Page 47 of A Cowboy Sugar Cookie Kiss
“Are you though?” I hear the half tease in his tone.
I lean against his side and my other hand rests on his forearm. “I am.”
“Enough to tell why you did leave town? I mean, you’ve seen me at my worst. I’m sure you can’t top it.”
I chew on the inside of my cheek. They’re only two people in my life who know about my failed career. My sister and grams. I always thought I’d keep it that way. But Cole invokes something deep inside me. I feel his comfort, caring and protection. He’s nothing like my boss. He’s nothing like anyone I’ve met.
“I left town to attend a culinary and baking arts school. It was a two-year program. Originally when I finished, I planned to come back and work side by side with grams.”
“I can see that. You two work together like two peas in a pod.”
“Except, I met a guy and we hit it off.”
“I don’t like him already,” he grumbles.
I send him a dry look. “He was a famous chef who had been featured on every cooking channel you can think of. He asked me to work by his side and promised he’d teach me all his secrets and hook me up with his many connections. When I graduated, I chose to go work for him. Grams was happy for me. She never held it against me. For a couple years, it was pure bliss. The happiest I’d ever been.” I pause as embarrassment steals me. “Until I met his fiancé.”
“Bastard,” he breathes.
“He is.”
“Is? Tell me you don’t still work for him?”
“Eight years. Five of which we’ve been professionally platonic.”
“Maggie.” His disappointment is unmistakable. Why didn’t you come back and work for Betty?”
I stop walking and force him to look at me. “I didn’t want everyone to look at me the way you are looking at me right now. I wanted to make it on my own. Besides, Grams has done so much for me, I wanted to show her I could do it on my own. Instead, she looks at me like I’m broken.”
“I don’t think she looks at you like you’re broken. I fell into some heavy drinking and self pity after my fiancé left. I was broken. Granddad offered to sell me his ranch and I took it. Hell, I wasn’t doing anything else. But he didn’t do it out of pity. He did it out of love. And the ranch saved my life. Put me back on track. I connected with myself and learned to love myself again. It also set me up to do what I love doing, ranching. You love to bake and Betty only wants the best for you.”
“So you’re just happy taking over a business you didn’t build yourself?”
“Fuck, yes, I am.” He boasts his chest out proudly. “Granddad still thinks he’s not in charge. He wakes up earlier than me and spends his days out on the farm. There isn’t a day he’s not up and bossing me and the ranch hands around.”
“Your granddad bossy? No,” I tease.
“Yeah, well, I like the old man there. So he can be as bossy as he pleases.”
“That’s really sweet.” My heart swells. Maybe I’ve been looking at this whole not being partners with grams wrong. It’s been what I’ve wanted to do as long as I can remember. My stubborn self has kept me from reaching out and coming home. And if I’m honest with myself, I’ve missed home for the better part of eight years.
“My turn to ask you a question.”
He shifts uncomfortably. “Alright.”
“Why are you still single? There are plenty of women in Whiskey Ridge Creek who would marry you in a heartbeat and make little baby Cole’s.”
His strong hand cups the side of my face. He leans down. “I was waiting for a butter and sugar kind of girl.” He kisses my smile. A light quick kiss.
“Fine, don’t tell me.” I’m only half teasing. I can’t read into what he means. And I’m afraid to ask. I’m lacking a proper amount of sleep, and leaving in a few days. There is no us. No more than the vacation fling we agreed on.
We walk back to our floor. I stop in front of the suite our grandparents are sharing. “Should we check on them?”
“No. It’ll be awkward.”
“We could play ding dong ditch.” Before he has a chance to object, I pound on the door and run down the hallway, clenching his hand and dragging him with me. We duck around the corner and wait.
“Hello?” Grams voice wafts down the hallway. “Hello?”
