Читать книгу Stealing The Cowboy's Heart - Debbi Rawlins, Debbi Rawlins - Страница 13
ОглавлениеKylie combined the ingredients for the frosting in a bowl while Landon got comfortable. The darn man had been in town only a matter of hours and already he was making her jittery.
“Tell me about the expansion. What does it depend on?”
“Well, the city owns the building and they use the space next door for town meetings. Sadie—she’s the mayor—thinks they should move to a bigger location. If they do, she’ll give me first crack at renting it.”
“How big is the place?”
“Big,” she said as she got busy whipping in the chocolate. “I wouldn’t have to rent the whole thing. They could break it down. I’d still have plenty of room for tables and chairs, and I could build up the coffee bar business, too.”
He was quiet for such a long time that she glanced up at him. Oddly, he was staring at the mixing bowl and frowning.
“What’s wrong?”
“Hmm?” He met her eyes. “Nothing. When do you see something like that happening?”
“Maybe never. I just don’t know at this point. Anyway, it wouldn’t be cheap since I’d have to knock down part of the wall. I’d have to save up.”
“So, you’re getting a quote just on the counter?”
She nodded. “And a matching condiment cabinet.”
“Sounds like a good place to start.”
“Except for the older customers.” She started icing the cupcakes for the special order that would be picked up soon. Hyperaware of Landon watching her, Kylie fumbled the spatula and gouged a hole in the third cupcake. Calmly, she set down the spatula before she did something stupid, like throw it against the wall.
“Did you do that on purpose?”
She looked up and saw that he wasn’t joking. “Why on earth would I do that?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Maybe to put something extra in it?”
“Like what?”
Ignoring her snippy tone, he asked, “What is it they put in those cakes during Mardi Gras in New Orleans?”
Kylie managed to shake her head without rolling her eyes. He was just trying to help. No reason to snap at him.
“Okay, look,” he said. “Why don’t you give me something to do? No sense me just sitting here.”
“I agree. Why don’t you go have some lunch at the diner? Or go relax in your room?”
“Trying to get rid of me, Kylie?” He spoke evenly, without a trace of accusation or annoyance or anything at all. Idling in neutral was typical for Landon.
“After all that driving I figured your leg must be stiff and you might want to stretch it.” She went to the sink and washed her hands. Mostly to avoid his probing eyes. “By the way, how was the motel?”
“Not bad. The bed was comfortable. Kevin’s business card got me a good discount,” Landon said. “How was your date?”
Thank God she had her back to him. Even knowing the question was inevitable hadn’t helped her prepare. And just because she wasn’t facing him didn’t mean he’d stopped staring. So hard she could almost feel her skin burn. “It was nice.”
His prolonged silence finally got to her.
Hoping and praying the bell over the door would ring, she grabbed a dish towel. Not a single customer for almost thirty minutes. Now, they all stayed away? As she turned to face him, she concentrated on drying her hands. “Tell me about your leg.”
A smile curved his mouth and struck a raw nerve. “Are you going out with him again?”
Kylie felt her blood pressure climb. “How is that any of your business?”
He shrugged. “I’d just hate to see you get mixed up with a guy who isn’t right for you just to show me.”
“Show you what? I hadn’t given you a second thought until yesterday.”
After studying her for a few seconds, he said, “I thought about you a lot.”
She could barely catch her breath. “I don’t blame you for Gary’s behavior. You can stop feeling—”
“It had nothing to do with Gary.” One side of his mouth hiked up. Not in a smile exactly. More like a challenge as his gaze held hers steady. “At least not in the way you’re thinking.”
Kylie swallowed. The look he was giving her scrambled her brain. She’d seen it before, over the years when she’d caught him watching her. She never understood how she could panic and melt at the same time. As it was, she’d almost done something unforgivable.
“Who’s been taking care of you?” she asked, darting a look at his leg.
“First, I take care of myself just fine. Second, I didn’t come all this way for you to be my nurse. Or to discuss Gary. Or to rehash the past.”
“Okay.” She cleared her throat. “Then I’ll ask you again, why are you here?”
“That answer hasn’t changed since yesterday. But I’ve got a question for you,” he said, and there it was again. Although it seemed to be more an entreaty than a challenge this time.
The bell over the door rang.
Thank God.
“Excuse me. I have a customer,” she murmured and hurried up front.
Mallory was holding the door open and looking back at the street. She turned when she saw Kylie. “Hey, how did it go last night?”
“Good. Great, really.” Kylie tilted her head to see who Mallory was holding the door for.
“Rachel was right behind me.” Mallory let go of the door. “I should’ve known she’d get sidetracked.”
“Nope. I’m here.” Rachel caught the door before it closed and rushed inside, her eyes bright and eager. “So, tell us everything.”
Mallory gave Kylie a sympathetic smile. “Where did you guys go?”
“Dinner in Kalispell.”
“Your hair looks terrific, by the way,” Mallory said. “I love those highlights.”
“I like it, too,” Kylie murmured, moving to the end of the counter where there was less chance of Landon overhearing.
Rachel frowned. “Where are you going?”
Kylie had to think fast. If it was only Mallory she could’ve given her a nonverbal sign. But not Rachel. “I’m thinking of making this area more like a coffee bar. What do you think?”
“You already told us that,” Rachel said. “I’m more interested in your date with Kevin.”
“I told you, we went to dinner.”
“Oh, honey, I don’t care about that.” Rachel sighed. “I want to know if you got laid.”
Suddenly her friends both jerked a look toward the kitchen, and Kylie knew... Darn him, why couldn’t he have stayed put?
Landon stood in the doorway, his mug in hand. “I was kinda wondering that myself,” he said and winked at Kylie. He smiled at the other two. “I’m Landon. But don’t mind me, I’m just getting more coffee.”
Rachel stared, her mouth slightly open.
Mallory chuckled. “I don’t believe it. Rachel is speechless.”
“Oh, my God,” Rachel said, with a quick glance at Kylie. “You have so much to tell us.”
“Thanks, Mallory. You couldn’t leave well enough alone?” Kylie saw that Landon had drained the coffee and was about to make another pot. “Go,” she said, taking the filters from him and pointing to the kitchen. “I’ll take care of this.”
“Oh, no.” Rachel pressed a hand to her tummy. “The smell will kill me.”
“Then you’d better leave,” Kylie said, already measuring the grounds.
“That’s so mean.”
“I’ll talk to you later.”
“Come on, Rach.” Mallory took her arm and steered her toward the door.
“I’m Rachel Gunderson,” she called to Landon. “I look forward to visiting with you.”
He stopped and turned. “Any relation to Matt Gunderson?”
“Who do you think knocked me up?” Rubbing her stomach, she sighed as Mallory dragged her outside.
“Matt’s wife?” Landon asked once the door closed.
Kylie nodded. “They have a ranch south of here. Do you know him?”
“I’ve met him. I used to see him around before he left the tour. I’d forgotten he was from around here.” He glanced out the window. “Matt’s a champion bull rider. He was at the top of his game when he just up and quit. He shocked everybody.”
“Oh, you mean because there really is life after rodeo?” She immediately regretted her sarcasm but there was nothing to do about it now.
Landon shook his head. “It’s not unheard of. What’s he doing these days? Raising cattle?”
“Primarily. The Lone Wolf has been in his family for generations, but I think his focus is on raising rodeo stock. He’s already produced two champion bulls.”
“So you are keeping up with rodeo news?”
“No. They’re my friends. I keep up with them.” Kylie poured in the water, grateful she had a reason to avoid Landon’s gaze.
He wasn’t so quick to fill the silence. He leaned against the counter, watching her. “What’s going on here, Kylie?”
“Nothing.”
“I understand why you’re hurt and angry with Gary but—”
“Was hurt and angry. Past tense. I rarely think about him anymore.” She saw doubt in his eyes and shrugged. “Believe what you want but that’s the truth. I’m happy here. I have friends. Real friends.” She noticed his slight cringe. She hadn’t meant it as a jab.
“Are you staying with your aunt?”
“I did for the first couple months. Then Mallory, the woman with Rachel, moved, and I took over the house she’d been renting. It’s small, just two bedrooms, but it has a big porch, a nice backyard, and it’s right off Main Street.”
“Sounds perfect for you.”
“It is.” She noticed he’d shifted his weight. “Let’s go back to the kitchen so you can sit down.”
Without arguing, he turned around. “Mind grabbing that crutch for me?”
It was the one he’d left behind so he could carry his mug. Instead of waiting for her to pass it to him, he limped into the kitchen ahead of her.
Kylie shot a glance out the window to make sure no customers were about to come in before she followed him. “Something’s wrong with this picture.”
He looked at the crutch she held up. “I don’t need it. I just didn’t want it in your way.” He sure looked relieved when he sank onto the chair, though.
“So what, it’s just for decoration?”
“I meant I didn’t need it for this short a distance.”
“Ah.” She leaned the crutch on the island where he could reach it.
“Hey, I’ve been doing everything the physical therapist instructed me to do. You think I wanna stay benched? Every rodeo I sit out costs me money and a chance at the finals.”
Kylie darted him a look but he’d shut down. His expression went blank. “You must be ranked high to be thinking about the finals.”
He shrugged. “I was doing pretty well until this happened.” He gestured to the injured leg and practically snarled. “Talk about lousy timing.”
“I can’t imagine there’s ever a good time for a broken leg,” she said, and went to the sink and washed her hands. “I, on the other hand, do have a timing issue. I need to have this order ready by twelve-thirty.”
Landon looked at the old clock on the wall beside the pantry and smiled. The picture of a fancy cupcake was captioned with I Bake in big bold letters, followed by so I don’t strangle people in a dainty cursive used to hang in her kitchen. “You still have that.”
“I tried getting rid of it but somehow it just wouldn’t stay in the donation box.” Her laugh ended in a sigh at the sight of the mangled cupcake. “Too bad you don’t like chocolate cupcakes.”
“Who says I don’t?”
“Are you kidding? I must have made thousands of cupcakes over the years, and I don’t think you touched a single one of them.”
“Only because I knew you were filling orders. I didn’t want to screw up your count.”
She hadn’t yet iced the six extra she’d made for the display case, so she snitched one from under the dish towel, then turned to Landon. “Well, you were the only one.” She should’ve known, she thought. Landon had always been considerate like that. And Gary, who should’ve been supportive of her fledgling home business, well, he’d been just as bad as the rest of his thoughtless buddies.
At times he’d treated her like his personal maid, minus a paycheck. And what had Kylie done about it? Nothing. She’d made excuses for him, to herself, to her friends, to her mom...although that was easy. Her mother never had a problem giving a man a pass.
Thinking back to those horrible days shamed Kylie to her core. She couldn’t bear to imagine what Landon had thought of her lack of backbone. And then to make things worse, she had a sudden flashback to that day she and Landon had almost kissed.
At the memory, her cheeks flamed. Why did her brain have to dig all that up now? This was exactly why Kevin was the right kind of man for her. She’d always know where he stood, and that job emergencies notwithstanding, when he’d be home each night.
“Kylie?” Landon’s tone suggested this wasn’t the first time he’d tried to get her attention.
Finally she looked at him, but it wasn’t easy.
“What are you gonna do with that?” he asked, nodding at the ruined cupcake. “I’d be happy to take it off your hands.”
“I thought you watched what you ate.”
“Yeah, well, I’m allowed to cheat now and then. Especially when something smells this good.”
Kylie heard the jingle of the bell over the door and handed Landon the cupcake. “I’ll be right out,” she called as she took off her apron.
“Take your time,” Joe Hopkins replied in a gravelly voice.
“Stay here while I talk to Joe.”
Landon put his hands up. “Whatever you say.”
She didn’t believe that for a minute.
