With her cinnamon roll finished, she put the plate in the sink, along with her mug of coffee, and got to work marinating the chicken for lunch.
She was thinking spicy chicken sandwiches, with a nice refreshing sparkling citrus drink.
Just as she was massaging the meat, Vinny came into the kitchen.
“Damn, that was some fine food.” He rubbed at his stomach.
“You enjoyed it?” she asked.
“Yes. It was so good. As I knew it would be. Those cookies you sent were the best I ever tasted.”
She smiled. It was always nice to hear how much her food was appreciated. “Thank you.”
“No. Thank you.”
She nibbled on her lip. “Did anyone else enjoy it?”
Vinny smirked. “Gabe took three portions. There’s barely anything left.”
“Do you think I can feed your dogs?” she asked. She had heard them randomly barking throughout the morning and had wanted to go and see them. She loved dogs so much. They hadn’t been allowed a dog as one of her half-sisters had been allergic.
“Of course. We’ve already fed them this morning, but talk to Gabe, he’ll take you to them.”
Vinny winked at her, and she smiled, warmth washing through her body. All three of them were big men, tall and muscular. She’d swear they were brothers, but they were just friends.
Archie stopped by next.
The ranch hands never made an appearance, and finally, Gabe came inside. He made her nervous as her fate was in his hands.
“Vinny said you wanted to see the dogs to feed them.” He was so tall and with that stern look on his face, it made her a little afraid. Or turned on. She wasn’t so sure.
“Only if you want them to have the food.”
“Nothing goes to waste here. I don’t have the time or the patience for it. Food is money. Time is money. We work hard here.”
“Of course.” Should she bow? “Did you, er, did you like the food?”
“It was good,” he said.
Was that a compliment? It sounded like a compliment.
“Come on. I don’t have all day.”
She quickly followed him outside. There were no cages or kennels. “The dogs are able to roam free?”
“Of course,” he said. “They sleep in the house. Is that going to be a problem? If you’re allergic, you can leave now.”
“No. No. That’s not what I meant. It’s just nice, I guess. I figured some people keep them outside.”
“They’re good dogs. Good boys. They’ll never be locked up outside.” He let out a whistle. “Rufus, Barney, get your butts down here.”
“Only two?”
“For now,” he said.
She watched as two giant German Shepherd dogs came running toward her. At first, she was mesmerized, and then a little terrified as they seemed to be running straight to her.
Chapter Two
Vinny watched as Annalise picked wildflowers behind the barn. The sun highlighted her distinct red hair, the breeze lifting the ends. She was really something to look at. More than that. She made him think of things other than the daily grind.
He’d always been the guy with the smile. He worked. He drank. He partied. Nothing got him down. The truth was that most days he was hanging on by a thread. He just knew how to hide his emotions well. He’d picked up that trick, amongst others, from the countless years he spent in foster care. It wasn’t much better than life with his deadbeat family.
Vinny usually focused on getting through one day to the next, but watching Annalise putter around the ranch made him think of things like family and future, which was so unlike him.
“What are you doing with those weeds?”
Annalise gasped and whirled to face his direction. He’d been taking a break in the shadow by the side barn doors. “They’re not weeds.”
Her face was blanched, her body visibly trembling.
He watched her fidget. “Just teasing.”
“I was going to put them on the table for dinner … if that’s okay.”
“You do whatever you like, sweetheart.” He winked, and she immediately looked to the ground. Why was she so jumpy? Vinny wasn’t sure if she couldn’t stand him or was genuinely shy. Either way, he needed to try his best to keep professional if she was to have a future on the ranch.
She just stood there.
“You okay?” he asked.
Annalise shrugged. “Have you heard anything from Gabe about the job? It’s been over a week. I just wondered if he was leaning toward hiring me on permanently or not.”
Had it really been that long already?
It seemed cruel to keep leading her on. He’d have to talk with Gabe and Archie. There was no legitimate reason for Gabe to cut her loose. She cooked, cleaned, and did a ton of extras they never even asked for. Life had never been better.
“I’ll talk to him. Nothing to worry about.”
“I hope so. All my eggs are kind of in this basket.”
He tilted his head to the side. “What do you mean?”
“This job, the room, everything. It’s perfect. A dream, really. I have to get my stuff out of my old apartment by the end of the week. If this doesn’t work out, I’m not sure what I’ll do.”
“How about I bring my pick-up truck and help you move your stuff out tomorrow?”
“I can’t ask you to do that, and I don’t want the job out of pity. I shouldn’t have said anything.” She started to step back, adjusting the wildflowers in her arm.
“Nonsense. Archie will be happy to help. We’ll get your stuff tomorrow. No arguing about it.”
“Do you think we should? I haven’t gotten the all-clear from Gabe yet. I don’t want to make any assumptions or make things awkward for him.”
Gabe may be rough around the edges, but he wasn’t a monster. Even he would have to have mercy on their little housekeeper. Anyway, if anyone was able to talk Gabe into something, it was him.
“We definitely should.”
He got up and dusted himself off with his Stetson.
She appeared to visibly relax. “I’ve never met a Vinny before. That’s not a common name around here.”
“Well, my birth certificate says Vincent Liam O’Brian, but that sounds too formal. In school, it made me cringe, and at home, it was usually only used before I got a beating.”
“I’m sorry.”
He frowned, not sure why she suddenly looked so sullen. Then he ran his words back in his head and realized she probably didn’t have a fucked-up childhood like he had. He’d stopped feeling sorry for himself a long time ago. “Nothing to be sorry about. I’m not too good at story telling.”
“Well, I like both versions. I’ll use Vinny so I don’t upset you, though.”
Vinny walked closer to her until she had to back up against one of the old shade trees close to the barn. “You can’t upset me, sweetheart. That ship sailed long ago. Anything you call me will sound perfect coming from your lips.” He brushed the backs of his fingers along her jawline, staring into those deep green eyes—but pulled back just as fast. “I’ll see you at dinner.”
He turned away from her and moved hastily into the barn. Vinny was no good for a sweet thing like her, but every time he was near her, he dreamed of impossible things. Stupid things that weren’t meant for a cowboy like him.