Page 12 of A Rancher's Heart
Tamara rounded the corner just as Dustin made a rude face, cheeks puffed out like a squirrel storing nuts for the winter.
It was childish, but Caleb couldn’t help but feel for the first time that day something had gone his direction.
It hadn’t been difficult to find the kitchen. Tamara let her ears lead her toward the noise even as she straightened her spine and mentally prepared herself.
Didn’t matter that she’d spent years dealing with life-and-death situations, and had even given presentations in front of large groups on various topics during her nursing career. This was different. She was meeting the people she would be living with twenty-four/seven, andtheywere family. She was the newcomer. She had to fit in, which meant being on her best behaviour.
If she knew how to pull that off.
Two steps into the room she paused. This section of the house held an open-design room, with the dining room to the right and the kitchen laid out to the left in an L along two walls. A large island sat conveniently in front of the cooking workspace, a row of tall stools tucked under the overhang.
She noticed all that in an instant, kind of as a backdrop to the main event which were the faces turning her way. She ignored the male bodies and focused on the two little girls sitting next to each other at the table, motionless as they eyed her.
Sasha’s expression was guarded as she leaned protectively toward a curly-haired blonde angel of a girl who had to be her little sister. Emma looked confused and worried, teeth digging into her lower lip as she chewed on it, her clear blue eyes examining Tamara intently.
Something inside Tamara settled with an abrupt click.Thiswas why she was here—for these girls. And no matter that she would never admit how scared she was at having left her comfort zone and being a bit of a fish out of water, putting the job in perspective made it a lot simpler.
Taking care of the people who couldn’t defend themselves was right up Tamara’s alley. Making sure these kids were safe and happy she could do.
Which is why after offering them a smile, she glanced toward the four men in the room with more confidence. “I hope that delicious smell means I can convince someone to feed me.”
The teenager sitting beside the girls jerked his chair to vertical so fast he nearly tipped over. A younger mirror image to Caleb, he chewed around an enormous chunk of food, cheeks flushing red as he raised a hand to cover his mouth.
Tamara took pity on him and looked the opposite direction.
She met Caleb’s gaze just in time to see him wiping away a bit of a smirk. His balanced stoic expression returned, and his amusement vanished as if it had never been there.
He dipped his chin politely.
Before he could speak, another tall man with unruly red-tinged hair stepped forward, hand outstretched in greeting. “Foodandwater, if you can imagine. Hi, I’m Luke. Nice to meet you.”
His smile was full-out welcoming, a twinkle of mischief in his brown eyes as she gave his hand a firm shake. “Nice to meet you too. Tamara Coleman.”
Luke jerked a thumb over his shoulder toward the tallest of the lot who was leaning against the counter, arms folded over his chest. “That one is Walker. He’s just back from time on the circuit, so I don’t know how civilized he is at the moment.”
“I don’t know why you think you’re funny,” Walker muttered. “I really don’t.” His pitch-black hair and brows with his decidedly less friendly expression combined to make him look a lot more dangerous than the exuberant Luke.
Butterflies flipped for a moment in Tamara’s stomach before she stepped forward and offered her hand in spite of Walker’s non-welcoming body language.
He shook her hand briefly before moving to the sink to fill a pitcher with water.
“You know Caleb,” Luke continued in his self-appointed role of Master of Ceremonies. “And that one over there is Dusty. Don’t worry, contrary to appearances you won’t need to nanny him as well.”
Poor Dusty’s face was flaming red, and while Tamara understood teasing was part of being a family, she felt sorry for the kid.
She walked over and extended her hand same as she had to Walker. “While I don’t have any big brothers, I have a bunch of older cousins, so trust me. I understand what a royal pain they are at times.”
His lips twitched and a little of the tension slipped from him. “Threeolder brothers andtwoolder sisters—pain and me are well acquainted. And it’s Dustin, if you don’t mind.”
“Dustin it is.”
Tamara turned to greet the final member of the family, dropping to her knees to put her head on level with Emma’s. “I met your sister, which means you are Emma. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.”
She waited to see what kind of a response she got. She wasn’t about to put the little girl on the spot by offering a handshake and potentially having it shut down.
Emma tipped her head and looked Tamara over, a little frown creasing her forehead before she lifted her hand and ran a finger along the edge of Tamara’s glasses.
“Like them? Back when I worked in the hospital I had to wear certain clothes because of a dress code, and sometimes that felt pretty boring. I started collecting all sorts of glasses that werenotboring. These are one of my favourite. Wearing them makes me feel like I’m having a summer day, even in the middle of winter.”
