out of the way. “You’ll be providing breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for thirty-five employees. Breakfast is at 6:00 a.m. sharp, lunches are packed and supper is at five. You can’t be late—our scheduling relies on prompt meals.”
She didn’t say anything, but when he glanced over, she was chewing the side of her cheek. Nerves? So the cooking—that’s where he got a reaction from her?
“You think you can handle that?” he asked.
“Sure.” She shot him a smile that was just an eyelash shy of being convincing.
“We’re looking at high-protein meals, and don’t skimp on the carbs. The guys can eat a lot—they burn it off out there, so they have to be able to fill up. Obviously, we need balanced meals, but you’ve got to be able to cook according to a budget...”
As he talked, he could feel tension emanating from her through the cab, and when he pulled to a stop in front of the barracks, he eyed her curiously.
“You want to see your room first, or the kitchen?” he asked.
“Uh...” She looked out the window. “The kitchen, I suppose.”
They got out of the truck and he led the way toward the canteen. Their last cook had given notice, but Louis hadn’t been able to fill the position in time to fill the gap. This was the first day without a regular cook on premises, and the stock of muffins and sandwiches had been worked through pretty fast. He pushed open the door, leading the way past the tables and toward the kitchen in the back.
When they emerged into the quiet, cool room, the look on Avery’s face was pure panic.
“Exactly how much experience do you have?” Hank asked skeptically.
She heaved a sigh and shook her head. “Zero.”
What? He stared at her, aghast. She had absolutely no experience, and she’d applied for this job? What had she been thinking? And why had Louis hired her so quickly? He supposed they didn’t have many options—they needed someone, and one of the ranch hands would be just as bad as an inexperienced stranger. At least the ranch hand would be able to do his job out in the field if they had this woman in the kitchen.
“Let me get this straight...” he said slowly.
“Should I leave?” she interrupted, turning to look him in the face for the first time. Her green eyes glittered, and she crossed her arms across her chest—protective or defiant, he wasn’t sure which.
“Can you at least cook?” he asked. That would be something. Cooking in large batches could be learned...couldn’t it? If she could at least make some batches of oatmeal, muffins, fry up some burgers...
Avery visibly winced.
“Are you saying you can’t cook at all?” he demanded.
“I’m capable of cooking,” she retorted. “I’m twenty-four and I’ve fed myself for some time now.” She sighed. “I’ve just never been...good at it.”
He closed his eyes and suppressed a moan.
“I’ll go.” She moved toward the door. “I’m sorry to have wasted your time.”
It wasn’t how pretty she was, or those glittering green eyes. It certainly wasn’t the smattering of freckles that drew his gaze as she turned away...it was the knowledge that without her here, a valuable ranch hand would be taken away from his work and set to manning the kitchen until they could find someone else, and after three weeks of advertising, she was the only one to show up.
“Wait,” he said gruffly. “You’re already hired. Let’s give you a try.”
“Are you sure?” she asked. “Because you don’t need to do this. If someone else is a better fit—”
“There isn’t anyone else,” he said. “If you’re willing to learn, I guess I’ll teach you what I know, and we’ll get these guys fed.”
She pulled out her cell phone. “YouTube tutorials might help.”
So that was where they were at. This was going to be a long day, he could tell, but a suspicion nagged at the back of his mind. He might need to keep her on for now, but he also meant to keep an eye on her. After Hank’s divorce, the Harmon family had been really good to him, and he felt like he owed Louis more than just to follow his job requirements. And Avery gave off the vibe, back in the house, of a woman with an ulterior motive.
Now he discovered that she’d applied for a position she had zero experience for, and she was offering to walk away far too quickly for someone who needed the job despite her inexperience. His hackles were up. He didn’t know the real reason Avery had shown up, but he’d figure it out. He didn’t like secrets; he was the kind of man who wanted things transparent, out in the open. Secrets always hurt someone, he’d found. Hank knew firsthand what kind man Louis Harmon was. As ranch manager, it was his job to know what was going on, and he took that job very seriously.
“Alright,” Hank said. “Let me show you where you’ll be staying, then I should probably start showing you what I can in the kitchen. We need to whip up dinner for the hands. That is, if you’re ready to start early—”
“Sure,” she said. “I’ll be happy to.”
That was a relief, because right now, he didn’t have much choice.
Hank led the way to Avery’s room, located at the far end of the bunkhouse. The building was empty, their footsteps echoing, and Avery could only assume that was because the other employees were working at this hour. The hallways smelled male—like socks and stale cigarettes.
Avery stood back as Hank unlocked a door at the end of the hallway and swung it open. He held out the key, and when she took it, her fingers brushed over his calloused fingertips. There wasn’t much room in the doorway, and as she moved past him, she could feel his body heat.
“This is where you’ll sleep,” he said. “You have your own bathroom through there.”
Avery glanced around. There was a bed topped with a patchwork quilt, an outdated dresser, a wobbly wardrobe and a small but private bathroom with a tub large enough to actually take a bath. Thanks to a cracked-open window, her room smelled fresh and clean. When she peeked outside, she had a magnificent view of pasture and the main barn. That was something. And if she counted the blessing that she wouldn’t have to share facilities like the ranch hands did, she couldn’t complain. Even settling in wouldn’t be difficult. Her suitcase was in the trunk of her car, so that would be easy enough. But as she stood in the center of the room, a giggle bubbled up inside her.
If her mother were still living, she’d find this hilarious, too. Well, maybe not the fact that Avery was in Hope, looking for details about her mother’s past... Winona wouldn’t have liked that at all. But the outrageousness of being hired as a ranch cook—that would have tickled her funny bone. Winona used to tell her, Men expect a pretty girl to be able to cook. And you’re pretty, sweetheart. So you’d better learn how to cook, or learn how to let ’em down easy. Avery hadn’t learned.
Winona
