Now,” she said, peeling him out of his jacket.
He crossed his arms and pulled away. “I don’t want you seeing me naked.”
“Going shirtless until I bring you another is far from being naked.” Lila grabbed for the hem just as the oven buzzer sounded and she let go of the shirt.
“I have to take the quiche into the dining room. You’d better be out of that shirt by the time I return, young man, or else...”
“Or else what?”
“Or else don’t even think about playing ball with Seth Maxwell after school.”
That threat moved Rory as nothing up to then had. He had the shirt off in a heap on the floor by the time Lila hung up her oven mitts and shut off the oven. Smoldering over his recalcitrance, she scooped up the offending shirt and bolted from the room only to run smack into the man who’d played a part in this latest dispute.
* * *
S ETH TEETERED ON the slant heels of his new boots. He grabbed her upper arms to keep them both upright. “Hey, hey. Slow down. I was coming to find you to let you know I fed the horses. Last night your other guests mentioned riding to the river this morning. If you like, I can help them saddle up. And one of the women asked if I knew which horses were the gentlest.”
Lila sucked in a deep breath and let it out. “Why would you feed my horses? And why would I expect you to help the others? You, too, are a guest.”
Seth released her and frowned into her upturned face. “You have a packed schedule. I’ll be here a few more weeks at least, and yesterday you said you didn’t have time to look after the stock properly. I thought—wait, you look mad. Have I done something to cause that?”
“Only roundabout,” she said, dangling Rory’s T-shirt by a sleeve. “I let him buy this New York Yankee shirt at the start of school. He wants to wear it all the time. This morning I insisted he put it in the wash. Instead he came to breakfast hiding it beneath his jacket. His reason for rebelling is that he’s afraid if you didn’t see the logo, you’d forget promising to play catch with him. I know that may sound to you like a silly reason for me to be steamed, but his blind focus on baseball is getting to be too much.”
“I follow through on my offers, Lila. Will you tell him that?”
She nodded. “I hate how often I’ve had to disappoint him.”
“It’s evident you’re a lady with a lot on your plate. Which is why I want to help since I’m kicking back here until Zeke roofs his barn. That’s delayed because he’s pitching in to brand calves for neighbors. How is my helping you different?”
“Zeke is a rancher now, and neighbors will help him if need be. You’re my paying guest. I could reduce your rent, but it was a long winter with no renters.”
“You are one stubborn woman,” Seth said even as he tucked an errant curl behind her ear.
Lila broke out in a grin. “So I’m told. ‘Hardheaded’ is how Mom puts it. Okay, I’ll give in gracefully. And, thanks. Now I have to make sure this goes in the wash, and take Rory a clean shirt. We’re running late. I did plan to turn the horses into the grassy corral. If you’ll do that and help the others saddle up, next time you’re at the café I’ll buy your supper. Which reminds me, last night you left too much money for your meal.”
“I always tip well. Assures future good service.” He held up both hands when she puffed up again. “We’ll argue about the tip later.” He turned aside. “Hey, you never said which horses will be best for the ladies.”
“Guinevere and probably Merlin. Both have good dispositions.”
“Got it. I’m ready to help myself to breakfast. Something smells so good it’s making my mouth water.”
Lila had headed down the hall, but glanced back. “I hope you believe real men eat quiche. The ranchers scoff, so Mom can’t put it on the café menu. Instead she bakes the same thing in a deep pan without crust and calls it cowboy frittata.”
“Too
He crossed his arms and pulled away. “I don’t want you seeing me naked.”
“Going shirtless until I bring you another is far from being naked.” Lila grabbed for the hem just as the oven buzzer sounded and she let go of the shirt.
“I have to take the quiche into the dining room. You’d better be out of that shirt by the time I return, young man, or else...”
“Or else what?”
“Or else don’t even think about playing ball with Seth Maxwell after school.”
That threat moved Rory as nothing up to then had. He had the shirt off in a heap on the floor by the time Lila hung up her oven mitts and shut off the oven. Smoldering over his recalcitrance, she scooped up the offending shirt and bolted from the room only to run smack into the man who’d played a part in this latest dispute.
* * *
S ETH TEETERED ON the slant heels of his new boots. He grabbed her upper arms to keep them both upright. “Hey, hey. Slow down. I was coming to find you to let you know I fed the horses. Last night your other guests mentioned riding to the river this morning. If you like, I can help them saddle up. And one of the women asked if I knew which horses were the gentlest.”
Lila sucked in a deep breath and let it out. “Why would you feed my horses? And why would I expect you to help the others? You, too, are a guest.”
Seth released her and frowned into her upturned face. “You have a packed schedule. I’ll be here a few more weeks at least, and yesterday you said you didn’t have time to look after the stock properly. I thought—wait, you look mad. Have I done something to cause that?”
“Only roundabout,” she said, dangling Rory’s T-shirt by a sleeve. “I let him buy this New York Yankee shirt at the start of school. He wants to wear it all the time. This morning I insisted he put it in the wash. Instead he came to breakfast hiding it beneath his jacket. His reason for rebelling is that he’s afraid if you didn’t see the logo, you’d forget promising to play catch with him. I know that may sound to you like a silly reason for me to be steamed, but his blind focus on baseball is getting to be too much.”
“I follow through on my offers, Lila. Will you tell him that?”
She nodded. “I hate how often I’ve had to disappoint him.”
“It’s evident you’re a lady with a lot on your plate. Which is why I want to help since I’m kicking back here until Zeke roofs his barn. That’s delayed because he’s pitching in to brand calves for neighbors. How is my helping you different?”
“Zeke is a rancher now, and neighbors will help him if need be. You’re my paying guest. I could reduce your rent, but it was a long winter with no renters.”
“You are one stubborn woman,” Seth said even as he tucked an errant curl behind her ear.
Lila broke out in a grin. “So I’m told. ‘Hardheaded’ is how Mom puts it. Okay, I’ll give in gracefully. And, thanks. Now I have to make sure this goes in the wash, and take Rory a clean shirt. We’re running late. I did plan to turn the horses into the grassy corral. If you’ll do that and help the others saddle up, next time you’re at the café I’ll buy your supper. Which reminds me, last night you left too much money for your meal.”
“I always tip well. Assures future good service.” He held up both hands when she puffed up again. “We’ll argue about the tip later.” He turned aside. “Hey, you never said which horses will be best for the ladies.”
“Guinevere and probably Merlin. Both have good dispositions.”
“Got it. I’m ready to help myself to breakfast. Something smells so good it’s making my mouth water.”
Lila had headed down the hall, but glanced back. “I hope you believe real men eat quiche. The ranchers scoff, so Mom can’t put it on the café menu. Instead she bakes the same thing in a deep pan without crust and calls it cowboy frittata.”
“Too
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