belly.”
“What an honor.” She smiled and gave him a hug. “Looks like you rolled over a few times too.”
“Galen and I had a straw fight, and he threw me on top ofthe stack. Then I couldn’t fight anymore because I was laughing. He said he was making duck orange for dinner and I could help. I’ve never eaten that, have you?”
“No.”
“I’ve got to hurry. Where’s the bathroom? He said I couldn’t touch anything in his kitchen until I had a bath.”
She nodded at the suite. “In there.” She followed him into the bedroom and gestured to the bathroom. “I’ll get you some clean clothes from your room. It’s right through that door. Our rooms are connected.”
“Good.” Barry’s tone was abstracted. “I have to wash my hair. Galen said that if he saw even one piece of straw, I was out of there. Will you help me?”
“Of course.” Every other word he’d uttered had been about Galen. “I’ll see that you pass inspection. You like Galen?”
“Sure. He makes things … different.”
He meant exciting. Why wouldn’t he think Galen was some kind of magician? He’d flown through the air with him and then been whisked to the top of a great city. Now Galen had given Barry the elements of every boy’s dream: a dog and cats and a hayloft.
He was staring at her, troubled. “You like him too, don’t you?”
One word and she could turn him against Galen. This affection that Barry was beginning to feel for him could be dangerous. Galen might be something of a magician, but after all the sleight of hand and wondrous tricks, he would vanish and leave Barry alone and empty. But how could she say that word when Galen had single-handedly banished the fear anduncertainty she had sensed in Barry since the fire at the vineyard? She owed him a debt, dammit. “Why wouldn’t I like him?” she asked lightly. “After all, he’s going to teach you how to cook me a fancy dinner.”
“Come on, young man. Time for bed.” Dominic stood up from the table. “Your face is going to fall into that chocolate mousse if you don’t stop nodding.”
“Tired …” Barry stood up, yawning. “I stirred the chocolate, you know.”
“It’s been called to our attention,” Dominic said. “Several times.” He turned to Galen. “A great meal. I’ve never had better, even in the finest restaurants in Miami.”
“Of course not,” Galen said. “I told you I was a master.”
Judd Morgan snorted. “It’s getting thick in here. I need some air.”
“And leave me with the dishes?”
“I’ll help,” Barry said.
Galen shook his head. “I believe in specialized labor. You’ve done your bit. I have you scheduled for omelette duty at breakfast tomorrow.”
He yawned again. “Okay.”
“Let’s go,” Dominic said. “You’re about to fall asleep, and you’re getting too big for me to carry up those stairs.”
Elena watched Dominic and Barry leave the dining room before she rose to her feet. “I’ll wash the dishes.”
Morgan shook his head. “My job. Galen cooks. I clean up.”He started to stack the dishes. “Though if he didn’t have a great dishwasher, I’d take you up on it.”
“Then I’ll help,” Elena said.
“No, you won’t. I like to work alone.” He carried the dishes into the kitchen.
“He’s not rejecting you. He’s telling the truth. He likes to do everything alone,” Galen said as he stood up. “That’s why he likes staying here at the ranch. You can’t imagine a more solitary existence. I guess it’s his artistic temperament.”
“He’s an artist?”
He nodded. “There’s an oil painting of his in the library that’s remarkable.”
“I would never have guessed.”
“Well, I grant you that he doesn’t look the part. What would you think he does for a living?”
“I don’t know. Maybe the same thing that you do.”
He smiled. “Close. But Judd was more specialized.”
“You appear to get along very well.”
“We understand each other. In
“What an honor.” She smiled and gave him a hug. “Looks like you rolled over a few times too.”
“Galen and I had a straw fight, and he threw me on top ofthe stack. Then I couldn’t fight anymore because I was laughing. He said he was making duck orange for dinner and I could help. I’ve never eaten that, have you?”
“No.”
“I’ve got to hurry. Where’s the bathroom? He said I couldn’t touch anything in his kitchen until I had a bath.”
She nodded at the suite. “In there.” She followed him into the bedroom and gestured to the bathroom. “I’ll get you some clean clothes from your room. It’s right through that door. Our rooms are connected.”
“Good.” Barry’s tone was abstracted. “I have to wash my hair. Galen said that if he saw even one piece of straw, I was out of there. Will you help me?”
“Of course.” Every other word he’d uttered had been about Galen. “I’ll see that you pass inspection. You like Galen?”
“Sure. He makes things … different.”
He meant exciting. Why wouldn’t he think Galen was some kind of magician? He’d flown through the air with him and then been whisked to the top of a great city. Now Galen had given Barry the elements of every boy’s dream: a dog and cats and a hayloft.
He was staring at her, troubled. “You like him too, don’t you?”
One word and she could turn him against Galen. This affection that Barry was beginning to feel for him could be dangerous. Galen might be something of a magician, but after all the sleight of hand and wondrous tricks, he would vanish and leave Barry alone and empty. But how could she say that word when Galen had single-handedly banished the fear anduncertainty she had sensed in Barry since the fire at the vineyard? She owed him a debt, dammit. “Why wouldn’t I like him?” she asked lightly. “After all, he’s going to teach you how to cook me a fancy dinner.”
“Come on, young man. Time for bed.” Dominic stood up from the table. “Your face is going to fall into that chocolate mousse if you don’t stop nodding.”
“Tired …” Barry stood up, yawning. “I stirred the chocolate, you know.”
“It’s been called to our attention,” Dominic said. “Several times.” He turned to Galen. “A great meal. I’ve never had better, even in the finest restaurants in Miami.”
“Of course not,” Galen said. “I told you I was a master.”
Judd Morgan snorted. “It’s getting thick in here. I need some air.”
“And leave me with the dishes?”
“I’ll help,” Barry said.
Galen shook his head. “I believe in specialized labor. You’ve done your bit. I have you scheduled for omelette duty at breakfast tomorrow.”
He yawned again. “Okay.”
“Let’s go,” Dominic said. “You’re about to fall asleep, and you’re getting too big for me to carry up those stairs.”
Elena watched Dominic and Barry leave the dining room before she rose to her feet. “I’ll wash the dishes.”
Morgan shook his head. “My job. Galen cooks. I clean up.”He started to stack the dishes. “Though if he didn’t have a great dishwasher, I’d take you up on it.”
“Then I’ll help,” Elena said.
“No, you won’t. I like to work alone.” He carried the dishes into the kitchen.
“He’s not rejecting you. He’s telling the truth. He likes to do everything alone,” Galen said as he stood up. “That’s why he likes staying here at the ranch. You can’t imagine a more solitary existence. I guess it’s his artistic temperament.”
“He’s an artist?”
He nodded. “There’s an oil painting of his in the library that’s remarkable.”
“I would never have guessed.”
“Well, I grant you that he doesn’t look the part. What would you think he does for a living?”
“I don’t know. Maybe the same thing that you do.”
He smiled. “Close. But Judd was more specialized.”
“You appear to get along very well.”
“We understand each other. In
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