“It’ll be difficult to remain strictly professional if I have a drink with you.”

“I hope not. And thank you for the compliment.” He received another smile that revealed her dimple.

“C’mon. Sit with me and have a drink. If you get uncomfortable, we’ll come in and have dinner. Deal?”

“Sure, Ryan.” Even saying his name was as tangible as physical contact and stirred desire. He was having a volatile reaction to her and he was digging himself in deeper every second by letting her stay, by asking her to have a drink with him.

But she was damned difficult to resist.

* * *

Her Texan To Tame is part of the Lone Star Legacy series: These Texas billionaires are about to get richer … in more ways than one.

Her Texan to Tame
Sara Orwig

www.millsandboon.co.uk

SARA ORWIG lives in Oklahoma. She has a patient husband who will take her on research trips anywhere, from big cities to old forts. She is an avid collector of Western history books. With a master’s degree in English, Sara has written historical romance, mainstream fiction and contemporary romance. Books are beloved treasures that take Sara to magical worlds, and she loves both reading and writing them.

With thanks to Stacy Boyd and Maureen Walters, who have been so important in my life.

Always, with love to David and my family.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

Excerpt

One

“Jeb, I’ll come out and look at this tractor you want to fix, but it’ll have to be later today. I have interviews this morning for a cook. In fact, the first applicant ought to be coming up the road any minute now.”

Beneath a broad-brimmed black Stetson, Ryan Delaney’s brown eyes gazed into the distance. Jamming his hands into his pockets, he listened for the sound of an approaching vehicle while he stood on the wraparound porch of his West Texas ranch house.

“It’s kinda early for a city woman to get out here for an interview,” Jeb said.

“This one wanted an early interview. She’s driving in from Dallas, so she’s been on the road the past three or so hours.”

“Gets up early—good sign. What about her husband? What job is he interested in?”

“There is no husband.”

Jeb’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you had a policy with that agency that you only hire couples to work in the house.”

Jeb was right, but somehow Martin Clayburne at the agency had talked him into this interview, promising he wouldn’t regret it. Ryan figured it’d be a quick one. “I told Martin not to send a young single woman out here. I’m just interviewing her long enough to show her the door. No way will I hire her.”

“Well, come look at the tractor when you can. When you see the problem, you’ll agree fixing it is better than buying a new one,” Jeb said.

“I’ll look, but you find out what fixing it will cost. It might be more economical to get a new one.” Ryan heard an engine and turned to see a spiral of dust on the road moving toward the house. He turned back to talk to his foreman, whose wide-brimmed tan hat was pushed back on his head, revealing neatly combed graying brown hair. “Another thing—when will the two new mares be delivered?” Ryan asked.

“I’m picking them up tomorrow afternoon.”

“Stop by the house and I’ll look at them,” Ryan said, glancing at the corral and breathing a deep sigh of satisfaction. He enjoyed ranch work more than his work at the drilling/energy company he owned. Though he wished he could be here all the time, he at least spent one week out of each month here. He wanted to be a part of everything that went on at the RD Ranch. This was the life he loved.

“They’re fine horses. You’ll like them.” Jeb pushed his hat farther back on his head and gazed beyond Ryan.

“My, oh, my. Would you look at that,” Jeb said in a voice filled with awe.

Ryan turned as a car sped up the drive. Staring in surprise, he took in a shiny fire-engine-red convertible sports car sweeping around a curve and parking a hundred yards from the porch. A blonde cut the engine and picked up her purse.

“Holy Holstein,” Jeb said. “Ry, I’m willing to bet my paycheck she can’t cook toast. Not that it will matter,” the foreman added.

“I’m not taking you up on that bet,” Ryan answered, his gaze never leaving the red car and its driver. The door swung open and she emerged from the car. She wore a light blue summer suit with a skirt short enough to reveal long shapely legs. The matching blouse had a low-cut V-neckline.

“Make you another bet—you’ll hire her whether she can cook or not.”

“You’d lose that one,” Ryan replied.

“Hire her anyway. I’ll teach her to cook.”

Ryan couldn’t stop looking at the woman, but he smiled at Jeb’s offer. “I’ll keep that in mind. She would pretty the place up, though. I’d be shocked if she’s ever had a job cooking before. She’s movie-star or model material, not a cook buried on a West Texas ranch.”

“I’ll get out of here.”

“Stay and I’ll introduce you in case she’s hanging out in any of the local watering holes.” He glanced again at the car, which looked new and incredibly expensive, and gave voice to his thoughts. “What’s she doing applying to cook when she’s driving a car like that?”

“I can’t imagine any possible reason,” Jeb said, sounding dazed.

Ryan knew enough women to know that the clothes she wore were also expensive. As she approached the front steps, he went to meet her. Climbing the steps, she displayed more of her long legs and he couldn’t keep from staring.

She smiled, flashing white, even teeth and revealing a dimple in her cheek. He walked faster and held out his hand to shake hers. The moment he made physical contact with her soft skin, a current sizzled down to his lower extremities. When he met her crystal-blue gaze, he felt as if he were sinking in a sun-dappled sea.

“Mr. Delaney, I’m Jessica Upton. I’m here to interview for the position of cook,” she said in a mellow voice that he could listen to the rest of the day.

“It’s nice to meet you. This is my foreman, Jeb White,” he hoped he said. He was lost in her dazzling smile. He felt a slight tug and looked down to see he was still holding her hand, so he released her swiftly and reluctantly.

Jeb shook hands with her. “Real nice to meet you, Ms. Upton.” Jeb turned to Ryan. “I’ll be going now. See you later at the garage.”

“Sure,” Ryan replied without taking his eyes from Jessica. Her smile must have short-circuited his brain, because he asked, “Was your husband unable to come this morning?”

He received an even bigger smile that made him weak in the knees. Hands down, she was the most beautiful applicant he’d ever interviewed.

“There is no husband, because I’m divorced.”

“But you’re wearing a wedding ring,” he said, noticing the wide gold band with a row of diamonds and an engagement ring that had to be four carats. Her red nails were long and well shaped, indicating the care of a professional.

“I’m not ready to date anyone,” she said, losing some of her sparkle. “I thought the wedding ring might head off unwanted invitations.”

He seriously doubted it would head off all of them, but he merely nodded.

“I heard about this opening from someone I know in Dallas and I talked the agency into letting me have this interview. Please don’t be angry with them. Sometimes I can be persuasive.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m sure he couldn’t say no.” The remark came out before Ryan could stop it. Where was his professionalism? It was getting blown out of the water by someone so enticing that she dazzled him and made him feel sixteen years old again.

He should reinforce that he hired only couples and send her away now. The thought was fleeting. He wasn’t going to hire her, but he did want to interview her. Heck, he wanted to date her.

“Come inside to my office.”

“Here’s a résumé,” she said, handing him a manila folder. “I mailed a copy after I inquired about this job.”

Tucking the folder beneath his arm, he held the door for her to enter. He hadn’t looked at her résumé, tossing it because the agency he used handled the screening of applicants.

When she entered the house, Ryan inhaled a sweet, enticing scent. As she passed him, he couldn’t help noticing the sway to her hips. He took another long look, noticing her pale blond hair, which had a slight wave and swung across her shoulders with each step she took. Her silky hair was pinned up on the sides of her head.

Wisdom told him to send her packing. She shouldn’t even be here and he shouldn’t be showing her to his office. She might be nothing but trouble and she didn’t look as if she had ever worked for anyone a day in her life. Despite all that, he followed her inside, where she turned to look expectantly at him.

“My office is in the study down the hall. Come with me. Did you drive from Dallas this morning?”

“I stayed with friends who know you—the Jimsons. Pru and I have been friends for a long time. They told me you’re looking for a cook and the agency to contact. The agency highly recommended you.”

“Where’s your home, Ms. Upton?”

She smiled at him. “Please, just call me Jessica. Ms. Upton sounds as if my mother is nearby.”

Smiling in return, he nodded. “Sure, Jessica. You can call me Ryan.”

“I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, and that’s where my family is.”

“Here’s the study.”

He waved his arm and let her precede him into a room with dark walnut walls and a handwoven Navajo area rug with a red-and-black design on a white background. She crossed the room to stop at one of the brown leather wingback chairs facing his desk.

He turned the other leather chair slightly to face her. “Please be seated.”

Sitting, he glanced briefly as she crossed those fabulous legs. Unless he stopped looking at her, he was never going to resist the temptation to hire her.

“Where have you worked before?” he asked.

“I haven’t held a regular job, but I have done a lot of volunteer work for charities. I have them listed in my résumé.”

He opened the folder in his lap to glance at it and was surprised by the amount of time she had given to volunteering. “You’ve done a lot of charity work.”

“Yes.”

“Why do you want this job, Ms. Upton?”

“At this point in my life, this is a perfect job. I’ve been through a bad divorce. An emotional one. I want to go someplace new and quiet and for the coming year do something entirely different from what I’ve always done.”

Ryan thought about her answer. Everything in him said to get rid of her politely and quickly. If he kept her around, he would seduce her and eventually, when he was ready to say goodbye, it would be difficult. And they would say goodbye. His relationships were always over at some point. He had never had a serious relationship and this was not where or when he would start.

“You’re an attractive woman who could easily find a better-paying job in a big city where there are people and lots of things to do. You came from a city. Why would you bury yourself in a low-paying job in what is almost isolation out on my ranch?”

She smiled at him as if he were a slow learner and she was trying to encourage him. “Thank you for the compliment. I’m ready to be ‘buried’ somewhere with peace and quiet. I’m at a crossroads in my life and I need to think about my future and recover from my past. If I take this job, I can keep busy, earn some money, be away from everyone—namely my family and my ex—who would distract me while I try to chart my future.”

Logical answer, but he didn’t believe her. She was too pretty to need to bury herself. Memphis was big enough for her to escape her family and her ex, and if not Memphis, a lot of other big cities. She looked like a city person, not a cook on his ranch, where she wouldn’t see anyone, including him, for days on end. A small inner voice still persistently told him to get rid of her. She would never fit in as his cook and all he would get would be one headache after another.

“I have a business in Houston and am only on the ranch about a week out of every month. I pay my staff whether I’m here or not, but for a lot of the time you’d be on your own. What would you do?”

He received another dazzling smile that made him ignore the persistent inner voice that told him to end this interview.

“I’ll find some way to occupy my time,” she said. “That’s never been a problem and it will be even less of one now that I’m older.”

He looked at her résumé again and saw when she’d graduated from high school. Calculating quickly, he was surprised. She was twenty-six. From her looks, he would have guessed twenty-two.

“A year can be a long time. Way before the year is over, you may want to date again. You’ll meet only a limited number of men out here.”

“I can live with that,” she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

“Frankly, Ms. Up—er, Jessica, I don’t think—”

“Give me a chance and I promise you won’t regret it.”

Her silky voice wrapped around him and he guessed very few men could deny what she asked. He couldn’t imagine what killed her marriage.

He returned to reading the papers she had handed him, swiftly glancing over her transcript and looking more intently at her, trying to hide his surprise.

“You have almost a straight-A average and a degree in accounting. Accounting and cooking?”

“My dad steered all of his kids toward accounting. He said we could use it in whatever we do. I don’t know about that, but it was not difficult for me.”

“I’m impressed,” he said. “Have you cooked for anyone before? I see here you’ve had some courses in cooking and you attended a prestigious culinary school in Paris.”

“Yes. I love to cook and I guess that helps. You let me cook something for you and you’ll hire me,” she said, smiling at him. “What’s your favorite dish?”

He was tempted to say “blue-eyed blondes,” but he knew better.

“My favorite dessert is blackberry cobbler. My favorite dinner is roast beef and mashed potatoes covered with brown gravy—pretty simple stuff. No fancy French dishes.”

“Ah, you’re easy,” she said, smiling slightly.

He had to clamp his mouth closed to keep from answering with the first thing that came to mind. His inner self was now jumping up and down, screaming to send her on her way. “I usually hire only couples,” he said. At last he had turned a corner and was heading toward turning her down.

“You won’t need two cooks,” she said sweetly.

“Usually the wife is the cook and the man has another area where he prefers to work—chauffeur, gardener, handyman. Once I had a husband who was cook and his wife cleaned. It might be a little awkward having a young single female for my cook. Sometimes the two of us are the only ones in the house. I have a large staff who all live on the ranch. Also, the cowboys who work for me, but they’re all off doing their own thing a lot of the time.”

“No problem. You came with all kinds of recommendations and references and an absolute declaration that you would be totally professional.”

He wanted to lean closer, speak softly and tell her he’d been questioning his professionalism since he laid eyes on her. And then he wanted to ask her out tonight. Instead, he stared at her résumé as if he were thinking deeply about it. “You’re staying in Dallas?”

“I did last night. If you aren’t interested in hiring me, I’m packed now and I’ll just keep driving west. I’ll find work somewhere, I’m sure.”

“You should go to one of the modeling agencies. You’d have far better pay and a more interesting job.”

She smiled as if he had made an impossible suggestion. “Thank you. I prefer to stick to cooking. It’s something that I love.”

She leaned forward slightly. “If you’re concerned because I’m single, I can reassure you that it will make no difference. The way I feel right now, I have no desire to get into any kind of relationship again.” She paused to look down at her hands in her lap and he waited because it seemed an emotional moment for her.

“I can understand that now,” he said. “But you’re young, healthy. Six months from now, you may feel differently about going out. I have a bunch of single guys working for me. They’re going to start asking you out.”

“They’ll soon see that I’m not interested and then they’ll lose interest.” She held up her hand. “Besides, I’m wearing a wedding ring.”

“You’re divorced. That word will get around. They’re good guys.”

She smiled, looking in control again. “Are you encouraging me to go out with some of the cowboys who work here?”

“Not at all,” he said, glad she was composed again and her sparkle had returned.

“It’s a needless worry about my dating. I just plain cannot yet. It’s like this. You want a cook. I will be quiet and stay out of the way, and you’ll like my cooking. If you don’t, then that’s that, but,” she paused, giving him a wide-eyed look that held him immobile, “I’ve never had anyone dislike my cooking. I really love to cook,” she said in a breathless tone of voice that made him think of hot kisses and soft curves and forget all about food.

“If you’ll give me a chance, you’ll be pleasantly surprised,” she continued. “That’s really all I want, a chance,” she said, looking at him with even wider blue eyes, leaning a bit closer, close enough he could catch the scent of her perfume again. Close enough that the blue silk blouse with its low V-neckline revealed the beginning of luscious curves. Close enough that her rosebud mouth tempted him. He couldn’t get his breath and he wanted to lean toward her, put his hand at the back of her head and place his mouth on hers.

Realizing how he was staring and where his thoughts were going, he straightened up.

“Ryan,” she said softly, in a coaxing tone. “You did say to call you Ryan, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did,” he replied, and his voice was gravelly.

“Just let me stay and cook for you today,” she urged in that breathless voice that made more sweat break out on his forehead. “I’ll leave shortly after dinner as soon as I’ve cleaned the kitchen. I’ll stay out of your sight ninety percent of the time. How’s that?”

He was being manipulated by a woman he had known only half an hour and who wanted a job working for him. He should end the interview, tell her goodbye and get his life back right now. Instead, he was dazzled more than ever.

“Also, I am quite well-fixed in my own right, so I’m not trying to figure a way to get your money. My father has an accounting firm, a construction company and a trucking company and owns a bank. He has three sons and two daughters, one of them being me. He is very generous with his children. Other than cooking, you’ll never know I’m around.”

“That, Jessica, is absolutely impossible,” Ryan said, unable to hold back the words.

She laughed softly. “I’d still like a chance to cook for you.”

“I already have interviews set up throughout the morning and two after lunch.” He couldn’t believe he was arguing with her.

“You can still do them. You might find someone you like better. Just, please,” she said, getting that sultry, breathless tone again, “give me a chance. What have you got to lose?” she added, touching his arm lightly with her fingertips. The contact was electric. His body tensed and heated. He wiped his damp forehead.

The interview had lost professionalism and he had lost his wits. By now she should be driving away out of his life forever. He could not recall a single time in his adult life where he had ignored judgment and common sense and let someone else take control.

It was time to be firm, positive and polite and send her on her way. He gazed into her wide blue eyes above a faint smile, enough of a smile to reveal the dimple.

Get rid of her, his inner voice commanded. He opened his mouth to tell her why he couldn’t hire her and surprised himself when he spoke.

“Jessica, you’ve got yourself a deal.”

Two

“I really appreciate this chance you’re giving me.” Jessica smiled, even though she had mixed feelings. She had argued with her friend about applying for this job. She would have preferred working for a couple. An older couple or a couple with children. Not a good-looking single guy.

But when she had turned in to the ranch, it had looked like the perfect place, exactly the peaceful surroundings she wanted in order to recuperate.

Her divorce had been a bad one, emotional for both of them. Carlton had not wanted the divorce. He wanted her back—probably to soothe his wounded ego, because it certainly wasn’t out of love for her. Her parents wanted her to go back to him. As for her, she wanted to get away from all of them, somewhere quiet where they couldn’t bother her and she could recover and let her nerves settle.

She hadn’t told Ryan Delaney about losing her baby in her second month, but that miscarriage had added to her stress and heartbreak. First finding Carlton had cheated on her from the beginning of their marriage and then losing her baby. Yes, she thought, this isolated Texas ranch, where life was quiet and laid-back, seemed the ideal spot to recuperate.

Ryan Delaney was an appealing man—that alone shook her because no male had held even a tiny degree of appeal since she had moved out and filed for divorce. How had Ryan gotten through her numbness and hurt?

Ryan’s appeal was a minus in her opinion. But he was nice, so that balanced out. He had remained professional, although if she wasn’t mistaken, she felt a spark between them, which was another reason to seek a job elsewhere. On the other hand, she had a job and a place to stay in a part of the world where no one should be able to find her.

Besides, Ryan had said they would see little of each other, and she was counting on that. First she had to get the job with her one chance tonight.

She sighed with anticipation and relief that was short-lived. When following him out of the office and into the hall, she noticed his broad shoulders and thick black hair neatly cut above the collar of his blue denim shirt. He fell into step beside her, making her aware of his height and even more conscious she might regret this job. When close to him, this breathless, tingly feeling was not welcome. She needed an obscure, remote place to settle and heal, but this ranch might not be the place at all. Fear nagged that she was making a big mistake.

“You have a beautiful home.”

“Thanks. I love the ranch. This is my getaway. I can relax here. Have you ever been to Texas?”

“Not until now.”

“Here’s the kitchen,” he said, leading her into a large room filled with what looked like the newest appliances. The kitchen was an instant draw as she looked at the practical arrangement, the excellent equipment and an adjoining comfortable living area. A tall woman with a thick brown braid turned from the sink and smiled at her. Dressed in a T-shirt and jeans with a yellow apron tied around her middle, she smiled. “Jessica, this is Gwen Grayson, who works for me. She’s in charge of cleaning. There are two more on my cleaning staff, but Gwen is here the most. Gwen, meet Jessica, who is applying for the cooking job.”

Gwen’s eyes widened as she looked at Jessica. “Welcome to the ranch,” she said, staring.

“Thank you,” Jessica replied. “I’m glad to meet you. This is a wonderful kitchen.”

“Oh, yes,” Gwen said. “Everything you can possibly need.”

“I’m showing Jessica around and then she’s volunteered to fix lunch and dinner, so you can go on with whatever else you want to do,” Ryan said to Gwen.

“I’ll be happy to do lunch,” she said.

“I appreciate that, but I want to do this,” Jessica said, smiling at Gwen, who smiled in return and shrugged.

“Ask me if you want some help.”

Jessica nodded. “Thank you. I will.”

“I’ll show Jessica where she’ll stay and she’ll be back,” Ryan said, taking her arm lightly and turning her. His touch ignited a sizzle. He released her. As she turned with him, she glanced at the bar with high stools dividing it from a connected room that held a fireplace, a pool table, and a big-screen television.

To one side of the kitchen a door stood open on a walk-in pantry that was neatly filled with supplies. At the end of the pantry was another freezer.

“This kitchen is wonderful but big enough you could cook for a U.S. Army base,” she said.

“You’ll only have to cook for me and any company I have. Also my house staff, which is Gwen, Paolina and Chiara, who clean, and Enrique and Dusty, who are maintenance. I doubt if you will see any of them except Gwen. Paolina and Chiara are off this month. Enrique and Dusty are maintenance for all the buildings. When they’re working here, they eat here. Gwen’s been filling in until I hire a cook, but she has a full-time job cleaning. I told you, I’m not here much of the time and when I am, I’m usually alone. Mainly, you’ll just cook for me.”

The idea made Jessica’s insides flutter and she wondered how much just the two of them would be together.

“If you need help finding things, let me know. Especially this first day,” he added.

“I’ll find everything I need, I’m sure,” she said, glancing up to catch him studying her with a look that made her warm and tingly.

“One more thing—my cook does the grocery shopping. I have an account and you just charge it to the account. It’s in Bywater, a nearby small town. Are you certain you would want to get out to do that task?”

“Sure.”

“It’s Bywater, Texas, and it’s a very small town. And no, it’s not by any water. I don’t know why they named it that.”

“I don’t mind at all.”

“That settles the grocery buying.” He glanced around. “I usually let my cook stay in one of the houses on the ranch, but since you’re single, I think you’ll have more peace and quiet staying here,” he said. “This way to your suite,” he said, going a short distance down the back hall to enter a suite. “Look around. See if this will do. You can stay here. You’ll be close to the kitchen, as well as downstairs by yourself.”

She stood in the living area and could see the adjoining bedroom with French Provincial fruitwood furniture, polished hardwood floors, another large-screen television, a desk with a computer.

“This is lovely. It’ll be fine,” she said, turning to look into dark brown eyes that captured and held her attention again, stealing away all thoughts or conversation. The moment stretched between them.

He turned abruptly and the moment was gone, leaving her breathless and with a racing heart. Declining the job to go elsewhere was the sensible thing to do. But right now she was too busy trying to get her breath and regain her composure.

“Give me the key to your car and I’ll bring in your things,” Ryan said in a deeper, huskier voice. Was he having a reaction as much as she was? Warning signals were flying like sparks from an exploding firecracker, yet she didn’t want to turn down the chance for the job.

She motioned toward the door. “I’ll go, too. I can carry something.”

“While you’re here, you can keep your car in the garage.”

“Thank you.”

When they reached her car, he removed two bags and shouldered a carry-on.

Gathering her laptop, a shoulder bag and another small bag, she followed him back to the house, where he set things down in her new suite.

“Have some more things in the trunk?”

“No.”

“You’re traveling light for someone moving away from home.”

She shrugged. “Starting over. I don’t need a lot and my folks will take care of my things. I have a small condo I leased for a year. I’ve already paid the rent for the year.”

One corner of his mouth lifted slightly, making slight creases bracket his mouth. Once again she thought he was an incredibly handsome man, which would not make this job easy.

“Why are you smiling?”

“I suspect what you paid for that year’s lease will be more than your salary here. You went to college. You have an accounting degree and you’re qualified for a job that would give you a career and a good salary. Are you sure this is the choice you want to make?”

“At this time in my life, it is. My heart wouldn’t be in any accounting job. I’m changing and trying to decide what I want to do the rest of my life. I want to work at something I like to do. My marriage is definitely over. I made a mistake in judgment about my ex that has shaken me.”

“Well, you’re following your heart, something not many of us get to do,” he said, sounding slightly wistful, and she recalled what he’d said about wanting to spend more time at the ranch. “Give me your key and I’ll put your car away for you,” he said, holding out his hand.

She placed a key ring into his hand. “I’ll wait on the porch and see where you go.” As they walked through the house, she glanced at her surroundings. “Did you grow up on this ranch?”

“No. I had this house built five years ago to suit myself. Now, there’s another Delaney ranch with a house that goes back generations. We lived there part of the time, but because of school and Dad’s business, we lived in Dallas most of the time.

“There were quite a few of us. My brother Adam is deceased, but I have two others who live around here. Will is the next oldest brother. He’s married and lives in Dallas. We have a half sister, Sophia, who is married and lives in Dallas and her husband is like another brother. Middle brother Zach has married, shocking the family because he was a world traveler. I’m the youngest. We’re all in Texas.”

“I come from a big family, too, as I told you. I have an older sister and three older brothers—a banker, an accountant and an attorney, all professions my father approves.”

“There must be something you want to do your dad doesn’t approve,” Ryan guessed.

“I’d like to have my own restaurant. He would see that as a highly frivolous risk. Actually, my parents want me to be what I was—married to a highly successful man and not working outside the home, a socialite. I followed that life but spent a lot of my time volunteering, which I did enjoy.”

“At least you helped others. That’s good,” he said, holding the door for her to step outside. She was conscious of passing close to him, constantly aware of his proximity.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, taking the porch steps two at a time.

She watched his long strides as he headed toward her car. Her gaze ran across his broad shoulders down to his narrow hips and long legs while her insides tightened. What would it be like to kiss him? She tried to think of another subject and get her mind off Ryan. What was it that stirred such chemistry between them?

She looked at her car and decided if this job didn’t work out, she would drive back to Dallas and sell the car, then head north. Maybe Montana or Wyoming would have another isolated ranch where a family could use a cook. Or a small-town restaurant off the main highways.

Common sense still urged her to go now. There was a hot attraction between Ryan and her. The fact that he had remained professional, resisted flirting, until after the interview had not cooled the fires. She glanced at her surroundings again, the outbuildings, corral, stables, garage, wide-open spaces and, through a stand of mesquite trees, a bunkhouse. She could not imagine any of her family or her ex finding her here. So the place was perfect—except for one tall Texas rancher.

Ryan came striding back and handed the keys to her. When his fingers brushed hers, another sizzle danced in her insides. “Nice car. Want to sell it to me?”

“You’ll get the first chance if I do decide to sell it. But I really like my car and I’d hate to let it go.” She took a deep breath and looked toward the door. “I’d better go get accustomed to your kitchen. What would you like for lunch?”

He gazed at her a moment in silence. “Surprise me,” he finally said. “I’ll get ready for the next interview. I’ll answer the door when she arrives.”

Jessica nodded and left for her room to change clothes. She wasn’t putting anything away until she was certain she had the job. She thought about his offer to buy her car. For the time being she didn’t want to sell. As soon as she sold her car, it would be easier to look up records and find she had been in Texas.

She changed into jeans and a red cotton shirt, tying her hair behind her head with a red scarf. Slipping on flip-flops, she left for the kitchen. Certain Ryan was closed in his office to interview someone, she glanced down the empty hall. She hadn’t heard a doorbell or anyone talking, but the house was big enough that she wouldn’t hear when she was in her suite or even back in the kitchen.

The first thing she did was familiarize herself with his kitchen. It was as well stocked as a store. As she began collecting what she needed from the pantry, she heard someone in the kitchen and turned around to see Gwen.

“Ahh, you’re here to fix lunch,” Gwen said, smiling at Jessica. “You really don’t need to, because I’ve been filling in. You don’t actually have the job yet—right?”

“I’m trying out for the position,” Jessica said. “I’m starting with lunch. He didn’t say what he likes to eat, so I’m guessing. I’m going to make a pie first, for after dinner.”

“He’ll like that. I’ve never seen him turn down pie. You’re trying out? He doesn’t usually do that when hiring,” she said, looking puzzled.

“He said he usually hires couples. I’m divorced. I sort of talked him into giving me a chance and letting me cook for him today.”

“Ahh.” Gwen chuckled. “Good. If you need help, I’ll be happy to.”

“Thank you. That’s sweet, but this time I better do it all on my own since it’s sort of a trial to show him what I can do.”

“And you’re up for this?”

“Oh, yes,” she said, smiling at Gwen, who gave her a big grin.

“Good for you. Ask me if you have any questions or can’t find something.”

“Thanks. I will.”

“My husband has worked for Mr. Ryan since he bought this ranch. After he built the house, I was hired on to clean. We live in a house here on the ranch and we like working here. So for tonight—what kind of pie are you baking?”

“I’m not baking. It’s a chocolate icebox.”

“Very good choice. He has a weakness for chocolate. Burgers, roasts, steaks, barbecue and just plain potatoes are his favorites. That and blueberry waffles.”

“Thanks for letting me know.”

“Do you really know how to cook?”

“Oh, yes,” she said, smiling.

“Then you’ll get hired. And you’ll definitely be the prettiest cook we’ve ever had.”

Jessica laughed with Gwen. “Thank you. And thanks for telling me what he likes.”

“It’s quiet here. Are you sure you want the isolation of the ranch?”

“I’m sure. I had a bad divorce and my ex didn’t want me to leave. This will be a good place for me. I’ll like it here,” she said, thinking of Ryan’s irresistible smile.

“I’ll be through cleaning and out of here by four. If you need something or want help, here’s my cell number,” Gwen said, getting a piece of paper and jotting a number to hand to Jessica.

“Thank you. That’s very nice.”

“I think you’ll be a good addition here. I clean upstairs today. I better get started. Oh, if you want flowers for the table, Mr. Ryan doesn’t care if we pick some and bring them in for bouquets. Just watch out for rattlesnakes in the garden.”

“Rattlesnakes? I think I’ll skip the flowers.”

When the housekeeper had left, Jessica checked and found frozen raw hamburger patties that she could cook. She found buns and all she needed. She busied herself with making the pie first and setting it in the refrigerator to chill.

When noon came, she looked around, making sure everything was ready. Thirty minutes later she still hadn’t seen Ryan and she wondered if an interview was running long because he had found someone who would be more satisfactory for his cook and would have a husband to work here also.

By one she was certain that was what had happened and then she heard his boots as he approached the kitchen and stepped through the door.

Her heart missed a few beats when she smiled at him. “I’d given you up.”

“Sorry, I should have let you know,” he said. He filled the doorway and dominated the room. Would she ever get accustomed to him and see him as just another person? “I’ll look over my notes and be back in about twenty minutes. That should give you some time.”

“Sure. By then your lunch will be ready,” she said, hearing the breathless sound of her voice and wondering whether he noticed it.

“Eat with me, okay? We can talk some more.”

“Isn’t that a little irregular?”

“Because you work for me? I don’t think so and that’s all that matters, unless you don’t want to—”

“Oh, no. That’s fine,” she said, flashing a smile at him.

“Good. See you in twenty minutes,” he said, and left.

Eat with me.

His request replayed in her mind. Once again this job was taking another unexpected turn. Could she continue being close to him, associating with him daily, and still stay remote and impassive around him? He had to know he was having an effect on her every time they were together. It was obvious sometimes that he felt it just as much as she.

She hurried to get his lunch, and twenty minutes later she took the hamburgers off the small grill as he came through the door.

They sat at a table overlooking the formal garden and a pond with a fountain, a waterfall and blooming lilies.

“This is a beautiful view,” she said.

“Yes, it is,” he said in a warm voice that held a note that caught her attention. She turned to look at him as he gazed back with a faint smile. He looked back at his plate. “This looks great and I’m hungry. It’s been a long time since breakfast.”

“I baked beans,” she said. “I thought that might be healthier than the fries.”

“You’re probably right. So far, I’ve rejected both women I interviewed this morning. You’re still at the top of the list.” He took a bite of his burger.

“That’s good news because I think I’ll like it here. We’ll see how you like my lunch and dinner. Lunch isn’t really a test, because burgers are sort of always the same and very easy.”

“The burger is good.”

“Thank you. Are you planning on staying at the ranch for a while now or will you go back to Houston soon?”

“I’m in and out right now. I’ll go to Houston later this week.”

As he spoke, she gazed into his warm brown eyes. She had made such a poor judgment with her ex; was she making more poor decisions now with Ryan? He smiled and picked up his burger to take another bite.

“I’m glad to hear the job is still open,” she said.

“Oh, yes. I have two interviews after lunch. I’ll let you know how it goes. So far, lunch is good. The beans are great and the burger is cooked just the way I like it.”

“I’m glad. Gwen told me you like burgers, but not how you like them cooked.”

“You guessed well. Gwen and her husband both work here, you know.”

“That’s what she said.” She wiped her hands on her napkin and stood up. “I have pie for dinner tonight, but I baked some cookies for now.” She went inside to get a plate of chocolate-chip cookies, which she placed in front of him. He promptly held the plate out to offer her one as she sat.

“No thanks,” she said. “I’m not a sweets person.”

“I’ll remember that,” he answered, taking a cookie.

“I don’t think you need to remember your cook doesn’t eat sweets,” she said.

“I might want to send you a present sometime and I would need to remember,” he added. He still kept his voice impersonal. There was no flirting, no touch, but when she looked into his chocolate-colored eyes with those thick bedroom lashes, a current sizzled between them. The attraction was still there, like bedrock beneath a stream of polite conversation.

She drew her eyes away, focusing on the nearby fountain. She had to get her head back in the game.

“Did you go with this guy in college?”

Ryan’s question drew her up short, and she realized she must have missed something he said. “My ex?” she guessed. When he nodded, she replied, “No. He was a bit older than I am. I’ve known him all my life.

“I think he thought I’d be the perfect wife. That I would never find out about his affairs. And if I did, I’d go along with his infidelities.” She shook her head. “I was just naive about everything. Anyway, it’s over now.”

“Your family is in Tennessee. Won’t you go back someday?”

“Oh, my, yes. I love Tennessee with all my heart, especially Nashville. That’s where I plan to live. It’s close enough to my family in Memphis to be convenient but far enough that I can live my own life and I won’t run into my ex often. Before I go back, though, I want to recover from the stress of the past few months.”

“If peace and quiet helps you recover, you’ve come to the right place.” With a glance at his watch, Ryan rose. “Excuse me, Jessica,” he said, her name spoken by him stirring a tingle, sounding deeper, more personal than when he’d previously said it. “It’s time I get back to my office and look over my notes before the next interview. Thanks for the lunch.”

She couldn’t help but feel disappointed that he would continue to interview applicants, so she went into work mode, gathering the dishes and bringing them inside. She turned from the sink and almost bumped into Ryan, who stood there with glasses in his hands. He steadied her, his fingers lightly on her shoulders, but the moment he touched her, she saw his eyes narrow slightly. Inhaling deeply, he released her. Her heartbeat raced and she wanted to lean closer to him.

But Ryan hurried out of the room in long strides.

Watching him, she took a deep breath. Once again common sense said to pack and go. She was having a volatile reaction to Ryan Delaney and he had had a reaction to touching her, too. Maybe he would hire someone this afternoon and the job decision would be out of her hands.

She cleaned the dishes and then got more familiar with the kitchen, turning on an oven to start cooking a roast for dinner. She spent the afternoon laboring over dinner, checking on the roast, making rolls and mashing potatoes. Later she set the table for the evening meal and finally reached a point where she could go to her suite to get ready to be with Ryan.

After showering, she slipped into a blue sundress and sandals and brushed her hair out. By five she was back in the kitchen to finish cooking dinner. Everything was going well, which lifted her spirits. Whether she got the job or not, she was happy to discover she could turn out a lunch and dinner when the result was crucial and time was of the essence. It was dinner tonight, one good enough to get her hired, or she was out. There would be no second chance tomorrow.

As she made gravy and steamed collard greens, she couldn’t squelch the nagging question: Was she more excited over the prospect of a dinner that would determine her future...or the thought of an evening with Ryan?

Three

Ryan straightened up over the tractor. “All right. Buy the parts if you think that’s the way to go and you’re certain you can fix it.”

“I can fix it.” Jeb stepped away from the tractor to walk with Ryan. “What did you do today? I see the red car is here. Am I going to teach her to cook?”

“No. Tonight is a test. She talked me into giving her a chance.”

Jeb’s mouth twitched. “Imagine that. I suspect she’ll talk you into hiring her no matter her cooking ability.”

“No. If she can’t cook, she goes and she knows it. But I agreed to give her a chance and let her cook dinner tonight.”

“Well, I can guess the outcome of that. As I said, I’ll be happy to teach her to cook.”

“Thanks for the offer. I won’t forget,” Ryan answered drily. “Lunch was good, a burger and beans, so maybe she can cook.”

“Even a kid can cook a burger and beans. Go enjoy dinner and the evening.”

“Sure, Jeb.” Ryan left the foreman to head for his house, wondering about his dinner. In spite of a good lunch, he didn’t expect her to have as much success with dinner. He reminded himself that she did have some credentials in her background, though, so maybe she could really cook. Why did he doubt it?

He didn’t go in through the kitchen and see her but instead went straight to his suite from a side entrance. He showered and dressed in a fresh dark brown cotton Western shirt, jeans and black boots.

While he dressed, he thought about the interviews today. None had been someone he wanted to hire, including Jessica. Jessica would be trouble at best because if she could cook beyond burgers, she had an ex-husband who wanted her back and parents who also wanted her to return. If they showed up to try to talk her into moving home, he would be involved. He was attracted to her, but he wasn’t going to seriously date her or any other pretty woman. He had too much fun making friends and flirting with a passel of willing females.

Yet in spite of the complications accompanying her, he had allowed her to stay and cook as a trial run.... He didn’t want to analyze that move.

No, he told himself. He had an out. If dinner was not particularly good, he would simply not hire her. He’d tell her goodbye and send her on her way.

Why did he have a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach when he thought about that? Because he was sorry for the troubles she had had.

“Yeah, right, Ryan,” he said softly to his reflection in the mirror. He couldn’t lie to himself. He wanted to go out with her. Sparks flew when he was with her and both of them were trying to keep their employer-employee relationship, or whatever they had, professional and unemotional. It never happened. The slightest physical contact was electrifying. He wanted a night out with her. He wanted to hold her and kiss her; he wanted to seduce her. She took his breath away with her looks.

The woman had emotional problems from her bitter divorce. She needed peace and solace—not someone hot for her.

Ryan lectured himself about his motives and tried to steel himself to get rid of her because they both would be better off. And should she persuade him to let her stay, he needed to leave her alone. Stay away from her, go back to Houston and his work and let her mend and go on her way.

Maybe he’d look her up when she got over her divorce.

On impulse he went to the phone to call his friends the Jimsons. Brad answered and Ryan talked to him briefly, checking out Jessica to learn if her friendship was what she had said and the Jimsons had recommended she come to the ranch to apply for a job as his cook.

He then spoke to Pru and after a few minutes hung up. Jessica checked out. Now it all hinged on dinner. If dinner wasn’t any good, was he really going to get rid of her?

He had told Pru about the trial meal. She had laughed and said she guessed he would hire Jessica. He suspected Pru was basing that guess on Jessica’s looks and his friendships with pretty ladies.

He walked downstairs and headed to the kitchen. Enticing smells of beef and hot bread lured him to the room. He heard singing and a pan clattering and water running. His pulse sped and eagerness to see Jessica gripped him.

He stopped in the doorway, his insides in a clutch while he noticed several things at once. She was not in a panic, running frantically around the kitchen trying to get dinner together. The kitchen was neat and orderly, and she had tidied up from cooking. Her pale blond hair was secured in a ponytail, tied with a scarf that matched her dress. She had her back to him while she slid a covered platter into the warming drawer in the oven. He wanted to walk up to her and slip his arms around her tiny waist, but he knew better than to do any such thing.

“It smells wonderful in here,” he said in a husky voice that he couldn’t change.

She turned and gave him a radiant smile that revealed her dimple. Right then he admitted to himself, cook or no cook, there was no way he could send her packing.

“Dinner is ready.”

“How about a drink with me first outside? It’s a beautiful evening. We could forget employer and employee for a few minutes without it hurting anything.”

“That’s crossing a line,” she said, frowning slightly and studying him.

“Doesn’t have to. We can just sit, enjoy the evening, talk a little and relax. You’ve been cooking in a hot kitchen.”

Her frown disappeared. “Not exactly slaving over a hot stove.”

“Maybe not, but this won’t be disastrous and we don’t have to cross a line.”

“Still, I don’t think you usually have drinks and dinner with your staff, do you?”

As he shook his head, he grinned. “I don’t usually have a gorgeous single woman on my staff. For just a minute, can we drop being strictly professional? I don’t want to upset you in any way, but you asked the question.”

“It’ll be a little difficult to remain strictly professional if I have a drink with you on your patio. I can’t quite address you as ‘Mr. Ryan’ the way Gwen does either.”

“I hope not. That’s her doing. I’ve told her to call me Ryan, but she insists. Her husband calls me Ryan, but Gwen won’t. I’m not going to argue the point. They’ve worked for me several years now, but they’ve also worked for my older brother Adam, so they’ve known me for years.”

“And thank you for the compliment.” He received another smile that revealed her dimple.

“C’mon. Sit with me and have a drink. If you get uncomfortable, we’ll come in and have dinner. Deal?”

“Sure, Ryan.” Even hearing her say his name was as tangible as physical contact and stirred desire. He was having a strong reaction to her and he was digging himself in deeper every second by letting her stay, by asking her to have a drink with him. Was he on a track to seduction and reluctant to face up to his own motives? Guilt assailed him because Jessica was emotionally vulnerable. Surely he had no intention of taking advantage of her...but she was damned difficult to resist.

“What would you like? I’ll get drinks,” he said, his voice going husky again, a telltale sign of his desire.

“I think I’ll have iced tea. I’ve already made a pitcher.”

“Tea for you, a cold beer for me.”

“I set the table inside, but I can move things to the patio, if you prefer,” she said as he got ice and then poured tea from a pitcher sitting on the counter.

“No, we’ll eat indoors.” Walking farther into the kitchen, he saw the table, set and ready.

“Very nice. Here’s your tea,” he said, handing her the drink and touching her slender fingers as she took the glass—another slight touch that heightened attraction. He was amazed that he had such an intense reaction to so many insignificant brushes with her.

He got his beer and held the door for her to go outside. It was a cool June evening with no wind stirring. She sat facing the formal garden and he pulled a chair close to hers. The full skirt of her dress hid her legs almost to her slender ankles.

He raised his bottle to her. “Welcome to Texas. May you like your stay.”

Smiling, she touched his bottle with her glass lightly and sipped her tea before setting her drink on a small table beside her chair.

“I’ll admit I hope you hire me, because I think this is what I’m looking for. This is a perfect place for me to heal, to get over my divorce. If you don’t hire me, though, I understand, and I’ll head north, maybe to Montana or Wyoming.”

“I don’t think you have to plan on driving to Montana or Wyoming. We’ll work out something. I talked to Brad and Pru. You come highly recommended,” he said, fighting the temptation to move his chair closer. He wanted to flirt with her, ask her out, kiss her. Seduce her. Instead, he had to be polite, distant, professional. Only friendly, nothing more. He suspected she would be a daily torment working for him because he would constantly be fighting himself. Even knowing that, he couldn’t turn her away. One look at her and he wanted her to stay.

“They’re close friends, particularly Pru, so of course they would give me a good recommendation. The best references as far as my work will be the ones I listed and gave to you today because those are people I’ve worked with on volunteer projects. Those and two names I have from the cooking school I attended. I enclosed letters they’ve written for me.”

“I haven’t read all your information yet,” he admitted. “When I saw you were single, I didn’t think there would be a chance I would hire you.”

“Thanks for giving me a chance,” she said, with another dimpled smile that made him want to do anything she asked.

“You’re persuasive,” he said. “I doubt if many men have said no to you.”

“As a matter of fact, they haven’t,” she said with a twinkle in her big blue eyes. “So tell me more about your family. I suppose if I work here, I’ll meet them at some point.”

“They’re in Dallas and yes, you will. I’ve told you we lost Adam. He had a little girl, Caroline. Will is her guardian and Ava, Will’s wife, is far more of a mother than her birth mother, who walked out on them early.”

“Walked out? That’s dreadful,” she said, looking upset for the first time. “How could a mother walk out on her baby?”

“She never had any interest in Caroline. Still doesn’t. Actually, if something were to happen to Will and Ava, I’m in the will to be appointed Will’s children’s guardian. I can’t imagine being Daddy.”

“Why not? You’re kind, cheerful, intelligent.”

“Thanks,” he said, grinning. “Will has done a wonderful job caring for Caroline and so has Ava. She went through some tough times and Ava helped bring her out of her shell and get over her hurt.”

“That’s sad, for a little child to be hurt. I’m glad it’s worked out for her.”

“She has a little brother, Adam, now. He is a cute baby and Caroline is a doll. Both happy, fun kids, which is the way it should be.” He took a long pull from his beer, then placed it back on the table. “Where do your sister and your banker, accountant and attorney brothers live?”

“They’re all in Memphis, not far from our parents. I’m the one rocking the boat. My sister and my brothers are all married—each has two kids. My sister has two boys. Each of my brothers has a son and a daughter. I have delightful nieces and nephews and I miss them a lot.”

Her voice was wistful, reminding him of her loss and the fragile side to her. One more reminder to avoid flirting with her or crossing the line any more than he already had.

“Are you close with your siblings?”

“I’m close to my sister and close to my youngest brother, Jason. I guess because of our ages. He’s five years older than I am. Derek is eight years older, Lydia is ten years older and Dillon is twelve years older. Dillon and I have gotten to know each other a little better since we’re grown, but we’re not close. What’s worse, he’s friends with Carlton. So is Lydia’s husband, Frank.”

“How did you get interested in cooking?” he asked her. He was curious about her but truthfully, he enjoyed sitting with her and wanted to keep her talking. His chair was turned enough that he could watch her, gaze into her blue eyes and get an occasional whiff of her perfume. She smelled wonderful and he could look at her all evening. He could listen to her, too. Her voice was perfect—neither too high-pitched nor too low.

“We had a woman who cooked and cleaned for us. Her name was Sandy and she would let me help when I was little and then she taught me how to do things on my own. She was a wonderful cook. People wanted to hire her away from us occasionally, but she stayed with us. I still keep up with her and go see her. She’s elderly now and my dad helped her get some investments and a savings plan, so she’s comfortable. Dad put a down payment on a house for her about fifteen years before she finally quit work and she paid off the mortgage before she quit. I’ve called her since I left home and she knows I left and will stay somewhere else for a while and she knows why. I’m really close to her. She was like another mother to me.”

“That’s nice you’ve stayed close. And nice you didn’t burden her with telling her where you are, although you might be better off if someone knows.”

“Oh, several people know where I am. I keep in touch with Mom. She doesn’t know specifics, but she knows enough. My sister knows where I am and what I’m doing. We text daily. I have a close Memphis friend—Olivia—who knows. She won’t even speak to Carlton. My parents won’t bother asking her about me, because they’ll know she won’t tell them.

“Olivia and Carlton move in the same circles and she’ll let me know when he’s seeing somebody else, which he should be doing by now. Then he’ll be far less interested in finding me. He knows I’m not going back. Our divorce was final a year ago. I left him five months before that.” She paused and gave him a solemn look that startled him. “Before I left him, I miscarried and lost a baby. I was in the second month of pregnancy.” She looked away, but not before he saw her eyes fill with tears.

“Sorry for your loss.”

“Even though the doctor said I can still have babies, I can’t seem to get over it,” she whispered. He barely heard her and saw her hands locked together in her lap. His sympathy went out to her. He thought of Caroline and Adam, and Zach’s little girl—how adorable they were—and felt a stab of sadness for her loss. Impulsively, he reached over to pat her hands.

She wiped her eyes and inhaled, finally turning to face him as she stood.

“Thank you. I think I should go look at dinner and get it on the table. I don’t want it to get dried out.”

“I’ll help,” he said, standing with her and walking back. She was tall for a woman, but not as tall as he was.

“Please have a seat and I’ll get dinner on while you finish your beer.”

“I can help. Do you want more tea?”

“Yes, please,” she said, hurrying to get things out. He helped and was pleasantly surprised with each dish she pulled out of the warming oven or the stove. Everything looked appetizing.

In minutes they were seated, overlooking a platter with chunks of tender beef. There was steaming brown gravy in a white gravy boat with a silver ladle. She had made fluffy mashed potatoes and steamed collard greens. She had found a jar of peppers for the greens. And they had salad plates for a tossed green salad.

The moment he took a bite of roast, there was no question she had the job. The tender meat was the best ever. So was the dark brown gravy. A timer dinged and she left to return with huge fluffy rolls that astounded him.

“I don’t recall these being in my freezer.”

“They weren’t in your freezer. I made them today.”

“You really can cook,” he said, staring at her and thinking her ex had to be unhinged to treat her so badly. She was every man’s dream.

“So what does that mean?” she asked, slanting him a curious look.

What it meant was that he was doomed. He had to hire her and he had to stay professional, remote, keep his hands to himself and his conversation impersonal. Now that he knew about the loss of her baby, it was even more important to leave her alone to let her heal.

“It means you have a job as my cook if you want it.”

“Thank you,” she said, giving him one of her radiant smiles, which turned his insides to jelly and killed all appetite for dinner. He needed to pack and get back to Houston sooner than he had planned because staying around here was going to be an incredible challenge.

“We should discuss a menu for the coming week. I don’t really know what you like. What would you like in the morning?”

The answer that instantly came to mind could not be said. He could feel sweat breaking out on his forehead. She was sexy, hot, the most beautiful woman he had met, and he couldn’t do one thing about it. He did not want to hurt her and she looked like the very earnest kind, not one for an affair that would be done and forgotten swiftly.

“You’re talking about breakfast,” he said, unable to hold back that much.

She blinked and he saw understanding dawn as her cheeks flushed. “I definitely mean breakfast,” she said briskly, but there was a breathless note to her voice now that added to his climbing temperature. “Orange juice? Tomato juice? Eggs, pancakes, what?”

“I’ll think about it,” he said. It was impossible to decide what he wanted for breakfast. He looked down at his plate, drinking his iced tea, trying to get his thoughts elsewhere and cool down. “After dinner we’ll make a grocery list and Saturday I’ll go into town with you to the store.”

They ate in silence while he tried to cool his libido and stop thinking about how he’d enjoy flirting with her. As he took a few tentative bites and tried to get her out of his thoughts and avoid looking at her, his appetite began to return. Jeb was going to be speechless the first time he ate her cooking.

“What kind of restaurant do you want to have?” Ryan asked, finally risking a look at her.

“Just American. That’s what I know. I had it all planned. I dreamed about it during college, but then when I married I had to give it up.” She took a bite of the beef, and the gravy lingered on her lip, drawing his eyes.

“Now I want to live and work in Nashville,” she continued as she wiped her mouth. “That’s close enough to home and family, but not too close. It gets me out of Memphis society, which is great. It gets me away from running into my ex a lot. I love Tennessee with all my heart. It’s the most beautiful state—the Smoky Mountains, Chattanooga, the little towns, the cities, Nashville is wonderful with bluegrass and country music, Centennial Park, the beautiful Southern homes and gardens, the best food ever. I don’t want to live anywhere else. I guess you feel that way about Texas, so you should understand.”

“Actually, it’s the ranch I feel that way about. This is the place where my heart is. I can’t imagine leaving it. This is my idea of paradise.”

“See? You wouldn’t want Nashville. I wouldn’t want here, not for a lifetime, but for now, this place is perfect.”

“Speaking of this place and your new job—I prefer breakfast about six a.m.” As he looked at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, the moment was surreal. Instead of flirting, laughing with her, getting closer—what he really wanted to do—he was telling her breakfast at 6:00 a.m. And she was nodding as if she was totally happy with their arrangement.

“Six is fine. I’ll have everything ready.”

“Like I said, you can select that menu. I don’t care to plan meals.” At the moment he didn’t care what she made. He was far more interested in spending time with her than what she was going to cook for him.

“If I select the menu, that makes this job easy.”

“I’m an easy guy,” he answered. “I’m not a vegan, not on a restricted diet and when I want a steak, I’ll tell you and I’ll grill it. Otherwise, it’s up to you.”

“Fine. Just like tonight, more or less?”

“Right,” he said, gazing into her wide blue eyes while she listened. He realized he was going to feel silly eating alone with her waiting on him or hanging out in the kitchen. “Jessica, this is a slightly different situation than I’ve ever had. You’re different from other cooks I’ve had.”

She gazed solemnly at him except for a faint lift of the corner of her mouth.

“So just plan on eating with me. Okay? I can’t see myself sitting here eating alone and you waiting on me and watching me eat,” he said, voicing his thoughts.

“You don’t have to eat with me. I can disappear or ignore you or whatever you want,” she protested.

“I want you to eat with me,” he said, complicating his life once again. From the moment her red car had pulled to a stop and she had stepped out, his life had been spinning into a strange new orbit. Eating every meal with her and still not flirting would be another horrendous challenge. Right now he wanted to forget this somber conversation and have some fun with her. And he could well imagine there were moments when she could be a lot of fun. He ached to ask her to go dancing.

“You’ll get tired of seeing me.”

“Jessica, I wouldn’t get tired of seeing you even if we ate every meal together until you quit this job,” he said, the words tumbling out in spite of his intentions.

She laughed softly. “Yes, you will, but if that’s what you want, you’re the employer.”

“It’s not a job requirement,” he answered, wondering what her feelings were. “If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”

“We’ll start out that way. You said you’re not here much of the time, so it shouldn’t be a problem,” she stated casually, as if the whole matter were insignificant to her and she had no physical reaction to him.

“Now, what happens when you’re away? Does my job go away? Do I find another job?” she asked.

“No. I pay the people who work for me whether I’m here or not. I couldn’t keep anyone if I didn’t.”

“Everyone else has work to do whether you’re here or not. I don’t. Can I help with the cleaning or something while you’re away?”

“That’s just the problem about having a cook. I can’t think of anything else for you to do unless I have staff working here at the house. Otherwise, they eat at the bunkhouse. Gwen probably won’t let you cook for her and will do her own. You can ask. They’ll let you know if they’ll be here to eat. Gwen cleans, so I don’t need you doing that unless you want to help her, but she probably won’t let you help clean either. Do what you want when you have the chance.”

“What about the little town where I get groceries? Is there anything going on there where they would need a volunteer to help?”

“I’ll ask around and see.” Having had his fill of the meal, he sat back and put down his napkin. “That was a delicious dinner and you’re a fine cook.”

“Thank you,” she said, smiling at him.

“C’mon. I’ll show you around the house. I can give you a small map of the ranch because it can be confusing when it’s all new to you. As for the house, we’ll just look at the downstairs now because that’s where you’ll be.”

When they entered the dining room, she glanced around. “This is a beautiful room. If my mother could see this, she would probably stop worrying about me. You have beautiful things,” she said, looking at two tall crystal candelabra on an Edwardian buffet. The dining room table could seat twenty and she wondered when he had such elegant parties.

She wandered around the formal room, looking at beautiful china and sparkling etched crystal in his fruitwood china cabinet.

They moved on to a large room that had to be the most occupied room next to the kitchen and the living area there.

The large family room overlooked the patio and pool. It held a big-screen television, a stone fireplace flanked by bookshelves, family pictures on the walls, comfortable leather furniture. She circled the room and paused in front of a picture box with a large gilt frame. Inside, against black velvet, was what she guessed was an antique pistol. Ryan came to stand beside her.

“That’s an old family heirloom. It’s a Colt revolver in an antique picture box.”

“My dad would be impressed by this.”

“Maybe he’ll see it someday.”

Laughing, she shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“Let’s move back to the patio and watch the sun go down.”

“I should go unpack,” she said, her smile disappearing.

“Come sit with me. You can unpack later,” he said, seeing a flicker in her eyes and realizing she was trying to avoid him. That realization might mean she was as aware of him as he was of her. The thought brought another tight clutch to his insides. Both of them were trying to remain professional. If she hadn’t been so hurt, he would toss aside this determination and just have fun.

As they walked toward the patio, she stopped short. “I almost forgot. I have a chocolate icebox pie for dessert.”

He inhaled. “Let’s save it for later unless you want a piece now.”

“Waiting is fine. You sit here on the patio and let me clear the table.”

“I’ll help you in a minute. I want to call Jeb first and tell him to come get some leftovers.”

“You call and I’ll clear,” she said, going into the kitchen.

Ryan pulled out his cell phone to call, watching her as she worked.

“Jeb. We’ve finished dinner, but there’s plenty here. Come get some leftovers and try Jessica’s cooking. You can eat here at the house or take it with you. We’ll be happy to have you stay.”

He listened to Jeb question the “we” part. “That’s right,” Ryan said, trying to avoid letting Jessica know about Jeb’s questions. He listened to his foreman and finally put away his phone. He went inside and gathered dishes from the table to help her. “Jeb’s coming up to get dinner.”

“You’re close with your employees.”

“I suppose I am. I’ve known all of them a long time.” He tilted his head to study her. “You know, you’re not at all like I guessed you’d be when you drove up looking for a job.”

“Neither are you, Ryan. And you’re not who I was hoping to find either, but I know I’m not who you hoped would apply.”

He heard a knock and headed to the door to find Jeb waiting. “You must have jogged all the way here.”

“Ran. I’m hungry. I’ll fill my plate and take it with me.”

“You can sit with us.”

“Evidently you have a new cook.”

“Oh, yes. Wait until you sink your teeth into the roast and the rolls she made from scratch. That’s why I called you, so you can see for yourself.”

“Do tell.” He gave Ryan a sly smile. “This ought to be interesting in the next few weeks.”

“Nothing’s changed. She’s still on the mend and you might as well put out the word about her.”

“Already have. I figured she’d get hired whether she could boil water or not. Howdy, Ms. Upton,” Jeb said as they entered the kitchen.

Jessica smiled at him. “Hi, Jeb. Unless you want me to call you Mr. White, please just call me Jessica.”

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