Tobias (Reynolds Ranch 2)

“Isn’t he going to be upset that you are hiring me without his permission?”

“He’ll be happy the second he tastes your cooking. You can cook other things than this, right?”

“Yes, I worked at a diner in college and learned a lot.”

“Great. So he’ll be happy and that’s all that matters. He has a cleaning service, but he only needs them once a month now.”

“This sounds too good to be true.”

“Well, you haven’t met him yet.”

“I can’t really look a gift horse in the mouth. As long as my name isn’t being run in any system, I’ll do it.”

“Of course. I’ll handle all that information.”

“Thank you.”

After breakfast, Louisa and I head out to the grocery store, then to the ranch while John goes to get the boys. Thankfully she helps me with my makeup to hide the bruising.

“Oh wow. It’s beautiful.” The large double RR on the main gate opens and we drive down the main road to the house. The gate goes for a short distance and then there’s another that connects the barn and a few other buildings. After that, there’s nothing but open space in the distance covered in snow.

I come to a stop in front of a gorgeous farmhouse that has had renovations recently. A large swing sits on one side of the porch and then on the other side must be where Tobias sits. It’s a lone rocking chair and small table perfect for your coffee or beer. I should feel intimidated as I enter his home, but a sense of peace overcomes me.

“It’s a great house. I think you’ll like it here.” We leave the groceries in her SUV so I can properly tour my temporary home and job. She unlocks the door and leads me into an expansive foyer. Although in the country, this house has no rustic look to it. Everything seems more modern with a classical twist. The foyer has dark hardwood floors and a matching bench for putting on shoes.

“It is. Wow. I think I’ll like it here,” I repeat, nodding my head as I examine the room. “It’s a pretty clean entryway for a ranch.”

“That’s because he usually enters through the mudroom at the back of the house if he’s working with the men. His mom loved making her home beautiful. She always said what’s the point in working so hard if they had nothing to show for it. They were some good people. Now, this staircase leads to five bedrooms upstairs. There’s another bedroom down on this floor, and his office is straight down this hall. The living room is to your right and the kitchen to your left.

I let out an audible gasp when I see the impressive kitchen. The large island has a built-in U-shaped country seating nook in all white. The entire room is white except the stainless steel appliances and white and grey granite countertops. Two of the cabinets are see-through where the white plates are stacked neatly inside. I gasp when I see the large farm sink. It’s a dream kitchen. I pull open the drawers, learning where everything is. There’s a built-in lazy Susan with all the kitchen cleaning supplies on it. This place looks like it’s a showroom model and hasn’t been touched.

Gosh, this guy must be a real piece of work if no one stays. Who wouldn’t want to cook in a perfect kitchen? I nearly scream when I see the double oven on the wall. Opening a door with the same cabinet design, I see a pantry larger than ours. My stepmother redid the kitchen in dark colors and turned our large pantry into a mini wine cellar.

I sigh. Despite being large, this pantry is almost completely bare. Luckily, I have some things to put away. Louisa was right to tell me to stock up. Well, at least I have a couple of days to prepare for him to return. She said he’d be back the day after Christmas in time for dinner. We go out to the SUV and bring in at least twenty bags stocked with all the basics for me to work with. The meat’s in the freezer out back, so I can grab that when I need more meat. There doesn’t seem to be a shortage of that in the house.

“I’m going to leave you now. I have to get home. You’re more than welcome to join us.”

“Thank you, but I’ve intruded on your hospitality enough. I’m going to just relax and try to rest a little.”

“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call. Here’s my number. The ranch hands are only down the path out the back door. If you have any troubles, call them , although he doesn’t want them in the house.”

“Are you sure he’s going to be okay with all of this?” They haven’t told him about me yet. Something tells me he’s not going to be pleased in the slightest.