Chapter Sixteen
Maggie woke up from a great dream. A very naughty dream involving a certain sexy cowboy and a private villa on a warm beach. No snow, no worries, just her, Colton, and a very large bed.
She rolled over in her current bed, snuggling into the thick, warm covers. Another morning waking up in a Denning owned bedroom. She wondered what it would be like to wake up with one particular Denning in bed with her.
The shirt Colton had given her to sleep in smelled like him. Pulling the collar up to her nose, she inhaled the rich, musky, scent. That smell was better than coffee, one whiff and her whole body was awake.
Awake and horny.
A glance at the bedside clock showed large, red numbers. Nine-twenty-seven.
When was the last time she slept this late on a weekday? Not since spring break her senior year of college. Those Long Island Ice Teas could do a number on a person. Lizzy had encouraged her to order the fourth one. Maggie was still planning her payback for that.
The house was quiet. She assumed Colton and Dade were already up. Ranch work wasn’t like running a bakery. You couldn’t close up shop just because you had some appliance problems. Animals needed to be fed, and they didn’t care how late you stayed up last night.
A pang of guilt hit her. Here she was sleeping in, while the guys had just as little sleep as her, and they still woke up at the butt crack of dawn.
She’d just have to make amends…Maggie style.
Throwing back the covers, she hopped out of bed. Tossing on her clothes from last night, she made a quick pit stop in the bathroom, using one of the toothbrushes that Colton had offered last night, and then headed to the kitchen. She was sure she could rustle up some ingredients to make some yummy thank you treat for the brothers.
When she stepped into the kitchen, the strong aroma of coffee hit her nostrils. The shirt she wore to bed with Colton’s scent woke her body, but her mind still needed a caffeine buzz.
“Oh good, you’re up, Ms. Evans.”
Standing in front of the stove was a tall, lanky, young man with a dark complexion and shaggy dark hair. He flipped a pancake from the griddle to a waiting plate.
“I just finished your breakfast. Colto—Mr. Denning said you would be hungry when you woke up. I was going to keep this warm for you until you were awake, but it looks like my timing is perfect.”
“Thank you…?”
“Tony, Ms. Evans”
Right. Antonio Ortiz. The ranch Forman’s nephew. She had met him a time or two when he came in to pick up an order of cupcakes for the ranch. He was young, seventeen or eighteen, she guessed. Town rumor had it the young man had been sent up here from Mexico by his mother. He had a work visa and was trying to get citizenship, like his uncle had. She hoped he did. From the little she knew, he seemed to be a good kid.
“Tony, now I remember. You can call me Maggie.”
He smiled. He was a handsome young man. The ladies would be fighting over him in a few years, if they weren’t already.
“I made you scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes. I hope everything is okay.”
He set a plate of steaming food in front of her. She inhaled. Her stomach growled loudly when the delicious aromas hit her nose. “It smells wonderful. Thank you.” Picking up her fork, she scooped a bite of the fluffy, yellow eggs into her mouth. Flavors exploded on her tongue, and she couldn’t hold back a moan of delight.
“These eggs are fantastic! What did you do to them?”
The young man blushed. Shrugging with humility, he answered, “Nothing special. I add a bit of milk to keep them fluffy and a few fresh herbs and spices.”
She took a bite of the pancakes next. The warm butter and sweet syrup complimented the soft cake that seemed to dissolve in her mouth. The kid had a serious gift.
“Tony, where did you learn to cook like this?”
A sad smile crossed his face. “Mi madre. My mother,” he clarified.
Maggie set down her fork. “It must be hard for you to be so far away from her.”
“Yes.” He nodded. “But she wanted me to have a better life. I hope one day to make enough to be able to bring her here, to live with me.”
He’d never do that on a ranch hand’s salary.
He brought her a cup of coffee along with the sugar and creamer. As she doctored her drink she pondered. “Have you ever thought of going to school for the culinary arts? You have a gift for cooking. With a little training, you could be on your way to becoming a world class chef.”
Judging by the shocked expression on his face, the idea must have never crossed his mind.
“I could help you find a school, go through the admissions process. After this meal, I am completely ready to write you a letter of recommendation.” She smiled, but Tony didn’t.
“I am here to help my uncle. Learn how to work a horse ranch.”
“You’ll never make enough money to bring your mother here on a ranch hand’s salary, Tony.” She shook her head. “Do you want to be a ranch hand? Is that your dream?”
He stared at his hands, refusing to meet her eyes. “It’s good work.”
Taking a sip of her coffee—good Lord, the kid even made great coffee—she nodded. “Yes, it is good work, but you have a talent. The great thing about this country is that the people who live here are free to pursue their dreams. You’re working toward becoming a citizen, right?”
He nodded.
“Perfect. As a citizen, you have the right to become whatever you desire. This, Tony,” she said, pointing to the almost empty plate of food in front of her. “Is a gift. You have a raw talent. The people I went to culinary school with would kill to be able to cook like you. Think about it. If you’re interested, I’d love to help you achieve your potential.”
His gaze turned distant. A tiny smile turned up the corner of his lips. “I’ll keep it in mind. Thank you, Ms. Ev—Maggie.”
“Thank you for the delicious breakfast.”
He blushed again before ducking his head and heading out the kitchen door.
Maggie finished off her eggs and bacon. The kid really did have a gift. Maybe she could use him at the bakery when Jamie went off to school.
Rinsing her plate off in the sink, she placed the dishes in the dishwasher and peered out the kitchen window. Ranch hands milled about, working on various chores. She didn’t see Dade or Colton, but they were out there somewhere, she was sure. If they kept the same timetable as their parents had, then lunch would be at eleven thirty. That gave her a little under two hours to make some tasty treats.
Digging through the pantry and cupboards, she gathered ingredients. This raiding of Colton’s kitchen to make him sweets was starting to become a habit.
****
Something smelled delicious.
Again.
Colton made his way into the kitchen and saw Maggie singing, swaying, and cooking.
Again.
She was so sexy when she shook and moved like that. He wanted to grab her in his arms and feel every inch of that amazing body against his.
Again and again and again.
“This is starting to become a habit, Magpie.”
She screeched, wielding the spatula in her hand like a weapon as she spun to face him.
“Dammit, Colt. Stop sneaking up on me.”
He chuckled, making his way to her side to give her a soft peck on the lips. The peck turned into something more as her lips parted, inviting him in.
He was never one to turn down a lady.
Their soft, slow kiss grew heated. He slid his hands into her loose, brown hair. The silky strands clung to his fingers. Her free hand came up to clutch his shoulder, and she rose on tiptoes to get a better reach. He obliged her by moving his hands down to her deliciously tight ass and lifting her into him. Colton feasted his mouth on hers, swallowed her muffled sound of surprise.
This was a much better fit.
Unfortunately, the guys would be coming in soon, and he didn’t want to embarrass her.
Giving her luscious backside one final squeeze, he returned her to her feet. He gentled the kiss, making one final pass against her addictive lips before he lifted his head to look down at her. “Sleep well?”
Her expression was dazed, and he was pretty damn proud of himself for making it that way.
“Huh?” She shook her head, clearing the lust-induced haze. “Oh, yes. I did. Thank you.”
He chuckled softly. “What’s all this?” he asked, indicating the pot boiling on the stove.
“Lunch, and if you don’t let me go, it’s going to burn.”
“Spoilsport.” He bopped the tip of her cute button nose with his finger. “You didn’t have to make lunch. We usually just make sandwiches or something.”
Maggie turned back to the stove, lifting a lid and stirring. “I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to. It’s almost ready, so you better call everyone in.”
He sniffed the air. “Chili?”
“Yup.”
She replaced the lid and bent to open the oven. His pants tightened at the sight of her luscious rear poised high in the air like an offering.
Keep it together, man. Don’t jump her like a stud in heat.
She straightened with a tray of steaming hot bread in her oven mitt and placed it on the counter. “And cornbread. I also made some cinnamon sugar oatmeal cookies.”
“Ouch!”
She’d wacked his hand lightly with the soup ladle as he reach out for the cookie plate. “For after lunch.”
Grabbing her up in a tight embrace, he kissed the stern look right off her face. “You are amazing.” Damn, she was beautiful when she blushed.
She smacked him lightly on the shoulder, pulling away. “You better call everyone in before the cornbread gets cold. I’ll also need someone to give me a ride back into town after lunch. I need to get baking as soon as possible. Can’t open if I don’t have cupcakes to sell.”
The next words out of his mouth would have to be phrased very carefully. “Are you sure that’s a smart idea?”
Body tense, she narrowed her gaze. So much for careful.
“Are you calling me stupid?”
“No. Don’t put words in my mouth.”
She crossed her arms in a defensive gesture. “Then what are you saying?”
“Just that you’ve been having a lot of problems with the bakery lately, and with what happened last night, it might be a good idea to close down for a day or two until things get figured out.”
Her arms uncrossed as she took a step toward him. Glaring up, she tried to give off an air of intimidation, but it was hard to be intimidated by someone half your weight and almost a foot shorter.
“I already closed once in the last week. I can’t afford to do it again. I need to keep my business running, Colton. Money is tight, and I have to stay open no matter what. The blogger is coming in a week and a half, and I still have to prep for that. A few messed up orders and a freak gas leak aren’t going to stop me.”
The scant few inches that separated them closed as he took a step toward her. Two could play at this game.
“It wasn’t a freak gas leak. It was intentional.”
She waved a hand in the air. “It was an animal.”
“How did an animal open the window?”
“Raccoons are very clever. They can get the lids off trashcans. I’m sure they can open up a window latch.”
But her hands were twisting again. She didn’t believe her theory any more than he did. She was nervous and scared, but determined to go on with her daily life. He respected her tenacity, even if it worried the hell out of him.
“What about the cut cord? Was that an animal?” No way. That had been a human. An accident or malicious, it had been done by someone with opposable thumbs. Add everything together and it looked less like coincidence and more like sabotage. Why couldn’t she see that?
“Fine, someone might be out to get me. Or the shop, whatever,” she admitted with a reluctant sigh. “But if I close up, they win. I don’t know why someone would want to mess with me, but if they are, it’s obvious they want to shut me down.”
Made sense. All the incidents had been harmful to her bakery in nature. Orders changed or cancelled. Equipment damaged. It all pointed to someone who wanted to hurt her business, but who and why? When he found out, he was going to pound the bastard into the ground. No one messed with his Maggie. No one.
“I’m not going to let that happen. Gran started Cupcakes Above the Clouds forty-three years ago. I’m not going to let it die on my watch.”
That pride, that spunk, that can-do attitude was classic Maggie. She was so strong. He admired it, even as he feared it. Feared because she might be putting herself in danger just to prove a point. She wasn’t going to let anyone push her around, but what if whoever was behind this got tired of messing with her shop and started messing with her?
He was worried about her, for her. He was starting to realize his feelings for her went much deeper than he first thought. Something he would have to deal with at a later date. Right now, he had to focus on Maggie and her safety.
“Okay.” Colton pulled her into his arms once again. She resisted for only a second before melting into him. “I’ll take you into town after lunch, but promise me you’ll be careful, and if anything else happens, anything at all, you call me right away. Got it?”
Lifting her head, she placed a soft kiss on his lips. Sweet, and over too soon.
“I promise.”
He returned her kiss, deepening it and lingering longer. When he lifted his head, her cheeks were flushed and her heartbeat pulsed wildly against his chest.
“Still on for dinner tomorrow night?”
She smiled shyly and nodded.
“Great. I better go call the guys in for lunch. Then I’ll take you into town.” He turned, heading for the door. Her voice stopped him before he got there.
“Colt?”
Glancing over his shoulder, he saw her standing in his kitchen, his home. She looked so sweet there, so beautiful, so…right.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you. You seem to be saving my butt a lot lately”
He smiled. “And what a lovely thing it is to save.”
With a wink, he headed out the door, leaving Maggie standing in his home. An image of it being her home, too, teased the corners of his mind. A strange warmth spread throughout his body and his smile widened at the thought.