The Cowboy's Lady Read online

  Bryce heaved a sigh, then headed over to the machine shed where Ted was working. Cade, however, lingered a moment.

  “So, it’s okay Jasmine comes?” he asked, his hands strung up in the back pockets of his blue jeans, his eyes intent on Vivienne.

  “Of course Jasmine can come,” Vivienne said kindly.

  “Great. I’ll tell her,” Cade said. “Thanks, Miss Vivienne.”

  Vivienne turned to Cody after Cade took off. “I…uh…have another little favor to ask you.”

  So that was the real reason she came walking this way.

  Did you think it was because she was drawn to your rugged appeal?

  “Shoot,” he said, digging in his carpenter’s pouch for more nails and stabbing his thumb in the process.

  “Bonnie wanted to take the cooking classes, too. I wanted to make sure it was okay with you.”

  “Yeah. Sure. Whatever.”

  “Great. She was asking, and I’m sure she’ll be pleased.” Her bright smile melted some of the defenses he’d put around his heart.

  “Having a happy Bonnie around does make my life easier,” Cody admitted. He heaved a board in place, trying to hide the discomfort he felt around her, then started nailing again.

  “Okay, then.” She hovered for a moment, as if she wanted to say something more, but then turned and walked away. Cody didn’t realize he was watching her leave until Grady jabbed him in the ribs with the butt end of his hammer. “Time’s a wastin’, boss,” he said with a broad wink. “You can see her tonight at dinner.”

  Except he was eating with Bonnie in the house again, so he wouldn’t see Vivienne then.

  He heard the sound of the John Deere starting up. At least Bryce was doing what Cody had asked him to.

  He turned his attention back to his work. He had best focus on the ranch and not on Vivienne.

  Right.

  He pounded some more nails into the board, then he and Grady moved along, checking the rest of the corral system. They found a few more rotten boards, and as he and Grady were pulling them loose he heard the sound of yelling. And right behind that the rumble of hoof-beats and the whinny of horses.

  What in the world? He straightened, glancing around.

  “Horses are out. Horses are out,” he heard Vivienne yell. “Somebody stop them.”

  What was going on? What was Vivienne saying?

  Cody whipped off his carpenter apron and vaulted over the corral in time to see half his horse herd come thundering past, heads and tails up as if reveling in their newfound freedom.

  No time for this, he thought, watching them head past the cookhouse and around the bend in the road, dust swirling in their wake.

  He spun around in time to see Bryce yank off his hat and throw it on the ground. Then he saw Vivienne standing by the fence of the pasture, the metal gate leading into it swinging back and forth, wide open.

  “How did they get out?” Cody called out, jogging toward them. “What’s going on?”

  Vivienne opened her mouth as if to say something, then glanced over at Bryce, who was still shaking his head.

  “She let the horses out,” Bryce was saying.

  “The gate wasn’t latched properly,” Cade put in.

  “I told you to shut it after you,” Bryce said, glaring at Cade.

  “I did,” Cade retorted.

  Vivienne looked from Bryce to Cade to Cody, her eyes wide as if still unsure of what had happened.

  “I was just talking to the horses in the pasture, like I always do,” she said, turning to Cody. “But one of the horses was on its side. It looked like it was dead. So I told Bryce and Bryce told me to go see if it was breathing, then go get him. So I climbed over the fence, and went in to see if it was okay,” she said. “And then I heard a loud noise and they got jumpy and ran around. And then one of them hit the gate and it opened and they all ran out. And then I yelled.”

  Her face was white, and Cody guessed she got a good scare.

  But still…

  He bit back his anger. It wasn’t really her fault.

  But still…

  What was she thinking going into the corral, and what was Bryce thinking telling her to go check on the horse?

  “Okay, Bryce, saddle up three horses,” he barked. “You, Cade and Dover go round up the runaways.”

  “But I thought I was supposed to help Ted,” Bryce complained.

  “Just get those horses before they head into town,” Cody snapped. He spun around, frustrated with both of them, and came face-to-face with Vivienne. She had her hands folded over that silly yellow coat of hers and she was biting her lip.

  “Is there anything I can do?” she asked.

  He scratched his temple with his forefinger, his anger fading away at the concern on her face.

  “It was my fault they got out,” she continued in a wavery voice. “I should do something to help.”

  He released a short laugh. “Don’t worry about it. It was an accident. You didn’t know what would happen.”

  She twisted her hands, glancing past him to the open gate. “I feel really stupid. I shouldn’t have gone into the corral to look at that horse, but I thought I could help.” She turned back to him, her expression pleading, as if hoping he believed her.

  He wanted to pat her on the shoulder. Actually, he wanted to do more than pat her on the shoulder, but he kept his reaction down to a wry smile. “Don’t worry. Just make sure you stay out of the way when they come back with the horses. They can be unpredictable when they’re worked up.”

  “Okay. And I’m sorry. Again.” She lowered her head and walked away looking so forlorn, Cody had to resist the urge to run after her and give her a hug.

  “So then we pour the water-and-raisin mixture over-top and bake it.” Vivienne opened the oven door and Macy carefully placed the pan holding the raisin pudding in the oven.

  The kitchen was full of chattering, happy women, and Vivienne was pleased with how the cooking class was coming along. Pleased that Darlene could come and pleased Bonnie was in such good spirits.

  “That’s really easy,” Macy said, looking proud of herself as Vivienne closed the oven door. Her mother, sitting on a chair by the butcher-block cutting board, was smiling, as well.

  Vivienne gave Macy a timer and instructed her to set it for thirty minutes, then glanced out the window above the sink. From here she could see the horse pasture. From what she could tell, the horses were all still inside.

  She still wasn’t sure what had happened the other day, only that she should never have gone into the corral as Bryce had told her to. She was a city girl. What did she know about horses? It was just that she wanted to feel as if she could help, that was all. But it was almost as if Bryce had been playing some kind of game with her when he told her to check on the horse. At the same time, could Cade have been the one to leave gate open, as Bryce had said?

  Her mind was a whirl of confusion. As she got to know Cade better this kind of thing seemed too out of character for the earnest young man who had won Jasmine’s heart.

  Still, was it possible that someone at the ranch had opened the gate? Had someone made that loud noise that had scared the horses?

  She turned to Bonnie. “When you’re finished with those peppers, I want you to sauté them with the sweet potato and the onions for about five minutes.”

  Jasmine sniffed as she sliced the onions. “There’s got to be a way to cut these without my eyes watering so much.”

  “You could wear goggles,” Vivienne said with a grin. As she rolled up her sleeves she glanced over to the stove, where Brooke worked. “Just cut that sweet potato up into one-inch cubes and give it to Brooke,” she called out while she washed her hands and then punched dough she had rising for buns.

  “My goodness, how do you keep all this straight?” Darlene asked, shaking her head as she glanced around the busy kitchen.

  “In my job back in New York, I was used to being in control of a lot of chaos and a lot of egos.” Vivienne laug
hed as she kneaded the dough.

  Darlene sighed, wrapping her sweater more tightly around herself. “I would love to see New York sometime. Broadway, Central Park, Times Square.”

  “Bloomingdale’s, Barneys, Saks,” Vivienne added with a nostalgic sigh as she formed the buns.

  “What do you miss the most about New York?” Jasmine asked as she sniffed again.

  Vivienne paused, thinking. “Actually, I haven’t thought about New York for a while. I guess my work on the ranch has occupied most of my thoughts.”

  “How could this dump make you forget about New York?” Bonnie said, making a face.

  “This isn’t a dump,” Vivienne corrected. “Your brother and uncle have built up a lovely place. Your house is beautiful. And the mountains surrounding the ranch make it seem like they are watching over it.” Bonnie didn’t look convinced, but Vivienne got an odd look from Brooke.

  Vivienne ignored her smirk, directing the rest of the soup-making operation. “Jasmine, you can put your onions in the pan with the sweet potato and add some of those jalapenos you chopped.”

  “By the way, thanks for letting me come,” Jasmine said. “Cade said he felt silly asking, but I’m glad he did. He’s such a great guy.”

  A tinge of doubt niggled into Vivienne’s mind. But she pushed it away. Cade was a good person.

  “So, Jasmine, how are the wedding plans coming?” Darlene asked, cuddling Macy, who was perched on her lap eating a cookie.

  Jasmine bit her lip, looking down at her hand and the ring encircling her third finger. “They’re coming along, though Cade’s brother Jack seems to want us to wait awhile.”

  “Why?” Brooke asked.

  Jasmine’s only answer was a gentle shrug. “Jack is concerned about their stepfather, Charley. He thinks that he could cause problems.”

  “Why would he think that?” Brooke’s voice held a sharp note that made Vivienne look over at her. Was something else going on that she didn’t know about?

  “I’m not sure. I know things aren’t great between Jack and Cade and their stepfather, but I can’t see why Jack thinks we should put off our wedding because of that.” Jasmine’s voice trembled a moment and Vivienne felt sorry for her. Though she’d had her own initial reservations about Cade, she’d since come to realize what a great guy he was. Now it didn’t seem fair for these two innocent young people to be caught between the two families and their differences.

  She went to Jasmine’s side and slipped a comforting arm around her slender shoulders. “You and Cade love each other and you have to make your own decisions, apart from family,” she said quietly.

  Jasmine looked up then, her eyes shining with gratitude. “Thanks for that.”

  “Anytime.”

  Jasmine slipped her brown hair back over her shoulder. “Actually, I had another reason to come to this cooking class,” she said shyly, looking up at Vivienne. “I was hoping to ask you to cater the wedding.”

  Vivienne glanced from Jasmine to Brooke as a tiny flutter of panic began. Cater a wedding? In her old hometown? What if she made the same mistake she had at the wedding that had cost her her job? What if she made herself look foolish in front of all the people she had grown up with?

  She wiped suddenly trembling hands over her apron, pushing aside the self-defeating questions. “I…I’m not sure.”

  “That’s okay. You don’t have to,” Jasmine hastily assured her. “It was just a silly idea. I’ve been hearing from Cade what a fantastic cook you are and how he’s afraid he’ll gain weight while working here, but I understand if you can’t.”

  “Me and Arabella could help you, Vivienne,” Brooke put in, her frown showing Vivienne what she thought of her sister’s refusal. “You wouldn’t have to do all the work yourself.”

  Vivienne still wasn’t sure. “I don’t know if I can.”

  “Of course you can,” Brooke said. “You’re an amazing cook. Always were.”

  Her sister’s defense of her warmed her heart, and Vivienne knew she was coming across as uncooperative. Brooke couldn’t know how badly being fired from her previous job had shaken her confidence.

  “It would be great if you could help out,” Brooke continued. “It wouldn’t have to be fancy, but I know you could do a great job even if it’s just hot dogs and buns.”

  Vivienne still wavered, but when she looked at Jasmine’s disappointed face she made a reluctant decision. “Okay. I think I can do it,” Vivienne said, forcing a smile, hoping she looked enthusiastic about the idea. “But I’ll need help.”

  “I told you. You’ve got it,” Brooke put in.

  Jasmine’s broad smile showed relief as well as happiness, and Vivienne felt a flush of pleasure. It would be okay, she told herself. It was no different than feeding the cowboys.

  Except more public and with more stress.

  “You should get Vivienne to do your makeup, too,” Bonnie suggested, washing her hands in the sink.

  “I think Vivienne will have enough to do with the cooking,” Brooke intervened. “But maybe she could give you some pointers,” Brooke said to Jasmine.

  Bonnie looked up, then clapped her hands, her eyes bright. “I have an idea. Why don’t we do makeovers?”

  “That sounds like fun,” Darlene said with a smile.

  Vivienne glanced at Darlene with her pale skin and sunken eyes. If anyone could benefit from a makeover, it would be the poor woman.

  Vivienne wiped her hands on her apron and glanced at the clock. “We have time before the soup is ready. Why not?”

  And fifteen minutes later, pots of eye shadow, tubes of mascara, bottles of foundation, cakes of blush and brushes of all sort lay strewn out on the table of the cookhouse along with Vivienne’s curling irons, straighteners and brushes.

  Giggles and bubbling laughter floated through the cookhouse as they experimented. When Vivienne saw Bonnie getting too heavy-handed with the colors, she took the brush away from her and showed her what she should do.

  As Vivienne demonstrated, Bonnie inspected Vivienne’s work in the hand mirror.

  “Okay. I get it,” she said, touching her forefinger to the corner of her eyes. “Cody always tells me I wear too much makeup. He says that when I’m older, I should try to wear makeup like you do.” She gave Vivienne a coy smile. “He said you always look pretty. Without trying too hard.”

  Vivienne was dismayed to feel a flush warm her cheeks. Why should she care what Cody said to his little sister about her? Why should she care that he was paying her compliments?

  But she did.

  “I’m glad.” Vivienne picked up a pencil and slipped the top off, pulling herself back to her task. “Now just a bit of eyeliner in a darker color, mascara, and there’s the eyes.”

  Brooke looked up from what she was doing with Macy as Vivienne applied the blush. “Wow, Bonnie. That looks really good.”

  “It does, doesn’t it.” Bonnie’s eyes shone up at Vivienne. “So what can I do about my hair?”

  Vivienne turned on the curling iron, and they all moved onto the next phase of the makeover.

  An hour later, five elegantly made-up woman sat around the table of the cookhouse, looking quite pleased with themselves.

  “I believe this is the nicest I’ve looked in years,” Darlene said with a giggle, patting the curls Brooke had put in her hair. She held up the mirror, smiling at her reflection.

  “Do I look pretty?” Macy asked, slipping her glasses back on her face after Vivienne tied up her hair in a ribbon.

  Vivienne leaned closer so she could look at her and Macy’s reflection at once. “You look as beautiful as a princess,” she said.

  “Wow, look at you two,” Bonnie said. “You look like you could be related with your blond hair and blue eyes.”

  Macy looked up at Vivienne, her eyes a shining lantern of trust. “I wish you could be my sister.”

  Vivienne smiled and tweaked the little girl’s hair ribbon. “You know what? We can be sisters of the heart.”

&
nbsp; Macy’s grin almost reached her ears. “I like that. Sisters of the heart.”

  Darlene dropped the mirror she was holding and Vivienne bent over to pick it up. “Are you okay?” she asked, noting the sudden paleness of the woman’s cheeks.

  “I’m fine,” she replied breathlessly. “I’m just tired.”

  “We should think about leaving,” Brooke said, closing up the compact she’d been using.

  Vivienne got up and swept her own curled hair back into a ponytail. “I’ll package everything up.”

  “This was really great,” Jasmine said, cleaning up the pots of makeup. “Thanks so much. I really appreciate you catering the wedding. I hope…I hope it’s not too much trouble. It won’t be a large wedding.”

  Vivienne waved off her objections with a confidence she was still trying to muster. “It will work out fine.” Though she had her reservations as to how a wedding between two vastly different sides of the Clayton family would turn out, now was not the time to state her concerns.

  “Cade is working in the barn with Uncle Ted,” Bonnie said, catching Jasmine’s arm and giving it a tug. “Why don’t you go show him how you look?”

  Jasmine glanced at Brooke, who waved her off. “Go. Give Cade a preview of how gorgeous you’ll be at the wedding.”

  Jasmine slipped on a jacket, fluffed her hair and fairly flew out of the cookhouse. Bonnie was right behind her, bubbling with excitement.

  Vivienne wondered at Bonnie’s sudden enthusiasm but put it down to the busyness and excitement of having other people around.

  “So, let’s get the food packed up and you all can be on your way.” As Vivienne walked to the kitchen, Brooke pulled her aside and gave her a quick hug. “Thanks so much for doing this class,” she said. “I don’t know if you realize how much it meant to Darlene and to Jasmine. And don’t worry about the wedding dinner. Like I said, we can all help you.” Brooke’s smile was encouraging and gave Vivienne a sense of family and community that she had missed while she was so far away.

  “I’ll call you out on that. I’ll need all the help I can get. But for now, come and help me get the food packed up.”