Page 4 of Whiskey and Wildfire

“Well, I reckon we can do somethin’ about both those things. Come on inside, the missus is just finishin’ up dinner.”

It wasn’t like Mr. Baker to invite me into the main house. Not that I wasn’t welcome, I just preferred my own company, and he respected that.

“I don’t want to impose…”

“Nonsense, boy,” Mr. Baker said, clapping me on the shoulder. “After the day you’ve had, you deserve a hot meal and some company. Besides, Caroline’s been askin’ about you.”

I felt my cheeks flush at the mention of Caroline, Mr. Baker’s daughter. She was a few years older than me and tough as nails, but there was something about her that always made me nervous. Maybe it was the way she could rope a calf faster than any man I’d ever seen, or how she never hesitated to speak her mind. Sometimes I thought she wanted to rope me for herself. Little did she know, she wasn’t my type. No woman was.

“Alright,” I conceded, following Mr. Baker out of the barn. “Thank you, sir.”

As we approached the house, I could smell the aroma of fresh-baked bread and roasting meat. My stomach growledloudly, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten since dawn. Mr. Baker chuckled at the sound, leading me up the porch steps and into the house.

The kitchen was warm and inviting, filled with the mouthwatering scents of dinner. Mrs. Baker stood at the stove, stirring a large pot of what smelled like beef stew. She turned as we entered, her kind face lighting up with a smile.

“Dakota! Thank goodness you’re alright. We were so worried when Sogwili came back without you.”

I ducked my head, embarrassed by the attention. “I’m fine, ma’am. Just had a bit of excitement with a rattlesnake.”

“A rattlesnake?” Caroline’s voice rang out as she entered the kitchen. Her long dark braid swung behind her as she strode towards me, brown eyes flashing. “Dakota Parker, what in tarnation were you doin’ messin’ with a rattler?”

I flinched at the sight of her, turning my eyes down to the floor. “Sogwili threw me nearly on top of it,” I replied. “Barely got away from it.”

Caroline’s eyes widened, a mix of concern and exasperation crossing her face. “That dang horse,” she muttered, shaking her head. “I swear she’s got less sense than a fence post. You sure you’re alright?”

I nodded, still avoiding her gaze. “Yes ma’am, I’m fine. Just a little shaken up is all.”

“Well, you just sit yourself down and let Mama feed you,” Mrs. Baker said, ushering me to the table. “Nothing cures the nerves like a hot meal.”

I sat obediently, my stomach rumbling again at the prospect of food. Caroline took the seat across from me, her eyes never leaving my face. I could feel her gaze burning into me, making me squirm uncomfortably.

“So, tell us what happened,” Mr. Baker said as he settled into his chair at the head of the table.

I cleared my throat, fidgeting with the napkin in my lap. “Well, I was out checking the fences on the north pasture when Sogwili got spooked by something. Before I knew it, she’d reared up and thrown me. I landed hard and when I looked up, there was this huge rattler coiled up not two feet from my face.”

Caroline let out a low whistle. “That’s a close call if I ever heard one. How’d you get away?”

I recounted the tense standoff with the snake, trying to downplay how terrified I’d been. But Caroline saw right through me.

“You must’ve been scared half to death,” she said, her voice uncharacteristically gentle.

I just shrugged, uncomfortable with the attention. “It’s part of the job, I reckon. Gotta be ready for anything out here.”

Mr. Baker nodded in agreement, but before he could speak, another figure stepped into the room.

“Sorry everyone. I wasn’t watching the time.”

Lifting my gaze, I looked right past Caroline, up at her brother, Logan Baker, and my mouth went dry. He was a gorgeous man from head to toe, his short sandy brown hair perfectly tousled and those green eyes of his dusty and light like the sagebrush that clung to the hills that gave the town its name. He’d been home for nearly two months, and I’d done everything I could to avoid him. He was just too pretty.

“That’s okay, honey,” Mrs. Baker replied, getting up to fetch him a plate. “I figured you were busy still lookin’ through the want ads.”

“The want ads,” Caroline sneered, glancing up at her brother as he took a seat next to her. “Right.”

Logan slid into the chair next to Caroline, his eyes meeting mine briefly before darting away. I felt my heart rate quicken and focused intently on my plate, trying to ignore the flutter in my stomach.

“I was looking at job listings,” Logan said defensively. “Just because you don’t approve of my career choices doesn’t mean they’re not valid.”

Caroline rolled her eyes. “Oh please. You’ve been back for two months and haven’t applied for a single thing. The only thing you’ve done is sit on that roof and drown yourself in cheap whiskey.”

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