Page 8 of Quinn

“Well, no, but—”

Sporting a full on grin, Aunt Eileen clapped her hands together. “Then it’s settled. As soon as you’re done with the kitchen here, Quinn will collect your things and bring you back to the ranch.”

“Me?” Quinn’s eyebrows rose.

“Yes.” Aunt Eileen stared at him. “You.”

“But Danny won’t be here for three weeks, I don’t need to move just yet. Besides, maybe the schedule can be rearranged, for the apartment I mean.” This whole situation had Eloise a tad confused and a whole lot worried.

“No matter, dear.” Aunt Eileen patted her arm. “No sense in settling in twice, besides, the Parlor House is lovely, but it’s not a home.”

And just like that, everyone went back to their duties, not an argument among them. Eloise had the distinct feeling that everyone knew better than to argue with Aunt Eileen.

By day’s end, the once neat and clean restaurant was again mussed from a hard day’s work. At least there was no denying the progress they’d made. Eloise had gone over every detail of the kitchen layout once, twice and then again. She gave new meaning to the old adage, measure twice, cut once. Making notes and suggesting minor tweaks, all was accomplished with a persistent smile that somehow made even criticism feel like praise.

Quinn wasn’t totally sure what he’d expected from the new chef, but man or woman, Eloise was not it. Once she’d finished her analysis, her requests, and a shopping list as long as his arm, she rolled up her sleeves and joined the rest of the crew in their daily clean up. All the while, her smile never slipping. Now she stood on the sidewalk beside his truck, her small suitcase looking lost in the bed among his tools.

“Ready?” Quinn opened the passenger door, trying not to notice how the setting sun caught golden highlights in her hair.

“As ready as I’m going to be.” Already climbing in, she somehow managed to look both professional and endearingly uncertain. “I really don’t like being an imposition, but somehow I got the feeling there was no refusing your aunt.”

“If your cooking is as good as your instincts, the restaurant is going to be a big hit.”

“She’s that difficult?” How the woman could manage looking happy and worried at the same time, he had no clue.

“I don’t think difficult is the right word. When there’s trouble on the horizon, there isn’t anyone better you want on your side than Aunt Eileen, but when the woman makes up her mind, there is no changing it.”

“I see.” Fastening her seat belt, she heaved a deep sigh.

An overwhelming urge to reach over and stroke her hand and assure her all would be well was almost too strong to hold back. Almost. “Don’t let her scare you, she’s just a protective mama bear.”

The drive to the ranch started quietly. Quinn could feel the nerves radiating from Eloise clear across the cab of his truck, but danged if tongue tied him knew what to say.

“Gray is a sweet dog,” she finally broke the silence.

When Gray first met Eloise, he’d sniffed every inch of her pant leg before settling happily at her side, then he pretty much followed Eloise around until a little later when Aunt Eileen made it clear to the ranch canine that it was time to go. Quinn had to admit, though obedient, the dog didn’t look very happy to be going home with the family matriarch, leaving his new friend behind.

“Your family seems pretty big,” she continued.

“I’m one of six brothers.”

“No girls?”

He shook his head. “To my mother’s chagrin, no. But now that most of my brothers are married, she’s sort of happy to have daughters-in-law.”

“Sort of?” One brow rose higher than the other in the cutest little expression of confusion.

“We’re all in Texas, she and Dad are in Oklahoma. She’s not too happy about that.”

“I suppose I could understand why. They don’t want to move?”

“My dad probably would. He’d been estranged from his brother and cousin—that would be Uncle Sean—but now that they’ve mended fences, I think he would be happy to be in the fold again.”

“And your mother?”

His mother. That was a question they’d all been asking themselves and still didn’t have an answer for. “Let’s say not so much.”

“Do you think you and your brothers are going to stay in Texas?”

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