left?”
“Got a fresh one in the kitchen, Jake.” Still smiling, Em pushed through the door to the kitchen, cut Jake his pie and returned to pour him a fresh cup of coffee.
“How’s business?” he asked between bites.
“Fabulous.” Her eyes twinkled in amusement. “I think part is just curiosity about me being home.”
He grinned, finishing off his pie. “Yeah, that and these fabulous cakes and pies, Em.” He wiped his mouth on a napkin, then tossed it to the counter. “Listen, Em…” His voice trailed off and his face grew serious. “How you feeling?” he asked. “I mean, being pregnant and all, should you be on your feet all day? Working?” There was such concern in his voice, his eyes, she simply couldn’t get annoyed at him, not when she knew that someone had put him up to this.
Josh again, she thought with a sigh, trying to curb her annoyance. He’d sent for reinforcements. Now he was rallying his brothers to his cause. Lord, what on earth was she going to do with that man?
“Now why do I have a feeling your brother sent you in here to talk some sense into me?” she asked, crossing her arms across her chest and looking at Jake in challenge.
“Me?” Flustered at being caught, Jake lifted his hands in the air as if to feign innocence, then shook his head. “Not me, Em. I’m innocent. Honest. I just dropped by to see an old friend.”
Em knew how close the Ryan brothers were, knew how loyal they were to one another. She could stick needles in his nose and Jake would never admit Josh had sent him in to talk some sense into her, as Josh was fond of saying.
“Yeah, right,” she said with a grin, deciding to let it go. No sense arguing with Jake. It was Josh she had to contend with. “Well, for whatever reason, I am glad you stopped in. And I’m looking forward to meeting your wife.”
Jake wiggled his brow. “Yeah, you’ll like Rebecca, she’s a pistol.”
Em laughed, knowing the woman would have to be a pistol in order to catch the infamous Jake Ryan.
Jake slid off the stool, tossed some bills onto the counter before raising his gaze to hers. “Listen, Em, if you need anything, anything at all, just give a holler, hear? Rebecca and I have been doing some traveling, checking out some tips about Jesse—”
“Have you learned anything?” she asked quietly, knowing how painful this subject was. Twenty years ago, five-year-old Jesse Ryan, the youngest of the Ryan brothers had been kidnapped from the family’s ranch while in the care of his nanny. He’d never been found. Josh had told Em that Rebecca, a reporter, had written an in-depth article a few months ago about the Ryans and Jesse’s disappearance, and as a result, new tips and clues had been pouring in. Jake and his wife had been checking each and every lead out.
“No, nothing, at least nothing to speak of,” Jake admitted, rubbing a hand along his stubbled jaw. “But we’re not about to give up. Someone out there has to know something. And I’m determined to find him. But for the next few months, at least until Rebecca has the baby, we’re going to be home, so if you need anything, you just let us know.”
“I will, Jake.” Smiling, she cleared his plate and cup. “And thanks.”
“Any time.” He leaned across the counter to give her a big kiss on the cheek. “Take care of yourself, now, Em.”
“I will, Jake,” she said, watching as he walked toward the door whistling softly.
With a weary sigh, Em wiped off the counter, then went back into the kitchen to finish preparing the salads for the lunch rush. She was torn between annoyance and gratitude toward Josh for caring about her and her baby.
As she worked, Em thought about all those afternoons after school and weekends when she was in high school helping out her dad—resentfully at the time because she wanted to be with her friends instead. No, she mentally corrected as she placed the now full bowls of salad on the large round serving tray she’d
“Got a fresh one in the kitchen, Jake.” Still smiling, Em pushed through the door to the kitchen, cut Jake his pie and returned to pour him a fresh cup of coffee.
“How’s business?” he asked between bites.
“Fabulous.” Her eyes twinkled in amusement. “I think part is just curiosity about me being home.”
He grinned, finishing off his pie. “Yeah, that and these fabulous cakes and pies, Em.” He wiped his mouth on a napkin, then tossed it to the counter. “Listen, Em…” His voice trailed off and his face grew serious. “How you feeling?” he asked. “I mean, being pregnant and all, should you be on your feet all day? Working?” There was such concern in his voice, his eyes, she simply couldn’t get annoyed at him, not when she knew that someone had put him up to this.
Josh again, she thought with a sigh, trying to curb her annoyance. He’d sent for reinforcements. Now he was rallying his brothers to his cause. Lord, what on earth was she going to do with that man?
“Now why do I have a feeling your brother sent you in here to talk some sense into me?” she asked, crossing her arms across her chest and looking at Jake in challenge.
“Me?” Flustered at being caught, Jake lifted his hands in the air as if to feign innocence, then shook his head. “Not me, Em. I’m innocent. Honest. I just dropped by to see an old friend.”
Em knew how close the Ryan brothers were, knew how loyal they were to one another. She could stick needles in his nose and Jake would never admit Josh had sent him in to talk some sense into her, as Josh was fond of saying.
“Yeah, right,” she said with a grin, deciding to let it go. No sense arguing with Jake. It was Josh she had to contend with. “Well, for whatever reason, I am glad you stopped in. And I’m looking forward to meeting your wife.”
Jake wiggled his brow. “Yeah, you’ll like Rebecca, she’s a pistol.”
Em laughed, knowing the woman would have to be a pistol in order to catch the infamous Jake Ryan.
Jake slid off the stool, tossed some bills onto the counter before raising his gaze to hers. “Listen, Em, if you need anything, anything at all, just give a holler, hear? Rebecca and I have been doing some traveling, checking out some tips about Jesse—”
“Have you learned anything?” she asked quietly, knowing how painful this subject was. Twenty years ago, five-year-old Jesse Ryan, the youngest of the Ryan brothers had been kidnapped from the family’s ranch while in the care of his nanny. He’d never been found. Josh had told Em that Rebecca, a reporter, had written an in-depth article a few months ago about the Ryans and Jesse’s disappearance, and as a result, new tips and clues had been pouring in. Jake and his wife had been checking each and every lead out.
“No, nothing, at least nothing to speak of,” Jake admitted, rubbing a hand along his stubbled jaw. “But we’re not about to give up. Someone out there has to know something. And I’m determined to find him. But for the next few months, at least until Rebecca has the baby, we’re going to be home, so if you need anything, you just let us know.”
“I will, Jake.” Smiling, she cleared his plate and cup. “And thanks.”
“Any time.” He leaned across the counter to give her a big kiss on the cheek. “Take care of yourself, now, Em.”
“I will, Jake,” she said, watching as he walked toward the door whistling softly.
With a weary sigh, Em wiped off the counter, then went back into the kitchen to finish preparing the salads for the lunch rush. She was torn between annoyance and gratitude toward Josh for caring about her and her baby.
As she worked, Em thought about all those afternoons after school and weekends when she was in high school helping out her dad—resentfully at the time because she wanted to be with her friends instead. No, she mentally corrected as she placed the now full bowls of salad on the large round serving tray she’d
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