Page 7 of Guarded Secrets
Keeley unpacked her bags, leaning her recipe card against a mason jar holding sprigs of dried lavender, then she organized the ingredients on the island. “I don’t get it. Why is a flat tire such a big deal?”
“It’s not the flat tire that’s a big deal. It’s Owen.” Delaney mimed zipping her lips. “But we can’t talk about it even though I’m dying of curiosity. I promised.”
Cam set Willa in her little bed with a chew ring. She put up her hands when Keeley turned to her. “Don’t look at me. I just live here.” She picked up the recipe card, then set it back against the jar. “Solid recipe, my friend. Want me to make the crust?”
“Oh, thank goodness. Yes, please. My pie filling is superb, but pie crusts are not my forte.” With Cam being the baker for the Cider Mill Farm café and bakery, Owen’s pie was now guaranteed to be the best.
Keeley pulled a band from her wrist to put her hair back in a ponytail and opened drawers until she found a paring knife. “If you want to do that, I’ll get started peeling and slicing the apples.”
“Hang on, I’ve got something better. It’ll be a lot less work than using a knife.” Cam went to the walk-in pantry and returned with a contraption she clamped to the edge of the countertop. She took an apple, forced it onto the prongs, and turned the crank.
“Ooh, that’s clever.” While the apple turned, an angled blade peeled the skin while another sliced the apple into a long spiral.
“Isn’t it?” Cam nodded. “I got this at Antonia’s store so it’s vintage. All you’ll need to do is chop the apple spirals into pieces.”
Keeley noticed Delaney standing at the window to the backyard, a faraway look in her eyes. In fact, Cam also seemed a little distracted.
The front door opened and a moment later, Emery rushed into the kitchen, her face glowing. “Sorry it took me so long! Did I miss any of the good stuff?”
“You didn’t miss anything,” Cam assured her.
Delaney pointed a finger at Emery. “Your cheeks are flushed.”
“I had the heater on in the car.”
“Uh-uh. That’s not what’s given you that look. I’m thinking you’re late because you and the hot cowboy were engaging in a little morning nookie.”
Emery’s cheeks flushed even redder. “I couldn’t help it. Shane came back from taking care of the livestock and he’s so damn sexy. And the kitchen counter was right there.” She fanned her cheeks with her hands. “Besides, you can’t tell me you two,” she did her own finger pointing, wagging it between Cam and Delaney, “couldn’t have all the morning nookie you want any day you want it.”
Since Cam and Delaney both wore expressions that said yes, indeed, they’d both gotten morning nookie, Keeley ground out a frustrated breath. “Y’all need to keep reports of morning nookie to yourselves, because there’s someone here who’s mighty jealous.”
“I bet Owen would be happy to help you with that.” Delaney waggled her eyebrows.
Keeley felt her own cheeks flush. “I don’t know where this sudden Owen obsession of yours is coming from.”
“Just connecting the dots. I’ve witnessed plenty of hot looks between you two,” Delaney claimed, “but always when the other isn’t looking.”
Keeley tried for a nonchalant shrug. “He’s a handsome guy. Who wouldn’t look?” After gathering peeling scraps and putting them in the bin for compost, she put another apple onto the prongs and turned the crank.
“I want to know what’s brought us all here this morning,” Emery said as she took a mug from a cupboard. “It better be good if I left my sexy husband when we could’ve gone for nookie round two.”
“Now you’re bragging.” Cam grinned at her sister as she used a pastry cutter to cut shortening into the flour.
“All right.” Delaney held up her hand like a kid in school. “Here’s what I have from multiple sources. Well, two sources anyway. Owen got a call last night that our pal Keeley was stranded on the highway halfway up the mountain and flat-out raced to her rescue with a whole ‘my woman’s in danger’ vibe.”
“Oh no.” Emery turned to Keeley. “What happened? Shane said Owen is coming to the ranch this morning to borrow a trailer. Doesthat have anything to do with you being stranded?” She filled a kettle with water and set it over a burner on the cooktop.
“I’ll get to that in a moment because first I need to say Delaney is way overstating Owen’s motivation and actions. Last night he was intense, but he’s always intense. And sure, he rescued me, but he was doing it because he’s a decent man, and because my mom asked.”
She went on. “About the trailer, maybe Owen decided getting to the spare is too big a project and using Shane’s flatbed makes better sense than calling for a tow truck.”
At the questioning look from Emery, Keeley clarified, “I had a flat at an inopportune time.” She proceeded to tell her friends how her belongings were Tetris-fitted into her CRV. “I would’ve changed the tire myself if I could have gotten to the spare.”
“Those are the basics of the story, but let’s focus on what’s important,” Delaney ordered. “Jen, who’s now assistant manager by the way, says how Owen is working the stick at Easy Money. It’s Friday night, busiest time of the week, and a call comes in and he’s instantly alert. You know how growly sexy he gets. He signs off and shoves his phone in his pocket, points at Jen to tell her she’s in charge and not to burn the place down, and he’s out the door in under a minute.”
“Ooh, that’s hot.Veryhot,” Cam said as she added cold water to the flour mixture.
“Got that right. Jen said he went from the ‘Friday night chill’ zone to the ‘alpha protector’ vibe in less than two seconds.”
