keep things professional from here on out, but I hope we can still be friends."
Lucy shook her head, her chin high. "No, you ruined any chance of that happening when you tried to steal the executive chef job out from under me."
It would've hurt less to be stabbed with a cattle prod.
Her eyes narrowed. "Do you think I'm stupid? That I wouldn't find out? Was that your plan all along?"
He held his hands up in front of him. "Lucy, it's not what you think. J.T. approached me about the job. I was never trying to steal anything from you."
Her manic laugh bounced across the concrete floors of the market. "Sure. That's why you went to his office to set it all up. I've dealt with a lot of shady people in this business, but for some reason, I didn't expect it from you."
"Lucy, I..." His mind spun. "How did you—?"
She crossed her arms, the bag swinging behind her. "Reed told me."
Kiss the Cowboy Page 10