Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
R achel woke the next morning to Jake jumping on her bed.
“Get up, Mommy! Get up! I’m gonna learn how to ride today. Hurry up! Get up!”
She hadn’t seen him so excited about doing something in, well, she wasn’t sure she’d ever seen him this excited.
“Okay. Okay. I’m up. Now, get out of here so I can get dressed. I’ll see you in the kitchen in ten minutes or so.”
He jumped off the bed and ran to the door and stopped. “Okay, but hurry.” Then he disappeared out the door.
Rachel shook her head in wonder. He would never have considered jumping on her and Greg’s bed. Greg didn’t tolerate that kind of behavior. Greg didn’t tolerate much of anything.
She dressed quickly into jeans and a t-shirt, then headed to the kitchen.
Along with Jake, Nick and Bailey were there, too.
“Looks like I’m the late sleeper today. What time do you usually get up?”
Nick grinned. “We eat breakfast at six, lunch at noon, and dinner at six.”
A woman entered with two cast iron skillets. She had trivets already on the table and set the skillets on them.
One skillet contained potatoes that had scrambled eggs, cheese and green chilis over the top. The second contained a casserole with eggs, sausage and cheese. Then she went back and got a platter of Texas toast and a bowl of green chili sauce for the eggs.
Juice and milk were already on the table.
She returned once again with a pot of coffee and two cups, one for her and one for Rachel.
Rachel thanked her. “I’m Rachel, by the way.”
The woman smiled. “I’m Sarah, cook, housekeeper, babysitter and all-round house person.”
“I’m very happy to meet you, Sarah. Jake and I will do our best not to add to your chores.”
Sarah waved a hand. “Don’t you worry about a thing. It’s nice to have more people in this house. Nick and Bailey tend to be too neat for me to have much to do. I’m actually hoping you’ll be messy.” She laughed.
Rachel laughed, too. Then, gazing at all the food, she waved her hands to take it all in. “Isn’t that a lot of food for just five people?”
Nick shook his head. “Smitty and three other cowboys will be here in a few minutes. They always run a little late in the mornings because of feeding the horses before they come in.”
“Oh, well, I don’t feel so bad about being last then.”
The back door opened and the man teaching Bailey to ride entered. He was an older man with a graying beard and he was followed by three younger men.
Each man took off their hat and hung it on a rack by the back door, that Rachel hadn’t noticed on her tour of the house.
The other three cowboys could have been brothers. They all had dark blond hair and pale blue eyes. Even their grins were almost alike.
“Rachel, this is Smitty.” He pointed at the older man. “He’ll be teaching Jake and Bailey to ride. These are the other men I have working for me. They are Luke, Liam, and Larry Cole. They are brothers, in case you hadn’t noticed. Gentleman, this is my friend, Rachel Foster-Bennett. She and her son Jake will be staying with us for a while.”
“Pleased to meet you, ma’am. I’m Luke. I’m the oldest.”
The second cowboy tilted his head toward her. “Ma’am. I’m Liam, and I’m in the middle. We’re all a year apart.”
The last man dipped his chin. “Ma’am. I’m Larry and I’m the youngest, but I’m also the best looking.” He grinned at his brothers.
Rachel barked out a laugh. “I can tell you are a laugh a minute.”
Nick hooted with laughter.
Even the kids laughed.
Sarah smiled but then sat. “You’ll each have to pass your plates to Nick so he can dish them up. Those skillets are too darn heavy to be passed around.” She handed her plate to Nick. “If you would, one small scoop of each should do it and green chili on both, please. Bailey take a piece of toast and pass it on, please.”
Rachel’s eyes danced with amusement. Sarah kept everything under control and saw that everyone was fed.
By the time breakfast was finished, Jake was beyond dancing in his chair. “Can we go ride now?” he asked Nick.
Nick nodded. “Yes. We’ll go down to the arena. Smitty already has Buttercup and Daisy saddled. You’ll ride Daisy.” He put his hand on Jake’s shoulder. “She’s a very gentle mare and one of my best for learning how to ride.”
Everybody stood.
Rachel picked up her plate. “I’ll help Sarah with the dishes and be out after a bit.”
Sarah took the plate. “You’ll do no such thing. This is my job, and I take it very seriously. After you cook, you can do the dishes. Until then, I will.”
Rachel raised her brows. “Okay. Thank you for a wonderful meal.”
After stacking the plates on top of each other, Sarah winked at Rachel. “You’re very welcome. I like cooking and I love my job here with Nick and Bailey. They are the child and grandchild I was never blessed with.” She carried the stack to the kitchen.
Rachel followed Nick and the children out of the back door. The kids were talking to Smitty and running to keep up with his long strides.
Nick waited with hands in his jeans back pockets. He waggled his eyebrows. “Did you get scolded for helping her?”
Chuckling, Rachel nodded. “When I cook, I can do the dishes and not before. I’m a decent cook. Does Sarah get any days off where you would do the cooking?”
“She does, but she never takes them. She says her work is just what anyone would do, and she doesn’t need days off.” His mouth turned down. “Bailey and I are the only family she has left. Her husband passed on four years ago, and they were never blessed with children.”
“That’s so sad.” Rachel remembered Mrs. Bradley, who took care of Jake for her. She’d only been a widow for two years and she said keeping Jake made those years easier.
“It is, but having her stay on after Paul’s death has been great for Bailey. Living with Sarah is like living with your grandma and she spoils her like a grandma, too. But she can lay down the law when she wants to.” He took her hand in his. “Let’s head to the barn.”
Rachel looked down at their linked hands. Are we back to being just friends, or is this related to last night’s kiss?
As they walked, swinging their hands like they did as teenagers, Rachel felt something change between them. This was more than two friends holding hands. This was a man and a woman holding hands.
Her heart pounded in her chest, and she was afraid her palms were sweating.
“I want to go on a date.”
Cold water couldn’t have frozen her hopes any better. “You can date anyone you want.” She tried to pull her hand away.
He wouldn’t let her. “You misunderstand. I want us to go on a date. You and me, Rach, and not as friends. I want us to be more than friends.”
“I...I...don’t know what to say.” Her heart eased and she smiled, from the inside out.
He stopped walking and looked at her. “Say yes. I promise it will be fun, and you’ll never have been on a date like this one.”
She glanced over to where the children were about to enter the arena. “What about the kids?”
“They’ll stay here with Sarah. She’ll love it. Popcorn and movies. She’s great with the kids and would do anything to protect them. They couldn’t be in safer hands.”
“What if Greg?—”
“Greg can’t get onto the ranch. I have tight security. He’d have to be Houdini to get on this ranch.”
Rachel thought about it. She knew she wanted to go out with Nick, but what would Jake think? Would he think she’s a bad mother? And what about Bailey? How does she feel about Nick dating?
She sighed. “I’ll go out with you on one condition.”
“What’s your condition?” Nick brought the hand he was holding to his lips and kissed the back.
“The kids have to approve. If they don’t want us dating then we won’t...at least for now. Agreed.”
Nick appeared to ponder the restriction for a moment, then he grinned. “You’ve got a deal, Rach.” He put out his right hand. “Shake on it.”
She took his hand, and he gave her two good shakes before wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
“Let’s go ask the kids.”
Could he be that sure they would say okay? What did he know that she didn’t?
By the time they got to the arena, Smitty had both kids and their horses by the mounting block.
Buttercup and Daisy knew the routine and waited patiently.
Bailey was first up. She mounted easily.
Smitty put a hand on Jake’s shoulder. “Did you see what she did? How she mounted with her left leg first?”
Jake nodded. “Yes, sir, Smitty. I watched real close.”
The man smiled. “Okay. Daisy is ready to go. You go on and mount her.”
The boy did exactly what Bailey had done and was delighted to be on a horse.
“Mommy, do you see me?”
Rachel waved from across the arena. “I did. Good job.”
For the rest of the lesson, Rachel was tense. Seeing Jake up on the large animal was somewhat nerve wracking even though she rode herself and was certain that Smitty knew what he was doing.
After the lesson was over, Jake and Bailey ran over to their parents.
“Mommy, did you see? Did you watch me?”
“Yes, sir. I sure did. You did great. Just like you were born to the saddle.”
“Smitty taught him good. He’ll be riding like me in no time.” Bailey seemed as happy as Jake was.
“Kids,” said Nick. “We have something we’d like to talk to you about.”
“What?” asked Jake and Bailey at the same time.
“I would like to take Rachel out on a date, a real adult date with dinner and dancing. What do you two think of that?”
“Does that mean you’re gonna get married?” Jake widened his eyes.
Rachel’s eyebrows shot up. “Why would you think something like that?”
“Just that if you got married, then we’d live here all the time, and Bailey would be my sister, and we could play and ride together every day.”
Bailey nodded. “Yeah, we want that. Jake and I like playing together.”
Shaking her head, she looked over at Nick who was grinning. She frowned. “No, this doesn’t mean we’re getting married. It would just be dinner and dancing. Just a date. Nothing more. Tell them Nick.”
He backed away, laughing. “You’ve got this. I’ll let you handle these little heathens by yourself.”
Rachel put her hands on her hips. “Thanks for nothing. Maybe I shouldn’t go on a date after all.”
“Now, Rach, don’t do anything hasty. I’m just teasing you.” He looked at the children. “This date is just that. It doesn’t mean we’re getting married, and it doesn’t mean Jake and Rachel will be leaving if we don’t get married tomorrow. Marriage is something that happens when two people get to know each other?—”
Jake lifted his chin and tilted his head. “You and Mommy already know each other. You don’t have to do that part.”
“And,” Nick continued, as if Jake hadn’t interrupted him. “They fall in love with each other and want to have a family together.”
“Well...” Bailey put her hands on her hips, imitating Rachel. “You and Daddy are already best friends, and you love your best friend, so you already love each other. And you already have kids so you already have a family together.”
Rachel couldn’t keep from smiling.
Nick scratched his head with one hand and had the other on his hip. “I don’t know how to fault their logic.”
She burst out laughing. “Well, since we have the okay to go on the date, how about we start there and see what happens. Where are you taking me for dinner and dancing?”
His lips quirked up at the corners. “It’s a surprise, but I know you’ll like it.”
She lifted one brow. “Oh, yeah? Sure of yourself aren’t you, Kincaid.”
“Very sure, Rachel.”
Rachel was glad he didn’t call her Bennett. She should have changed to only her maiden name when the divorce was final, but all she’d wanted was out. And she wanted to have a shared name with Jake. She thought it would be easier with the school stuff if he and Jake had the same last name. Though now that she thought about it and wasn’t just trying to get away from Greg, her last name wouldn’t matter. How many kids shared their parent’s name or step-parent’s name? She’d been ridiculous in her haste to be free.
Look how well that turned out. He followed her. Threatened her. Tried to kill her. What would she do now?