The floors need to be scrubbed until they shine. The kitchen won’t be used until it’s thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom. I haven’t even seen the other rooms yet, but they can’t be in worse condition than the kitchen and the parlor.”
No one else said a word. She glanced at Hunter to help, but he obviously wouldn’t. He seemed to find it too funny that she wanted to put cowboys to work doing a maid’s job. The men pretty much all took their cue from him. The blatant amusement on his face finally started them all laughing.
“I’ll help.”
The laughter stopped immediately. Tiffany was stunned. That had been Degan’s voice. She glanced back and saw him leaning against the wall just inside the door, arms crossed over his chest, just as he’d been standing on the porch. Those stormy-gray eyes were slowly roving over the room, and not aman there didn’t suddenly appear afraid for his life—with the exception of Hunter and the cook in the back of the room, who simply wasn’t paying attention to anything other than the meat he was chopping.
The cowhands rose up in mass and started filing out of the bunkhouse. There were numerous comments, some polite, some complaining.
A short, bowlegged cowboy with a mustache so long the tips of it reached his chin, yelled toward the back of the room, “Jakes, keep the pot hot!”
Another stocky fellow growled at the man behind him, “You tell anyone I did housework and you’re a dead man.”
Tiffany was blushing and smiling in turn. She had her small army—no thanks to Hunter.
She knew very well their fear of Degan had swayed the men, but she still gave Hunter a smug look and whispered, “I’m glad you were wrong.”
He gave her a long, appreciative look. “Not wrong, just outmaneuvered by a pretty smile. You do have persuasive powers, Red. It will be more fun if you turn them on me the next time you need something.”
He was talking about seduction! The way his eyes were roving over her left no doubt about that at all and had her blushing furiously even as she bristled. Her fiancé was flirting with Jennifer!
When the last cowboy had left the bunkhouse, Degan said to Hunter, “You coming?”
“Hell no, I’m going to grab some of Jakes’s stew. I have a feeling Miss Fancy won’t be doing any cooking tonight. Don’t worry, I’ll bring the rest of it to the house later.”
Tiffany glared at Hunter before she marched stiffly out of thebuilding, wanting to get as far away as possible from that infuriating man. Unfortunately, Degan followed her and kept step with her on the way back to the house. Nonetheless, she hurried. It felt strange to be frightened of this man and yet grateful to him at the same time.
Chapter Thirteen
“T HANK YOU. ”
Tiffany felt compelled to say it. She’d waited until they’d reached the house so she could hurry inside before Degan could reply. She didn’t make it inside the house though before Zachary’s laughter drew her attention.
“Damn, gal, I really didn’t think you’d pull this off. If you can turn cowmen into maids, I reckon you can accomplish anything. I’ll let my Mary know she can stop worrying ’bout that fancy party of hers.”
Tiffany didn’t expect to feel so good about receiving a compliment from Zachary Callahan. A bit embarrassed because of it, she asked him, “Where might I find the cleaning supplies for the house?”
“There’s a closet near the kitchen. Think the brooms and buckets are kept there.”
She went inside to distribute the cleaning supplies and assign tasks before she started on one herself. She would have liked the walls scrubbed down, too, but that would probablybe asking too much. Nor would she ask the men to polish the floors. That could be done later by the maid whose job it was. The hired hands were being nice enough to help, she wasn’t going to overburden them. And she couldn’t not pitch in herself. She’d already realized that. Much as she deplored the thought of
No one else said a word. She glanced at Hunter to help, but he obviously wouldn’t. He seemed to find it too funny that she wanted to put cowboys to work doing a maid’s job. The men pretty much all took their cue from him. The blatant amusement on his face finally started them all laughing.
“I’ll help.”
The laughter stopped immediately. Tiffany was stunned. That had been Degan’s voice. She glanced back and saw him leaning against the wall just inside the door, arms crossed over his chest, just as he’d been standing on the porch. Those stormy-gray eyes were slowly roving over the room, and not aman there didn’t suddenly appear afraid for his life—with the exception of Hunter and the cook in the back of the room, who simply wasn’t paying attention to anything other than the meat he was chopping.
The cowhands rose up in mass and started filing out of the bunkhouse. There were numerous comments, some polite, some complaining.
A short, bowlegged cowboy with a mustache so long the tips of it reached his chin, yelled toward the back of the room, “Jakes, keep the pot hot!”
Another stocky fellow growled at the man behind him, “You tell anyone I did housework and you’re a dead man.”
Tiffany was blushing and smiling in turn. She had her small army—no thanks to Hunter.
She knew very well their fear of Degan had swayed the men, but she still gave Hunter a smug look and whispered, “I’m glad you were wrong.”
He gave her a long, appreciative look. “Not wrong, just outmaneuvered by a pretty smile. You do have persuasive powers, Red. It will be more fun if you turn them on me the next time you need something.”
He was talking about seduction! The way his eyes were roving over her left no doubt about that at all and had her blushing furiously even as she bristled. Her fiancé was flirting with Jennifer!
When the last cowboy had left the bunkhouse, Degan said to Hunter, “You coming?”
“Hell no, I’m going to grab some of Jakes’s stew. I have a feeling Miss Fancy won’t be doing any cooking tonight. Don’t worry, I’ll bring the rest of it to the house later.”
Tiffany glared at Hunter before she marched stiffly out of thebuilding, wanting to get as far away as possible from that infuriating man. Unfortunately, Degan followed her and kept step with her on the way back to the house. Nonetheless, she hurried. It felt strange to be frightened of this man and yet grateful to him at the same time.
Chapter Thirteen
“T HANK YOU. ”
Tiffany felt compelled to say it. She’d waited until they’d reached the house so she could hurry inside before Degan could reply. She didn’t make it inside the house though before Zachary’s laughter drew her attention.
“Damn, gal, I really didn’t think you’d pull this off. If you can turn cowmen into maids, I reckon you can accomplish anything. I’ll let my Mary know she can stop worrying ’bout that fancy party of hers.”
Tiffany didn’t expect to feel so good about receiving a compliment from Zachary Callahan. A bit embarrassed because of it, she asked him, “Where might I find the cleaning supplies for the house?”
“There’s a closet near the kitchen. Think the brooms and buckets are kept there.”
She went inside to distribute the cleaning supplies and assign tasks before she started on one herself. She would have liked the walls scrubbed down, too, but that would probablybe asking too much. Nor would she ask the men to polish the floors. That could be done later by the maid whose job it was. The hired hands were being nice enough to help, she wasn’t going to overburden them. And she couldn’t not pitch in herself. She’d already realized that. Much as she deplored the thought of
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