Page 31 of The Cowboy Takes A Bride

“I have five on my watch. I heard a truck come up the drive, and I thought I’d better wake you.” She sat on the edge of the couch.

Jace stifled a yawn. He could swear he’d just shut his eyes five minutes ago. “That’s Tuck. We usually get started around now.” He stretched and caught a whiff of something. Sniffing his pits, he grimaced. “Sorry. Not the picture of a magical honeymoon, I imagine.”

“That’s okay, you seem really busy. Are the fences okay?” She shook her head. “That’s a stupid question. I meant did you get the fences worked out?”

Jace laughed. “Yeah, but I knew what you meant.” He sighed, stood, and stretched again. “Looks like I got a wildlife problem. Bear.”

Meredith’s eyes grew large.

“Speaking of which, do you know how to shoot a gun?”

She shook her head.

“Let’s make sure we fix that right away. I don’t want you here alone without being able to protect yourself.”

Meredith looked out the window and scooted down the couch closer to him.

“I’m not trying to scare you, Meredith. I think in my entire life a bear has only come up close to the house twice, and both times we were able to scare it away. But better to be safe and prepared than not.”

She nodded slightly. “Sure. That makes sense.”

“Listen, I’m desperate for a shower. Think you can scare me up some food while I do that? I’ll meet you in the kitchen in ten minutes.” He didn’t have time to wait for an answer and madequick work getting ready. True to his word, he was back downstairs and in the kitchen in the time he said.

Meredith stood at the island with a plate. On it were two slices of bread with peanut butter.

“What’s this?” He wiped water from his neck. Having hurried, he hadn’t fully toweled off.

“It’s protein and the only thing I know how to “scare up.”

Jace nodded several times and then burst out laughing. “I’m sorry,” he said and took the plate. He tried to stifle the laughter when Meredith looked devastated, her face crumbling with every laugh.

“I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing because I just assumed, and well…you know what they say about assuming. Here I had these fantasies of coming down to a giant breakfast, and you hand me peanut butter bread. It’s not even toasted.” It was priceless really and a good lesson. Oh, how Willow and his mother would love to see him get handed a plate of bread. His mom had nagged him to death about learning to cook, and he’d chauvinistically assumed he’d find a woman to do that. Here he was married to one who didn’t know how.

“I couldn’t find the toaster,” she squeaked, a tear leaking out.

Jace was instantly somber. He put the plate down.

“So, you don't know how to cook?” He scratched his beginning beard. In his haste, he’d forgotten to shave.

Meredith shook her head and swiped away the lone tear. “No, I don’t.” Her chin lifted in defiance.

“Me either,” he said. “Mom’s been up my craw about learning, and I told her there was no need. With her around or if I ever married, that was taken care. That’s why I was laughing. I’m sorry Ma missed this because it would’ve made her day. Not that we're going to tell her or anything.”

Meredith sagged against the counter, her wrecked face nowreassembled into a beautiful picture of loveliness. “I thought you were laughing at me.”

“I’m sorry. I hope you’ll find I’ll never do that. Not spitefully.”

He slid the bread from the plate and took a bite. “It’s good.”

When she laughed, it was a light, flirty sound that gave him instant wood. He moved to stand on the other side of the island. He needed to think of something else other than the sweet sounds she made when he touched her because that chain of thought was starting to get him overheated. He looked at the bread.

“I’m guessing then you had someone cook for you. Is it because you have no interest in knowing how to cook or…?” Food. They’d talk about food. How sexy could that be?

She looked to the floor before meeting his eyes and nodded. “We had a cook.”

He glanced at her hands. They were pristine. Smooth. Unlike his mother or Willow whose hands showed their use.

Ranch hands, his mother called them.

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