ranch?”
She raised an eyebrow at the incredulous tone. “Now hold on.”
“Aw, Tess. I’m too old to be playing nursemaid to a bunch of New Yorkers who have never seen a cow and…”
Tess laughed and held up her hand. “Take it easy. It’s just a thought.”
Chuck scratched his chin as Tess stole a glance at his thoughtful pose. “You figuring on turning the old house into like a guesthouse?”
“Maybe. Maria will be coming back and Claire could stay on…”
Chuck grinned slightly. “You would need a reason for her and Jack to stay on. We certainly don’t need two cooks. Plus she’s nice to look at.”
“What do you mean?”
He rolled his eyes and gently nudged her; Tess had to grip the reins to stay in the saddle. “Don’t be an old fool. She’s a widow, for chrissakes , and has a son.”
“And a very nice woman.”
“Yes, she is.”
“And a real looker.”
Tess smiled reluctantly. “Yes, she is. And that’s enough, you dirty old man.”
The next few days found Claire watching with a worried eye over Tess. She would wake at night to find Tess sitting at the big desk, frowning and mulling over the bills. Many times, she wanted to go to her, but she felt it wasn’t her place. Sometimes Tess just looked lonely.
One night, she woke and found Tess sitting on the back porch. It was a chilly early May night; Claire pulled her robe around her as she watched Tess from the kitchen door. She shook her head, and as she was about to go back to her room, she decided enough was enough.
Tess gazed at the moon as she rocked back and forth. She just couldn’t sleep. It was well after midnight as she listened to the crickets chirp and the lone coyote howl off in the distance. With that, she heard someone moving about in the kitchen. As she looked up, she saw Claire struggling with two glasses of milk and the apple pie.
She grinned and shook her head as she came to her aid. “Hi. I was starving and I couldn’t sleep. I saw you sitting out here. How about some nice cold milk and apple pie?”
Tess took the glass and the plate. “I will never refuse your cooking or your baking, Claire.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes. Claire glanced over at the worried look and broke the silence. “You’ve been scarce lately. Is everything all right?”
Tess hesitated for a moment, then the stoic look appeared. She smiled as she took a bite. “Everything is fine.”
Claire took a deep breath. “I can help,” she said in a small voice.
Tess looked over at the pretty face half hidden by the moonlight. “Help with what?”
Claire drank her milk and held the glass in both hands. “You’re paying me too much, Tess. I-I don’t need this. Jack and I are living here in a very comfortable room. We have no expenses, so…”
“No,” Tess said angrily and drank her milk. “I can afford your wages.”
Claire rolled her eyes. “I’m just saying I—”
“No, damn it!” Tess barked and stood. She leaned against the porch railing and looked out into the moonlit night.
Claire narrowed her eyes at the stubborn pose. “Then I’ll quit.”
Tess whirled around and glared at her. “You will not!”
Claire stood in defiance. “You can’t run roughshod over me, Tess Rawlins. I’ll fire myself!” She stopped abruptly when she realized what she said.
Tess blinked while breathing heavily, then chuckled and leaned against the post.
Claire was now embarrassed and angry. “Don’t you laugh at me.”
Tess walked up to her and stood much too close. “I would never laugh at you. If I’m laughing at anyone, it’s me,” she said tenderly. “I’m sorry. I appreciate your trying to help. Why? Why do you care?”
Claire took a deep shaky breath and answered as honestly as she could. “I don’t know. It’s just since I came here, I’ve felt wanted and needed, alive almost. It’s been so good for Jack. Helena was just too big. He was lost, but in the past month or so, he looks older and
She raised an eyebrow at the incredulous tone. “Now hold on.”
“Aw, Tess. I’m too old to be playing nursemaid to a bunch of New Yorkers who have never seen a cow and…”
Tess laughed and held up her hand. “Take it easy. It’s just a thought.”
Chuck scratched his chin as Tess stole a glance at his thoughtful pose. “You figuring on turning the old house into like a guesthouse?”
“Maybe. Maria will be coming back and Claire could stay on…”
Chuck grinned slightly. “You would need a reason for her and Jack to stay on. We certainly don’t need two cooks. Plus she’s nice to look at.”
“What do you mean?”
He rolled his eyes and gently nudged her; Tess had to grip the reins to stay in the saddle. “Don’t be an old fool. She’s a widow, for chrissakes , and has a son.”
“And a very nice woman.”
“Yes, she is.”
“And a real looker.”
Tess smiled reluctantly. “Yes, she is. And that’s enough, you dirty old man.”
The next few days found Claire watching with a worried eye over Tess. She would wake at night to find Tess sitting at the big desk, frowning and mulling over the bills. Many times, she wanted to go to her, but she felt it wasn’t her place. Sometimes Tess just looked lonely.
One night, she woke and found Tess sitting on the back porch. It was a chilly early May night; Claire pulled her robe around her as she watched Tess from the kitchen door. She shook her head, and as she was about to go back to her room, she decided enough was enough.
Tess gazed at the moon as she rocked back and forth. She just couldn’t sleep. It was well after midnight as she listened to the crickets chirp and the lone coyote howl off in the distance. With that, she heard someone moving about in the kitchen. As she looked up, she saw Claire struggling with two glasses of milk and the apple pie.
She grinned and shook her head as she came to her aid. “Hi. I was starving and I couldn’t sleep. I saw you sitting out here. How about some nice cold milk and apple pie?”
Tess took the glass and the plate. “I will never refuse your cooking or your baking, Claire.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes. Claire glanced over at the worried look and broke the silence. “You’ve been scarce lately. Is everything all right?”
Tess hesitated for a moment, then the stoic look appeared. She smiled as she took a bite. “Everything is fine.”
Claire took a deep breath. “I can help,” she said in a small voice.
Tess looked over at the pretty face half hidden by the moonlight. “Help with what?”
Claire drank her milk and held the glass in both hands. “You’re paying me too much, Tess. I-I don’t need this. Jack and I are living here in a very comfortable room. We have no expenses, so…”
“No,” Tess said angrily and drank her milk. “I can afford your wages.”
Claire rolled her eyes. “I’m just saying I—”
“No, damn it!” Tess barked and stood. She leaned against the porch railing and looked out into the moonlit night.
Claire narrowed her eyes at the stubborn pose. “Then I’ll quit.”
Tess whirled around and glared at her. “You will not!”
Claire stood in defiance. “You can’t run roughshod over me, Tess Rawlins. I’ll fire myself!” She stopped abruptly when she realized what she said.
Tess blinked while breathing heavily, then chuckled and leaned against the post.
Claire was now embarrassed and angry. “Don’t you laugh at me.”
Tess walked up to her and stood much too close. “I would never laugh at you. If I’m laughing at anyone, it’s me,” she said tenderly. “I’m sorry. I appreciate your trying to help. Why? Why do you care?”
Claire took a deep shaky breath and answered as honestly as she could. “I don’t know. It’s just since I came here, I’ve felt wanted and needed, alive almost. It’s been so good for Jack. Helena was just too big. He was lost, but in the past month or so, he looks older and
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