The Tycoon's Tender Triumph Page 0,13
eggs, five pieces of bacon and four pieces of toast already buttered. A moment later, a tray of honey, strawberry and blackberry jam, more butter and some orange marmalade was set by the warm plate and a cup of coffee on the other side.
“Eat up, darling,” she said and hustled back to the cooking area. “You don’t want to let them eggs get cold. Nothing worse than to start off the day with disgusting eggs, in my mind,” she continued. Jessy rattled on, chatting about the weather, the horses, the problems that have been happening on the ranch over the past few weeks. Chloe ate until her stomach was painfully full, not wanting to offend the obviously warm hearted woman but when she couldn’t eat another bite, she knew that it didn’t look like she’d made a dent in her food.
At that moment, Sam walked in, slapping his Stetson against one jean clad leg. “Aren’t you going to eat?” he asked, pulling off his suede coat and draping it against one of the chairs. “You need to have something because its going to be a long day,” he explained a moment before he walked over to Jessy and hugged her, nuzzling her on her neck until she laughed and swatted him on the butt with her dishrag.
“Get going with you,” she admonished but Chloe could see how happy she was. She had a glow about her and shook her head at Sam’s antics.
Sam poured himself a cup of coffee, then came back to the table, leaning against the wall to watch her. “Hurry up, darlin’. Your dad wants to see you and then I’ll take you out to introduce you to the horses. We have several new ones that you’re really going to love.”
Chloe blinked and looked back down at her plate. “I’ve had enough,” she said and slid out of the chair, picking up the still full plate. “Jessy, thank you so much. This was delicious but I’m just not able to do it justice.”
Jessy looked at her plate and shook her head. “You’re just too skinny. We’ll have to do something about that and quick because you won’t make it through the winter, all skin and bones like that.”
Chloe looked down at herself, wondering what Jessy was referring to. Chloe was constantly fighting a battle with her weight, wishing she could lose just another five or ten pounds. In confusion, she looked over at Sam and her face turned red once again when she saw the admiration in his gaze. He was looking at her legs, traveling slowly up until his green eyes rested on her blue ones, amusement lingering in their crystal-like depths.
“I….” she started to say, but the words wouldn’t form. She tried again. “Sam, I can’t stay here long. I have to get back to New York. I know I can convince my father to join me. He’d love New York once he lets me show him around.”
“Why do you want to get back to work so quickly? You just got here.” he asked, and pulled his coat back on, setting the half empty cup of coffee on the counter.
Chloe sighed, exasperated. “Because I have a life!” she almost shouted. “I have a boyfriend, a job, friends. I need to get back. Once my father is more mobile, he and I will both be out of your hair.”
“Go say hello to your father, then get your coat,” was all he said, ignoring her comment about how she had to get back.
Chloe smothered her anger, her hands fisting on her hips. “I don’t have a coat,” she snapped. “You didn’t pack one for me.” She didn’t want to argue with him any more since he didn’t argue back. He simply laid down his law and that was that.
So she turned on her heel and left the kitchen, ignoring the deep chuckle from behind her.
She found her father in the downstairs bedroom and was relieved that he was awake.
“Dad!” she gushed and raced across the large, sun filled room to throw her arms around him. “Why didn’t you call and tell me you were hurt? I can’t believe you let me go on as if nothing had happened while you were laid up like this.”
“Sam said he’d get you here, and here you are,” he replied as if that made all the sense in the world.
“But you should have called me.”
He laughed and made room for her on the bed. “At first, I was too wiped out