Barbara McCauley - The Nanny And The Reluctant Rancher

Logan’s voice grew louder and several heads turned in his direction. He scowled at everyone, then tossed a couple of bills down and stormed out of the café.

Kat’s heart sank. He’d changed his mind again. She felt moisture burning in her eyes, but quickly blinked it back. Two rejections in three days from the man was almost enough to have her packing her bags. But she wouldn’t. Not because of Mr. Logan Kincaid.

Stubbs picked up the money Logan had thrown down and walked over to where she was clearing a booth. Shaking his head, he looked at her and sighed. “Sorry, Katie. I was shooting for double pay, and only got you half again as much.”

It took a moment for his words to sink in. Her heart started pounding. “You mean, he, that I—”

He grinned. “Yep. Looks like you’re working for Logan again. We’re gonna miss you here, honey, but you and I both know that’s not why you came to Harmony, and you don’t belong in here waiting tables.”

Kat couldn’t believe it. She was really going back to the ranch, to Anna. Her head was spinning. “I’ll just finish up here today and—”

“‘Fraid not. He’s waiting outside, and unless I want that crazy man coming back in here and bothering my customers again, you better hightail it out of here.” He tucked the bills Logan had thrown down on the counter into her pocket. “Here’s your tip, darlin’. If he so much as looks cross-eyed at you, you got a job here anytime.”

“Hey, how ’bout some coffee here, Katie?” a man yelled from a booth.

Kat started for the coffeepot, but Stubbs stopped her and yelled back at the man. “Hold yer horses, McDermott. Katie doesn’t work here anymore. You’re gonna have to put up with my mug for a while.”

A chorus of groans shot through the café. Kat laughed and hugged Stubbs. “I don’t know how to thank you. You’re a true gentleman.”

“Dang,” he said with a lopsided grin, “I been called a lot things, but never a gentleman.”

“You’re gonna be called a lot more things if you don’t get me my food,” a ranch hand called out.

“Go somewhere else if you don’t like the service,” Stubbs hollered. Since there was nowhere else in town to go for lunch, the man tucked his hat low on his head and hunkered down in his seat, grumbling under his breath.

Kat’s hands were shaking as she moved behind the counter and untied her apron. “I’ll bring your uniform back before I leave.”

Stubbs shrugged. “Next time you come into town is fine. The way Logan is champing at the bit, you better just get packed. Oh, by the way, Katie, there’s one thing Logan wanted he wouldn’t budge on. Since he’s paying you more, it didn’t seem too unreasonable.”

“What’s that?” She tossed her apron on a hook under the counter.

“He wants you to cook.”

“Cook?” She swallowed hard. “You mean, as in prepare the meals?”

Stubbs ignored Rusty, who was lifting up his coffee cup for a refill. “You don’t like to cook?”

“Of course I like to cook,” she said quickly. “I love to cook. I, ah, just don’t know what to make, that’s all.”

“The usual. Meat and potatoes, same thing most men like,” he said offhandedly, then cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “You come back and visit us, you hear?”

Kat kissed Stubbs on both cheeks. He turned bright red, then turned and scowled at the round of catcalls that went through the café.

She grabbed her purse and forced herself to walk slowly and calmly out the front door when she really felt like running. Logan turned when she came out, and his expression was tight. No doubt he hated admitting he’d been wrong, and even more, hated asking her to come back at a higher salary. She didn’t want the raise, of course, and if he hadn’t looked as if he’d bite her head off, she might have told him so. She’d tell him later, when his pride wasn’t so sore.

“I’ll just be a few minutes,” she told him. “I need to pack.”

He nodded. “I’m going to the department store. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.”

Fifteen minutes? She couldn’t pack that fast. “Fine.”

He was back in fourteen minutes and she was waiting in front of the motel, wondering what was taking him so long.

They were quiet on the ride back to the ranch. Eyes glued straight ahead, Logan held the steering wheel as if it might come off, and Kat kept her attention on the passing scenery, struggling to control her excitement that he was actually bringing her back. Cows and horses grazed along the barbed-wire fence separating the highway from the land, and wisps of white clouds streaked the blue sky. The weather was pleasantly warm, and Logan drove with his window down. A breeze whipped at Kat’s hair, and in spite of her nervousness, she felt a sense of exhilaration. She knew it was silly, but she almost felt as if she were coming home.

“I’ll reimburse you for your stay in town,” Logan said unexpectedly, breaking the silence after several minutes.

She glanced sideways at him, but he kept his eyes on the road. “That’s not necessary.”

“If I ever want to check out another library book, buy a hamburger for myself or grain for my stock, it is necessary. The entire town thinks I’m some kind of a blackguard, lower than a tick on a dog’s—” he stopped himself “—behind.”

Startled. Kat turned to look at him. “Because of me?”

He turned off the main highway, onto the road that led to his ranch. “I never expected you to stay in Harmony. When you did, I suddenly became Simon Legree, throwing a damsel in distress into the street.”

“Is that why you rehired me?” Kat hated how small her voice sounded. “Because of the town?”

“No.” He pulled up in front of the house and cut the engine. “We’ll tell Anna you’re here, then I’ll get you settled in your room.”

In her hurry to leave town, Kat hadn’t changed out of her uniform, and only now, as Logan opened the cab door for her, did she realize how short her skirt was. She pulled it down, but not before she saw Logan’s frown as his gaze moved over her legs. When he offered his hand, she quickly slid out of the truck.

“I didn’t have time to change,” she said weakly, tugging on the skirt.

He simply shrugged and moved around to get her luggage from the bed of the truck. Terrific, she thought with a silent groan. If it wasn’t enough she’d made a bad first impression by being younger than he’d expected, her second impression as a floozy wasn’t looking so good, either.

“Hey, Logan! You get lost?”

Kat turned as a man approached the truck. He was almost as tall as Logan and about the same age, with dark features and long black hair pulled into a ponytail at the base of his neck. He moved beside the truck and stared at her curiously.

“This is my foreman, Tom Whitefeather,” Logan said as he pulled her luggage out of the truck. “Tom, this is Kat Delaney, Anna’s nanny for the summer.”

Tom seemed momentarily surprised, then smiled at her and touched the brim of his white cowboy hat. “How do, ma’am.”

Kat offered her hand to Tom. “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Whitefeather.”

Tom hesitated, then slowly covered her small hand with his large one. “Just Tom will do, Miss Delaney.”

She smiled. “And I’m Kat.”

“You think we might move this along anytime soon?” Logan drawled, his arms loaded with Kat’s luggage.

“You need some help with that, boss?”

“I think I can manage,” he said sarcastically, then turned and headed for the house. “But the truck needs unloading. I’ll meet you in the barn in a few minutes.”

Tom nodded to her, then hopped in the truck and drove off. Kat threw her hat on her head and hurried after Logan.