Page 19 of Some Cowgirls are Worth Protecting

He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel with irritation. He didn’t like her, so what was going on with his gut that he couldn’t sit still when he saw her speaking to the guys?

One of them was bad news. That was the only thing that made sense right now. His gut was never wrong, and he knew for certain that he didn’t like her talking to any of those guys.

Maybe he needed to stop putting off the idea of interrogating these men. If his stomach was telling him that he needed to talk to each one of them, then he’d just have to get past his own rules and remind them that Rachel was off-limits.

The more he thought about doing that, the worse he felt. Rachel would be furious with him for saying something like that to one of the guys she’d hired—let alone a whole crew. He might as well be stuck with a ball and chain attached to his feet.

He had to do something. He just couldn’t figure out what it was.

Now was not the time. He’d headed back to the house early so he could be the one fixing their dinner. She wouldn’t be able to avoid eating with him if he was the one who cooked it. That would go against her hostess rule.

Wait, if he cooked, then wouldn’t that make him the host?

Hudson shook his head. Look at what she’s doing to you, man! She’s got you worrying about things you’ve never had to think about before. Rachel had gotten into his head. She’d turned him into someone he nearly didn’t recognize.

Whatever. It was fine. He needed to focus on the food he’d be preparing. Thankfully, that would be a little easier than the jumble of thoughts he had currently running the circus in his mind. Hudson only knew how to make two things. Spaghetti and Pizza. Depending on what Rachel kept in her pantry, his decision might even be made for him.

He hurried from his truck into the house and went straight for the fridge. She had everything he needed for a veggie pizza—one he didn’t love, but something he wasn’t against preparing. Well, almost everything. He couldn’t make a pizza without dough, and it didn’t look like she had anything like that in the fridge. His skills ended with making dough from scratch. His only option now would be if she had pasta and spaghetti sauce.

The pantry was well organized enough that he found exactly what he needed in seconds, so he set to work. Pasta was thrown into the water. Veggies were chopped. The meatballs were browned. Everything was coming out the way he’d planned.

And then he heard the front door open. “Hudson? You here?”

He grinned. She was going to be so surprised. No one could resist his spaghetti. Not even when it went completely wrong.

“Are you cooking?” Her voice came closer. “I didn’t know…” And her voice trailed off, causing him to turn to face her.

That’s when everything turned upside down. In her hands she held a large pizza box. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered.

Her adorable, chagrined smile wasn’t even enough for him to brush off what had clearly been a miscommunication. He hadn’t recalled that she was going to pick up pizza, and he was currently regretting not telling her that he wanted to make her a meal.

Rachel laughed, and before he could voice his frustration, she put the pizza on the table. “I guess we know what we’re having for breakfast in the morning. You like cold pizza, right?”

He wrinkled his nose. “Who likes cold pizza?”

Her purse slipped from her shoulder and landed on the table with a thunk. “Just everyone. But that doesn’t matter. Whatever it is you’re cooking, it smells wonderful.” She moved closer to stand beside him and stare into the pot. “You never told me you could cook.”

“I guess there are a few things you can still learn about me.” He glanced down at her, and a small smile reached his own face. “Just like I’m sure there’s a lot I can learn about you.”

10

Rachel

Rachel sent off an email, then opened a new one from Brent. The security system he thought was the best one wasn’t available to be installed for two months. The company in question was booked solid.

She picked up her pen and nibbled on the cap. The security system would be a good idea no matter what happened. It would allow her to keep an eye on the horses in her care. It had been two full weeks and still no signs of damage.

There wasn’t any way that whoever had targeted her was done. People like that didn’t just give up after one try. But maybe having Hudson on the premises was a decent deterrent. The men working on the shelter structures also made it difficult for someone to come onto the premises without being seen. Unfortunately, they were being called away to another project, as some of the materials they’d ordered for her had been delayed in shipping.

The schedule was being pushed back, and they would be leaving by the end of the week. The whole ranch would be quiet again. No more trucks and cars coming and going. It would just be Hudson and herself.

She bit back a smile as her thoughts shifted to Hudson’s surprise a few nights ago. He was actually a talented cook when it came to spaghetti. They’d had a decent meal, and she’d turned in early. But since that night, everything between them had shifted.

There was no putting into words what was happening. He still didn’t talk much unless he had some update for her. She remained busy with her work. But each time they bumped into each other in her house, the tension skyrocketed.

Her nerves were on edge. Her heart raced.

It was ridiculous. She couldn’t have a crush on him. Now was not a good time, and they weren’t a good match. At least that was what she continued to tell herself. Just because they were staying under the same roof didn’t mean they would fall for each other.

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