Cowboy's Cupid

by Niki Mitchell

  “Here’s your communicator—your only lifeline to the Cupid’s Corner.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Innovation Production used the concept of a smart watch as their design. Millions of humans wear these devices, so you’ll blend right in.”

  Blend in. Cami figured she’d fit in like an albatross did with the bird family.

  Serenity strapped the band on her left wrist. “It’s made of plastic, but don’t let that fool you into thinking this is a toy. The communicator is sensitive. It’s supposedly water resistant. Given its importance to you, I’d avoid getting it wet.”

  She despised the rigid and annoying device.

  “The digital time shows near the top. The green button allows you to place and receive phone calls with humans.”

  “What about calling other Cupids like you or my family?” She tried not to panic.

  “You’ll pretty much be on your own. Interference from the electromagnetic waves and solar flares prevent calls between Cupid’s Corner and Earth.”

  “I’ll be alone with no support?” The idea made her body shiver.

  “Not exactly. The Cupid’s Council will be able to contact you by text.” Serenity pointed to a red icon near the bottom with the bow and arrow and used her magic to make it flash. “I put the devise in mock mode. Tap it, and you can read the message.”

  Cami did. A photo of the captain came on the screen. The message in the box read, “Testing.”

  “Use texts to contact the captain. See that gold button. When it lights up, push it and you will be propelled directly to the council’s chamber.”

  Cami’s body quaked. After her recent visit to the council, the chambers terrified her. “What about using it to visit Cupid’s Corner on my own?”

  Serenity placed her hand on top of Cami’s. “You’re kinda ostracized. You may see an occasional Cupid on an Earthly assignment, but I doubt it.”

  An outcast. Her father would be livid. But she’d fix her mistake and gain back his respect. Inside, she worried. What if she failed the human? Whoever he was, he deserved his own happily ever after.

  “I know this is a lot to handle, but there’s a few more things to cover,” Serenity sighed. “Press the white button on the right side to do a voice-controlled search. Not only can you use Earth’s internet, but you can watch videos about cooking and cleaning and any job-related task. You should be able to call up a virtual professor similar to the ones we use here.” Serenity talked fast. “If you get confused, open up the instructions I left in a folder with my picture.”

  Conjuring catastrophes. Cami’s life was changing.

  Chapter Four

  “Wonder what kinda person will arrive next?” Rhett asked. He and his brother had interviewed a frumpy middle-age woman with a strong inflexible personality, a young brunette with no experience, and they had three no shows. Their chance of finding a housekeeper might not happen today.

  The doorbell rang.

  “Have a little faith,” Michael said as he opened the door. A petite woman sauntered inside. Her high heels accentuated her shapely legs. Her knee-length lacy dress flared and swirled as she swayed closer. Not the right outfit for winter on a ranch, but sexy—very sexy.

  His brother gazed at her as if she were a rodeo queen. “You must be Cathy.”

  “Close, it’s Cami.” Her voice had a sing-song quality.

  Rhett stared at her face. Something about her seemed familiar. Maybe her eyes, but she glanced away. Her long blonde hair danced past her shoulders to her waist. He thought about running his fingers through her soft locks. Wrong thoughts for an interview.

  “I’m Michael. This is my brother, Rhett. Please have a seat.”

  “Nice to meet you both.” She eased into the overstuffed chair and crossed her legs.

  Michael picked up his phone and scrolled. “So, Miss Calypso, your application says you were last employed in Heavenly Valley. What brings you to our ranch?”

  She blinked fast. “Your want ad.”

  Michael gave her a slow and relaxed smile. “Well, as you know, we are in need of a housekeeper. Tell us about your last job. What were your responsibilities?”

  “Um, I had to clean the house.” She paused. “Do the dishes.” A longer pause. “And of course cook.”

  Rhett watched her face. Based on her hesitations, she wasn’t being honest. “Tell us your specialty dish.”

  She fiddled with the edging on her skirt. “Crepes filled with cream cheese and drizzled with a light caramel sauce.”

  “Not exactly filling. Anything else?” Michael wore a goofy-I’m-infatuated-grin.

  “Vegetable stew and biscuits, light and flakey biscuits.”

  “Throw beef into the stew and it sounds perfect,” Rhett added. “You worked for a family in Heavenly Valley for two years. Was it full-time?”

  For several seconds, there was silence. “Only when they were staying at their cottage.”

  “Cottage?” That sounded weird.

  “Well, they had ... a vacation home on the lake. I worked when they were in town.

  “Oh.” Rhett could sense plenty of holes in her story. “What aren’t you telling us?”

  “I’ve never worked for two bachelors.”

  “Okay.” Nervousness might explain her actions.

  “You’re a good cook, right?” Michael cut in.

  “Yes.” She bit her bottom lip.

  “Why do you want this job?” Rhett was curious.

  “Because I’ve always long to live on a ranch.”

  Michael frowned at Rhett and turned to the woman. “You have any questions for us?”

  “When you hire me, what hours will I work?”

  Rhett shook his head. Assuming she’d get the job showed gumption. “If we hire you, you’ll work from six to five with most Sundays and Mondays off.”

  “Me and my brother need to have a discussion in private.” Michael smiled at her.

  “Of course. Go right ahead,” she said.

  In the kitchen, Michael leaned against the counter. “She’s the best we’ve interviewed so far.”

  “Can’t argue with that but besides looking pretty, do you really think she can do the job?”

  “This place is a mess. We should’ve hired someone months ago. Let’s just give her a try,” Michael pleaded.

  “Okay, I’m in, but only if her references check out.” Rhett hoped they did.

  ~ ~ ~

  Cami leaned back on the couch, and her feet didn’t touch the floor. The massive brick fireplace reminded her of the equally massive change in her life. Well, she intended to fix her problem fast. That is, after she got this job.

  Her interview had been dismal. With no experience, her answers to their questions had been vague. Plus, the way Rhett kept eyeing her, she was pretty sure he could tell she wasn’t being forthright.

  She gazed at an enchanting three-foot landscape on the wall across from her. The lush pasture reminded her of the grassy knoll near her home. Framed photographs lined the mantel. A family shot with a mother, father, two boys, and a girl, ranging in ages from toddler to about ten. A graduation photo showed Rhett with a serious expression. Some things never change.

  Michael charged into the room wearing an enormous grin. “You’re hired.”

  If she had wings, she do a triple flip in the air. Instead, she scooted forward and planted her feet on the carpet.

  “Only because we’re desperate we’ll let you start, but there are two stipulations. First, your references must check out. Second, you have two weeks to prove yourself.” Rhett’s guarded gray aura meant he didn’t trust her.

  “I have no doubt you’ll be pleased with my work.” She could fix her mistake now.

  “Salary’s two hundred a week. Includes room and board.”

  The money didn’t matter. “Wait, you don’t expect me to live right here in this house.” She needed privacy.

  Michael shook his head. “We’ve got a fully furnished studio apartment
above the garage. That okay?”

  “Yes.” She sighed, relieved to have her own place.

  “If you’d like, you can move in tonight and start the job in the morning.” The sides of Rhett’s mouth quirked up for a second.

  “Perfect. I left my suitcase on the porch, just in case.” She’d be living by herself. Another first.

  “You brought your suitcase?” Rhett asked. “That’s pretty bold.”

  “I like to be prepared.”

  “Good to know. Speaking of prepared, for breakfast scrambled eggs and bacon will be fine,” Michael said.

  Cook? She could poach eggs, design a platter with pomegranates and plums, and create delicious ambrosia nectar. She knew how to make biscuits and muffins using sunbeam heat, but when she messed up, she had magic to fall back on if necessary. On Earth, her magic wouldn’t last more than a day or two. The council made it clear she was on her own. She’d visit Cupid’s Corner only by direct summons.

  Hoping for inspiration, she asked, “May I see the kitchen?”

  “Wouldn’t recommend it.” Michael frowned.

  “Can’t be that bad.”

  “It’s a mess.” Rhett’s eyes gleamed with what? Apprehension? Mischief? “If we show you, will you promise not to run?”

  As if she had another choice. “I’m no quitter.” She followed them through swinging double doors to a sink filled with cups, plates, bowls, and pots and pans. Washing them would ruin her manicured nails.

  “We’ll do the dishes tonight, right?” Michael eyed Rhett.

  “Yes.” Rhett’s voice tickled her ears. Deeper than the males from her world, his tone made her body tingle.

  Don’t get distracted by the good-looking cowboy. Remember my goal. I have sixty days to match Rhett with his true love.

  “We’ll show you to your apartment,” Michael said matter-of-factly.

  Outside, she reached for the handle of her huge pink polka-dot suitcase.

  “I’ll get that.” Rhett’s fingers brushed hers.

  Her stomach got fluttery.

  “You have a car?” Michael asked.

  “No, um.” I flew in. “I took an Uber.” She walked beside the men. Used to floating along cushy clouds, she found maneuvering stairs in high heels challenging. Near the top, she miscalculated a wooden step and fell backwards.

  Rhett put his hand on her waist from behind to steady her. “Careful.”

  Hot tingles skipped up and down her spine. She needed to be careful. Careful to remain on course and fix her error.

  Rhett inserted a key into the lock on the weathered door. Locks weren’t used in her world. Sheets covered the furniture. The men removed them, filling the air with dust.

  She sneezed.

  “Sorry. No one’s lived here for a while. Good thing you’re a housekeeper, or we’d have to hire somebody else to tidy up.” Michael’s laid-back attitude failed to mask his avocado aura of hurt. Probably experienced a recent break up.

  “We’ll leave you be.” Rhett handed her a rectangular card. “Call if you need anything.”

  I need things to go back to normal.

  Once the men left, she sunk into the couch’s cushion. How will I ever survive here?

  If only she could call her friends and tell them about her situation. They’d drink ambrosia and laugh and figure things out in the process. A tear flowed down her cheek, and she swiped it away. Here on this isolated ranch she had no one. Melancholy hit her hard.

  Fate set her hand.

  She checked out her studio apartment. A bed nestled in the corner by a dresser. Next to the sink, on the counter sat a boxy black microwave. The bathroom door opened to the left of the kitchen. A brick fireplace filled an entire wall with a leather sofa facing it.

  Hollowness filled her chest. This wasn’t home.

  Her feet hurt. She took off her high heels and hurled them against a wall. Now the muscles in her shoulders burned. Her back throbbed. Her whole body ached.

  Conjuring chaos. Becoming a five-foot-two human must’ve stressed her body.

  Chapter Five

  Beep. Beep. Beep.

  What in the heck was that? Cami stretched her arms on sheets that weren’t silky soft and opened her eyes to a drab brown and blue comforter. Where was she? Slowly, she lifted the sheet and scrutinized her body. Her five-foot-two human-sized body.

  Patience and perfection echoed in her head. She’d said the words in the Last Call Saloon and still ended up hitting the wrong human with her arrow.

  She dropped her feet with fuzzy pink socks to the floor. Brrrr. Serenity mentioned that Earth got cold—not frigid.

  What time was it?

  The nightstand read five-eleven. An obnoxiously early time to be up, and she had less than an hour to get ready for work.

  She hefted her suitcase on top of the bed and pulled out human clothing. Removing her nightgown and setting it under her pillow, she stared at her naked body. Her legs were long and slender. Her torso proportionately oversized. Her enhanced stature gave her a sense of empowerment.

  Until she remembered her mistake and the urgency to fix it.

  She poured the contents of her suitcase on the bed. The course material of her blue jeans lacked the smoothness of her hand-spun silken gown. The soft pink sweater went over her head, but fitting each sleeve was a chore.

  In between socks and underwear, she noticed a pearly scroll on her bed. Her stomach knotted as she unrolled it.

  Miss Calypso,

  You have until the seventh of April to find Rhett Holloway a soulmate.

  Failure is not an option.

  Sincerely,

  The Cupid Council

  It was bad enough she was stuck here. Did the council have to remind her of her duty?

  She stared at her wrist emblem. Dratted dragons. The magic had faded to rose pink meaning her powers waned. In a day or two, she’d be without any magical crutch. Since she was the new housekeeper, magic would make things easier for today. What about the following days?

  She stretched on a new pair of socks and slipped her feet inside pink cowboy boots.

  Her stomach gurgled. As a Cupid, she didn’t need much sustenance. Breakfast consisted of exotic fruit, nuts or a poached robin’s egg, and a fresh-baked muffin or biscuit.

  Unlike most Cupids, at least she could bake. Every Sunday growing up, her mother taught her sisters and her to make muffins from scratch. She’d make muffins for Michael and Rhett.

  Michael asked for scrambled eggs—something she’d never attempted. She pushed the side button on her communicator. “In virtual mode, show how to make scrambled eggs.”

  A holographic cook appeared in front of her. He stood behind a counter with a virtual burner on the left. “Crack a few eggs at the side of a bowl. Add two or three drops of milk for each egg. Whip the contents. Cook everything in a pan.”

  That’s not hard.

  Rhett mentioned bacon. “Show how to prepare bacon.”

  A woman in a cook’s hat appeared. “I highly recommend using a cast-iron skillet. You’ll also need prongs.”

  Hopefully, she’d find the displayed utensils in the ranch’s kitchen.

  The cook spoke with a British accent about turning the burner to a medium-low flame, browning evenly, flipping the strips, laying the bacon on a paper towel.

  I can totally do this. “End virtual mode.” The holograph disappeared.

  She headed outside. At the bottom apartment step, she heard an animal bellow. Startled, she grabbed the railing and looked south. A cow grazed behind a fence several yards away. Rattled by a silly cow. Ridiculous.

  The dirt road to the house was easier to maneuver in boots. She stopped at the top step, breathed in the cold air, and settled her angst.

  “Hey.” Michael stepped onto the porch. “Help yourself to coffee in the kitchen.”

  “I don't drink coffee.”

  “No coffee, why that's un-American.”

  She tensed until she saw his friendly grin.

&
nbsp; “Left you a basket of eggs on the counter.” He walked off.

  If only the council had made Michael her assignment instead of Rhett. A knot looped in her stomach. They hadn’t assigned her to Rhett. She created this problem all on her own.

  She headed through the swinging kitchen doors and into a solid muscular wall. She breathed in a masculine scent and stepped back. “Sorry.”

  Rhett chuckled as he gazed at her. “Mornin’ Cami.”

  “Hello.” She sidled around him. “Breakfast should be ready in about an hour.”

  “In that case, I’ll feed the horses.” The front door banged, and her tightly coiled nerves untwisted.

  The men had washed the dishes and wiped down the marble-like counter and stovetop. The kitchen wasn’t spotless but clean.

  Now to find the muffin ingredients. She opened the pantry door. What a disaster! Cans, boxes, and containers filled the shelves with no apparent order. On the bottom shelf behind a box of cereal, she found sugar, vanilla extract, a bag of flour. No ascending crystals to make the batter rise. She pressed the button on her watch, and said, “Substitution for ascending crystals.”

  “Baking powder,” a voice answered.

  She stood on a step stool and got the red can from the top shelf, snagged a box of Elderberry tea, and placed the items on the counter.

  Ceramic bowls and muffin tins were in a cabinet. Measuring cups, spoons, and a whisk in a drawer. Muffin ingredients etched in her memory years ago, but she’d baked them using a sunbeam-heated oven. “How to bake muffins?” she spoke into the communicator.

  “Preheat the oven to three-hundred-seventy-five degrees,” a woman’s voice chimed.

  Yes! The oven knob had numbers.

  She creamed half-a-cup of butter and sugar with a spoon. Eggs, three times bigger than robin eggs, sat in a basket. She tried hitting one on the side of the bowl. Nothing happened. Using more force, she smacked the egg on the bowl’s rim. It cracked; she dropped in the contents, picked out eggshell, and mixed the batter.