A Gift for the Hopeful Cowboy: Love in Sweet Bloom

Chapter 7

Pippa couldn’t concentrate.It had been a full week and she still couldn’t get that kiss out of her head. It had been far too easy to give in to him. She’d put up a good fight for her own mental state, but she’d given in just like she knew she would.

There was just something about Rob that drew her in. She’d noticed it when she was a kid, and she could see it now. The distance between Rocky Ridge and Sweet Bloom had kept her from getting too attached to him, but now he was in town, she didn’t know what she was going to do.

She’d shown her hand.

That was the worst part about last weekend. Pippa had practically thrown herself at him and then told him she couldn’t control herself. The more she thought about it, the hotter her face became.

The servers in her restaurant were tossing her strange looks when they caught her staring into space with what could only be a bright blush on her face. Dang it! She needed to get her head in the game. Rob wasn’t here. He hadn’t stopped by her place or called her since that night. For all she knew, he had found someone he was more interested in chasing.

And she’d made a complete fool of herself!

Pippa growled to herself as she shoved a plate toward the server who needed to take it to the table that had ordered it. Frustration only continued to mount.

Why hadn’t he stopped by? Wasn’t that what guys were supposed to do? Even if nothing would come from it, Rob should have at least called and told her he’d had a fun night. It might not have been a real date, but… they’d kissed!

“Chef—”

“What?” she snapped, turning toward the hostess who stood in the doorway. Pippa took a deep breath, her cheeks burning hotter than before. “I’m sorry. What did you need?”

The hostess thumbed over her shoulder with hesitation. “There’s someone here to see you.”

Great, what was it now? If one more person was going to complain about what she was serving for dinner tonight, they would regret it when she booted them to the curb.

Pippa heaved a sigh. She wouldn’t actually send anyone packing. That wasn’t her style. She’d rather just give them what they wanted than start something—even with her current mood being what it was.

“Do you know what this is about? I’m very busy tonight. I have several plates in the air as it were.”

The hostess glanced back before returning her attention to Pippa. “It’s a guy. He’s got flowers.”

Pippa’s heart exploded. There was only one guy who would be bringing her flowers, and it was the one she hadn’t been able to evict from her mind. She tore the hand towel from her shoulder to wipe her hands before tucking it into the apron strap at her waist. She didn’t bother fighting the smile that touched her lips as she moved around the cooking stations to get to the door.

“Thank you for letting me know. Where is he?”

“At the bar.”

Pippa moved past her and hurried out into the restaurant but had to catch herself from rushing too much. The last thing she wanted was for Rob to see her overly excited to see him.

As expected, Rob was the one the hostess had announced. He stood by the podium near the entrance, and in his arms was the most beautiful poinsettia she had ever seen. The crimson coloring was more vibrant than the ornaments they put on the town Christmas tree and the leaves were the rich color of grass in a meadow that had recently gotten rain.

He turned and his eyes met hers. In that moment, Pippa knew she’d made a severe mistake. Her heart thundered and her palms went clammy. The way her stomach danced would have put a tangoing couple to shame. She didn’t know if she could walk on her own two legs.

All the emotions and feelings from last week’s kiss came surging back and she didn’t know what to do with them. Rob smiled and held up the plant as he headed toward her.

“Is that for me?” she asked.

Rob placed it in her hands. “Obviously.”

She hid her grin behind it. “I can’t remember the last time someone got me flowers. Are you trying to butter me up or something?”

Rob shoved his hands into his pockets. “I wanted to stop by and try some of your famous food.” He freed one hand and motioned to his slacks and button-down. “I’m dressed for the occasion. Maybe I could eat at the bar while you work.”

“You sure clean up nice.” She eyed him appreciatively. “But I have a better idea.” His brows furrowed and she reached out to grab his hand. “Follow me.”

Rob shuffled behind her as she tugged him toward the back of the restaurant where the kitchen was located. She tossed a look over her shoulder and laughed at his bewildered expression.

“Don’t worry. This is totally going to be worth it.” Pippa pulled him through the doorway and placed the plant on a counter nearby. “Follow me.” She wove through the kitchen toward the back where her office was located. A small bistro-style iron table with two chairs sat right outside her office door. “Take a seat here.”

Rob stared down at the table, then lifted his gaze to meet hers again. “I’m confused.”

“Just do it,” she said.

He chuckled. “Okay, but just so you know, this is weird.”

In the kitchen, her chefs and servers all gave Rob strange looks. The whole place smelled like the specials on their menu, and instrumental Christmas music played just loud enough to make the room feel more welcoming.

Pippa hurried off and returned with a glass of water on a tray. She took a seat across from Rob. “So, I’m super busy today, but I wanted to tell you before I head back that I’ve put in a special order just for you.”

He lifted his brows. “Pippa, you don’t have to do that?—”

“You fed me last week. It’s my turn.” She winked at him. “I’ll be back in a little while.”

Rob being in her kitchen only added to her distraction. She could feel his gaze on her. From his vantage point, he had a good view of the kitchen in almost its entirety.

Pippa did her best to complete the tasks she’d assigned to herself before she worked on the food she’d planned for the two of them. It took about thirty minutes to get most of it done, and one of her chefs finished up the last of it.

She placed the plates on the table with a flourish, not bothered by the fact she knew she looked proud.

Rob’s amazement was all she could have asked for. He stared at the vine-ripened tomato and basil bruschetta she’d paired with an assortment of cheeses. His gaze drifted to the bacon-wrapped filet mignon, and he pointed to the sauce with question in his eyes.

“That’s a red wine reduction with rosemary and garlic.”

He blinked. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of something like that.” He was okay with his little white lie since he wasn”t ready to out himself as a Food Network watcher even if he only rarely watched.

“It tastes better than it looks.”

“I find that hard to believe because it looks pretty darn good.” Rob shifted in his seat and pointed to the roasted gold and sweet potatoes. “I think you’re going to spoil me with those. They’re not quite like the fries we had last time.”

She grinned, taking her seat beside him. “And I know you’re not going to be interested in the Brussels sprouts, but you have to try one bite.”

He wrinkled his nose. “I would rather eat an onion like an apple.”

She shook her head with a laugh. “Just try it. I roasted them with a special balsamic glaze. You’ve never tried anything like them.”

Rob grimaced once more. “I’ve never tried anything like them because I hate Brussels sprouts.”

Pippa laughed, knowing full well he’d give it all a try. He’d never been nearly as picky as she had been. She enjoyed watching him try each item and moan with pleasure as he pointed out what he liked about each one.

“Just wait until you try the dessert. I have one of my best pastry chefs on it. She’s making a rustic banana pudding with fluffy meringue.”

He shook his head with disbelief. “I knew you liked cooking, but I never thought you’d end up with a place like this. You never went to culinary school. I don’t know how you did it.”

She beamed at the compliment. “When you find something you love, you don’t need to go to school. You said that once, right?”

A shadow of something crossed over his face. He glanced away and leaned back in his seat. “I’m beginning to wonder if I was wrong about some stuff.”

Pippa nearly choked on the water she was sipping. “Do my ears deceive me? Is the great Rob actually admitting he has had a change of heart?”

He shrugged, his smile stealing across his face. “I don’t know. Sometimes I wonder what things would have been like if I’d completed college. Would I be running something of my own instead of being just a ranch hand?”

She leaned forward, turning serious. “You’re not just a ranch hand. You know how important it is to have men you can count on to run an operation like your father’s or Brent’s.”

“Yeah, I guess.” He sighed.

“Is that what’s bothering you? Is that why you came out here? It’s not your dad, is it?” Pippa continued to study him. “He’s not saying you made the wrong choice, is he?”

Rob shook his head. “Nah. This is all on me.”

She could hear his disappointment in himself. That tone he didn’t use often tugged at her heart just a little. “You know it’s not too late, right? You realize you can still do it if that’s what you want.”

He frowned, his eyes trained on his plate. “Forget I said anything.”

“What? Why?” She reached across the table and took his hand, but he pulled back.

“It was just something I was thinking about, that’s all. It’s not like I’ll be able to do it anyway. I’m where I’m at because of my choices and that’s fine.” He lifted his gaze to meet hers. “But you sure made something of yourself. I’m so proud of you.”

He was deflecting and they both knew it. But he might recall she wasn’t the type to get brushed aside so easily. She already knew he was here for a reason he wasn’t saying. If his college experience was one of the issues at hand, then she wanted to get it out in the open. Maybe she could help him out.

“There’s a community college in the next city over. I bet if you applied?—”

He shot to his feet. “I don’t want to talk about college, Pippa. Thanks for the meal, but it’s getting late. I should probably head out. I’m sure you have a lot to do around here.”

He turned on his heel and strode toward the back door. She couldn’t just let him walk away. What were friends for if they couldn’t be there for each other?