She straightened her shoulders. “Of course, I can. I’m not fragile. And I can cook. You’ll see that after tonight.”
“All right then, it’s agreed. You’ll do a trial run, if you’re any good, we’ll talk terms.”
4
She’d been an idiot for agreeing to this. She’d been so insulted that he thought she couldn’t handle this job that she couldn’t say no. And now here she was, nervous as hell because this was a trial and she might fail. This was an unfamiliar kitchen. She hadn’t had much time to inspect the pantry or freezer and she’d had no choice but to cook the meat that had already been thawing.
Which just happened to be venison.
Now, while Charlie was a good cook, she wasn’t trained or anything. And she’d never cooked with venison. So, she’d found herself left in a strange kitchen, with something she’d never used before and her only help was an ancient, shriveled man named Allan. Apparently, he’d been doing most of the cooking while the full-time cook was recovering from a broken leg and he didn’t seem all that happy to have her take over. Well, she thought that was it. He hadn’t actually said anything to her. Just grunted a few times when she’d asked a question.
She hadn’t dared ask him to help. Because what if he refused? Then what the hell would she do? So, she was running around doing it all herself while he watched. Old grump.
She’d quickly Googled some recipes on her phone before frantically trying to get enough food ready to feed a group of hungry men and women.
Fuck. Fuck.
What was she doing? Most people would have slapped their boss for threatening to spank them before hightailing it out of there. But not Charlie. No, she was fascinated. Her whole body warmed at the thought of being turned over the big rancher’s lap.
Why can’t you just be normal, Charlie?
She shook off that memory. She didn’t have time to think about Brian and the mess she’d made of their relationship right now. She was busy trying to get through tonight and then...what? She couldn’t stay, right? Not when her boss seemed to think he’d have some liberties with her.
Yeah, like that’s not exactly what you want.
Well, not exactly. Because she wanted a man who was hers. Someone who could be equally stern and tender. Set boundaries and reinforce them, while also being kind and caring.
Those sorts of men only existed in stories.
And didn’t she know it.
Mind back on the job, Charlie. She wasn’t good in stressful situations. Her stomach filled with nerves and she became clumsy and forgetful. Like right now, she couldn’t remember what the hell she’d come into the pantry for.
“Damn it, what did I come in here for?”
Allan shuffled in behind her and reached up to grab the salt off a shelf. He handed it to her.
“Salt. Right. Thanks.”
He just glared at her. Yep, they were destined to become great friends. She pushed all her worries aside as she worked.
This had to be perfect.
* * *
Kent leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach. “Damned if that ain’t the best meal I’ve ever had.”
Clint nodded. Yeah, he’d had that thought himself. The venison stew had been tender, the mashed potatoes perfectly whipped and the beans coated in butter and seasoning. Simple but delicious.
“Wasn’t sure she’d know how to cook venison.” He’d felt kind of bad leaving her alone in the kitchen. She’d looked so small and defenseless. At least she had Allan for help. Even if he was older than dirt, he knew what he was doing.
Zeke slipped into the seat on his other side. Where Eden should have been. Clint frowned and glanced around for his sister. “Kent, you seen Eden lately?”
He saw Zeke frown at the mention of her name. The two of them had a rather fiery relationship. They seemed to dislike each other with equal passion.
“She’s staying the night at Jacey’s,” Kent told him. “Nash drove her over.”
He frowned. “She should have spoken to me first.”