First and Again (11 page)

She looked so hopeful that Bridget almost wished she really was reopening the restaurant.

“No, we’re not reopening the restaurant and no, I’m not offering you a job. Not exactly anyway.”

Her face fell, her whole body slumping with disappointment. “Oh. What do mean you’re ‘not exactly’ offering me a job? Is there a job or not?”

Bridget took a deep breath and told her about the deal she’d made with Jack.

“I need a hand with the prep work. Without someone else in the kitchen the serving is going to be slow and inefficient. Celia thought you might be able to help.”

“What does this job pay?” Tina asked.

She cleared her throat. “Well, nothing because I’m not getting paid anything. I can’t afford to pay you anything out my own pocket.”

“Then why am I supposed to help you? Out of the goodness of my heart?”

“Trust me, I’m not counting on that.”

Sure the conversation was over, she got to her feet and headed to the door. “I’m sorry I bothered you about this, Tina. I certainly understand why you can’t help me out. Good luck with your job search.”

She expected her to rise and follow her. Instead, Tina remained on her stool, slowly sipping her coffee.

“Yes, I really need to find a job soon, one that pays well. Things were pretty tight financially after Jerry’s accident, but when the restaurant burned down it kind of threw us over the edge. I’m grateful to your mom for the work she’s given me here and there but it just hasn’t been enough.”

Bridget could relate to the stress of not having enough money. The last two years had been a constant struggle and worry. She sat on her stool once more.

“My neighbor’s daughter is getting married,” Tina said.

Her head whirled at the abrupt change of topic. What did Tina’s neighbor’s daughter have to do with anything?

“It’s a shotgun wedding,” Tina said with a sage nod. “The family wants to get her married before she starts to show too much. I always told Louise that girl needed a firm hand. She’s always been so wild—”

“Cut to the chase, Tina,” she said impatiently. “Is there a point to this story, or are you just gossiping again?”

“My point is,” Tina said with an annoyed glare in Bridget’s direction, “the family can’t find anyone to cater the reception. There simply isn’t anyone locally doing that sort of thing anymore. It’s holding up plans for the wedding, and like I said, they’re in a big hurry to get this girl married.”

“Well, that’s a very sad story but I still don’t see what it has to do with either of us,” she said, with a roll of her eyes.

“The point is obvious if you’d just pay attention,” Tina said, raising her voice. “You could cater the wedding.”

“Me? Why would I want to cater a shotgun wedding?”

“Because you need me to help you with Jack’s dinner and the only way I’ll help you is if you cater this wedding and offer me a job.” Tina’s eyes lit with sudden excitement. “No, if you offer me a partnership. We’ll be partners in a catering company.”

Bridget stared at her in disbelief. The gall of the woman was unbelievable. “Are you crazy? Even if I wanted to start a catering company in Paradise, which I don’t, you’d be the last person I’d want as a partner.”

“People banging down your door to work for you for nothing, are they?”

She had a point there. “I’d rather kill myself working alone than work with you.”

“You may have to. You’re still as smug and superior as you were in high school, aren’t you? You still think you’re better than everyone else.”

“What? Me? I did not think I was better than everyone else in high school. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh please,” Tina scoffed. “You always had your nose in the air. You were always too good to talk to the rest of us.”

“I didn’t talk to you because you were always teasing me. You were the one who didn’t want to talk to me. You were the one who was Miss Popularity back in high school, whereas I rated a minus six on the popularity scale.” She jumped to her feet. “I don’t like you. And you don’t like me.”

“That’s not true,” Tina said quietly. “I don’t dislike you. I’m jealous of you.”

“Jealous of me? Are you kidding? You’re the one with the stable marriage and three kids, although Shawna does sound like a chip off the old block. Why would you be jealous of me?”

“Because I always knew you would leave Paradise and do big things and I always knew I’d stay here and my life would be the same as it always was.”

Bridget gave a laugh that sounded bitter, even to her. “Some big things I’ve done. A failed business and a failed marriage.”

“At least you tried. At least you’ve done things, seen places. That’s more than I can say. I’ve never left Paradise.”

She felt Tina’s sincerity. But they’d had such a rocky relationship for so long that she wasn’t ready to commit to anything just yet.

“Maybe I’d be willing to forgive all the stuff from high school. After all, we were just kids. But how about we fast-forward a few years? How can you expect me to partner with you after you publicly humiliated me my first night in town?”

“I am sorry about that,” she said, looking genuinely remorseful. “Things have been so hard for Jerry and me lately that when I heard that piece of gossip about your ex cheating on you with a younger woman, it made me feel that maybe, for the first time ever, my life didn’t suck as much as yours. And for the record, that ex-husband of yours is pond scum.”

Bridget’s mouth twitched, but she held firm.

“You’re a major pain in the ass, Tina. I’m sure that if we worked together I’d be on the brink of murdering you within a week.”

“I’ve been told I have that effect on people.”

Tina’s face was so serious that this time she couldn’t hold in her amusement. She burst out in laughter. Tina joined her.

“I’m probably going to regret this,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes. “I’ll offer you this. You help me with Jack’s event and the two of us will cater your friend’s daughter’s shotgun wedding. We’ll keep it to a simple buffet, something the two of us can handle ourselves, and we’ll split the profits fifty-fifty. What do you say?”

Tina clapped her hands like an excited five-year-old.

“I say yes, let’s do it!”

“Don’t get your hopes up,” she warned. “Like I said, I’m not planning on staying in Paradise on a permanent basis and I’m not planning on opening a business. This is a one-shot deal.”

Tina gave her a smug nod. “We’ll see.” She sobered. “What are we going to do about our girls? I’d hate for them to spend the next twenty years being angry and jealous of each other the way we’ve been.”

“I’ve got an idea. Can Shawna get around on her sprained ankle?”

“She can manage.”

“Good. Tell her she’s got a hot date with an apron and a serving tray on Saturday night.”

Chapter Eleven

“I had a little conversation with Tina Wilson this morning,” Bridget said casually. She rinsed a glass under the faucet and placed it on the drain board.

Rebecca paused briefly as she wiped a dinner plate, shooting Bridget a glance that was mostly hidden by her heavy fall of hair.

“Oh yeah?” she said finally, putting the plate in the cupboard.

“Yeah. She told me you and Shawna got into a fight.”

Rebecca’s mouth turned down in the frown that usually signaled she was about to clam up. Bridget spoke quickly, hoping to head off that possibility. “Tina said Shawna made some nasty comments about me and that you were defending my honor.”

That got her attention. She looked up at Bridget in surprise. “So are you saying it’s okay that I pushed her?”

“No, I’m not saying it’s okay, just that I understand. Next time try to find a way to solve your differences that avoids coming to blows. It’s always a better option.”

“You don’t know Shawna.”

“But I know her mother. The woman would try the patience of a saint.”

“If that means she’s annoying, she sounds exactly like Shawna.”

They looked at each other and laughed. Bridget dried her hands and put her arm around her daughter, enjoying the moment of understanding. “Tina and Shawna can be difficult, but we have to remember that Shawna is feeling left out because you and Megan have been spending so much time together. Maybe you and Megan can find some way to include her in your plans. After all, she didn’t rat you out to the principal.” She smoothed the hair from Rebecca’s face so she could see her eyes. “Aside from Shawna, are you getting along okay with kids at your school?”

“Yeah, they’re okay. I was thinking about trying out for the volleyball team. They play mostly in the winter when I wouldn’t ride much anyway.”

“That sounds like it would be fun.” Inside, she did a little happy dance. Maybe Rebecca was finally fitting in here, finding her place. She silently sang a few bars of the “Hallelujah Chorus.”

“When we get back to San Francisco, do you think I can go to St. Agnes Academy again?” Rebecca asked.

The silent singing came to a crashing stop. “Honey, that school was pretty expensive. Even if we go back to San Francisco, I don’t know if I could afford the tuition.”

“What do you mean,
if
we go back to San Francisco? You promised we’d go back.”

“I know, but things are a lot less expensive for us here. I thought you liked riding at Jack’s and getting to know your cousins.”

“I do, but I miss Daddy. I haven’t seen him in months.”

And whose fault is that?
She closed her eyes to quell her anger. “You can still visit him in the summer.”

“Don’t you miss him?”

She answered carefully. “Honey, you know your dad and I are divorced.”

“Jessica Crenshaw’s mom and dad were divorced and they got back together again. They even had another wedding. Jessica was bridesmaid.”

“Rebecca, your dad and I aren’t going to remarry.”

She turned her back on Bridget, her shoulders stiff. She grabbed another plate from the drain board and began to wipe.

“I still want to move back to San Francisco when school’s out in June.”

Bridget placed a glass carefully in the drain board, her hand shaking a little. Why did Ben have such a pull over Rebecca when he’d been so absent from her life?

* * *

“Umm.”

Bridget watched in amusement as Don closed his eyes and swallowed a bite of the apple pie she’d just served him. The old boy looked as if he’d just found Nirvana.

“So, how is it?” she asked.

“I thought cherry pie was my favorite,” he said. “But now I’m not so sure. The apple is fantastic.”

“It sure is.” George polished off his pie and licked off his fork. “I’d say this is definitely your best so far.”

The others nodded in agreement. Mavis chuckled.

“It looks like you have a winner with this recipe, Bridget.” She gave her a broad wink. “We might have to start charging for pie now that you’re out of the experimental stage.”

“I’d gladly pay for pie like this,” George said. “Even though I’m a poor pensioner on a fixed income.”

The others ignored George’s complaints since they’d heard them many times before.

“When are you going to reopen that restaurant, Bridget?” Don asked.

It was only the hundredth time he’d asked her. She opened her mouth to give him her standard refusal, and then closed it again.

For the first time, the prospect of staying in Paradise and making the commitment to a new business didn’t make her want to run screaming from the room. Doubts still plagued her. She didn’t like the idea of owing her mother, either financially or emotionally. And she still had serious concerns about harming someone with her cooking again. She wondered if she’d ever get over that completely.

But cooking was her life. Denying herself the thing she loved had been like denying herself oxygen the last two years. She longed to run her own kitchen again. The longing surprised her after such a long absence.

What surprised her even more was the desire she felt to put down roots. But surely not here in Paradise? She still felt like a visitor just passing through. But she no longer felt as if she belonged in San Francisco anymore either. She was somewhere in limbo, neither here nor there. When she thought about it, there were very few things about San Francisco, and very few people, she actually missed.

She thought about the conversation she’d had with Rebecca. She doubted she could convince her to stay permanently in Paradise. Rebecca expected, somewhat unrealistically, that her life would return to the way it used to be if they went back. Why did her daughter believe she and Ben would reunite as husband and wife once they returned? The only thing she was completely sure about was that she would never reconcile with Ben.

How did she make her daughter realize that things would never go back to the way they’d once been?

* * *

Jack urged his horse forward, guiding him toward the small herd of cattle in the corral. They zeroed in on their target, a Hereford steer with a bright yellow ear tag bearing the number 201. The steer decided he’d rather not play this game and abruptly turned. Angel nimbly changed direction, cutting off the steer’s escape route. The animal turned again, only to be cut off once more. After a third escape was thwarted, the steer, deciding surrender was in order, obediently trotted alongside Angel to the open corral gate. Jack let the animal through the gate and then leaned over to latch it. He guided Angel back to where Rebecca watched the proceedings astride Candy.

“If this were an actual team penning event, there would be three riders and thirty head of cattle in a large pen. The cattle are numbered, three of them wearing the same numbers from zero to nine. The announcer shouts out a number and the team has to pen the three cattle marked with that number. Two of the riders go into the herd and cut out their cattle. The third rider keeps the rest of the cattle from coming down to the opposite end of the pen and going through the gate.”

“Sounds like fun,” Rebecca said, reaching down to pat Candy’s neck.

“It’s fun, but challenging. If it takes you longer than ninety seconds, you’re disqualified, or if a cow with the wrong number goes into the pen, you’re disqualified. Sometimes a cow will turn back quickly on you, ends up under your horse and everybody goes down. You’ve got to be ready for anything.” Jack pulled up on Angel’s reins to remind the horse who was in charge. “Why the sudden interest in team penning?”

“I was talking to some people at school who are into horses. They’ve been competing in team penning events for a couple of years. I thought it sounded interesting.”

Rebecca tried to sound nonchalant but Jack knew her well enough by now to detect the fire in her eyes. Inside, he privately rejoiced. Perhaps if she developed a serious passion for the sport, she’d want to stay in Paradise.

And if Rebecca stayed, Bridget stayed.

He tried to keep his voice and demeanor calm. “I could show you the basics.”

“Really?” She looked up at him with a brilliant smile. “That would be awesome! The kids I talked to said they’re looking for a third for their team next year.”

He silently said a prayer of thanks for the horse-loving kids. “So, these kids, are they boys or girls?”

She ran her fingers through Candy’s mane. “Boys. Why?”

He couldn’t resist teasing her. “I knew there had to be another reason for the sudden interest in team penning aside from a love of horses.”

“We’re just friends.” She smiled shyly. “But Dylan is pretty cute.”

“Dylan Anderson? He’s a good kid. I don’t know about the cute part.”

“You won’t tell my mom, will you?”

“Why not? Are you doing something with Dylan you don’t want her to know about?”

“No!” A blush rose up her cheeks. “No, nothing like that. It’s just that she’d ask a lot of questions, and make a big deal about me liking a guy. I just don’t want to talk about it yet.”

He felt honored that she’d told him about her feelings. His throat clogged with emotion.

“It’s okay, kid. Your secret’s safe with me.”

Rebecca grinned. “Thanks. I’ll tell her sometime, but right now I don’t even know if Dylan likes me too.”

“Is he the only reason you want to learn about team penning?”

“No. This is something I really want to do.”

“Okay then. See number forty-seven?” He pointed to one of the steers. “He’s standing a little away from the rest of the herd over by the fence. Try cutting him out from the herd and bringing him down to the gate.”

“Really?”

“Sure. You want to work quickly but calmly. You don’t want to stampede the whole herd.”

She sat a little taller in her saddle, a look of determination on her face. “Okay, I’ll do my best.”

He guided Angel to a spot next to the fence where he could watch without being in the way. Rebecca carefully maneuvered her horse between the Hereford steer and the rest of the cattle, her knees guiding Candy’s movements and her face a study in concentration. As he watched, his heart filled with pride. She worked slowly, but methodically. The steer made a few nimble turns but she was able to keep him under control. Under her guidance, Candy stayed between the steer and the rest of the cows until they got him through the open corral gate. She pumped her fist in the air in victory.

“Woo-hoo!”

“Great job, Becky! I told you, you’re a natural.”

“That was such fun! Can I do I do it again?”

“Sure.” He looked over the remaining herd, wanting to give her a more demanding subject this time. “Try number thirty.”

Rebecca and Candy moved into the herd once more. Number thirty was bigger and more agile than the previous steer, and proved more of a challenge. The heifer zigged and zagged and generally did her best to avoid the horse and rider. But Rebecca wouldn’t give up and doggedly continued her pursuit.

He heard a car pull into the yard and turned to see Bridget’s little red Chevy. He lifted his hand in a brief greeting, then turned to watch Rebecca once more. His heart beat a little faster as he heard her approach the corral, and Angel stamped the ground, picking up on his unsettled mood. Even without looking he was aware of her every movement. She climbed a couple of rails of the corral.

“Hi.”

“Hi yourself.” He coaxed Angel closer to the fence. He leaned forward to wind one of her silky curls around his finger. “You cut your hair.”

She laughed and looked away, smoothing her hair with one hand. “Yeah. Celia had her way with it.”

He gave the curl a gentle tug. “You look beautiful.”

Her blue eyes opened wide with surprise. He chuckled. “If you tell me no one’s ever told you you’re beautiful, I won’t believe you.”

“It’s...it’s been a long time. Thank you.”

A blush rose up her neck, coloring her cheeks. She averted her gaze, looking toward the corral where Rebecca slowly led the heifer toward the gate. Jack could feel her discomfort with his compliment. Didn’t she believe he meant it?

“What is she doing?” she asked, clearly wanting to change the subject.

“Cutting a heifer from the herd.” He pointed to the open gate at the far end of the corral. “She’s trying to get her to go in there.”

“Why?”

“She’s interested in team penning. I’m showing her the basics.”

“Oh. I’ve never heard her talk about it.”

He heard the note of disappointment in her voice. He wished Rebecca would confide more in her mother. But then, she was a fifteen-year-old girl and they were infamous for keeping secrets from their parents, especially their mothers.

“She met some kids at school who are into it and she wanted to know what it was all about.” He hoped his explanation would satisfy her. He didn’t want to divulge Rebecca’s secret crush.

“I see.” She kept her voice low, her attention on her daughter. “Thank you for being so patient with Rebecca. You’ve spent far more time with her then I ever expected, far more than her father ever did.”

His heart made a painful thump. If he was Becky’s father he’d be damn proud to spend time with her. “Becky’s a good kid and a good rider. I wouldn’t be teaching her if I didn’t think she could handle it. She’s something special.”

Bridget’s expression was full of pride as she watched her daughter work the cattle. “She looks like she belongs here, doesn’t she?”

“Yeah, she does. So do you.”

She turned to stare at him, and he couldn’t look away. His heart thumped erratically. The sooner he had Bridget in his bed the better.

* * *

Trepidation and excitement skittered along Bridget’s nerve endings as she drove the short distance to Jack’s ranch the next day. Something had happened between them yesterday. An answer had been given without her being consciously aware of the question.

She didn’t know when or where, but she knew without a doubt she and Jack would soon make love.

Heat pooled low in her belly at the thought. The strength of her desire shocked her. It had been years since she’d felt this kind of longing, not since...

Not since she’d been with Jack twenty years ago.