Read Online Chief Cook and Bottle Washer by Rita Hestand - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Rita Hestand
Tags: Romance, Ebook, love, Cowboys, Ranches, babies, Mom, rita hestand, adooption, chied cook and bottle washer, country dances, dances, grannies elbow
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room, and stopped
at the closet where she had hung her T-shirts and jeans. He made no
comment but he must have noticed there were no fancy dresses.
"We're all glad you're here, Emma," he said
in a soft voice.
"Thanks," Emma nodded and backed towards the
bed.
Then he was gone and Emma felt every kind of
fool. She was sexually attracted to her boss! Not only was he the
sexiest thing in jeans she'd every seen, but he was super kind and
gentle with her and the baby. "Never love a cowboy," Kate's advice
echoed in her head.
Chapter Four
The backyard barbecue was turning into an all
out party, Deke mused as he watched Emma being introduced to the
bunkhouse men. Clint manned the steaks on the open pit, Rusty
grabbed his guitar every now and then. As usual he was the life of
the party. The boys from the bunkhouse seemed to take right to
Emma, as though she weren't a stranger at all.
"Son, you sure know how to pick 'em," Cal
said just behind him. "I think Emma's gonna work out real
fine."
Deke watched her with quiet satisfaction. Yes
siree, Emma was a natural here on the ranch. He liked the way she
wore her jeans, soft and faded, and comfortable, not skin tight and
askin' for trouble. Her crisp white blouse was practical too. Emma
was no show off, but she didn't have to be. She had the thickest
long brown hair that hung just past her shoulders, and big whiskey
colored eyes that a man could get lost in. She smiled a lot, joined
into the conversations easily. A good choice.
Now all he had to do was sit back and wait
till his wayward brother Clint decided to take the bait. He watched
them with curious intent.
Sammie Jo had been the life of the party for
the first couple of hours, but her short nap when they arrived
hadn't been enough and she gave out quickly. Not surprising at all
considering most the boys had hoisted her piggy-back here and there
and fed her a double dose of home-made peach ice-cream. It was a
wonder the kid wasn't sick.
Deke had taken her himself and laid her in
the playpen, covering her as she sighed in blissful sleep. There
was something about babies that just naturally melted a cowboy's
heart. Besides, she was a cute little thing, the kind of kid a man
could get hooked on easily. "Funny," Deke stared at her a long
time. "You don't look much like your mama."
The baby had blond hair that tended to curl
in all sorts of places, and big blue eyes that innocently captured
the heart.
During his absence someone produced a fiddle
and a guitar and Emma was being shuffled from one man to another as
Deke again took to the sidelines. He leaned negligently against the
trunk of an elm and watched as Rusty took the first dance with
Emma. She went into Rusty arms and Deke felt something in his gut
tighten. Shrugging it off as heartburn, he continued to watch. Emma
was a fair dancer and Rusty seemed almost interested, but Deke
wasn't sure. Rusty was as loyal as his dog, Denver. It was more
than obvious that Rusty was too young, or Emma was older than she
looked. He hadn't bothered with those details, and didn't figure it
would really matter.
When Clint grabbed her for a dance a few
minutes later, Deke was almost certain he saw a little interest in
Emma's eyes, but who could tell with a woman. Funny how heartburn
seemed to attack him at such times.
Emma was no flirt, he acknowledged, and if he
wasn't mistaken she was doing everything to dissuade flirtations.
He liked that. She'd be a challenge, and if there was one thing
Clint liked, it was a challenge.
Perhaps she had a syndrome about being the
cook. Maybe she thought she wasn't good enough. Or maybe she wasn't
interested. He hadn't considered how she might feel about them.
Talk about overlooking a few things. Well, he'd do his best.
Whatever it took. The Travers boys were going to settle down
whether they wanted to or not, Deke decided.
"You don't dance?" Emma finally made her way
around the group of men and stared through the darkness of trees at
him.
"Not any of
at the closet where she had hung her T-shirts and jeans. He made no
comment but he must have noticed there were no fancy dresses.
"We're all glad you're here, Emma," he said
in a soft voice.
"Thanks," Emma nodded and backed towards the
bed.
Then he was gone and Emma felt every kind of
fool. She was sexually attracted to her boss! Not only was he the
sexiest thing in jeans she'd every seen, but he was super kind and
gentle with her and the baby. "Never love a cowboy," Kate's advice
echoed in her head.
Chapter Four
The backyard barbecue was turning into an all
out party, Deke mused as he watched Emma being introduced to the
bunkhouse men. Clint manned the steaks on the open pit, Rusty
grabbed his guitar every now and then. As usual he was the life of
the party. The boys from the bunkhouse seemed to take right to
Emma, as though she weren't a stranger at all.
"Son, you sure know how to pick 'em," Cal
said just behind him. "I think Emma's gonna work out real
fine."
Deke watched her with quiet satisfaction. Yes
siree, Emma was a natural here on the ranch. He liked the way she
wore her jeans, soft and faded, and comfortable, not skin tight and
askin' for trouble. Her crisp white blouse was practical too. Emma
was no show off, but she didn't have to be. She had the thickest
long brown hair that hung just past her shoulders, and big whiskey
colored eyes that a man could get lost in. She smiled a lot, joined
into the conversations easily. A good choice.
Now all he had to do was sit back and wait
till his wayward brother Clint decided to take the bait. He watched
them with curious intent.
Sammie Jo had been the life of the party for
the first couple of hours, but her short nap when they arrived
hadn't been enough and she gave out quickly. Not surprising at all
considering most the boys had hoisted her piggy-back here and there
and fed her a double dose of home-made peach ice-cream. It was a
wonder the kid wasn't sick.
Deke had taken her himself and laid her in
the playpen, covering her as she sighed in blissful sleep. There
was something about babies that just naturally melted a cowboy's
heart. Besides, she was a cute little thing, the kind of kid a man
could get hooked on easily. "Funny," Deke stared at her a long
time. "You don't look much like your mama."
The baby had blond hair that tended to curl
in all sorts of places, and big blue eyes that innocently captured
the heart.
During his absence someone produced a fiddle
and a guitar and Emma was being shuffled from one man to another as
Deke again took to the sidelines. He leaned negligently against the
trunk of an elm and watched as Rusty took the first dance with
Emma. She went into Rusty arms and Deke felt something in his gut
tighten. Shrugging it off as heartburn, he continued to watch. Emma
was a fair dancer and Rusty seemed almost interested, but Deke
wasn't sure. Rusty was as loyal as his dog, Denver. It was more
than obvious that Rusty was too young, or Emma was older than she
looked. He hadn't bothered with those details, and didn't figure it
would really matter.
When Clint grabbed her for a dance a few
minutes later, Deke was almost certain he saw a little interest in
Emma's eyes, but who could tell with a woman. Funny how heartburn
seemed to attack him at such times.
Emma was no flirt, he acknowledged, and if he
wasn't mistaken she was doing everything to dissuade flirtations.
He liked that. She'd be a challenge, and if there was one thing
Clint liked, it was a challenge.
Perhaps she had a syndrome about being the
cook. Maybe she thought she wasn't good enough. Or maybe she wasn't
interested. He hadn't considered how she might feel about them.
Talk about overlooking a few things. Well, he'd do his best.
Whatever it took. The Travers boys were going to settle down
whether they wanted to or not, Deke decided.
"You don't dance?" Emma finally made her way
around the group of men and stared through the darkness of trees at
him.
"Not any of
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