Read Chief Cook and Bottle Washer for Free Online Page A

looked
around the hood at her and stopped–dead in his tracks.
    "I don't have enough in my canteen to do any
good." She saw his face and stopped too.
    Lord, it was worse than she feared. His eyes
made contact with the tiny figure beside her. A muscle flickered in
his cheek, as his eyes fastened on Sammie Jo for the first time.
His face wore a uninvited frown. He looked from the baby to her. A
question hovering in the depths of those oh so blue eyes.
    "That's–a baby," his tone held accusations,
coming to stand beside Emma as though he were afraid Sammie Jo
might wake up and attack him.
    "Y–yes, it is." She blew a tendril of hair
from her face, wondering what might happen now. So he didn't like
babies either, well, that figured. What more could go wrong today.
Why were babies such a threat to men. Her brothers had reacted the
same way when she came home with Sammie Jo. The same way Charlie
had reacted. As though an alien had invaded their home. And her
father had hit the roof, insisting the child be returned to his
father.
    She averted her eyes, unable to face his
scrutiny. What could she say?
    From his expression Deke wasn't pleased with
her or Sammie Jo at the moment. "Look, I can explain. This is
Sammie Jo, my daughter."
    "Your daughter? Oh yeah, you're right, that
explains everything." His incredible blue eyes landed on her now
more intently. "That explains why you didn't mention a baby in the
kitchen at Bertha's."
    She realized he aimed that frown straight at
her, and she wasn't sure what she should do or say. He had a right
to be mad. But dammit, she needed this job. Her tongue felt full of
West Texas dust. She didn't need his friendship. She needed the
job.
    Shrugging her shoulders, and accepting the
inevitable, she answered. "I tried to explain, but you insisted we
could fill in the gaps later." Emma held herself steady, her gaze
holding his. She wasn't about to back down no matter what. Instead
she waited.
    "Yeah, but a kid? Hell and damnation woman,
why didn't you tell me you had a kid?"
    "I tried . . . back at Bertha's. But you
insisted details were unimportant. Besides, what does a kid have to
do with my being able to cook and clean?" Now her hands were on her
hips, challenging him, her chin lifting a degree.
    He ran a hand over his face, "Yeah, I guess
you did, at that. I guess I should have listened." He sighed
heavily as though something was very wrong, but he didn't know what
to do about it. He looked at the ground, then back at her. "So,
where's the daddy?"
    The last question she expected to hear,
rolled from his lips. Emma's heart skipped a beat, sweat rolled
down her cheek. "There is no daddy." She blurted unable to keep a
hint of bitterness out of her voice. Then after seeing his
questioning glance she tried to explain. "I mean, he didn't stick
around."
    Deke Travers shook his head, banged his fist
on the old truck and muttered something under his breath.
    Emma had supplied more than enough
information on the subject. She felt duty bound with him staring at
her as though she'd suddenly become a rattlesnake about to strike
him. She hadn't lied. Exactly. That part was true. Joel had left
Kate high and dry. Devastating Kate. She'd been so sure they'd be
married.
    So much for believing in cowboys.
    "And you are the one that ran into me that
night in the rain, aren't you?"
    "Yes, but I honestly didn't realize it, till
now. If you remember it was pouring rain that night and I never got
a good look at you. Not with that flashlight staring me in the
face. I wasn't about to give you my life story in the pouring rain.
And you didn't give me a lot of room in that kitchen. You
approached me, remember."
    "That suppose to satisfy me?"
    "I did pay you for the damages."
    "Yeah, you did. Do you always go around
throwing money in men's faces?"
    "Only when I'm wrong. And I was wrong."
    He nodded slowly, not taking his eyes from
her. The way he studied her made her squirm.
    "Why are you staring at me like that?"
    "I'm not