Part 21 (1/2)

With the cake finished and everything else in the slow cooker or the oven, Carlin ran back to her rooms-Libby's old rooms-to freshen up a bit. She could say all she wanted that she didn't care what Libby thought of her, but the woman was important to Zeke, so like it or not she did did care. She brushed her hair, put on a touch of pale lipstick, and changed into a blouse that didn't have a single food stain on it. She almost always wore an ap.r.o.n when she cooked, but she was a messy cook and no ap.r.o.n covered everything. care. She brushed her hair, put on a touch of pale lipstick, and changed into a blouse that didn't have a single food stain on it. She almost always wore an ap.r.o.n when she cooked, but she was a messy cook and no ap.r.o.n covered everything.

What she really needed was a smock, like the ones chefs wore on the cooking channels she'd been watching since coming here. Since she'd learned to cook maybe her next job would be in the kitchen, too. At least she'd expanded her capabilities. next job would be in the kitchen, too. At least she'd expanded her capabilities.

Her next job. It was a concept so vague she couldn't hold it in her head for more than a few seconds.

She was back in the kitchen when she heard the key in the lock, followed by a bewildered female voice saying, ”Why on earth have you started locking the door in the middle of the day?”

They'd decided not to tell Libby any details about Carlin's situation. Only Zeke and Kat knew the truth, and it was better that way.

She couldn't hear Zeke's explanation, which was delivered in a lowered voice that didn't carry from the mudroom.

Libby walked into the kitchen, took a long, deep breath, smiled at Carlin and said, ”Something smells good.”

The perfect Libby was short, plump, had dyed dark brown hair, and a wide beaming smile that didn't disguise the shrewdness of her gaze. She might be smiling, but she was reserving judgment.

Zeke was right behind her, two suitcases-one large, one small-in his hands. ”Libby, this is Carly Hunt.”

Libby's smile remained firmly in place, just as her a.s.sessing look didn't change at all. ”Glad to meet you. Zeke told me all about you,” she said, leaving Carlin to wonder whether Libby thought what she'd heard was good or bad. ”Of course, I've heard a lot about you already, from some of my old friends around here.”

Oh, no. That couldn't be good! Could it? What had she heard, and from whom had she heard it? She and Zeke had tried so hard not to let anyone realize that their relations.h.i.+p had changed. Kat had seen it, but she didn't think anyone else was the wiser. She instinctively didn't like that people in Battle Ridge had been talking about her, though thank G.o.d she'd covered for herself by not using her real name. Everything should be okay.

Zeke carried the bags through the dining room. ”Libby, I'm going to put your bags in my old bedroom, if that suits you.” His old bedroom was on the first floor.

”That's perfect,” she answered. ”I can still handle the stairs, but my knees don't like it much these days.”

”If you want your old rooms while you're visiting, I can take the other bedroom,” Carlin offered. She didn't have that many clothes or toiletries to move. It would be a pain, but she was willing.

”That's okay, I'm fine with Zeke's old room,” Libby replied. ”I'll just be here for a week, or two. No need to run you out of your quarters.”

Or two? What the h.e.l.l? Zeke had said Libby would be here a week, tops. ”There are fresh sheets on the bed in Zeke's old room,” Carlin said. What the h.e.l.l? Zeke had said Libby would be here a week, tops. ”There are fresh sheets on the bed in Zeke's old room,” Carlin said.

Libby's smile said that she certainly hoped so, that anything else was unacceptably sloppy. Carlin felt put in her place, even though Libby hadn't said a word of criticism. Dang, that was an art she needed to cultivate, herself.

”Fresh towels, soap, and shampoo, are in the downstairs bath. Is there anything else you need?”

”No.” Libby's gaze moved to Carlin's hair, and the line between her brows deepened as she squinted. She pursed her lips. ”I've been thinking about going blond,” she said, changing the subject without warning. ”This brown is way too dark, but I'm not ready to go back to red yet. I love the color of your hair. What shade do you use?”

”Uh, this is my natural color,” Carlin said as Libby leaned closer.

”Really. Hmm. I change my hair color a lot. I get bored with seeing the same thing every time I look in a mirror-not that changing color takes any of the weight off my b.u.t.t,” Libby said, and laughed. ”But I've gone back and forth between brown and red so many times I'm tired of it.”

Okay, that laugh had been genuine. Carlin relaxed a little. Maybe this wouldn't be too bad. ”Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. If you'd like to settle in before we eat...” little. Maybe this wouldn't be too bad. ”Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. If you'd like to settle in before we eat...”

”No, I'm fine.” Libby walked around the big kitchen, peeking in the slow cooker, turning on the light in the oven and peering inside. She even checked out the silverware drawer, and the junk drawer where Zeke threw odds and ends. Carlin kept expecting the woman to pull out a white glove and check the top of the fridge.

”I spent years in this kitchen,” she said softly, more to herself than to Carlin. ”It's mostly the same way it was, but it's different, too. It isn't mine, now.”

Zeke returned to the kitchen. Hands now empty, he crossed his arms and leaned against the doorjamb between the kitchen and the dining room. And he smiled. He did that a lot, these days. He smiled at her her.

And she'd wondered if anyone else knew about them. If they saw him looking at her this way they'd most definitely know something was going on.

But for right now, he was smiling at the both of them.

LIBBY SAT AT the dining room table and watched the men around her. Being here was both familiar and strange, because she knew these men almost as well as she knew herself. They had been in her care for years-well, except for Spencer, who wasn't that long from his mother's care. Once the round of enthusiastic greetings and hugs had subsided, the hands she'd fed for so long settled down to eat what was, she admitted, a tasty and healthy meal. She'd always had such a hard time getting the men to eat vegetables, but they dug into what was served, even the green beans. the dining room table and watched the men around her. Being here was both familiar and strange, because she knew these men almost as well as she knew herself. They had been in her care for years-well, except for Spencer, who wasn't that long from his mother's care. Once the round of enthusiastic greetings and hugs had subsided, the hands she'd fed for so long settled down to eat what was, she admitted, a tasty and healthy meal. She'd always had such a hard time getting the men to eat vegetables, but they dug into what was served, even the green beans.

She'd heard through the Battle Ridge grapevine that Zeke had been getting chummy with the new cook and housekeeper. It wasn't like she hadn't been meaning to visit, anyway, but the news had spurred her on. What if Carly Hunt was a gold digger, out to take Zeke for all he was worth? What if she was using him? visit, anyway, but the news had spurred her on. What if Carly Hunt was a gold digger, out to take Zeke for all he was worth? What if she was using him?

Her brain said that Zeke Decker could take care of himself, that he was too sharp to let himself be fooled by a pretty face again after his experience with his ex-wife, but the fact was Zeke was a man, and more than one smart man had been blinded by s.e.x. So despite what her brain had told her, her heart had insisted she check out this new housekeeper.

Right now, Libby was reserving judgment. You couldn't see the truth of someone right off the bat, but so far she hadn't seen anything bad. Carly had done more work in the past hour than Libby had seen Rachel do in the months she'd been here, but her work ethic could be a part of a scam. She might be trying to make herself appear to be the perfect candidate for ranch wife, and then as soon as the ring was on her finger she'd change her tune.

Of course, exactly what would she gain? Zeke's lifestyle was far from extravagant. There was money in a ranch this size, if it was properly managed, which Zeke's was. But how would Carly necessarily know this? Unless she had experience with ranches, which from what everyone said she definitely didn't, she'd think Zeke was getting by. And even then-a con would mean grab the money and run, not sign on for what Libby knew was months of a lot of hard work.

The hands at the table all seemed to like Carly, and the way Zeke looked at her-well, all she could say was, Libby genuinely hoped Carly Hunt wasn't a scam artist, wasn't a gold digger. If she was genuine, if she truly cared about him the way he obviously cared about her, then she was just what the doctor ordered.

Carly left the table to fetch dessert, and returned with a tall white layer cake with fluffy white icing. Libby eyed it with hidden misgiving. What was Carly thinking? After all this time, didn't she know these men preferred chocolate, in any form, any day of the week? Were they just being polite when they acted as if they couldn't wait for a slice of that cake? with hidden misgiving. What was Carly thinking? After all this time, didn't she know these men preferred chocolate, in any form, any day of the week? Were they just being polite when they acted as if they couldn't wait for a slice of that cake?

Carly placed the cake before Zeke, who started to cut it while she returned to the kitchen for decaf. Walt said something about the ”Never Fail White Cake” and Patrick laughed.

Dear G.o.d, was that the the Never Fail White Cake? Libby's eyed widened. ”Oh my G.o.d!” she blurted, then clapped a hand over her mouth. She'd tried the recipe once- Never Fail White Cake? Libby's eyed widened. ”Oh my G.o.d!” she blurted, then clapped a hand over her mouth. She'd tried the recipe once-once-but thank G.o.d she'd been smart enough to do a taste test before serving it. Okay, it had simply looked good, she'd been hungry, so she'd cut herself a slice to tide her over until dinner. The cake had been like rubber and she'd tossed it in the garbage before anyone had seen. She'd never tried that recipe again. Maybe she should've scribbled a warning note in the margins of that page.

Carly paused, alarm on her face. ”What?”

There was nothing to do now but explain. ”I tried that recipe once. The cake was like rubber rubber! It was awful. I threw the cake in the garbage and never mentioned it to anyone.”

Everyone burst out laughing. Carly's mouth fell open in astonishment. ”That's exactly what it was like the first time I made it!”

”You mean you kept kept making it?” making it?”

”I'd never made a cake before, so I thought it was something I'd done wrong. All of my cooking is an experiment in progress.” Carly shrugged. ”I just keep at it until I come up with something that's edible.”

The men were grinning. Plates laden with large slices of cake were pa.s.sed around the table. Libby accepted a plate, staring at the thick, fluffy white cake. She waited until she had a cup of coffee sitting in front of her before she took a bite of the cake, because she wanted something handy to wash it down, if needed. She took a small bite. she took a bite of the cake, because she wanted something handy to wash it down, if needed. She took a small bite.

Everyone was openly watching her. The cake melted in her mouth. Her eyes rounded. ”Holy c.r.a.p, this is good,” she blurted. ”You have to show me what you did.”

She took a bigger bite of the cake, and looked up just as Carly and Zeke shared a quick glance that was obviously not meant to be observed. Zeke's gaze was warm, and Carly's was...did she know she got that soft look in her eyes when she looked at him?

Okay, maybe she was genuine. Maybe she truly cared about Zeke. Libby wasn't completely convinced, but she had to take into account that the men here weren't fools, and they all seemed to really like the girl, and she appeared to like them as well. Maybe Zeke Decker had once again somehow twisted and mauled circ.u.mstances until they gave him exactly what he wanted.

Chapter Twenty-six

IT WAS TIME. It was past time. Zeke had held off on taking this step for weeks, even though he knew he didn't have any choice. If he kept his promise to Carlin, if he didn't try to help her, she'd move on in a few weeks and be no better off than she'd been when she'd arrived in Battle Ridge. If he could convince her to stay it would be a different matter. He'd do everything he could to protect her, but d.a.m.n it all to h.e.l.l and back, he couldn't protect her if she wasn't f.u.c.king here here.

If he could help her she'd hate him-but she'd be safe, and that was the most important thing.

A second trip to town in as many days was unusual, but he didn't want Carlin or Libby or anyone else on his heels when he walked into the sheriff's auxiliary office, a sterile, boxy, newish building not far from the grocery store. He was in luck. Billy Nelson was working the Battle Ridge office today. He and Billy had gone to school together, and the deputy could be trusted to keep his word-and to keep his mouth shut, if that was asked of him.