Baker's Bargain (Culpepper Cowboys Book 5) Read online

  Grace happily joined her sister, going into the kitchen. Hope, Chastity, and Faith were all there, talking to Linda. Grace squealed when she saw her sisters, feeling like it had been years. She’d talked to Joy regularly but not to any of the others.

  Hope was the first to spot Grace, and she opened her arms. Grace flew to her like she’d been called home, surprising herself with tears. “I’ve missed y’all so much! It was so hard at home without you four.”

  Hope hugged her sister close. “It was hard leaving you. I’m glad you joined us here.”

  Their reunion was cut short by the back door opening. Four tall men walked into the house, stopping a few feet away from where she stood. One of them looked at Grace. “Didn’t I just see you outside poking around the stables? You were wearing something different.”

  Grace grinned. “That was my twin sister, Honor.”

  “Wait, you two are identical?”

  Joy walked to the man and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “This very rude man is my husband, Kolby.”

  Grace just grinned. “We aren’t identical, but if we dressed alike you’d have trouble telling us apart. We have the same coloring and the same facial features. Our eyes are identical. There are little ways to tell us apart, though, if you know them. As it is, you’ll have no trouble. Honor will always be the one in jeans and a cowboy hat. I usually wear dresses.” She didn’t add that her sister never fixed her hair or wore make-up. Why point out the obvious?

  All four of the men frowned at her. “How come no one told us you two looked so much alike?” another of them asked.

  Hope moved to the man who’d asked the second question. “This one is my Karlan.”

  “Maybe someone could just introduce all four of them and get it over with to make it easier?” Grace asked.

  Faith laughed. “Well, you know those two. This is Cooper, and he’s mine. And that one draped all over Chastity is her husband, Chris. Though they didn’t let us see the wedding, so we just have to take their word for it.”

  “Thank you, Faith.” Grace let her eyes move from one brother-in-law to the other, trying to remember who was whom. “It’s nice to meet all of you.”

  The doorbell rang then, and Linda dried off her hands and headed to the door. “Y’all just keep talking. I’ll be right back.”

  Grace looked at Hope and Karlan, who were holding hands. “So when do I get to see my new bakery?”

  “Mom said she wants to take you over tomorrow. I’ve had it inspected, and your sisters gave it a good cleaning. I’ve started the process of getting you ladies licensed as well, and that should be completed by Wednesday. You’ll be up and running by the end of the week,” Karlan informed her.

  Grace’s eyes widened with surprise. “I had no idea you’d been doing all that!”

  Hope grinned. “Well, we want you to be able to make money to help out, and we knew that’s what you needed. Karlan’s the mayor of Culpepper, so he pulled a few strings.”

  Linda came to them then with a man beside her. He’d obviously just come from church, and was wearing a suit with a cowboy hat. He removed the hat. “Excuse me. I didn’t realize I’d be interrupting a big party.”

  Joy smiled at him. “You’re not interrupting, Marcus.”

  “I brought the will back to you,” Marcus said to Karlan. “Sorry I wasn’t able to find a way out of your predicament, but there just isn’t one.”

  Karlan took the will, frowning. “I didn’t think we’d find anything, but I appreciate you looking into it for us.”

  Linda smiled at the newcomer. “Why don’t you stay for lunch? I cooked a lot, because the girls just got here from Kentucky.”

  Marcus looked around the room, only seeing one girl he hadn’t already met. “I’m Marcus Wells.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Grace said with a smile, immediately knowing this was the man Joy wanted her to meet. “What do you call forty lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?”

  Marcus’s eyes narrowed. Was this the girl Joy had wanted him to meet? She was telling him lawyer jokes within seconds of meeting him? “I don’t know.”

  “A good start.” Grace stifled a giggle. “I’m Grace by the way.”

  “I had a feeling you were. Is the urge to tell lawyer jokes out of your system now?” She was beautiful. She couldn’t be an inch over five feet, and she had blond hair and the biggest blue eyes he’d ever seen. He wanted to ask her to go to dinner with him right away, but thought it might be too much considering they’d just met.

  “For the moment.” She smiled, crooking her finger at him, so he leaned down. “I never run out of lawyer jokes, though.”

  Marcus wanted to groan. “Great.”

  Grace was surprised at the tall, handsome cowboy beside her. She’d expected someone who looked like he sat behind a desk all day and really hadn’t been looking forward to meeting the man. Instead, she saw a man who obviously did some kind of physical work or at least spent a lot of time in a gym.

  “Maybe we could take a walk after lunch?” Marcus asked, wanting to get to know her better. “I’ve heard a lot about you from Joy.”

  Grace nodded. “We could do that. Do you mean walk here on the ranch? Or somewhere else?” She could see mountains out the window, and she desperately wanted to get closer, but she wasn’t sure she was up to it after the long trip. She was tired.

  “Oh, just here on the ranch today. I’ll show you around Culpepper soon if I don’t run screaming from your lawyer jokes.”

  “No one runs screaming from my lawyer jokes,” she said with a wink.

  Joy was grinning between the two of them. “His grandfather is Brother Anthony, the man who married all of us.”

  Grace grinned, remembering what her sister had told her about the pastor. “Oh, I can’t wait to meet him!”

  “Grandpa is interesting, all right.” Marcus shook his head.

  Grace saw Patience and Felicity approaching, both fresh from showers. “Marcus, these are my cousins, Patience and Felicity. They’re here to run the bakery with me.”

  Marcus nodded politely, tipping his hat at both of them. “Nice to meet you, ladies.” They were pretty enough, but for some reason, he was drawn to Grace in a way that surprised him. He didn’t know if it was because Joy had suggested he take her to dinner once she arrived, and he’d been anticipating her arrival, or if he truly wasn’t as attracted to them.

  Lunch proved to be a boisterous affair. Honor never did make an appearance, but Grace didn’t worry about her. She knew her sister was content in the middle of the smelly stable.

  “What’s the difference between an accountant and a lawyer?” Grace asked, taking a big bite of her potato salad.

  Marcus frowned at her. “This is going to happen on a regular basis, isn’t it?”

  “An accountant knows he’s boring.” Grace nudged his foot with hers under the table, hoping he’d know she was teasing him.

  Marcus rolled his eyes as the four Culpepper men roared with laughter. “I like your sister,” Cooper said to Faith.

  “She’s always had this thing for lawyer jokes. Seriously, I think she was like fifteen and she got a book of lawyer jokes. I don’t know why they amused her so much, but she’s been telling them for years,” Faith responded.

  Marcus sighed. “So if I ask you out, I need to just expect lawyer jokes?”

  Grace nodded, her eyes lit with laughter. “They are kind of my thing.”

  “Duly noted.” Marcus could see the way the Culpepper brothers were studying him interestedly. “What?” he finally asked.

  Karlan shrugged. “She’s family now. I guess we’re trying to figure out if you’re worthy of walking with her after lunch.”

  Grace’s eyes widened. “I had enough of that at home. I can go right back there if you men are going to start it here, because I’m my own woman, and I’ll walk with a skunk after lunch if that’s what I want to do.”

  Karlan held his hands up. “I’m just trying to watch out for my kid sister.”r />
  “Stop.” Grace wasn’t going to allow herself to be smothered ever again. She’d come to Wyoming for the opportunity to start her own business and stand on her own two feet. She didn’t care if the four big galoots did think they were supposed to take care of her. Taking care of herself was her first priority.

  Marcus eyed her with a grin. He leaned close. “Good answer!”

  She raised an eyebrow at him, letting him know she wouldn’t put up with nonsense from him either. “I’m a strong woman. I’ll prove it if it’s the last thing I do.” Grace needed to prove her strength as much as her sister Honor did, but she knew they’d go about it in different ways. Grace would want to prove herself strong of character. Honor wanted to prove she could do a man’s job, and do it as well as he could.

  Grace had never felt the need to prove herself that way. Thank heavens.

  2

  As soon as lunch was over, Grace stood to help with clearing the table. Faith shook her head at her. “You four are excused from household chores today. Settle in.”

  Marcus stood beside the back door, watching her. “You ready?”

  Grace nodded. “Are these shoes okay? How far are we going?” She looked down at the sandals she wore. They’d be fine as long as they weren’t walking miles and miles.

  “Um…I’d like to walk for an hour or so. Will they work?” Marcus asked. He wanted time to get to know her, and he didn’t want to have to cut their walk short because of her shoes when she could easily change before they left.

  “Let me go put some tennis shoes on.” She hurried to the small room she was using and took off her sandals and exchanged them for socks and tennis shoes. Hurrying back into the dining room, she saw that Karlan was talking to Marcus.

  “No matter what she says, she’s our sister now, and you’d better treat her right.” Karlan’s words floated across the room to her as she walked back to Marcus.

  “Karlan? You are my new brother, but I met you less than two hours ago. You will back off, and you will be nice about it.” She stepped up to Marcus and smiled. “I’m ready.”

  Marcus winked at Joy, who was watching carefully, before leading her sister out the back door. “So, tell me about Kentucky. I want to hear everything.”

  “Oh, there’s not a lot to tell. We grew up in a tiny little town near Paducah. Everyone knew everyone, and my sisters and I were a bit of a novelty, because of the multiple thing, and because our parents were so strict.”

  “They were strict?” Marcus asked, not having heard any of the story.

  “Very. I’ve never dated anyone in my life. Our father wouldn’t allow it. In fact, we were allowed to go to college, but we were only allowed to major in homemaking. Honor and I quit after our freshman year.”

  “So what did you do back in Kentucky?”

  Grace laughed. “Do? Why I made cakes for people for their birthdays and for weddings. And I sneaked into my room every chance I got and watched my favorite television show.”

  “Why did you have to sneak into your room to watch television?”

  “Because there was kissing on it. People aren’t supposed to kiss before they get married, you know.”

  Marcus blinked at her a couple of times before laughing. “You’re joking, right?”

  She shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. My parents were very strict in what we were allowed to watch. Mainly things like I Love Lucy.”

  “I see,” he said, but he didn’t. Not really. She was an adult. She should be able to watch whatever she wanted. “What show did you watch?”

  “Lazy Love.”

  The way she said it told him a whole lot about how she felt about the show. There was a bit of a sigh in her voice as if she was absolutely mesmerized by it. “I haven’t seen it.”

  “Really? Oh, it’s wonderful! It’s about a girl who was raised by her rich father after her mother died. He had no idea what to do with her, so he sent her off to boarding school, and then to this really ritzy prestigious college. When he died, she had a seventeen-year-old sister to take care of and she had no idea how to do it. She inherited his ranch and had to run it. And then she fell for her veterinarian, but she wouldn’t marry him right off, because she needed to learn to stand on her own two feet.” She identified with Jo more than she’d admit.

  “Sounds like it could be interesting.”

  “I think they’ll have them marry in the season finale. The two main characters just got married in real life, and she’s already pregnant, so they’ll have to address that.”

  “You follow the real life stars?”

  “Oh, did I say I watch the show? I mean, I’m addicted to the show. I watch all their interviews. I search the internet for pictures of them together. I watch every episode over and over until I have it memorized.”

  He blinked a couple of times. “Well, it sounds like something you enjoy.”

  “Seriously. The couple that’s on it together is incredible. You watch one of their kissing scenes, and it’s like the entire room they’re in is on fire. You can almost see them spontaneously combust!”

  “But you don’t believe in kissing before marriage!”

  She laughed softly, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. “My parents don’t believe in kissing before marriage. Chastity had her first kiss under a table in Sunday School when the quads were two.”

  “And you? When was your first kiss?” Marcus watched her carefully. He had planned to take her somewhere isolated and kiss her. See if there was anything between them. Now it looked like that might be out of the question.

  “Oh, I’m afraid I was a good little girl. I’ve never had a boyfriend and never been kissed. So boring.” Grace shrugged, trying to laugh it off. She couldn’t though. She felt like she was defective sometimes.

  “So are you opposed to kissing before marriage, or no? Are you willing to watch it on television only? Or could I grab you and kiss you right now?”

  Grace grinned at him. “Are we out of eyesight of the house?”

  Marcus looked over his shoulder. They’d been walking a straight line away from the main house on the Culpepper ranch. “I think we’re far enough away.”

  “Then let’s walk for another five minutes to be sure.” She felt her heart start beating faster as they walked, knowing he’d be kissing her soon. What it was about him that made her want to dive into his arms, she didn’t know.

  “So that means you want to kiss me?”

  She smiled. “It means I’m attracted to you, and willing to give it a try.”

  He laughed. “I like your honesty. Thanks for not playing games.”

  “I wouldn’t know how to play games. I’ve lived my life in a protective bubble that all but suffocated me.” She frowned, not wanting to continue that line of conversation. “What’s the difference between a vacuum cleaner and a lawyer on a motorcycle?”

  He thought he understood her game then. Anytime she became uncomfortable, she’d tell him a lawyer joke. She was an odd woman, but if it made her feel better, he’d play along. “I don’t know. What?”

  “The vacuum cleaner has the dirt bag on the inside.”

  He grinned, reaching out and capturing her hand. “How many of these jokes do you have?”

  She shrugged, feeling electricity shoot through her body as his fingers intertwined with hers. “Oh, an endless supply.”

  He took them a little further to an isolated wooded area. He knew they were still on the Culpepper Ranch, but he knew there was little chance they would be spotted there. “May I kiss you?” he asked softly, his eyes on hers.

  She stared up into his big brown eyes, her eyes memorizing every feature of his face, wanting to always remember how he’d looked at her the first time he kissed her. Nodding, she put her free hand onto his shoulder, frowning at how high she had to reach up.

  “Why the frown?” he asked softly, not wanting to do something she didn’t want him to do.

  “You’re so much bigger than me. I feel like a tiny little porcel
ain doll. Like the kind Faith makes.”

  He knew nothing about the kind of dolls Faith made, but if she wasn’t frowning at the idea of kissing him, then he was going to go for it. He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers, his free hand cupping her face.

  As soon as Grace felt his lips on hers, she felt as if something inside her that had lain dormant came alive for the first time. She took a step closer to him, wanting to feel his body against hers. She felt like her favorite character, Jo, looked after she was kissed by Dylan.

  She pulled away for a moment to look up into his eyes. “And now I understand why my daddy didn’t want me kissing boys before I married.” She stood on tiptoe, her body pressed against his as she pulled his head down for another kiss.

  Marcus felt as if his head was spinning. This tiny little woman was making him feel more than he’d imagined he could from a simple kiss. Finally, after a minute, he pulled away. “I think we’re compatible.”

  She laughed. “I have this feeling you’re right. Wow.”

  “Wow?”

  “Yeah. That’s all. Just wow.”

  He slipped his arm around her shoulders to continue their walk, knowing he wouldn’t be as tempted to grab her for another kiss if they were moving. “So does that mean kissing is all you’d thought it would be?”

  “Let’s just say you could give Dr. Dylan Drake a run for his money.”

  “And who is Dr. Dylan Drake?” She’d lost him, and he had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last time.

  “He’s the veterinarian the main character on my show is in love with.” She sighed. “You know, the one who she kisses and the entire house is suddenly on fire, and no one even notices, because that’s how hot their kisses are?”

  “I’m going to have to watch that show!” Even if it wasn’t his kind of show, at least he’d understand her a little bit better.

  “I’d love to watch it with you.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she was a bit worried. Would he think it was an invitation to make out with her, because they were watching the stars of the show kiss?