Chapter 2
2
S omething was wrong with his hearing. Or his vision.
For sure something was off with his entire morning—the start of a brand-new year, and he was ready to go back to bed.
Jake stared at Tansy. She didn’t vanish, and the grin on her face grew wider if that were possible. “Working here?” He stumbled over the words. “You?”
She wiggled her fingers in the air, and he realized he’d completely ignored her offer of a handshake. The cutest nose wrinkle squished her face, probably at his lack of participation, he assumed, as she let her hand fall. “Yup. Let me put my bag away and?—”
“Don’t move. Don’t—” Jake froze.
What was he supposed to tell her? To stand there until he could track down one of his brothers and demand to know what the actual fuck was going on?
Or Petra. Petra was perfect. He might like his future sister-in-law, but she deserved to be woken up right now. He lifted a finger in Tansy’s direction even as he hauled out his phone and messaged Petra, New Year’s sleep-in be damned.
Jake: Tansy is here.
She responded so quickly she had to have been waiting with phone in hand:
Good. We’ll be there in about ten minutes. Get her settled, will you please?
Jake glanced away from his phone and met Tansy’s highly amused gaze. She’d folded her arms over her chest and now raised a single brow in one of the disturbingly easy-to-read expressions she liked to toss his direction. This one clearly said You are amusing, but slightly annoying.
“I am so sorry.” She waved him back toward the table. “I’ve distracted you before you had your coffee. I know where I’m going. Sit down, and I’ll make myself at home.”
The wheels of her suitcase rumbled over the floor into the bedroom section of the house before his motionless stupor registered.
“Wait.” He was helpless to stop his feet from rushing him all the way into the primary bedroom after her.
The woman was quick, he had to give her that. She didn’t saunter, and she did not loll about. In the approximately three-second lead she’d had, she’d reached the bedroom, hefted her oversized suitcase onto the bed, and opened it. Ignoring him, she undid straps and zippered sections then tucked clothing into the dresser beside the bed.
She not only ignored him but began humming. The tune was catchy and bold, and with her shoulders lifting and knees bending, she turned the short trip between the bed and dresser into an ongoing dance.
That’s when he noticed. The room, which should have been full of Petra and Aiden’s stuff, was completely empty. Except for Tansy, who continued her task without once acknowledging him.
He wasn’t sure how long he stood there simply watching her before realizing he must look the fool.
“One question.” There. A reasonable tone of voice, he thought.
“Hmmm?” Her suitcase and unpacking seemed to be her only focus in life.
He hesitated. He had way more than one question and wasn’t sure where to begin. Out of the all the things he needed to know, what was the most important?
The empty room seemed the best place to start. Petra and Aiden had moved out on the sly. Ergo, they were in on the plan all along.
“When did they hire you?”
Tansy paused, clothes in hand as she twisted to face him. She considered thoughtfully for a moment before answering. “We started talking about it sometime in December, but I signed the contract on Boxing Day.”
“You’ve known for a week that you were coming to work here?”
“Yup.” She blinked innocently. “That’s how time works. December twenty-sixth to January first is one week.”
“Who knew?”
“Me, Petra, Declan.” Tansy grinned. “Jinx knows as well. We had to make sure she was comfortable with me being in the house. But that kid can keep her mouth shut.”
Incredible. Jake opened his mouth to ask another question when he realized the brightly coloured objects in Tansy’s hand were a pile of bras. The lacey kind, not the utilitarian stuff.
Once again, an image popped to mind that was absolutely out of place and out of line. Tansy naked, except for those bits of pale lavender?—
He twisted on his heels and escaped as fast as he could.
Gentle laughter rang on the air behind him all too clearly. The woman was way too observant for his liking.
The open journal on the table mocked him, and he slammed the cover shut on the one damn goal he’d written?—
Not a goal, not really a goal. Jake tipped back his coffee mug then went to refill it for the fourth time, staring out the window at the slow approach of his younger brother, Aiden, and Petra.
They laughed as they walked hand in hand. Petra stooped and popped up with a handful of snow, and Aiden chased her for a moment before catching her in his arms and kissing her thoroughly.
Jake turned away a moment too late to pretend he hadn’t seen them.
Maybe that was a good thing… The sheer joy on their faces and the strong connection between them shoved his own brain into a better direction than thirty seconds earlier.
So what if he hadn’t been told about Tansy being hired on? Everyone involved with the High Water ranch, aka, his two brothers, Petra, and Jinx, would expect him to rant and rail about the decision.
Spontaneity and deliberately new behavior were almost the same thing, yes? Jake decided right there and then he wouldn’t say a word about Tansy’s new position. He would be supportive and positive and focus on other things that needed to be done as soon as possible to make their dream a reality.
Which meant his smile was firmly in place as Petra and Aiden poured in the door with a gust of icy January air.
“Morning, bro.” Aiden took the coat from Petra’s shoulders and hung it at the door before placing his own over it. “Ready for a fantastic new year?”
“Of course. Happy New Year, Petra.” Jake opened his arms and accepted the massive hug she offered. “Sounds as if we’re diving right in. Tansy is in the back room unpacking.”
“Perfect.” Petra patted Jake’s cheek firmly before stepping away. “Excuse me, then. I’ll go see if she needs any help.”
“Not to be obnoxious, or anything, but find out if she plans to cook starting today,” Aiden called after her before turning to Jake with a grin. “Great, huh? Our own on-site resident chef.”
“Brilliant.” Jake kept the smile in place. No guarantees that it looked natural, but he was proud of the attempt. “Maybe we can take a look at the timelines for the first quarter and make sure we have everything in place for the first bookings.”
His brother waved a hand, taking command of the coffee maker and rapidly preparing two cups. “I don’t think it’s changed in the past three days since we last looked it over. Relax, Jake. Today’s a holiday, and we have everything well in hand. Better in hand than before now that Tansy’s here.”
The door opened in the middle of his sentence, and Declan marched in. “I spotted Tansy’s old beater in the parking lot. Glad she made it already.”
“Petra told me this morning that you guys had hired Tansy.” Aiden stirred sugar into one of the cups. “I can’t believe you convinced her it was a good idea, but I, for one, am grateful. My stomach will be grateful, and the time I no longer have to spend cooking for you bottomless pits also makes me grateful.”
“We needed help eventually,” Declan offered with a shrug. “Seemed like the perfect time.” His eyes met Jake’s as if expecting him to protest, or question, or make a fuss.
Jake’s cheeks ached under the pressure of keeping his expression neutral. “If you’ve done the math, and I assume you have, I have no objections.”
Aiden stopped in his tracks, glancing back at Declan before staring at Jake in shock. “Wait. They didn’t tell you, either? I mean, I thought they were keeping me in the dark because I don’t need to know everything that goes on around here but you—” His brother hesitated.
Honest amusement snuck in. “But I do need to know everything that goes on around here, is that what you’re saying?”
“You are the details man,” Aiden offered reluctantly. He turned to Declan. “Since Jake isn’t kicking your ass from one side of the room to the other, I assume he’s on board. But we said there would be no secrets between the three of us running this place.”
“Wasn’t really a secret,” Declan said quietly. “Considering how often Jake hired Tansy to cook for him over the past three months, it seemed a fairly natural progression to add her to the payroll instead of him paying out of pocket.”
Trapped. Jake made a face. “There is that. Like I said, if we can afford her, we all agree Tansy brings value to the table. Literally. No one in any of the upcoming weekend retreats will complain about what she feeds them.”
Aiden eyed him for a moment then dipped his chin. “Still say Declan owes you something for being an ass.”
“Petra knew as well,” Declan pointed out.
“Yet my fiancée is nothing but sweetness and light, so obviously this was Declan leading her down the path of iniquity.” Aiden grinned. “Fine. No punishment except having to eat the delicious food Tansy will undoubtably prepare for us.”
The front door opened again, and this time the teenager of the house slid through with Dixie, the golden retriever, on her heels. Jinx paused to wave back at the truck in the driveway then closed the door and turned excitedly to face all three of them. Dixie raced from person to person, offering her own enthusiastic greetings.
“Happy New Year, guys.”
Jinx had spent too many years in the foster system, but now with Declan as her official guardian, she’d begun to bloom.
Dark hair pulled back in a braid, she quickly hung up her coat and slipped her feet into her house shoes and marched forward with a smile.
Declan stood as Jinx slipped in and offered a quick hug. He patted her on the shoulder without trapping her in place.
Aiden got the same hello. “Happy New Year. You have a good evening with Sasha?”
“So much fun. We stayed up until two a.m., and then this morning, Mrs. Stone made bacon wrapped sausages for breakfast.”
The kid was lucky she still had a teenager’s metabolism. “Sounds delicious,” Jake offered.
He hesitated. Out of the three of them he was the one who Jinx seemed to feel the most uncomfortable around, so he wasn’t about to offer a hug and force her into anything.
Instead, he offered the next best thing. “There’s a surprise for you. Well, a surprise you knew about. Tansy’s here. She and Petra are in the bedroom. Why don’t you go say hi?”
Jinx damn near squealed with excitement. “She’s here? Sick.”
The girl shot across the floor at high speed and vanished into the bedroom area.
The three brothers exchanged amused glances. “Oh, to have that much energy on five hours of sleep,” Declan offered like a prayer. He tilted his chin at Jake. “Don’t think I didn’t see what you did there. We’re getting there. We’re making a difference,” he promised.
Pay it forward. Make a difference. Do what’s right. All the things that their stepfather had not only told them but demonstrated in the years after he’d stepped in when their mom died.
Suddenly, it truly didn’t matter that Jake hadn’t known about Tansy being hired. Whatever issues he had were his own. Tansy was here for a good reason, not the least of which was it made Jinx happy.
Jake would put up with an awful lot to keep making a difference in that girl’s world.
Tansy hadn’t brought a lot of things, but organizing her new space was still a treat. She put out the few knickknacks she had stuffed into her suitcase then spent time arranging items in the bathroom.
It had been funny beyond belief to watch Jake stumble until he recovered from his shock. Any arguments that they’d had in the past—and they’d had a few—he’d been unreasonable, not scary. Even today she had to give him credit for how levelheaded he’d stayed. She appreciated that.
She wasn’t sure she would’ve reacted quite as well under the same circumstances. If she’d shown up for work one day and Jake had unexpectedly been dishwashing, she would’ve given her sister Rose what for.
No. The man had been shocked out of his mind but behaved properly, which said a lot about his character. Maybe she’d even cook his favourite meal this week.
She wouldn’t tell him why, but she’d cook it, nevertheless.
“Look who’s already getting snug as a bug in a rug.”
Tansy whirled. “I’ll let you have that saying for its cutesy factor but remind you I usually draw the line at bugs anywhere around my person.”
Petra swooped in and tangled Tansy in a hug. “Fine, no bugs. But I am glad you’re here. This is the most amazing thing, and I’m so excited that you’re going to be part of this with me. I mean with us. I mean with all of High Water.”
Laughter bubbled up. “I’m cooking for you, not finding a cure for cancer.”
“On a scale of one to ten, you living here is a solid ten. Curing cancer would be a twenty, but I’m not setting my expectations that high.” Petra plopped onto the bed, bouncing as she grinned across the space between them. “I know you’ll have more details for everybody later, but you obviously figured out a schedule. You’re not expected to produce culinary masterpieces three times a day seven days a week.”
“That would be a logistical nightmare,” Tansy said with a firm nod. “I have done some planning—I can’t believe those words just came out of my mouth. I assume it’s Jake I should give those details to.”
“Probably.”
“We signed a contract, but can you really truly afford to be paying me what you are?” When Declan had sent over the contract Tansy had nearly fallen off her chair.
Petra paused. “You’ll find out more about the finances of High Water as you go along, since you need to have the ability to order food and the rest of it, but they really can afford you. The boys’ stepdad was an amazing man in more ways than one. He left them a healthy inheritance that they didn’t touch until coming to Heart Falls. Add in what they make, and what I make doing odd jobs, and the money that will be coming in from the retreat house… We can’t be super extravagant, but we can afford you.” She snickered. “In fact, it’ll cost less than what Jake spent buying meals from you three or four times a week.”
“I always appreciated the patronage,” Tansy said brightly. “Okay, then I will stop worrying about that, but remember I also want to contribute. Doesn’t seem right that I’m the only one putting money in my pocket at the end of the day while all of you pile your resources back into the ranch.”
“You’ll earn every penny between juggling what you still need to do for Buns and Roses café and cooking and coordinating here. Trust me, you’re worth it.”
It was nice to hear it, but Tansy would keep her eye out for any signs that she was a burden instead of a help.
“Time to focus on the really important details,” Petra said seriously. “First, check your messages. You have your phone on Do Not Disturb, and I know there’s a note waiting for you.”
Tansy pulled out her phone, curiosity quickly answered as she spotted the message from Sydney, the final member of their friendship trio. She read it with Petra hanging over her shoulder.
Sydney: Hey, darling. Sorry I can’t be there to happy dance in your presence, but trust me, I’m doing one right now for you. Yes, the doctors and nurses around me are giving me the stink eye, but pfft on them.
Sydney: I’m off to bed once my shift is done, but I wanted to tell you that I think you’re going to rock this job, same as you have knocked it out of the park in all previous endeavours. Looking forward to celebrating with you when I can.
Sydney: Love you lots! Happy New Year and 3 xoxox Get a hug from Petra from me!
Warmth bloomed in Tansy’s heart. She really did have the best friends in the world, even if nailing down Sydney was sometimes like catching the wind.
A second later Tansy was enveloped by two strong arms and hugged vigorously.
Petra squeezed her hard then pulled back just far enough to offer a very serious expression. “Now, second most important thing. Do you plan on making more of those fist-sized peanut butter cookies, and can you hide them in a secret cookie stash so that no one but me can get their paws on them?”
A snicker escaped. “I’m about to get requests for secret treats from every one of you. How will I possibly hide them all?”
“You’re sneaky, so you’ll find a way,” Petra offered proudly. “Also, I have a lard container I saved that we can put in the freezer. You can use that for mine.”
Laughter mixed with footsteps in the hallway, followed by a loud squeal of excitement. A second later, Jinx slid into the room, a bouncing dog on her heels. She glanced about then made a dive for Tansy. “You’re here.”
Tansy soaked in the sensation of the unexpected hug, squeezing back even as she met Petra’s eyes and saw happiness there. “I’m here. As promised.”
Jinx let go, speaking before she was out of arm’s reach. She reached down and stroked Dixie’s head as words spilled out of her. “Will you teach me to cook?”
“You want to be my sous chef?” Tansy was delighted but figured she’d better make sure that was approved. She glanced at Petra, who shrugged. Jinx waited. Tansy lifted her hands in the air. “Hey, I have zero problem with you helping, which is the best way to learn. But I’m pretty sure you have other things you need to do as well, so we’d better double-check with the powers that be before I promise you the moon and stars.”
“I want to make those moon-shaped cookies,” Jinx blurted out.
Petra snorted. “And there’s the second cookie request.”
Jinx looked confused, but Tansy reassured her. “We absolutely can make crescents. But you get what I mean about helping when it’s appropriate?”
“I do, but I don’t think it’s a problem.” Jinx glanced at Petra this time for reassurance. “That’s what High Water is about, right? Doing what we can to help others. Making this place work for the people who will start coming through. And since I’m a full-time part of the family, I want to help.”
The part inside Tansy’s belly that had felt a tingle of this is right the minute she had heard what was going on at the ranch—that spot grew warmer.
Jinx had been caught in a bad situation. But even in the short time she’d lived at the ranch, High Water had made a difference in her life. Tansy knew about that. Knew how much her own world had changed when the Fields adopted her.
Petra stepped forward, moisture in her eyes but pride in her expression. She laid a hand on Jinx’s shoulder. “You’re right. You are part of this family. We’ll make sure that you get to help as much as makes sense.”
Jinx snuggled into Petra’s side, smiling at Tansy. Dixie settled on the girl’s feet, offering a picture-perfect moment of clarity. This was the reason why Tansy had arranged to remove herself from her own café and stir up her entire life.
Making a difference. Proving her worth. It was one thing to have been saved by others, but sometimes more was needed.
She held out a hand to Jinx. “I have more boxes in my SUV. Once we bring them in, you and I should talk to Jake and do some planning. After, we’ll do some cooking. I think cookies are first on the agenda.”
Jinx’s smile was a reward in itself.
Followed closely by the thought that showing Jake her plan would be amusing as all get out.
Tansy could do both spontaneity and a plan.
Could he?