The Nanny And The Reluctant Rancher. Barbara McCauley
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been wonderful to me.”
And I haven’t, Logan thought with a frown. Her skin was soft and smooth where he held her arm. He knew he should let go, but he couldn’t seem to break the contact between them.
“Look, Miss Delaney—Kat,” he said as quietly as he could over the clatter of dishes and people talking. “About the other day. I didn’t mean to be rude or unreasonable. I just...well, you weren’t what I was expecting.”
She looked at him for a long moment, then sighed softly and relaxed her shoulders. “How’s Anna?”
“Logan Kincaid, get your hands off my waitress!”
Stubbs Parson came around from behind the grill waving a spatula, his bulldog face scowling.
“Don’t think you can come in here and steal this gem away from me, especially after the way you’ve treated her, Mr. Flimflam man. Word has it from Punch Wilkins you brought her all the way from New York, then fired her faster than he could microwave a tamale.”
Logan and Stubbs had been friends for years, and Logan, like everyone else in town, had always tolerated and been amused by the ornery old café owner. At the moment, however, Logan definitely didn’t feel very tolerant, and he sure as hell didn’t feel amused. He ignored Stubbs and looked directly at Kat. Her face was bright red and it was obvious that everyone in town knew he’d fired her. No wonder people had been treating him like a pariah. With that innocent face of hers, and that sweet smile, Logan Kincaid would look like the devil incarnate. Logan decided he was going to strangle Punch.
He also decided he wanted Kat Delaney back.
For Anna, of course.
“How much is he paying you?” Logan asked Kat.
Flustered, Kat looked at Stubbs. “Well, I—”
“Oh, no, you don’t.” Stubbs waved his spatula at Logan. “To quote Punch, you said that you needed someone older. Well, mister, she might be too young for you, but she’s not for me.”
“I’m not too young for you, sweetie,” Stella Jones, the town beautician said from the booth behind him. Stella had to be at least sixty, with brassy red hair and a cosmetics-counter face. Logan’s collar was burning now, and the heat moved like wildfire up his neck. He decided he wasn’t going to strangle Punch. That would be too quick. He was going to kill him slowly and painfully.
“How much is he paying you?” Logan asked Kat again.
“The tips have been very generous,” Kat said carefully.
“I’ll bet they have.” Logan looked around the café and saw several of the men staring at Kat. She was probably making twice what he’d offered her.
Crow was a hard dish to swallow, but for Anna, he’d swallow the whole damn bird, beak and all. His daughter wanted Kat, and he’d bring her back come hell or high water.
He held Kat’s gaze. “Name your price.”
Kat started to open her mouth, but Stubbs cut her off with a wave of his spatula. “Man’s gotta pay for his own stupidity, Katie. You wanna go with him, it’s okay, but you let me handle this.”
Kat was too stunned to say a word when Stubbs handed her a coffeepot and told her to go refill some cups. She wanted to protest, but he was her boss, after all. At least, she thought he was. She watched Logan and Stubbs arguing, but they’d lowered their voices and she couldn’t hear what they were saying. She knew Logan was angry from the twitch in his temple and the tight set of his jaw. Stubbs, on the other hand, seemed to be having a good time giving Logan a bad time.
The café owner had been good to her these past two days. After she’d checked into the motel next door, she’d applied for the job as waitress. She’d told Stubbs that she’d had no experience, but he hadn’t cared and had hired her on the spot. He was a gruff old man with a rough face and a kind heart. He’d slapped the hands of every cowboy and male customer who’d teased her or made even the slightest sexual innuendo. In spite of their flirtations, the cowboys had been gentlemen, and the locals had all been very accepting of a gal from New York City. Everyone was friendly and warm and liked to talk, something New Yorkers hadn’t the time for.
And while working in a restaurant hadn’t exactly been her dream of coming west and working on a ranch, it had still been interesting to experience a different type of job, one that she’d never really considered. It was a hard, on-your-feet-never-stop job that required physical strength, tremendous patience and a good memory. From now on, she’d definitely have nothing but the utmost regard for all restaurant workers.
But in spite of the fact that she’d enjoyed her two days at the café, she missed Anna. She’d been planning on a visit her next day off, but transportation was still a problem. The thought of riding with Punch made her teeth ache, but to see Anna, she’d tolerate even Wildman’s driving.
And now Logan was here. Her knees had started shaking when she’d watched him walk into the diner. The look on his face when he’d seen her had been priceless, but the look he’d given her a moment later, a look that consumed her, had turned her shaking knees to water. She was scared she was going to beg him to hire her again, then suddenly he was actually asking her to come back. She would have said yes in a second. She didn’t want more money, she would pay him to let her come back and be with Anna, but out of loyalty to Stubbs and the kindness he’d shown her, she was willing to go along with whatever game he was playing.
Logan’s voice grew louder and several heads turned in his direction. He scowled at everyone, then tossed a couple of bills down and stormed out of the café.
Kat’s heart sank. He’d changed his mind again. She felt moisture burning in her eyes, but quickly blinked it back. Two rejections in three days from the man was almost enough to have her packing her bags. But she wouldn’t. Not because of Mr. Logan Kincaid.
Stubbs picked up the money Logan had thrown down and walked over to where she was clearing a booth. Shaking his head, he looked at her and sighed. “Sorry, Katie. I was shooting for double pay, and only got you half again as much.”
It took a moment for his words to sink in. Her heart started pounding. “You mean, he, that I—”
He grinned. “Yep. Looks like you’re working for Logan again. We’re gonna miss you here, honey, but you and I both know that’s not why you came to Harmony, and you don’t belong in here waiting tables.”
Kat couldn’t believe it. She was really going back to the ranch, to Anna. Her head was spinning. “I’ll just finish up here today and—”
“‘Fraid not. He’s waiting outside, and unless I want that crazy man coming back in here and bothering my customers again, you better hightail it out of here.” He tucked the bills Logan had thrown down on the counter into her pocket. “Here’s your tip, darlin’. If he so much as looks cross-eyed at you, you got a job here anytime.”
“Hey, how ’bout some coffee here, Katie?” a man yelled from a booth.
Kat started for the coffeepot, but Stubbs stopped her and yelled back at the man. “Hold yer horses, McDermott. Katie doesn’t work here anymore. You’re gonna have to put up with my mug for a while.”
A chorus of groans shot through the café. Kat laughed and hugged Stubbs. “I don’t know how to thank you. You’re a true gentleman.”
“Dang,” he said with a lopsided grin, “I been called a lot things, but never a gentleman.”
“You’re gonna be called a lot more things if you don’t get me my food,” a ranch hand called out.
“Go somewhere else if you don’t like the service,” Stubbs hollered. Since there was nowhere else in town to go for lunch, the man tucked his hat low on his head and hunkered down in his seat, grumbling under his breath.
Kat’s hands were shaking as she moved behind the counter and untied her apron. “I’ll bring your uniform back before