fun will start—getting them to the fields. I
hope Calypso is ready for the ride.”
She looked up at
him in shock. “You’re going to help move the cattle?”
He grinned. “I
wouldn’t be a rancher otherwise, would I?” He gestured to the stack of plates
at the end of a long trestle table filled with food. “Help yourself.”
“Thanks.” As she
moved down the line, Willa realized the food itself looked familiar. “Did you
cook all of this?”
“Um…Miss Lili
and Miss Rosa offered to help me out with some food for the guys while we were
getting settled.”
“I see.” So if
he wouldn’t eat at the house, Lili and Rosa were going to bring him food. “They
didn’t mention it.”
“They’ve been
feeding me, too,” he said, as if needing to get everything off his chest. “And
sometimes I find boxes of cookies or cake on my front steps.”
“And don’t
forget to mention that you had my older son working for you,” Willa told him,
as they faced each other across the barn aisle, sitting on bales of hay. “And
my younger son and my daughter brought you a dog.”
“And cats.”
Daniel jerked his head toward the loft above them. “Somewhere they found a nest
of kittens and their mother, all of which are now cozily installed in a box up
there.”
Willa allowed
her jaw to drop. “Why did you let them do that?”
He shrugged. “A
barn does need cats. As long as Trouble gets along with them, we’ll be fine.”
Shaking her
head, she dug her fork into Lili’s chicken casserole. “Somebody is crazy here.
I’m just not sure who.”
R OSA KEPT AN EYE OUT as the New Moon hands came through
the food line she and Lili had set up. Nate Hernandez shooed the rest of the
men, as well as Daniel and Willa, ahead of him before picking up a paper plate
for his own food. He took a long time choosing between chicken casserole and
sliced ham, ending up with a good helping of both, then carefully selected his
roll, a brownie and two chocolate chip cookies. As a result, everyone else had
found a place to sit and eat by the time Nate reached Lili, waiting to pour him
a drink.
“Good afternoon,
Miss Lili.” Somehow, he managed to hold his plate, his hat and a fork all in
one hand.
“Good afternoon,
Nate.” She was blushing, of course, which made her cheeks rosy and her eyes
bright. “What would you like to drink? We have sweet tea, lemonade, water and
coffee.”
“Is that your
homemade lemonade? I don’t think I’ve had anything quite as thirst-quenching in
my life as your lemonade.”
“We made it just
this morning.” Lili gave him a shy smile, and then it was Nate’s turn to turn
red in the face. “Here’s a nice full glass.” She held out the plastic cup.
Nate stared at
the drink, as if he wasn’t sure how to take hold of it. “Thank you.” He closed
his fingers around the drink and they both jumped.
Rosa smiled to
herself. It was about time those two actually touched each other, even if it
was only a couple of fingers.
The foreman
cleared his throat. “Have you eaten, Miss Lili?”
“I—”
Rosa could see
that her sister meant to divert what was obviously an invitation. “No, she
hasn’t.” She handed Lili a plate. “Get yourself some food and sit down to eat. That’s
what I’m going to do. All the men are served and they can manage their own
seconds.” With a full plate of her own, she went to sit beside Luis Vargas, the
youngest and most handsome of Daniel’s cowboys. What was the point of being an
old woman if she couldn’t flirt with any young man who took her fancy?
Nate and Lili,
she was pleased to see, sat hip to hip on one of the hay bales set under the
tent, facing in opposite directions so they could see each other as they ate. Lili
still seemed shy, and Nate didn’t say much, but at least they’d made contact. Surely
they could manage their own romance from this point without so much
stage-managing from a concerned older sister.
Or not. Rosa
watched,
hope Calypso is ready for the ride.”
She looked up at
him in shock. “You’re going to help move the cattle?”
He grinned. “I
wouldn’t be a rancher otherwise, would I?” He gestured to the stack of plates
at the end of a long trestle table filled with food. “Help yourself.”
“Thanks.” As she
moved down the line, Willa realized the food itself looked familiar. “Did you
cook all of this?”
“Um…Miss Lili
and Miss Rosa offered to help me out with some food for the guys while we were
getting settled.”
“I see.” So if
he wouldn’t eat at the house, Lili and Rosa were going to bring him food. “They
didn’t mention it.”
“They’ve been
feeding me, too,” he said, as if needing to get everything off his chest. “And
sometimes I find boxes of cookies or cake on my front steps.”
“And don’t
forget to mention that you had my older son working for you,” Willa told him,
as they faced each other across the barn aisle, sitting on bales of hay. “And
my younger son and my daughter brought you a dog.”
“And cats.”
Daniel jerked his head toward the loft above them. “Somewhere they found a nest
of kittens and their mother, all of which are now cozily installed in a box up
there.”
Willa allowed
her jaw to drop. “Why did you let them do that?”
He shrugged. “A
barn does need cats. As long as Trouble gets along with them, we’ll be fine.”
Shaking her
head, she dug her fork into Lili’s chicken casserole. “Somebody is crazy here.
I’m just not sure who.”
R OSA KEPT AN EYE OUT as the New Moon hands came through
the food line she and Lili had set up. Nate Hernandez shooed the rest of the
men, as well as Daniel and Willa, ahead of him before picking up a paper plate
for his own food. He took a long time choosing between chicken casserole and
sliced ham, ending up with a good helping of both, then carefully selected his
roll, a brownie and two chocolate chip cookies. As a result, everyone else had
found a place to sit and eat by the time Nate reached Lili, waiting to pour him
a drink.
“Good afternoon,
Miss Lili.” Somehow, he managed to hold his plate, his hat and a fork all in
one hand.
“Good afternoon,
Nate.” She was blushing, of course, which made her cheeks rosy and her eyes
bright. “What would you like to drink? We have sweet tea, lemonade, water and
coffee.”
“Is that your
homemade lemonade? I don’t think I’ve had anything quite as thirst-quenching in
my life as your lemonade.”
“We made it just
this morning.” Lili gave him a shy smile, and then it was Nate’s turn to turn
red in the face. “Here’s a nice full glass.” She held out the plastic cup.
Nate stared at
the drink, as if he wasn’t sure how to take hold of it. “Thank you.” He closed
his fingers around the drink and they both jumped.
Rosa smiled to
herself. It was about time those two actually touched each other, even if it
was only a couple of fingers.
The foreman
cleared his throat. “Have you eaten, Miss Lili?”
“I—”
Rosa could see
that her sister meant to divert what was obviously an invitation. “No, she
hasn’t.” She handed Lili a plate. “Get yourself some food and sit down to eat. That’s
what I’m going to do. All the men are served and they can manage their own
seconds.” With a full plate of her own, she went to sit beside Luis Vargas, the
youngest and most handsome of Daniel’s cowboys. What was the point of being an
old woman if she couldn’t flirt with any young man who took her fancy?
Nate and Lili,
she was pleased to see, sat hip to hip on one of the hay bales set under the
tent, facing in opposite directions so they could see each other as they ate. Lili
still seemed shy, and Nate didn’t say much, but at least they’d made contact. Surely
they could manage their own romance from this point without so much
stage-managing from a concerned older sister.
Or not. Rosa
watched,
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