Chief Cook and Bottle Washer (6 page)

He didn't say a word.

"I really am a good cook, and I can handle a
big house too. I've had three older brothers to pick up after most
of my life. I grew up on a small ranch back in East Texas, so I'm
sure I can adjust to yours."

Deke Travers turned about to look at her
again. He seemed to be studying her words. "Three brothers, huh?
Where were they when this jerk came along?"

Emma scrambled for an answer, knowing he
meant Joel and not knowing what to say. "My brothers don't run my
life. No man does."

"No man runs from responsibilities, either,"
Deke Travers shot her a questioning look.

Emma's heart fluttered. God, he'd be hard not
to fall in love with. Such old fashioned principles struck a chord
with her. Of course she had more sense than that. He couldn't be
for real, he was a cowboy for God's sake. He was a lot like Frank.
Thinking of Joel she added, "Then maybe he wasn't much of a
man."

"Took you a while to figure that one out, I
guess."

"I guess so." She lied. Let him blame her, no
one was going to desecrate Kate's name while she was around. She
really should set the man straight though before he got the wrong
impression of her, but right now was certainly not the time. She
had a broke down truck, a hot and tired baby, and a job she needed
to secure before she admitted anything else. Lies or no lies.

Deke Travers might be hard not to like. He
was obviously one of the good guys who wore white hats and saved
ladies in distress. But the truth could wait another day. Hadn't he
heard of a little white lie. A lie to protect someone you love?
Some times it was necessary.

He nodded and filled the thirsty tank. "Now,
wanna try it again."

Silently Emma wished they could start over.
She wished she could bring back that fantastic smile to his lips.
The one that heated her skin, and made her prickle. But goodness,
her mind was flighty. Must be the heat. He stirred something within
her, with just a look. And that had never happened before, not even
with Charlie.

This time the truck started and spurted. Emma
waved.

"Remember two things Emma." He came to stand
just in front of her, his legs far apart, his eyes narrowing on
her. "I don't like deception, in any form. For any reason. And two,
I'm always fair."

Emma opened her mouth to spill her guts, but
a clap of thunder to the north broke his attention.

"We better be getting to the house. Looks
like a norther. Okay, little lady, follow me. We're on our way
home."

Deke nodded, mounted and headed west without
another word.

"Home?" Emma repeated as Sammie Jo woke up
and let out a wail.

Emma reached over and gave her a quick pat on
the shoulder. "It's going to be all right, Sammie Jo. You'll see.
I'll tell him everything as soon as I'm sure where I stand. I've
got to talk to a lawyer, darling. I've got to get this
settled."

Emma forced the worries from her mind. She
wished he would have given her time to say something but it didn't
seem in the cards, as Frank used to say. Perhaps it was for the
best. She'd tell him the truth at the first opportunity.

Home, Emma sighed to herself as she stared at
the retreating horse and rider. She was so hungry for the word home
she could almost taste it. Yet hard lessons had taught her that
home was where you made it. And she was determined to make one.

Sprawled in the middle of a vast prairie, the
ranch conjured many images of the old west. Aside from the main
house, there were two barns, a shed, and a bunkhouse. The place was
bigger and much more spread out than the ranch she had been raised
on. She drove around a circular gravel drive that lead to the
walkway of the house. A one story white frame house that spread
over well manicured lawns. Its very atmosphere spelled home. White
rocking chairs adorned the long veranda, and between two of the old
rockers there was a checker table all set up, as if waiting for
someone to arrive.

A Sheltie came up to the truck and barked
loudly, wagging its tail ready to greet her and eager for a
pat.

"Down Denver," Deke called as he dismounted,
loosened the stirrups and handed the reins of his fine stallion to
a ranch hand. Coming around the truck he gave the dog an affection
pat.

Like all good cowboys, he took care of his
animals first.

"Brush her down good, will ya Pete." He gave
the animal a quick affectionate pat on the rump as he was led
away.

"Sure thing boss."

Two cowboys stood negligently against the
porch railing watching her. Emma smiled at them shyly. Out of the
corner of her eye she saw the bunkhouse cowboys gather at the edge
of the porch, some scratching their chins, others digging their
boots into the gravel. They had to be the hired men, they were
covered with dust, and reeked of saddle leather and cows, she noted
as they moved closer.

Then an older man came through the front door
of the house and stood on the edge of the steps. His smile was wide
and welcoming as he raised a hand to wave at Deke. It was also very
familiar, since Deke Travers wore an identical smile.

"Howdy," the older man called out to her as
Emma got out of the truck and came around to the other side. He
coughed harshly, then smiled again as he gathered his strength.
Emma warmed to his friendliness. This man had a way about him that
Emma related to. He wasn't as tall as the other men, and a little
bent, but his face glowed with life.

"Howdy," Emma said just before she whirled
about to get Sammie Jo out of her car seat. She felt a pack of eyes
on her now, as she turned her back to them. Naturally they'd be
curious. Probably surprised as Deke had been about the baby. She
had trouble again with the buckle on the seat and Deke reached
around her to help as though he'd done it a thousand times. One
clip of the hand and Sammie Jo was free. There wasn't enough room
for the three of them.

The intimacy made Emma back away. She bit a
nail nervously to keep from brushing hands with Deke Travers. It
was a unnecessary action, and she should have been grateful, but
Deke Travers was affecting her like no man she could recall.

God, she was acting like a schoolgirl. She
didn't want to be shy, she wanted to appear sophisticated and in
charge of herself. She wanted to portray independence.

Deke shot her a questioning glance, but said
nothing. She recognized the amused smile on his lips. He knew
exactly how his nearness was affecting her.

Sammie Jo wailed loudly, shocking Emma back
to the present and two more cowboys came outside and up to the
truck. Brothers, Emma deduced quickly. Denver followed, wagging his
tail and licking at her leg every now and then as if to welcome her
too.

"Dad, boys, this is our new cook, Emma
Smith." Deke said very matter-of-factly as he helped Emma with the
baby. The way he moved about with her seemed so natural, it spooked
Emma. Charlie certainly hadn't been this easy with the baby. In
fact, she'd never been that at ease with the baby.

Emma picked Sammie Jo up and carried her on
her hip, handing her shoulder bag to Deke. Deke didn't flinch. Not
one cowboy laughed or smirked.

"I'm very pleased to meet you all." She said
as she juggled the baby for a moment.

There was a temporary silence, and then
everyone started moving at once towards them. Sammie Jo let out a
loud screech as her fingers went straight to her mouth, and big
huge tears pelted down her chubby little cheeks. Again a silence
and then clamoring near them again.

"Hey now, come here little squirt. What's
wrong with you?" Cal Travers started cooing before Emma got to the
porch, his hands outstretched for the baby as though he had
expected her all along.

It didn't immediately dawn on Emma to reject
his offer to take Sammie Jo. He was only being kind, and obviously
saying and doing all the right things, because before Emma could
voice her feelings on the matter, Sammie Jo had shut up.

"This is Sammie Jo," Deke said as his two
younger brothers crowded around the baby as though she were some
alien being. One tried to tickle her, one cooed at her, and Sammie
Jo just cried louder.

"Look at her little toes. She's like a little
cherub." One of the younger cowboys smiled.

The men began gathering around the porch all
smiling and making amusing little remarks about the baby. Sammie Jo
stopped crying for a minute, eyed them, then burst into tears
again. Cal patted her on the back, and hugged her against him.

The wranglers laughed.

"Ya'll quit and stop staring. Got no manners,
Sammie Jo. Well now, it's obvious you got a tooth problem, and I
know just the cure. I've had a few of those, myself," Cal was
saying as he took her in the house and slammed the screen door
behind him ignoring the ogling crowd. Emma's mouth fell open in
surprise.

She glanced at Deke for an explanation, but
he was shaking his head as though he didn't know what had gotten
into his dad, either.

"I'm Rusty, the youngest and most handsome as
you probably already noticed." One of the brothers stepped right up
to her, and took his hat off. His smile was wide and generous, his
hair was cherry brown red, and his eyes almost as blue as his
brother's.

"Yeah, and modest too." Deke said
good-naturedly just behind her.

Emma smiled. How could she resist such open
charm, and he was right, he was handsome.

"The name's Clint, ma'am." The other brother
took off his hat, gallantly and practically paved the road for her
to enter the house. The brooding silent type, Emma suspicioned.

"My brothers," Deke assured her as he opened
the door for her. "You'll meet all the boys later. But I'd say by
the look on their faces they are all glad to see you."

"Haven't had a cook in a while?" Emma knew
these cowboys saw food written all over her.

"A week or two."

"Been eating whose cooking?"

"Mine, my brothers, everyone took a
hand."

Emma glanced at the men crowding around the
porch with welcomes written on their faces. She smiled. "I hope I
can remember all your names."

The men nodded. "Don't worry, you just call,
we'll come runnin'."

Emma nodded.

But Deke's slight touch kept her ultra aware
of his presence. She felt as though every movement, he made was
protective. She'd never been quite so aware of a man before, of the
way his body moved, the way he seemed to control everything. It
felt like someone had put all her senses on alert.

Emma wasn't prepared for what she saw inside,
either. The house was big and roomy, and comfortably lived in. But
what astounded her most was that it was clean. Clothes were picked
up, floors shined, furniture dusted, dishes put away. She'd been
prepared for the worst. They hadn't had a cook or housekeeper in a
week, and the house still looked clean. This said a lot for their
character.

Nothing like her own home, she winced with
memory. Of course at home the boys had completely depended on her
to pick up. Yes, she had been the chief cook and bottle washer for
longer than she cared to remember.

"Your home–" Emma began.

"Needs a better hand," Deke replied as he
took her by the elbow.

It was a simple act, so why did Emma feel as
though he had wrapped her in his arms. She felt herself flush. She
realized with a rush she was reacting to the boss too easily. He
was much too good looking, and his protectiveness could make a girl
swoon. She'd have to watch herself.

"I was going to say–it is beautiful." Emma
finished. She wondered if she sounded dignified. She had always
wanted to be a dignified woman. But seemed like when you tried the
hardest, it just didn't come out natural.

Deke glanced at her and turned his head to
the side as though he didn't quite believe her.

"I mean, it's lovely. Really. It's so
homey."

"Lived in is more like it. I guess Mattie did
a right fair job of it." Someone said just behind her.

"Mattie?" Emma repeated.

"Our old housekeeper. She'd been with us for
over ten years. Hell she ran this place with an iron thumb." Rusty
furnished the information with a chuckle. "Oh, excuse the language,
ma'am."

Emma glanced at him and smiled. "Been?" She
liked this handsome young man, he reminded her of her youngest
brother, Sam just a little. Only Sam wasn't quite as handsome nor a
ladies man. No, Sam was just an honest, hard-working cowboy.

"Yeah, she up and married the best wrangler
we had. And not a one of us knew what was goin' on under our
noses." Rusty explained coming to stand just beside her.

Rusty was cute, not quite as mature as the
others, but cute. He had a lean, tall body, with lots of hair and a
pleasing personality. His blue eyes sparkled with humor and Emma
instantly liked him. In fact, it was hard to find anything wrong
with the Travers men.

Clint set her suitcase down in the small
hallway that led to the rest of the house. He wasn't as tall as the
others, but just as lean, only his hair was almost black and his
eyes a very dark blue. A lady killer, Emma deduced. Just from the
way he walked, she decided he had to be a rodeo man. Something
about a man that rides a bronc, makes his legs bow just a bit.

As Deke headed her for the kitchen, Emma got
a quick glimpse of a big brown, well worn leather couch, a couple
of oversized recliners, and a huge loomed rug in front of the stone
fireplace. There were trophies on the mantle, pictures, and an old
eight day clock.

"Someone an athlete in the family?" she
asked.

"Clint, he's a rodeo bull rider."

Emma nodded, there it was. She'd guessed as
much.

The kitchen was ultra modern with all the
conveniences a woman could ask for. It surprised Emma. Out in the
middle of nowhere with all the conveniences of city life. The
refrigerator was a huge commercial size, the stove had two built-in
ovens, the dishwasher was oversized. Everything was big and
beautiful. There were long counters to work from and lots of
cabinet space. She wondered if they had built this kitchen
themselves. No one had that kind of space unless they made it.