Rawhide and Roses (10 page)

“Is it?” She glanced around her. “What’s so beautiful about it?”

Yawning, she stretched her arms out over the table, laid her head down and closed her eyes. “Got any more of that coffee?”

Someone patted her arm. She guessed it was Jillie. “I’ll get you some,” her friend answered.

“You better. You are to blame for all this, you know.”

“C’mon, Kim. You’re having a wonderful time, aren’t you?”

Kim opened one eye and arched a brow. “Oh, yeah, Jillie. I’m having a peachy time. This ranks right up there with shopping on Rodeo Drive.”

Jillie set the metal coffee cup before her and Kim sat up. “You’ve never shopped on Rodeo Drive, so how do you know how much fun that would be?”

Kim sipped at the coffee and grimaced. “I just know,” she grumbled. She took another sip of the black brew and closed her eyes again. The warmth soaked through her. Her body was slowly coming awake.

“Kim, you’ve got to cook breakfast, you know.”

“I know.” She kept her eyes closed and sipped again.

“The wranglers are going to expect something soon.”

“I’ll get to it in a minute.”

“I started the fire an hour ago, Kim, for the coffee,” Mack interjected, “but they’re going to be hollering soon if they don’t smell bacon sizzling. Maybe I’d better to put some more wood on.” He stood.

Geez! I can take a hint!

Kim set down her cup. Perhaps a little too hard. Some of it splashed over the side, narrowly missing her hand. “All right, already.” She looked Mack straight in the eyes. “So I’ll fix the damn breakfast.”

She got up, taking her coffee with her. Mack stoked the fire and added more fuel.

She had just located bacon, potatoes, eggs and refrigerator biscuits, spread them all out on the preparation table, and was heating a huge iron skilled on the stove when someone came up behind her.

“Why isn’t breakfast ready?”

The voice was firm, unmoving, and she didn’t have to guess from whom it came. She glanced up from the package of bacon she was fiddling with and huffed out a long breath. She didn’t look back.
Please let me get through this without a scene.

“I’m fixing it.”

“It’s after six a.m. We should have eaten by now.”

She felt Thad’s breath on the back of her neck. It was hot, moist. “I overslept,” she admitted, still trying to tear into the bacon. She didn’t want to tell him why that had happened. That her dreams were interspersed with images of him slipping into her sleeping bag. No, she was going to calmly fix breakfast, after as minor an altercation with this man as possible, and then she was going to get though the rest of the day.

If I can get the damned bacon open
.

She reached for the butcher knife sitting by the stove.

“You’ve got fifteen minutes, Ms. Martin.”

She turned, butcher knife in hand, and met Thad’s gaze, the knife between them. “Can’t you see I’m trying? Why don’t you just leave me alone and I’ll get the stupid breakfast?”

Reaching out, Thad put his fingers over hers on the knife. “Be careful with that thing.”

“I am,” she snapped.

“Give it to me.”

“I need to get the bacon open.”

“I said, give it to me.”

Kim watched his eyes. “Take it.”

He did, then reached behind her, snatched the pound of bacon, and slit open the package. Slapping both the knife and the bacon down on the prep table, he said, “There.”

His gaze penetrated as Kim stood for another second before moving. He didn’t move either. Funny, but he didn’t seem al that angry with her this morning. He wasn’t shouting, his face wasn’t red; he was just matter-of-fact stating what he thought needed to be done. Well, if he’d leave her alone long enough she’d get the bacon in the skillet.

“Thank you. Now, if you’ll get out of my way…”

Thad straightened, still eyeing her. “I expect breakfast by five-thirty,
every morning
, Ms. Martin.”

“Then I need somebody to wake me up. I don’t have an alarm clock, you know, and I’m sure as hell not used to getting up with the chickens. At least not as early as the chickens get up around here.”

He leaned closer. “Would you like for me to do that personally?” he asked, low enough for only her to hear. Images of Thad waking her flashed through her mind. But she knew that wasn’t what he intimated…was it?

She stepped back, but kept her gaze on his face. “Actually, I wouldn’t. I’ll manage on my own.”

He straightened and backed off. “Then I’ll expect to see breakfast earlier tomorrow.”

“I imagine you’ll expect what you’ll get.” He wasn’t going to bowl her over.

“What I expect, Kim, is that when a woman takes over a major job like feeding the guests and the crew, she will be up on her own and doing her job like she knows what she’s about.” He stepped closer. “But then again, you don’t know what you’re doing, do you?”

She narrowed her gaze. “I am not incompetent, if that is what you are implying.”

“I’m simply implying that you are out of your league here.”

Kim chuckled. Out of her league? Ha! “Get out of my way, cowboy, and I’ll get you the best damned breakfast you’ve ever had. It might be a little late but it will be nutritious and satisfying and keep your wranglers happy as well. Give me forty-five minutes.”

“Fifteen.”

“Thirty-five.”

“Twenty.”

“Thirty.”

“You’re on!”

Thad glared at her for another second, his eyes twinkling, then gave her a half-grin before he turned on his heel and left. She glanced at Mack and Jillie still sitting at the table, watching. She had to turn away to keep from smiling herself.

She was smiling for a number of reasons. One, she and Thad had gotten through one entire conversation without their voices; two, he had actually called her by her first name; and three, at the end of it all he had given her the most sexy little grin.

But most of all, she was finally going to get one over on the mighty Thad Winchester. Breakfast, and possibly a little crow, was about to be served.

****

It took Kim all of her thirty minutes to get breakfast out on the prep table, serving buffet style. Actually, a few more, but she didn’t think Thad was really counting. She’d had to hustle, scavenging around in the food boxes and soliciting help from Jillie and Mack. Jillie had fried the bacon nice and crisp, then set it to drain on paper towels. Mack chopped onions and green peppers and sautéed them quickly in a small amount of fat from the bacon. Those were draining on a paper towel, as well.

In the meantime she had grated potatoes for hash browns, crumbled a loaf of bread into a large bowl and covered it with a mixture of whisked eggs, salt, paper and a squirt of mustard and a few dashes of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. When the onions and peppers were drained and the bacon was crumbled, she added them to the mixture, along with a couple of handfuls of shredded cheddar, and turned the entire concoction into a large baking pan sprayed with non-stick baking spray.

Then all went into the oven with a prayer that the heat wouldn’t be too high or two low and that the whole thing would come out in record time.

While that dish was baking, she started on the hash browns, frying them nice and crisp. Mack made more coffee and Jillie sliced some oranges.

When her time limit was nearly up, she peeked into the oven to see what the casserole was doing and heaved a sigh of relief. It was nicely browned on the edges, solid in the middle and perfect.

Perfect!

She put the finishing touches on the table just as the wranglers and guests sauntered toward the dining fly. Holding back, she held her breath as one by one they dished up the casserole, the potatoes and the oranges, filled their cups with coffee, and retreated to the camp tables. Mack and Jillie followed.

Then Thad.

He eyed the table, raking his gaze over what she had prepared. Then he turned, slowly, toward her. Their gazes met and Kim fought off the urge to tremble.

He picked up two plates, extended one to her. “Time to eat,” he said, no expression on his face.

Tentative, she eased forward and took the plate.

“Looks good,” he said.

She wanted to smile, resisted. “It is.”

Thad’s gaze slid toward the guests and wranglers. Not a sound came from the tables except for forks clanking and an occasional slurp. “Nutritious and satisfying all at the same time,” he added.

Kim nodded.

“Well then,” he turned back to the food. “Let’s eat and get on the road.”

He dished up a healthy serving of the casserole. Kim let out a slow, even breath. And smiled.

****

Later, she couldn’t believe she’d survived the better part of another day riding deeper into the
San Juan Mountains
. Thad had indicated at breakfast that they would ride until late afternoon then make camp at an old mining town near Bear Creek that evening. He said they’d camp there for the next several nights, depending, then move on toward
Elk
Park
after that. They’d move east of there until it was time for the guests to catch the Narrow Gauge train back to Durango, then they’d head into Elk Park and catch the spur. Thad, Mack and the wranglers would return to the ranch with the horses and mules.

The twelve mile ride on old Sunshine had proven uneventful, allowing her the luxury of perusing vistas as large as the world itself, as well as a moment or two of self-reflection. The scenery about her was too enormous and panoramic to allow many thoughts of Thad to creep into her mind. Well, at least for most of the day. Images of his hands on her body crept upon her one too many times, sending involuntary shivers down her spine, but she quickly shook them off and tried to concentrate on the scenery.

She allowed herself only a few moments of panic as they traveled up and down the narrow and treacherous trails at the top of the world
—
and at 11,000-plus feet above sea level, that’s exactly where Kim felt they were. They’d maneuvered through rocky passes, meadows of small, dazzling wildflowers, and patches of lush forest. As they rose higher, the mountains in the distance became rocky and bare.

Sunshine handled herself quite nicely and Kim breathed a little easier with each step up the trail. Now, as they neared the old mine camp, she inhaled huge breaths of the thin, crisp, mountain air until she felt dizzy.

A mountain stream, which she assumed was Bear Creek, bordered their camp site. She could hear the waters rushing in the distance, and wondered if there might be a waterfall nearby. Suddenly, the sight before her paled all of her past problems significantly at the dramatic sense of serenity it brought her. Every muscle in her body relaxed.

In a way, she was glad she’d been enticed to go on this trip. Never in her life had she experienced anything so dramatic and memorable, as well as promoting a bit of self-sufficiency at the same time. She only wished she hadn’t left her camera back at the hotel, they’d never believe this back home.

The camp was set up routinely, having been through it once before now, and Kim, Jillie, and Tim had supper simmering on the stove within the hour. Much to Jillie’s distress and Kim’s amazement, Tim seemed to have appointed himself the cook’s helper while his buddy Aaron tackled the task of feeding and picketing the livestock with the wranglers. They made jokes and laughed away the minutes as Kim played chef and ordered them about. She hardly had a minute throughout the camaraderie to even think of Thad. Of course there were seconds his image crept into her thoughts.

Thad had made himself scarce most of the day. It wasn’t as though she were keeping tabs on him or anything, well, kind of...but not really, she mused. But it was obvious he was avoiding her.

At breakfast he’d inhaled his food and threw his coffee back so quickly Kim had to wonder how he’d kept from scalding his throat. After she and her so-called cook’s crew had cleaned up breakfast and had broken down the kitchen and tent, they’d assisted with the packing and loading of the mules again, but Thad had found things away from her to occupy his time.

Kim watched his back throughout the afternoon as he led them further into the wilderness, and for the first time, she realized she trusted him. She acknowledged that he obviously knew what he was doing and was competent enough not to lead them into dangerous situations.

But each time they stopped he made it a point to stay near the wranglers. He never ventured near Jillie or herself, or even Mack, Tim or Aaron. In fact, she’d caught herself staring at him once, while he was laughing and joking with the wranglers, and felt an instant stab of jealousy. Why couldn’t he be so at ease around her? Wouldn’t it be nice, she thought, if they could actually get through one day, one meal even, with some trivial banter and comradelier?

And now again, as Kim prepared to dish up the dinner of barbecued chicken, baked potatoes, green beans, and a tossed salad she’d thrown together, she found herself watching for him out of the corner of her eye. He was standoffish, separating himself from the rest of the group. When at last each member of the party but Thad had been served, and Kim was helping herself to portions of the meal, she saw the looming shadow fall over the food in front of her and felt the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.