Vivienne spun around and her cheeks flamed red. Then she straightened, brushing her hands over her apron.
“Why are you here?” He pointed at Bonnie. “Why aren’t you up at the house?”
Bonnie lifted her chin and Cody saw that defiant look take over her face as she grabbed a plate of food. “Vivienne needed help cooking and serving.”
Which brought him to his original reason for coming here. Trouble was, he didn’t know what to deal with first.
“Right now, Ms. Clayton and I need to talk and you need to go back to the house and wash your face.”
Bonnie pressed her red lips together. “I’m not a little girl.”
“Not the way you look,” he concurred. He poked his thumb over his shoulder. “To the house. When I come back there, I want all that goop cleaned off your face.”
She pursed her crimson lips and shot a quick glance at Vivienne, as if looking for help.
“Get your uncle Ted his dinner and dessert, and then you can go,” Vivienne said quietly, and Bonnie left.
Which, in turn, made Cody feel as if he couldn’t handle Bonnie on his own. Which made him feel even more frustrated. He knew he was being cranky and blamed it on a long day in the saddle and too many things weighing on his mind.
One of which was an uncle and partner spouting dumb ideas about the woman standing in front of him, her blond hair falling in loose wisps around her flushed face.
She looked as beautiful as she had in high school. More beautiful, if that was possible.
He shook his head to dislodge that thought. He had more important things to deal with.
When the kitchen door fell shut behind his little sister, he turned back to his cook. Belatedly he pulled his hat off and released his breath on a heavy sigh.
He couldn’t help but be distracted by her looks. By her presence.
How was he supposed to do this?
Chapter Four
The kitchen was a decent size, but somehow Cody’s presence dominated the room. And as he glanced around at the pots, pans, dishes and bowls strewn over every available working space, she tried not to squirm.
Here it comes, Vivienne thought, a prickling dread working its way through her veins. Another failure.
“What is it?” Vivienne wiped her hands on her apron, then clasped them in front of her.
Cody gave her a curt nod of recognition as he slapped his hat against his leg. His blue jeans were coated in dust, as was his loose jacket, and his damp hair was plastered to his head. He looked rough and rugged.
And oddly appealing.
Vivienne wanted to give herself a shake. You’re about to lose a job, and you’re making eyes at the man who’s going to fire you?
She straightened, determined to hold her head up in the face of whatever criticism was coming.
Cody scratched his one eyebrow with a forefinger and sighed. In that moment, Vivienne caught a look of utter weariness fall across his features. He looks exhausted, she thought with a flicker of compassion. Then his features tightened, his eyes narrowed and the moment fled.
“So what’s for dinner?” he asked her.
“Cornish game hens and savory stuffing balls with chocolate mousse for dessert.” Why had it sounded like such a good idea when she was making up the menu and so oddball now that she was saying it out loud to Cody?
Cody’s frown told her exactly what he thought of that menu as he glanced around the kitchen. For a moment she saw it through his eyes. Saw the pots, pans, dishes and bowls spread over every available working space, and she struggled to stay composed.
“I usually keep my kitchen cleaner than this,” she said, clenching her hands tighter to stop herself from fussing and tidying. “But I’m also used to having a couple of assistants.”
“Is that why you got Bonnie to help?”
“She volunteered,” Vivienne said in her defense, knowing exactly how Cody felt about Bonnie hanging around her.
“Stimpy didn’t need help.”
“And he was fired because he was careless,” she retorted.
As were you.
She stifled the accusing thoughts. That was different.
Was it? Careless is careless.
“So why do you need help?”
She gestured around the kitchen. “I think this speaks for itself.” She felt tired just looking at all the work ahead of her.
“I’m sure it would be easier if you made simpler food.”
“Grilled cheese sandwiches is simple food.” The retort came out before she could stop it. “I thought I would give the men something tasty.”
“I don’t know how tasty they thought it was,” he said with a frown. “All I’ve heard was grumbling. Beans and biscuits would have been a better idea than what you dished up tonight.”
Each word was like a blow to her own self-worth. Had she really lost her touch? Was she really such a failure as a chef that she couldn’t even please cowboys?
“I said to keep it simple,” Cody continued.
She rolled her eyes. “What I made wasn’t that complicated.”
“Savory stuffing balls for hungry hands? Seriously?”
Her cheeks tightened at his mockery. “Sorry, I’ll try to dumb down the menu.” As soon as she spoke she realized how brusque that came out.
“It’s just food, Miss Clayton,” he retorted. “Fuel for the body.”
All her training and years of work rebelled against this blunt comment. “Food is more than that. It’s enjoyment. It’s one of life’s pleasures. It’s … it’s …” Her He r outrage at his ridiculous comment left her stumbling around trying to find how to explain how wrong he was.
“Food is calories,” he said, cutting into her explanation. “Just make sure you give my men enough calories to do their job.”
“Calories can still taste good.” Vivienne tried to keep the prim note out of her voice but could tell from his raised eyebrow she hadn’t succeeded. She realized she was butting against a brick wall. For now. “But I’ll still need help even if I’m dumbing down the menu.”
This netted her a heavy sigh. Cody ran his hand over his face and glanced around the cookhouse. “I can’t spare any of the hands. I suppose I could talk to Delores, Grady’s wife.”
Grady, she understood, was one of the few married men who lived in a rented house on the ranch. “Delores has made it pretty clear she’s not stepping foot in the kitchen again,” Vivienne stated. “Which leaves me with Bonnie.”
Cody’s eyes narrowed. Why did it bother him so much?
“I know you don’t like having Bonnie help,” Vivienne continued, “but I also know she’s bored … and bored teenage girls get into trouble. Especially when there’s a couple of young men on the ranch.”
Cody glared at her, but she could tell he was wavering.
“Bryce knows better than to get near my sister, and Cade is engaged to Jasmine Turner,” he said.
“Cade Clayton is a grandson of Samuel Clayton,” Vivienne said sharply. “I know my family thinks he’s a good kid, but I don’t know him well enough to form a positive opinion.”
The