âSo you found us another cook?â Cody asked.
His uncle Ted nodded, gnawing at his toothpick. âWorking on lunch in the cookhouse as we speak.â
Relief surged through him. âThatâs great. I know the hands have been whining about the food. So who did you find?â
âA surprise,â Ted said with a grin Cody didnât trust.
âYou know I donât like surprises. Just tell me. Claytonâs not that big. Please donât tell me you listened to Jonathan and got Vivienne Clayton to come and cook.â The city chef would never last on the ranch.
Ted said nothing. Instead he opened the door of the cook shack with a flourish. Cody stepped inside.
And stared in disbelief as the very person he had warned his uncle against now stood in his kitchen.
* * *
Rocky Mountain Heirs:
When the greatest fortune of all is love.
The Nannyâs HomecomingâLinda Goodnight
July 2011
The Sheriffâs Runaway BrideâArlene James
August 2011
The Doctorâs FamilyâLenora Worth
September 2011
The Cowboyâs LadyâCarolyne Aarsen
October 2011
The Lonerâs Thanksgiving WishâRoxanne Rustand
November 2011
The Prodigalâs Christmas ReunionâKathryn Springer
December 2011
She was back where she started.
How many years had she itched to get out of Clayton, Colorado, aka Hicksville? As soon as she graduated from high school, Vivienne Clayton headed for New York to make her name as a gourmet chef.
But here she was. Back in her hometown. And looking for a job at the Cowboy Café.
Oh, the irony!
Vivienne adjusted the black cardigan she put over the white ruffled T-shirt sheâd agonized over choosing. She glanced down at the skinny jeans and black flats sheâd chosen for her mission. Too dressy? Not dressy enough?
It would be perfect if she were applying for a chefâs job at any restaurant in New York.
But for the Cowboy Café?
Câmon, Vivienne, she told herself, finger combing her long hair away from her face. Youâre a Cordon Bleuâtrained chef. You can rise to any culinary occasion. Rise to this one.
And before she left the house this morning, her sister Brooke had said sheâd be praying for herâfor what that was worth. Vivienne wasnât sure God heard prayers anymore.
Back in New York, living in her tiny apartment, she felt like a minuscule mote in the endless humanity filling the city. She doubted God even knew where she was then.
Doubted he even cared that she was back in her hometown now.
Just before she took a step up to the door, a memory intruded. Her as a young girl coming to this selfsame café, hoping to get a job as a waitress, hoping to help out her family after her father passed away.
But that was then. This was now, and now she was taking charge of her life.
Before she could reach for the door, however, it flew open and a teenage girl stormed out, sandy brown hair flowing out behind her, her eyes a smudge of black mascara and green eye shadow, tears coursing down her cheeks.
âI hate the ranch. I hate living there!â she shouted to the tall, broad-shouldered man who came out right behind her, dropping his cowboy hat on his head. âJust because youâre my brother doesnât mean you can make me go back.â
âBonnie, now is not the time,â the man growled. He slanted an embarrassed glance toward Vivienne.
And to her surprise, Vivienne couldnât look away. Time halted as her heart quickened with an unidentifiable emotion.
He was good-lookingâshe had to concede thatâbut something else was happening with her reaction to him. She knew him. Clayton wasnât a large town, and she had grown up here. She held his gaze, searching his hazel eyes, making note of his dark brown hair, glancing over his stubbled cheeks and chin.
âViv?â he asked, his dark eyebrows shooting together in a frown. âVivienne Clayton? I heard you were back.â
She blinked, trying in vain to pull up something to trigger a memory. But nothing. She lifted her hands as if in surrender. âSorry, I donât remember who you are.â
His eyes grew suddenly hard and he pulled back as if she had slapped him. âAnd why would you?â he said with a short laugh.
Who was he? And why did she feel they had some history? Some connection? And how come he seemed angry with her?
âSo are we going back to your stupid ranch, Cody?â Bonnieâs imperious voice rang out down the street as the man named Cody jerked his gaze away from Vivienneâs.