Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
Robyn
“This is why I chose to open a B&B,” Robyn said.
“What does lunch have to do with your B&B?” Hayleigh asked as she followed behind Robyn in the line.
Robyn looked over at her as if the answer should be obvious. “Because at my place, there will only be breakfast food which makes it easy. While here, they offer such a variety it always makes it so hard to choose.” Robyn captured her bottom lip with her teeth as she surveyed the fare spread out before her.
“That makes it more fun, silly. Besides, there’s no reason to choose. You can have it all!” Hayleigh flung her arms wide, almost smacking Robyn in the face. “Sorry. I tend to get a little excited. Especially when mac ’n’ cheese is on the menu.”
Robyn rolled her eyes. “Mac ’n’ cheese has been on the menu every day since I’ve been here.”
Hayleigh laughed. “That’s why I love my Daddy.”
“Pasta and cheese sauce better not be the only reason you love me, jellybean.”
The statement had Hayleigh turning to wrap her arms around the large man who’d walked up behind them. “It’s not, Daddy. I love your dino nuggets too!”
Robyn laughed and accepted a bowl of the chef’s famous dish as well as a plate of chicken nuggets which were, indeed, in the shape of dinosaurs. Eating at the Ranch’s cafeteria never ceased to amaze her. It wasn’t just the food either. It was the atmosphere. The sound of laughter mingled with the clatter of cutlery and clink of dishes. She tried to hide her sigh at the sight of Chef Connor bending to kiss the top of her friend Hayleigh’s head. The couple were just too darn perfectly paired. That didn’t mean she didn’t feel a bit jealous. Then again, coveting the relationship wasn’t the same as wishing anyone ill luck. It just made her wish she’d finally find a Daddy of her own.
“Sorry about that,” Hayleigh said when she caught up with Robyn at the drink station.
“Never apologize for loving someone,” Robyn said as she filled her glass with water. She set the glass on her tray as she continued, “Anyone lucky enough to know exactly who the other half of their heart is should shout it from the tallest mountain, sing it from the rooftops, place a full-page ad in… in the New York Times !”
“How much do you think that would cost?” Hayleigh asked, filling her own glass.
“A whole lot of…”
“Of what? Are we still talking about nuggets? Not the ones we eat but the golden ones stacked inside Fort Knox?” Hayleigh teased. When no response came, she turned to see Robyn standing frozen. “What’s wrong? Hello? Earth to Robyn.”
When her friend still didn’t answer, Hayleigh followed her gaze to where Master Derek and Sadie were entering with a man Hayleigh hadn’t seen before. She raised her hand to wave, catching Sadie’s attention, pleased when her friend waved back and yelled, “Save us some seats!”
“We will,” Hayleigh assured her but had to bump her hip against Robyn’s as if playing a game of tag. “Consider yourself unfrozen.”
“Huh?” Robyn blinked a few times as if awakening from a dream.
“Exactly what did you put on your tray and can I have some?” Hayleigh asked as the two moved toward one of the large circular tables.
Once Robyn slid onto a chair, she gave a shake of her head as if coming fully awake. She looked down at her tray and then at Hayleigh’s. “We got the same things.”
Hayleigh giggled, dipping her fork into the golden deliciousness that already had her tastebuds dancing in expectation. “I was speaking figuratively, silly. I just want to know what turned you into a statue, though I think I can guess.”
Robyn could feel her face flush but busied herself with biting the head off a stegosaurus instead of answering. She should have known better as Hayleigh only grinned.
“Girl, if you think stuffing your mouth is gonna keep me from finding out the answer, you’ve got another think coming.”
“I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.” Robyn lifted her napkin to her lips to hide the fact she was talking with her mouth full.
“Well, then I don’t suppose you mind if we have company for lunch,” Hayleigh said.
“What?” Robyn looked up to see what had to be the world’s sexiest cowboy looking down at her.
“Mind if I join you?”
The question had Robyn inhaling sharply which had the dino head sliding down her throat and cutting off her air. Panic set in when she realized she couldn’t breathe.
“Whoa!”
The word was accompanied by the noise of a tray dropping as the cowboy released it and rushed around the table. Robyn was jerked out of her chair and had a pair of arms wrapped around her chest.
With a sharp upward press just beneath her breasts, Robyn watched as a half-eaten dino nugget flew from her mouth to land directly on top of his bowl of mac ’n’ cheese which had somehow survived its drop to the table’s surface.
“Crap on a cracker!”
Hayleigh’s signature phrase had Robyn moaning as the arms around her turned her effortlessly and then lifted her into the air until she was eye-level with her rescuer.
“Kill me now,” she managed, only to cringe at the sound of the croak in her voice.
“Now, that would be a shame since it seems I just saved you, don’t you think?”
Robyn truly didn’t know what to think, but managed to nod, her blood heating when the man’s lips curled in a panty-dampening grin.
“Are you okay, little one?”
She nodded again which only made his grin grow wider.
“You sure?”
A third nod had Robyn’s face burning. She must look like one of those bobble-head dolls fans were given at baseball games. Making a determined effort, she took in a breath, praying her words wouldn’t come out covered in gravel. “I’m sure. You can put me down if you want to.”
“What if I don’t want to?” the cowboy asked.
His question had far more than her face burning. The six words had her core clenching and her heart beating far faster than it had when she’d been choking. “Then don’t.”
Evidently satisfied with that answer, the cowboy smiled and sat in the chair he’d pulled her out of, never letting her go, simply rearranging her so she was sitting on his lap. Her mind filed away the fact that the arms holding her were clad in a blue shirt with the prettiest mother-of-pearl buttons down its front. She had a fleeting moment to wonder what the chest beneath the denim would look like if she ripped the shirt open before her attention was diverted as the cowboy lifted her glass of water to her lips, holding it in place as he ordered, “Sip.”
Without hesitation, she obeyed. It wasn’t until she’d taken two more sips and he lowered the glass to the table that she realized this wasn’t a fantasy. Of course the “Wow!” chorused in stereo by Hayleigh and Sadie might have had something to do with her snapping back to full consciousness.
“Now, let’s not go and spoil a great thing,” the cowboy said when she began to push up off his lap.
“But I-I don’t even know you!”
Maybe not but your body sure doesn’t care does it?
Robyn attempted to ignore that stupid little inner voice. What did it know anyway?
“My name is Winston, but my friends call me Rooster.”
Rooster?
It turned out nightmares could actually play out in daylight hours as Robyn’s senses came back full force. With a shove that had the chair tipping backward, Robyn was up and off the man’s lap and was halfway across the cafeteria when he yelled at her to wait.
Not only no, but hell no!
This time she was in complete agreement with the voice. Seemed like it truly was the voice of reason when her body was… well, was just stupidly hormonal. Putting on speed, she ran out the door and across the lobby, ignoring the cries of Sadie and Hayleigh to wait. She even ignored the very man who’d offered her a new start. She’d apologize to Master Derek later, but right now, she had to get away.
“Who needs mac ’n’ cheese anyway?” she muttered half an hour later as she cracked an egg into the skillet. “And dino nuggets are far too dangerous to eat!” She added another egg, watching the grease from the bacon she’d just fried sputter and pop as the yolk hit the hot surface. Robyn turned to press the lever to lower the bread into the depths of the toaster for the second time. When she had toast, she wanted actual toast and not bread that had been barely warmed.
“Besides, everyone knows breakfast is the most important meal of the day!”
She ignored the ringing of her cell phone yet again. If she’d wanted to talk to Sadie or Hayleigh, she’d have answered any of the other times they’d called. She knew she’d have to talk to them at some point, or else leave the state of Montana, but that didn’t mean she had to do so at this moment.
Flipping her eggs over, she turned off the flame beneath the iron skillet. While they finished cooking, she pulled her toast from the toaster and spread a thick layer of Nutella across each surface. The hazelnut-chocolatey goodness had already begun to melt when she added the toast to her plate where two crisp strips of perfectly fried bacon waited. Once her eggs had been added to her plate, she walked out of the kitchen’s back door.
“Besides, this view beats that of the cafeteria any day,” she said. Settling on the porch swing, she ate her second breakfast of the day. At that thought, she shrugged. She’d most likely be eating her third in a few hours. She wondered if that would allow her honorary induction in the Hobbit Hall of Fame?
Go for it…
“ Thanks, I believe I shall.” She lifted a slice of toast in salute to the land spreading out before her.
That is if all you ever want to do is eat by yourself while holding one-sided conversations with hairy-footed fictional beings.
Good grief. Is that what her life was turning into? Not ready to face that truth, she forced herself to change direction. A forkful of eggs had her glancing down the slope to where she’d set up her chicken coop. Unless her feathered friends started laying at a more rapid rate, she’d have to make a trip into Porter’s Corner and stock up on eggs. And while there, she’d need to expand her pantry’s contents to include more than breakfast items. Oh, and she probably should stop at the local library and stock up on some cookbooks as well. While she considered herself quite the baker, she was afraid her culinary skills didn’t extend far beyond items one might find on a breakfast menu.
Biting into a strip of bacon, she spent a moment wondering if Chef Connor offered cooking lessons. Of course, remembering he’d been in attendance at the fiasco in his cafeteria, she knew she’d never ask.
“You can stop calling me!” she yelled as the ringtone of her phone floated out the door she’d left open.
“I did the first time you didn’t answer.”
Robyn almost spilled out of the swing in her haste to turn around. Of course, she needn’t have bothered. She’d recognize Master Derek’s voice if the entire world went pitch black.
“I’m sorry,” she began, only to have him tilt his head.
“For what?”
“For embarrassing you with your friend? Your guest? That… that cowboy?”
“Rooster?”
At the utterance of the word, Robyn tilted her head backward against the wooden slats of the swing. Closing her eyes, she nodded. “Yeah, him.”
“Robyn, it takes far more than that to embarrass me. Mind if I sit?”
Her eyes flew open as she remembered her manners. “Of course not. Can I get you a cup of coffee or something to eat?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “No thanks. I just finished lunch. Oh, and Chef Connor asked me to give you this. It’s leftovers from your lunch, though I’m happy to see you found something to eat.” He nodded at her plate as he set a brown bag on the table at her side before taking a seat next to her on the swing, his booted heel gently setting it in motion. “Relax, little one. If you don’t want to talk about Rooster…”
“I don’t!” she instantly stated.
“Then we won’t,” Master Derek said. “I just need to know you are okay. You gave us all quite the scare.”
Robyn moaned. “Because I acted the fool?”
“No, darlin’, because you could have choked to death.” He reached over to place his hand over hers.
How had she actually forgotten that had been what had started her descent down the rabbit hole? Well, the sight of Roo… the cowboy had actually been what had started it. She turned to finally meet Master Derek’s gaze. “Thanks. I’m fine. As you can see, I can manage to eat without all that fanfare.” She lifted a piece of toast which bore the mark of her teeth taking a bite as if to prove her point.
“I’m glad to hear it,” the owner of Rawhide said with a smile. “Just know that I’m here if you need to talk. Sadie and Hayleigh are as well.”
“Then you’re not going to ask me to leave?” She finally voiced the fear that had threatened to strangle her since she’d arrived home.
“Robyn”—Master Derek shook his head—“of course not. You have a place here for however long you want to stay. Besides, I think I’d have a problem finding anyone to take over for you.”
“Why? I’m sure there are hundreds of people who’d give their eyeteeth to run a B&B.”
“Maybe, but how many are named Robyn? I mean, your name is already on the sign outside and featured in our literature.”
A bark of laughter escaped her before she could clamp it off. It was enough to have him chuckle as well.
“That’s better. Go on and finish your lunch. And remember, you have friends here, Robyn.”
“Thanks, Master Derek. Please tell Sadie and Hayleigh I’ll call them a bit later.”
“I will.” He rose and then bent to kiss the top of her head. “Don’t make it too late or my Little girl might earn herself a spanking for asking every five minutes what the definition of later is.”
“I won’t, and really, thank you for understanding.”
“No need to thank me. It’s not only my job, it’s my pleasure.” He raised his fingertips to the brim of his cowboy hat and walked back around to the front of the house. Robyn heard the rumble of his truck starting and sighed.
“You are really a very lucky lady,” she told herself.
And don’t you forget it!
This time, Robyn smiled at the voice. “I won’t,” she promised and then finished her food, not caring that it had grown cold. If only her body would stop heating every time a face flashed in her mind.