Flirting with Love (20 page)

“Actually, I do both. I pamper pets and bake pies.” She held out a hand in greeting. “I’m Elisabeth Nash.”

The men tipped their hats and ignored her hand.

“Well, I don’t know much about pamperin’ no pets, but let me know when you come up with a beer pie. That would catch my attention.” The taller man laughed at his own joke.

“Heck yeah. I’d buy one every weekend,” the other man agreed, before they nodded a goodbye and headed for a truck in the parking lot.

Beer pie. Beer cake.
Elisabeth’s mind was spinning. When in Rome…

Inside the barn, she gathered the ingredients she needed for the next few days and set them on the counter.

“Harvey loved the pie,” Wren said without looking at her.

Harvey loved the pie!
“I’m so glad.” She handed Wren money to pay for the fruit. “Who’s Harvey?”

“My husband. He says no more bows on the dogs.” Wren gave her the change.

“No more bows. Got it.”

“Can you make me three more?” She glanced up at Elisabeth as she bagged her purchases.

“Three more?” Hope swelled in Elisabeth’s chest.

“Pies. To sell.”

Elisabeth couldn’t stifle the smile that stretched across her lips. “Absolutely. Let me just buy a few more ingredients.” She turned to pick up more fruit and had to squelch the urge to do a fist pump.

On her way home, she stopped at the liquor store and the grocery store. The county fair was the weekend after next, and she wanted to come up with the perfect cake to win over the community.

The last stop she made was at Ross’s clinic. Kelsey wasn’t at her desk when Elisabeth walked in. A plump pug waddled over on a long leash and sniffed Elisabeth’s feet. She had brought the cake she’d baked for Kelsey and her grandfather and set it on the desk before bending down to pet the pup.

“What’s your dog’s name?” she asked the woman holding the leash.

“Wiggles. When he was younger, he wouldn’t sit still.” She smiled and tugged lightly on the leash. “Come on, Wiggles.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind him sniffing me.” She rose to her feet as Kelsey came down the hall with Knight on her heels. Knight bounded over to Elisabeth.

“Oh, hi, Elisabeth. Ross is with a client, but you can wait if you’d like.” Kelsey sat at her desk and eyed the Bundt cake.

“Actually, I just stopped by to see how you were doing.” She loved up Knight and then turned her attention back to Kelsey. “I made this for you and your grandfather.” She set a small gift bag on the counter. “I brought you chamomile tea, too. I don’t know if you and Jim drink tea, but…”

Kelsey smiled up at her. “Thank you. My grandfather loves cake, and I love tea, so this is perfect. I’m going to see him after work. This was really thoughtful of you.”

“I’m really sorry about Gracie. Well, I won’t hold you up. I know you’re busy.” She gave Knight a final few pets and turned to leave.

“Don’t you want to see Ross?” Kelsey asked.

“I will, when he’s off work. I came to see you.” She turned to the woman with the pug. “Enjoy your day with Wiggles.”

ROSS WORKED UNTIL after dark. With the county fair right around the corner, there was a long list of animals to be seen and paperwork to complete. It didn’t matter that he had sent out reminders to his clients sixty days earlier announcing that the fair was coming up and to remember to get their animals checked early. Some clients had taken note, but he found it difficult to teach old farmers new tricks.

Elisabeth had been on his mind all day. They’d exchanged texts during the afternoon, and they made plans for him to stop by after he was done for the day. He did a quick workout, showered, and changed, then loved up the boys and played with them for a few minutes before piling them in the truck and heading over to her place.

Country music filtered through the screen door. Ross knocked, but he knew Elisabeth couldn’t hear him over the music. He walked inside with the boys by his side. They found her in the kitchen, which looked like it had exploded. There were baking ingredients on every surface. Bowls, mixing spoons, a mixer, bags of flour, sugar, and other accoutrements, including several empty beer bottles—which surprised him—covered the countertops. Elisabeth’s hips swayed seductively to the music. He put a hand down to keep the dogs by his side as he took a moment to drink her in. She wore a simple capped-sleeve dress that was white on top and light pink on bottom. It hung loosely to just a few inches beneath her butt. Her back was to him, and she was belting out the words to the song. She had a lovely singing voice, and as he stood there, he imagined coming home to her every day.

Hell, she had a lovely
everything
.

He came up behind her, intending to wrap his arms around her waist, but the boys bounded in and she backed into Knight and yelped, dropping a cup of flour on the counter. White powder bloomed into the air, covering his clothing and hers.

“Oh my gosh! Ross. I’m sorry!” She brushed the flour from his clothes.

He laughed and pulled her against him. “I’m not.”

“But you’re all floury now.”

The dogs danced around their legs, sniffing the flour and then sneezing.

“I didn’t really want to keep my clothes on anyway.” He kissed her again, and she moaned deliciously. “You might have to take off that floury dress, too.”

“In your dreams, Mr. Braden.”

“I have pretty erotic dreams.” He had to take her in another greedy kiss. After finally tearing his lips from hers, he noticed three cakes lined up on the far counter. “Puppy cakes?”

“I can’t answer you right now. I’m still thinking about your erotic dreams.” She smiled and opened the back door to let the dogs onto the deck.

“Beer cakes. Come, taste.” She grabbed a butter knife. “I’m trying new recipes for the county fair. I made one that I call Honey, Nuts ’n’ Spice. I made it with honey beer.” She cut a piece and fed it to him. “I iced it with honey beer frosting.”

“That’s delicious.” He kissed her. “Like it?”

“My favorite taste. Rossie cake.” She kissed him again and then cut a hunk of the next cake.

Rossie
. The nickname made him smile. He definitely didn’t think of himself as
Rossie
, but Elisabeth could call him anything she pleased.

Her eyes were wide with excitement as she held the piece of cake up between her fingers. “This is a chocolate Bundt cake made with stout beer and yogurt.” She fed it to him and bit her lower lip, waiting for his response.

“Lis, I’m going to need to work out twice a day if you keep feeding me like this. That’s delicious, too.”

She clapped her hands. “Yay! This is so exciting. These two men made a joke about beer pie today.” She cut a hunk out of the third cake. “And I thought, guys like beer. Why not? I’m going to see how they go over at the fair. This next one was a little risky. If you don’t like it, please be honest.”

The cake was thinner than the others, and it had a rough texture to the top and what looked like chunks of fruit poking out all over.

“I call this oatmeal whiskey surprise. I made it with oatmeal stout beer and a bit of whiskey. I added chunks of apples, too.” She went up on her toes, and her eyes grew serious while he chewed.

“Honest answer?” He arched a brow.

She sank back to her heels. “Please.”

“Fucking incredible. I may never eat regular food again.” He swept her into his arms and kissed her again. “Have you tasted them yet?”

“Not these. I was waiting for you. So you think I should sell them at the fair?”

“Absolutely. People will love these. I’ll help you clean up the flour I made you spill.” Ross grabbed the trash can. “There’s cake in the trash?”

“Those are the ones I made and tasted while I was perfecting my recipes.” She smiled and twisted her hair around her finger.

He pulled her close again. “You need to stop being so cute or we’ll never do anything but get naked and ravish each other.”

“And that’s bad because?” She licked her lips and then pushed away from him. “I’m too excited to fool around. I need to plan out my shopping list.” She grabbed a pad of paper and began writing.

Ross went to work cleaning the kitchen. “Wow. I’ve never been turned down for a grocery list before.”

“Not turned down, just delayed.” She didn’t look up from her list, and Ross found her even more attractive standing among the messy kitchen with flour in her hair and all over her pretty dress and a look of sheer concentration on her beautiful face.

“I heard you came by the clinic today.” Kelsey had been unable to stop talking about how compassionate and thoughtful Elisabeth was.

“I brought Kelsey a cake and some tea.” She brushed flour off of his sleeve.

He wished everyone knew Elisabeth as well as he did. They’d see that she wasn’t here only to take what she could get and skip town.

“Are you sure you weren’t born in Trusty? Because you’re as good-natured and trusting as a person could ever be.”

“I think that’s the nicest thing you could ever say to me. Maybe my shopping list can wait.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and he lifted her easily into his arms. Her legs circled his waist as her lips met his.

Ross’s cell rang. He reluctantly pulled back and sighed. “I can check it later.”

“What if it’s an emergency?”

“Fine.” He slid one arm beneath her butt and held her up while he dug his cell out of his pocket and looked at the number. “It’s my cousin Rex.” He backed her up and set her on the counter, then cringed. “I forgot about the flour. Sorry.”

She wiggled her butt. “My boyfriend told me that’s what washing machines were for. Answer your call.”

Boyfriend
. He loved hearing that, but his mind and his heart were already hinting for more.

“Rex, how’s it going?” Rex and his fiancée, Jade, lived in Weston.

“Hey, Ross. Things are good. Thanks for asking. I hear Pierce and Rebecca are planning their wedding.” Rex’s voice was as deep as his body was strong. He worked his father’s thoroughbred horse ranch and was the epitome of a brooding cowboy, or at least he had been until Jade came into his life. Rex’s love for Jade softened his gruffness.

“Yes, for sometime in the spring. How’s Jade?”

“Actually, she’s the reason why I’m calling. Are the rumors true? Are you dating Elisabeth Nash?”

“Jesus, Rex. How on earth did you hear about that?” Ross smiled at Elisabeth and lifted her off the counter, then brushed the flour off her butt. He covered the phone and whispered, “Would you mind turning down the radio?”

She danced over to the stereo in the living room and turned it down. Ross caught a glimpse of the picture of Robbie, still in the box on the kitchen floor, and he felt a spear of jealousy tear through him.

“Your mother told Jade that Elisabeth did some kind of pet pampering and she thought it might be a good opportunity for Elisabeth and Jade to trade referrals. Then, of course, Emily and Jade had an hour-long conversation about the two of you.” Rex laughed. “Better you than me. That’s all I can say about that.”

Ross ran his hand through his hair and averted his eyes from the offending picture. Elisabeth was poring over her grocery list at the kitchen table and twirling her hair.

“Leave it to Emily to spread the word.”

“Jade wants to talk to Elisabeth about working together. Are you guys free anytime this week? You could come out for a barbeque, or we could come there. Whatever works for you.”

“Rex, that’s great. Hold on a sec.” He lowered the phone. “Lis, Rex’s fiancée does equine massage and she wants to get together and see if there’s any way you two can combine your efforts. Want to meet them for a drink or dinner?”

She jumped to her feet. “Yes. Oh my gosh. That’s great. Please tell him thank you.”

He wrapped an arm around her waist and answered Rex. “Sounds good, Rex. We have the county fair next weekend, so things are pretty crazy around here. Are you guys free for dinner tomorrow or Wednesday?”

Ross checked with Elisabeth and they made plans to meet for dinner Wednesday. When he ended the call, Elisabeth flew into his arms. “Thank you!”

“I didn’t do anything. You need to thank my mom. She told Jade and then I guess Emily called Jade and they talked about you, or us.”

“I kind of like the Trusty grapevine now.” She pressed a quick kiss to his lips, then danced around the kitchen as she cleaned up.

“That would be the Braden grapevine.”

“Can I have your mom’s number so I can call and say thank you?” She began scrubbing the counter.

“Don’t you want to talk with Jade first and make sure it’s what you want to do?”

“Oh, it doesn’t really matter what happens with Jade. The fact that your mom thought about me and recommended that we talk was really nice. I just want to say thank you.”

He circled her waist from behind and kissed her cheek. “I think she’d love to hear from you. And you might just make a go of your business after all.”

ROSS AND ELISABETH spent Monday night at his house. The boys had all slept on the floor—at least most of the night. They awoke Tuesday morning with Ranger sprawled across the bottom of the bed. Elisabeth didn’t seem to mind. In the morning she crawled down to the end of the bed and hugged Ranger before she even hugged Ross.

They got up early and took care of her animals together, which gave Ross a chance to check out the piglets. Pigs were hearty animals, and even though Kennedy was a runt, he was eating well and growing without issue. Elisabeth was relieved to hear that he’d be just fine, even if small. She’d called Ross’s mother before he left for work, and his mother, not realizing Elisabeth had spent the night with Ross, called him a few minutes later to gush about how nice it was of her to call. Tonight Emily was meeting with Elisabeth about the kitchen renovations. They’d gotten along so well at his mother’s that he had visions of Emily becoming a staple in Elisabeth’s house. He was thinking about his mother’s phone call when his phone rang Tuesday afternoon.

Every time he got a call from Walt Norton, the director for the Pup Partners program in Denton, he hoped that nothing had happened to one of the dogs. Luckily, they’d had only one situation where an inmate had to be removed from the program. He’d used the dog to manipulate visitors to bring things to him. What those
things
were, Ross wasn’t privy to, and the dog had been unharmed. While Ross believed in the program and had been thrilled with the results for both the inmates and the dogs, the worry lingered in the back of his mind.