Chief Cook and Bottle Washer by Rita Hestand Page B

it, than Rusty was
bringing it inside, "Where should I put it?" He asked.
    "In her room. Mattie's old room," Deke added
as he shook his head. "Come on down the hall, Emma, we'll show you
your room and you can get her settled down." Deke was insisting,
again taking her elbow and guiding her.
    She wished he wouldn't do that, it made her
feel funny and very aware of the man. She didn't want to be aware
of the boss. Strange how that mere touch set off such sparks. She
was probably just tired and over-reacting to his kindness. Emma
wasn't the kind to flirt. She'd been around men all her life, but
not intimately, and this feeling was shocking her into a new
awareness. Maybe she ought to concentrate on Charlie.
    Her brothers had teased her about not wanting
to date. So much so, she finally began taking Charlie's flirtation
seriously. Charlie had been their neighbor for years. Her father
had told her repeatedly she'd never find a man of her own in jeans
and T-shirts. She should be wearing dresses, he had said with a
firm shake to his head. But he'd never spare a dime for such a
luxury. And she had Charlie, with or without a dress. But she
didn't want to think about that now. She wasn't here for a man.
    The room they offered her had a beautiful
canopy bed in the middle. Another thing she hadn't expected. It was
decorated with delicate white lace and yellow flowers. An antique
dresser matched the bed, and a trunk full of blankets propped at
the foot. An old fashioned tapestry lamp adorned the dresser.
    Nothing about this ranch house looked dreary
or old, or dirty, Emma thought. It would be a real pleasure taking
care of a place like this. Someday her and Sammie Jo would have a
place like this–a real home. She peeked out the window and saw a
few ranch hands gathering about. There was a half a dozen or more
so Emma figured this had to be a good size spread.
    "Shouldn't I be starting supper?" she asked
when no one seemed in too big a hurry to leave.
    "Not tonight. Tonight is on us. Sort of a
welcome. Rusty's got the fire going out back, we'll have some big
steaks and baked potatoes in no time. Don't worry, after tonight,
that chore will be yours. So enjoy it while you can. Just remember
most of the men are meat and potato kind of men. If you can fix
biscuits all the better." Deke winked. "Now, this will be your room
Emma. We hope you like it here and will consider it your home. Make
yourself at home. The bath's down the hall, and I've taken the
liberty of putting a sign on the door when it's occupied, so we'll
all know you're in there. I'm afraid we've only got one bath, these
old houses were never equipped with more than one, I'm afraid. But
I'm sure we can make allowances. Better find Jake and let him know
about all this, too, I guess."
    "Jake?"
    "Our other brother," Clint added with a
smile. "He'll be in directly. He's the serious one. The strong
silent type. Most of the women fall for him right away."
    "Most of 'em." Rusty winked at her.
    "Too bad he don't have a roving eye," Clint
quipped.
    "Oh. I never asked but will I be cooking for
the boys in the bunkhouse too?"
    "Yes ma'am. But if you get in a strap, Little
Jim will help you out. He's the trail cook. Most of the time.
Clint's a right fair hand at it too, when he's around. So you will
have plenty of help if you need it," Cal Travers added. "And they
all eat in the kitchen. They all use the back door. And they all
drink a lot of coffee. We don't allow liquor on the job, so you
don't have to worry about that from our men."
    "Just like home."
    "Home? Where you from, Emma?" Rusty asked
innocently as he went about setting the playpen up and Cal laid the
baby down. Sammie Jo sighed and rolled to one side, sound asleep.
Deke had pulled out a small blanket from her bag and covered her
with it. Clint put her suitcase in the closet. Emma stood around
looking silly.
    "I'm from around Greenville. East Texas. I
grew up on a spread not half this size. I have three brothers. My
mother died