“I will see you soon,” Emily said and hugged Amy goodbye. She knew if for some reason her employment with Mark ended she and Amy would continue to be friends.
By the time they got back to the ranch, the sun was starting to set. Trevor was rubbing his eyes and Mark carried him up to his room. Emily quickly got him ready for bed and then barely managed to drag herself to her room. It had been a wonderful day and she felt her life was finally starting to be normal. It was a great feeling.
“Mom, I’m leaving now,” Trevor said, snapping her out of her daydreaming.
“Sorry Trevor, I lost track of time,” she apologized. She gave him a big kiss and walked out the front door with him. She watched him climb in the car with Edward. Emily waved and stood watching them drive away until they were out of sight.
It was Trevor’s second week at his school and he couldn’t wait to get out the door each morning. He loved the place so much and always came home telling her the amazing things he’d done.
She still felt a little bit guilty over the exorbitant cost of the school’s tuition, so she worked from morning until night, making sure the house was spotless and the meals were incredible.
She headed inside and finished making breakfast for all the hands. They’d started coming in earlier each day and were usually there about an hour before the actual meal was ready. She loved to talk with them and started preparing some fruit and breads the night before so they had things to munch on while waiting on their hot food.
“Emily I think I’ve gained ten pounds since you became our cook. Pretty soon I’m not going to be able to button my Wranglers anymore,” one of her favorite ranch hands said. He leaned back in his chair and groaned.
“I don’t think you could gain a single pound with how hard you work. You need your fuel for the day.”
“I think I’m in love with you,” John said and gave her an adoring smile.
“You’re in love with my cooking skills.”
“Come on Emily, run away with me,” he teased her.
“John, don’t make me call your Mom. She wouldn’t be happy to hear her eighteen year old son was hitting on an older woman,” she teased.
“Heck she would tell me how smart I was,” he replied.
“John don’t make me put you on muck duty all day,” Mark said, as he entered the room. He ruffled John’s hair showing how fond he was of the boy.
“I’m trying to convince Emily to run away with me. She’s being stubborn though,” John said, with a full blown grin at Mark and then Emily.
“If anyone tries to convince Emily to run away with them, it would be me,” Mark said in a teasing voice but also with a serious look in his eyes.
“Okay no more chocolate muffins for you guys in the morning. It makes you all too rowdy. Now go get to work,” Emily said and pushed all the men out of the kitchen. “I will see you at lunch.”
She watched the men fondly as they made their way towards the barn. She cleaned up the kitchen and started her prep work for their lunch. She loved the huge country kitchen and couldn’t imagine ever getting bored working her magic in it.
Even more, she loved to cook for people who appreciated her food so much. It wasn’t as fun to prepare meals only for yourself and a toddler.
She was also well used to the men flirting with her. She knew it was all harmless but it was good for her ego. If any of them flirted a little beyond what she thought was appropriate, she quickly put them in their place and things went back to normal.
There was a new guy though who Mark had hired a couple of weeks after she’d started who gave her the creeps. He never talked to her but she would find him leering at her every once in a while. She was sure she just had an over exaggerated imagination.
There would be no way she would say anything to anyone about her fears of the new guy. She was sure he was harmless, like the rest of the men and just trying to make a living.
The guys returned for lunch in no time. Mark always looked so sexy in his dust covered wranglers and worn out Stetson hat. It took every ounce of willpower not to stare at him, or pull him close.
“Hey Emily we’re going over to the Three Rivers tonight. There’s this great new singer who’s performing. Do you want to come with us?” one of the hands asked her.
Emily was pleased to be invited but she was worried about her son. Edward was in the kitchen and seemed to be able to read her mind. “I can keep an eye on the Little Man if you want to get out for a while,” he offered her.
“Are you sure?” she asked Edward.
“I would love to watch him. We’ll make some buttery popcorn and watch the new Disney Movie,” he said.
“Well in that case I would love to,” she said. She was mentally going through her closet, really excited to have a night out. It had been far too long.
“I can give you a ride in,” John offered.
“I will bring Emily,” Mark said, brooking no room for argument from any of the men.
“I thought you said you couldn’t make it boss,” John whined a little.
“I changed my mind,” he stated, before throwing his hat back on and slamming out the back door.
“What’s gotten under his burr?” John grumbled.
“I think he’s marking his territory,” one of the other guys said.
“We’re not a couple. He probably just didn’t want to put any of you out,” Emily defended.
“Sure,” a couple of the guys chorused together. Everyone suddenly found great interest in their food and no one else said a word as they finished their lunch and then rushed out the door.
Emily cleaned up quickly and rushed upstairs to get ready for her evening out. She had the whole afternoon to pamper herself, since everyone was going to eat dinner at the bar. She was actually a little giddy as she took a long bath and spent extra time on her hair, clothes and make-up.
“Damn girl, you look good. I call the first dance,” her favorite ranch hand, Eric said, as she walked into the smoky bar with Mark, who hadn’t said one word to her on the ride there. He seemed to be angry with her and she couldn’t figure out why.
“Thank you Eric and yes I would love to dance with you,” she told the man. He wasted no time in abandoning his seat and pulling her out onto the dance floor.
Emily was having an amazing time. She had no idea how long she’d been dancing, because as soon as one song ended another of the hands grabbed her and she was off doing another two-step. She had not laughed so much in far too many years.