Forever And A Day (Montana Brides, Book #7) (2 page)

“Grande decaf, extra-hot soy Americano with extra foam.”

“Impressive. How did Tess do?”

Sarah sighed. “She won.”

“Sounds like you’re going to be buying the next meal at Charlie’s Bar and Grill.”

“I’ve still got another ten days to find a coffee that outwits the maestro.”

“Not going to happen,” Tess said with a smile. “What would you like to drink, Sally?”

“Hot chocolate.”

“Are you sure you don’t want that with a cinnamon and cream swirl on top? I could even do low fat, half strength.”

“Not me,” Sally said. “I’m an all or nothing kind of girl.”

Sarah took her coffee to a table close to the front counter. “Is that why you’re trying to offload one of your puppies on me?”

“I’m not offloading.” Sally sat beside Sarah. “I’m trying to re-home them. They were left in a bag on the side of the road behind the youth center. I’m not allowed to take any more animals to mom and dad’s place, so I thought Alex’s ranch would be perfect.”

“I wouldn’t know what to do with a dog.”

“I could teach you.”

Sarah shook her head. “I’ve got no idea where I’ll be living in twelve months’ time, so I’m a pet-free zone at the moment.”

Tess arrived at the table with Sally’s hot chocolate and a glass of orange juice for herself. “What have I missed?”

“Sally’s trying to convince me to take one of her puppies.”

“Shame on you, Sally Gray. I thought Alex had already taken a puppy?”

Sally grinned. “He has, but I thought I’d try convincing Sarah to make it two. He’s got lots of space. Besides, with his wedding only a month away he’ll have more on his mind than another four-legged friend.”

“How are all the wedding plans going?” Tess asked.

“Okay. We had another fitting for the bridesmaid’s dresses last night. Mom came with me and she got all excited about the dresses Emily designed.”

“You’d better watch out,” Sarah said. “She’ll start asking you when you’re getting married.”

“She’s given up on me. This is the ninth time I’ve been someone else’s bridesmaid. I could start my own store selling the dresses.”

“We should do something about it.” Tess leaned her chin on her hands.

“Unless you plan on finding husbands for us there’s not a lot you can do,” Sally said. “It’s depressing how many people think you should be married by the time you hit twenty-seven.”

“Don’t go looking for a husband for me,” Sarah said. “One low-life fiancé was enough to last a lifetime.”

“You’re lucky you got that far,” Tess said. “None of the guys I’ve dated have got an ounce of commitment in their bodies. I’m so over the whole dating thing that it’s not even funny anymore.”

“Here’s to happy singleness.” Sarah smiled at her friends. Tess had a faraway look in her blue eyes. She was a thinker and a dreamer, everything she needed to be to run a successful café. And then there was Sally. Sarah had met her the first week she’d arrived in Bozeman. Sally had introduced her to Alex and convinced him that he needed someone to look after his ranch hands.

Sarah owed both of her friends more than they’d ever know. She’d arrived in Bozeman with a few dollars in her pocket and no idea of what she was going to do. And then she’d met Sally and everything had fallen into place. She had somewhere to call home, good friends that made her smile. Everything that had disappeared from her life before she’d left Portland.

“Have you told Sally about the job on the Triple L?” Tess asked.

Sarah shook her head. “Not yet. Do you know anything about it?”

Sally frowned. “What job?”

“On the front window,” Sarah said. “Someone’s advertising for a cook and housekeeper for a couple of weeks.”

“Jordan McKenzie needs help,” Tess said to Sally. “He’s got some new guests arriving tomorrow and no one to cook their meals.”

“Where’s Mrs. Davies?” Sally asked.

“She went to visit her sister and needs to stay for another couple of weeks.”

“Jordan must be in a panic,” Sally said. “He’s been working hard to get his business up and running. Are you sure you’ll be able to do the meals for both ranches, Sarah?”

“It depends on how many people he’s expecting. If it’s only a few I should be fine.”

“Four,” Tess said. “It’s a family group.”

Sally frowned. “Why do you want to take on more work? You’re busy on Alex’s ranch.”

“The extra money would be a bonus and I’d get to see how another ranch operates.” Sarah hadn’t told Tess and Sally about the last twelve months, the utter desperation she’d felt when her fiancé and business partner had stolen the computer program she’d spent two years developing.

Sally took a sip of her coffee. “If you get the job and need another pair of hands to help, just give me a call.”

“Thanks. So what’s Jordan like?”

Tess smiled. “He’s a nice guy with the sweetest tooth in Bozeman.”

“Think single, sexy, and funny,” Sally added. “You’d enjoy working with him. Just watch your heart.”

“I don’t need to worry about that,” Sarah sighed. “It’s my bank account that needs filling up, not my love life.”

“You’re made for each other, then.” Tess smiled. “Give him a call and see what happens.”

***

Jordan pulled on a clean t-shirt and ran his hands through his hair. He hadn’t been this nervous in years, hadn’t needed anyone quite as desperately as he needed Sarah Thornton. Her soft accent and questions had intrigued him. He didn’t know much about her, but that didn’t matter. If she could cook, he’d take her.

He glanced down at his watch as he rushed out of his bedroom. She’d be here in fifteen minutes. He needed to get to the ranch hands’ bunkhouse and to the kitchen in the main house. He wanted everything to look as good as it could get. If she thought the job was too much on top of what she already had, he was in serious trouble.

He raced downstairs and through the front door, almost tripping over Peaches, his sister-in-law’s orange cat. She’d made herself at home and seemed determined to stay when Gracie and Trent left for their vacation.

As he ran toward the low-slung bunkhouse he didn’t notice the quiet calm of the ranch or the way the last of the sun heated his skin. All he was interested in was the wooden building that eight ranch hands shared. That alone gave him eight more reasons to be worried.

Pete Sanders, the most senior ranch hand on the property, stopped his four-wheeler in front of Jordan. “When’s she arriving?”

Jordan took another look at his watch. “Ten minutes. Did everyone clean up their mess?”

“All done. Frank’s even baked some cookies for her. He thought it might sweeten the deal if she knew she had a backup cook to help out.”

“Frank said that?”

Pete grinned. “He’s as desperate as we are for some real home baking. The frozen cookie dough is all right, but it doesn’t taste the same as the real thing.”

“If you’re happy with the bunkhouse, I’ll go back to the guest accommodation. I forgot to check the living room. If Sarah arrives before I see her, come and get me.”

Pete nodded and revved the four-wheeler. “Sure thing. And boss, don’t worry. She’ll love us.”

Jordan didn’t care if she loved them or not. He only needed her to like them enough to work for him. In two weeks, Mrs. Davies would be home. Everything would be back to normal and he wouldn’t have to worry so much.

He ran back to the barn. Six months ago they’d converted an old barn into guest accommodation and an apartment for him. The building stood three stories high and looked impressive against the afternoon sky. He opened the huge front door. It swung open easily and he slowed down, took a moment to appreciate the building they’d created.

The open plan ground floor was everything he’d wanted. The triple height window at the far end of the room overlooked the Bridger Range. Even from this distance the blue-green haze of pine and aspen drew him forward, made him appreciate the subtle shadows, the dips and sheer height that made the mountains spectacular. After he’d taken his fill of the impressive view, he walked around the room, tried to be critical and see everything through Sarah’s eyes.

There was nothing she couldn’t like. The kitchen had everything she’d need and then some. The laundry and mudroom, tucked away behind the kitchen, were spotless. Even the row of spare jackets, boots, and hats lining one wall looked clean and tidy.

He walked back into the living room and admired the finishing touches that Gracie and his mom had added. They’d bought cushions and rugs, vases and candles. Things that softened the wooden interior, added warmth, a sense of home. For the last six months he’d had a regular stream of guests staying here, enjoying Montana hospitality, and eating great food.

If he couldn’t convince Sarah to help, it wouldn’t matter how good the accommodation was. No one would want to stay.

“She’s here, boss.”

Jordan turned toward Pete’s voice and froze. A pretty woman stood inside the barn. Sarah wasn’t anything like he’d expected. She was tall, almost matching Pete’s height. Her blonde hair fell past her shoulders and her clear blue eyes stared straight at him. He should probably have said hello, done something to make her feel welcome. But for the first time in his life he felt like a tongue-tied fool.

Pete frowned, then moved forward, bringing Sarah into the center of the room. “Sarah, this is my boss, Jordan McKenzie.”

“I’m Sarah Thornton.” She held out her hand. “I called this afternoon about the job you advertised.”

Jordan felt his brain cells splutter into human mode. His hand automatically reached out to shake hers, to go through the formal introductions that would start their conversation. When their hands touched a jolt of something he didn’t want to analyze shot along his skin, made him look hard at the woman who’d surprised him.

“Nice to meet you, Sarah. I’m Jordan.” He let go of her hand before he made an even bigger fool of himself. He focused on what needed to be said, the questions he’d thought about in the last couple of hours. “Thanks for coming out here.”

“It seemed the best way to figure out if this could work.” She looked around the barn and smiled. “I like what you’ve done with your conversion.”

Jordan watched her gaze linger on the view outside the window, then return to the dining area. He’d made the twelve-seater table out of wood they’d grown on the ranch. His mom had filled a basket with dried wildflowers, then added a wide, squat, beeswax candle to the middle of the arrangement.

Sarah smiled at the pine cone art Gracie had made in her craft class. It took pride of place on a side table, right beside a framed photo of his family.

Pete put his hat on his head. “I’m heading across to Steve’s place. He’s taking his helicopter into the mountains to search for any strays.”

“Let Tim and Jeremy know if you see any cattle. They’re looking after the west ridge.”

Pete nodded and lifted his hat to Sarah. “Nice meeting you ma’am. I hope you like us enough to help with the baking and things.”

A soft blush covered Sarah’s cheeks. “I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out. Enjoy your ride.”

Pete left and Jordan focused on what they were here to do. He needed to get his act together or she’d think he was a crazy cowboy. A cowboy with no cook, no housekeeper, a ditsy orange cat, and fourteen mouths to feed. Not that all fourteen required food. He’d settle on Sarah cooking for his four guests and leaving everyone else to Frank’s microwave magic.

“I’ll show you around the rest of the guest accommodation and the ranch hands’ bunkhouse. If you’ve got any questions, just ask.”

Sarah followed him up the staircase and smiled as each bedroom unfolded off a semi-circular landing. Jordan stopped beside the last bedroom. “Each room has their own ensuite. Sometimes we get individuals or couples sharing the barn with other people. It helps make their ranch vacation more enjoyable.”

Sarah poked her head inside the last room. “The rooms are lovely. How many people are coming to the ranch in the next two weeks?”

“The Buchanans are arriving tomorrow at ten. They’ll be here for nine days, then we’ve got a group of six arriving two days later. We try to leave a gap between bookings, just in case we need to spend more time getting ready for the next group.”

“Do the Buchanans have any food allergies or anything I’d need to be aware of?”

Jordan shook his head. “They didn’t put anything on their registration details. I’ll take you across to my office and show you the forms.”

“What’s on the next floor?”

“My apartment. You won’t need to worry about going up there. I can look after myself.”

They left the barn and Sarah strode across the yard beside him. He didn’t know why she’d come to Montana or why she’d chosen to work on a ranch. All he knew was that Alex had given her a great reference. He pushed some of the questions he had to the back of his mind. Sarah would only be helping them for two weeks. It was none of his business why she was here or why she wanted to juggle two jobs.

She turned her head and smiled at him. “It must have been a big job getting everything ready for your ranch vacation business?”