Kissed by a Rancher

“Good morning, Mr. Hickman. Thank you. What can I do for you?”

He pulled his brown cardigan closer over his white shirt. “The snow has made me hungry. Can I get a poached egg and a piece of French toast? I don’t suppose that’s on the menu for this morning.”

“I’ll fix it for you and you can sit in here to eat. You remember our agreement?”

“Certainly. If I ask for something special, I’ll eat it in the kitchen so the others do not expect special favors,” he said, chuckling. “I brought yesterday’s paper because I don’t think we’ll get one today.”

“I don’t think we will, either. Josh, our latest guest, is helping. He can eat in here with you and keep you company,” she said, and Josh turned around, drying his hands. “Josh, meet Mr. Hickman. Mr. Hickman, this is Josh Calhoun from Verity and Dallas. He came late last night.”

“How do you do, Mr. Hickman,” Josh said, shaking the elderly man’s hand gently.

“Come join me for breakfast,” Mr. Hickman said.

“Mr. Hickman’s having a poached egg and French toast,” Abby told Josh. “Would you like that, too?”

“I’ve seen the breakfast casserole and the biscuits—I’d like them if you have enough.”

“We have plenty,” she said. “I’ll get coffee and juice for both of you.”

“Go on with what you have to do,” Josh said, “and I’ll take care of us. If you need help with serving out there, I’ll do it.”

“Thank you,” she replied, surprised again that he was willing to work.

It was after eight and she expected people to begin showing for breakfast, so she hurried to get things ready, poaching the egg and making French toast for Mr. Hickman. She wondered whether Josh minded sitting with him, but in minutes she heard them in conversation and realized Josh seemed happy talking to the elderly man and vice versa. She knew Mr. Hickman was happy, because he spent many long hours without anyone to talk to.

When the first guests came downstairs to be seated for breakfast, she picked up a large serving dish holding the casserole. Josh stepped in front of her, his fingers brushing hers as he took the dish from her. “Let me. You just fill the plates or whatever you do. I’ll take things to the dining room. I waited tables in college. I told Mr. Hickman I’d be right back, and he’s reading his paper.”

“You’re nice to sit with him,” she said.

“He reminds me of a grandfather I was close to. I like Mr. Hickman.”

She felt a pang. She realized she had been hoping Josh would disappoint her and not like eating in the kitchen or with the elderly man, which would cause her to lose some of her attraction for him. Instead, she was more drawn to him in spite of wishing she weren’t.

She handed the plates to him and went back to fill more. She wondered about his life, and if he had needed a job waiting tables to make the money to go to school. It had been late last night so she hadn’t looked him up on the web, but today she would do a little research on him.

Soon she was too busy dealing with her guests to think about Josh. Finally the dining room was empty and Mr. Hickman had gone to the living room, taking his paper with him.

“Now I’m going to have breakfast,” she told Josh, helping herself. “Can I get you something else?”

He stood to pour another cup of coffee. “I’ll get what I want. When you sit, I’ll join you.” He headed to the dining room and returned carrying dishes, which he placed in the sink. When she finally sat down at the table to eat, he picked up his cup of steaming coffee and sat facing her.

“So what did you and Mr. Hickman talk about?”

“He’s interesting. He’s a fisherman, so we talked about fishing holes and fly-fishing and the biggest trout caught around here, which of course was in a pond that had been stocked.”

“So you have time to fish on top of being a businessman and a rancher.”

“No, not as often as I’d like. I miss it.”

“Maybe this snow is good for you—chance to stop the constant work and enjoy life and that sort of thing,” she said.

“Oh, I know how to enjoy life,” he said quietly, giving her a look that made his remark personal.

“Relax, Josh. Enjoy this snow. I’d be as lost in your busy corporate world as you are in mine.”

“Do you like to dance?”

“I love to dance but do little of it. I don’t get out often. If I go out, it’s with Lamont Nealey, whom I’ve known forever—the friend I was telling you about last night. When we go out, we go to a movie or something on that order.”

“You think I’m missing out on life,” Josh said, “and I think you are. At the same time, I think we have a bit of common ground where we view life the same way. You’re a family person just as I’m a family person.”

“So tell me about your family.”

He reached across the table and wrapped his fingers lightly around her wrist with his thumb where he could feel her pulse. “Coward,” he accused her softly. “I’ll leave it alone now, but we’ll take up this subject again sometime soon.”

“You didn’t see the sign when you came in that reads ‘Guests do not flirt with the staff,’” she said, smiling at him.

“I sure as hell didn’t see any such sign, and if I had, I would pay no attention to it. Not when I get a response from the staff like the one I’m getting right now,” he said, his thumb pressing slightly on her wrist. “Your pulse is galloping.”

“That means nothing,” she said, too aware of his brown eyes that seemed alert, observant and curious.

“Not where I come from,” he retorted. “You want me to tell you what it means?”

“No. You tell me about your family or I’m going to join the guests in the living room.”

With a faint smile, Josh sat back in his chair. “I have three siblings,” he said. “Two older brothers, Mike and Jake, plus a younger sister, Lindsay.”

She listened, learning about his family but still knowing little about his background. From what he had said last night, she suspected a lot of Texans knew who he was. She had an idea he was well-known by wealthy Texas businessmen and probably by Texas socialites.

She was interrupted when a guest came for a late breakfast. As she served it, Josh poured coffee.

Through the morning he worked, doing whatever she needed, and he was a big help to her. Breakfast was over and the kitchen cleaned by a quarter past ten.

“Josh, thanks so much,” she said. “Now I’ll have a break before lunch, which I’m serving because of the weather. No one can get out for lunch.”

“I’m getting the hang of it. I can help with lunch.”

That surprised her—or maybe it shouldn’t have. “I’m taking a short break. Come back in a little while and we can get started.”

“Sure,” he said, jamming a hand in his pocket and leaving the kitchen.

As she headed out and walked past the library, Mr. Hickman lowered his paper and motioned to her to come in.

“Perhaps you should close the door,” he said, stirring her curiosity about what he wanted. “Do you know who your guest Josh Calhoun is? Or his company?”

“I don’t know much about him. He said his business is Calhoun Hotels, and he’s a rancher occasionally,” she said. “He’s just staying until the roads open, and then I’m sure he’ll be gone forever.”

“Oh, no. I think he’ll come back to fish with me.”