shallow and not very big at all, she looked at the woman in disbelief, but she was still sitting in stony silence, her beautiful face drained of color.
Carefully, Gemma bandaged her finger. “I think you’ll be okay now.”
The woman said nothing.
“I’m Gemma. I’m one of the applicants for the job and—”
“The rolls!” the woman said as she jumped up, ran to the big stove, and threw open the oven door. She started to reach for the hot metal sheet, but since she was keeping her injured hand elevated and the other one was bare, she couldn’t get them out.
“I’ll do it,” Gemma said as she picked up pot holders and removed the tray of bread.
“I’m a real wimp,” the woman said as she sat back down on the stool. “When it comes to blood, especially my own, I’m a coward. I’m Jean Caldwell, and thanks a lot for this. If you hadn’t come by I probably would have fainted, then dinner would have been ruined. That would have meant the Fraziers would have to order in pizza—which the men would have loved.” Jean sighed. “Maybe you shouldn’t have saved me.”
Gemma smiled, but Jean’s face was still too white. “Why don’t you stay seated and let me help with this?” The top of the stove had a bubbling pot on each of the six burners.
“You can cook?”
“Not at all, but I’m excellent at following directions. It’s what I’ve been doing since I was five.”
“Oh, right, school. I remember thinking that I couldn’t wait to get away from the professors and be free. Little did I know that bosses make teachers look like angels.”
“I take it you’ve never had Dr. Fredrickson.”
Jean smiled. “Colin said you were funny.”
“Did he?” Gemma said and couldn’t help feeling good at the compliment. His girlfriend wouldn’t make such a remark, would she? “Do I need to do anything to any of this?”
“Turn off that left back burner, and stir that orange pot. Good. I hear Colin took you with him when he played hooky this afternoon.”
Gemma didn’t turn around. There was something so possessive in the way Jean said his name that Gemma’s heart began to sink. “He . . .” she said tentatively.
“I don’t blame either of you,” Jean said. “I’ve met Isla and Kirk. She came in here and started giving me cooking instructions. I got rid of her by asking her to chop onions. Then that prissy little Kirk came in and stuck a spoon in my osso bucco. He said it needed more salt. Colin took him away before I slammed his face in the pot. Would you like some wine?”
Gemma worked to keep any expression off her face, but the euphoria she’d felt all day was leaving her.
Jean refilled her own glass from a bottle of red wine that was sitting open on the stone countertop. “I need this if I’m going to face those two at dinner.” She pointed to a cabinet and Gemma opened it to see wineglasses. “Sorry to be such an invalid, but I’vebeen in court all day. My feet are killing me. Then I had to drive the nearly seventy miles from Richmond, and when I got here I was introduced to that Isla. She seemed to think she and I were destined to be best friends.”
Gemma nodded, glad Jean was speaking of something besides Colin. “I’m sure Isla believes she’s won. She doesn’t consider me a worthy opponent, so she doesn’t bother with me, either here or at school.”
“I can’t see her in that mess Alea bought, so what is she really after?”
“I think she wants Lanny, but Colin says she’s after Shamus.” Gemma watched to see if Jean would show any emotion at Gemma’s mention of Colin’s name, but she didn’t. Either they weren’t a couple or Jean was very secure.
Jean laughed. “That sounds like something Colin would say. The other brother, Pere, isn’t here. He’s the pretty one. Isla would probably do a lap dance for him. Would you turn down the heat under that big skillet? Colin doesn’t like his beef overcooked. Thanks.”
“The problem . . .” Gemma said as
Carefully, Gemma bandaged her finger. “I think you’ll be okay now.”
The woman said nothing.
“I’m Gemma. I’m one of the applicants for the job and—”
“The rolls!” the woman said as she jumped up, ran to the big stove, and threw open the oven door. She started to reach for the hot metal sheet, but since she was keeping her injured hand elevated and the other one was bare, she couldn’t get them out.
“I’ll do it,” Gemma said as she picked up pot holders and removed the tray of bread.
“I’m a real wimp,” the woman said as she sat back down on the stool. “When it comes to blood, especially my own, I’m a coward. I’m Jean Caldwell, and thanks a lot for this. If you hadn’t come by I probably would have fainted, then dinner would have been ruined. That would have meant the Fraziers would have to order in pizza—which the men would have loved.” Jean sighed. “Maybe you shouldn’t have saved me.”
Gemma smiled, but Jean’s face was still too white. “Why don’t you stay seated and let me help with this?” The top of the stove had a bubbling pot on each of the six burners.
“You can cook?”
“Not at all, but I’m excellent at following directions. It’s what I’ve been doing since I was five.”
“Oh, right, school. I remember thinking that I couldn’t wait to get away from the professors and be free. Little did I know that bosses make teachers look like angels.”
“I take it you’ve never had Dr. Fredrickson.”
Jean smiled. “Colin said you were funny.”
“Did he?” Gemma said and couldn’t help feeling good at the compliment. His girlfriend wouldn’t make such a remark, would she? “Do I need to do anything to any of this?”
“Turn off that left back burner, and stir that orange pot. Good. I hear Colin took you with him when he played hooky this afternoon.”
Gemma didn’t turn around. There was something so possessive in the way Jean said his name that Gemma’s heart began to sink. “He . . .” she said tentatively.
“I don’t blame either of you,” Jean said. “I’ve met Isla and Kirk. She came in here and started giving me cooking instructions. I got rid of her by asking her to chop onions. Then that prissy little Kirk came in and stuck a spoon in my osso bucco. He said it needed more salt. Colin took him away before I slammed his face in the pot. Would you like some wine?”
Gemma worked to keep any expression off her face, but the euphoria she’d felt all day was leaving her.
Jean refilled her own glass from a bottle of red wine that was sitting open on the stone countertop. “I need this if I’m going to face those two at dinner.” She pointed to a cabinet and Gemma opened it to see wineglasses. “Sorry to be such an invalid, but I’vebeen in court all day. My feet are killing me. Then I had to drive the nearly seventy miles from Richmond, and when I got here I was introduced to that Isla. She seemed to think she and I were destined to be best friends.”
Gemma nodded, glad Jean was speaking of something besides Colin. “I’m sure Isla believes she’s won. She doesn’t consider me a worthy opponent, so she doesn’t bother with me, either here or at school.”
“I can’t see her in that mess Alea bought, so what is she really after?”
“I think she wants Lanny, but Colin says she’s after Shamus.” Gemma watched to see if Jean would show any emotion at Gemma’s mention of Colin’s name, but she didn’t. Either they weren’t a couple or Jean was very secure.
Jean laughed. “That sounds like something Colin would say. The other brother, Pere, isn’t here. He’s the pretty one. Isla would probably do a lap dance for him. Would you turn down the heat under that big skillet? Colin doesn’t like his beef overcooked. Thanks.”
“The problem . . .” Gemma said as
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