An Unexpected Gift Read online

  “Correct. What can I say? It’s a bar.” She shrugged. “We keep the menu quite simple because most people around here don’t like change. Jay made me get a bit more adventurous, and I’m enjoying supplying organic and locally produced meals. Apart from the thinking up new and seasonal recipe ideas, it’s kind of fun.”

  “I worked in a great organic restaurant in San Francisco,” Billy said. “I’ll have to see if I can remember any of their recipes for you.”

  “That would be awesome.” She closed the door into the pantry. “Let me show you the rest of the kitchen and how the orders come up and are sent out.”

  * * *

  “Mom?”

  Jay Williams limped into the kitchen and pulled up short when he saw Billy washing pans in the sink. His sharp, wary gaze rapidly assessed the situation for any sign of a threat, reminding Billy of his son Blue, who was also retired military.

  “Hi, Jay. Your mom was a bit shorthanded today, so I offered to help out.”

  “That was good of you, Mr. Morgan.” Jay sat down at the table. “I didn’t know you could cook.”

  “I get by.” Billy shrugged. “It wasn’t too busy so we managed just fine.”

  Bella backed into the kitchen from the bar side of the property and Billy went around to take the tray from her.

  “I’ve got it, Bella. Jay’s back, by the way.”

  Her smile as she turned and saw her son was so glorious it made Billy blink. She loved Jay the same way he loved his boys, but without the complications. It was a pleasure to see.

  “Jay! How did it go?”

  He shrugged his wide shoulders. “Okay, I think. They don’t want to see me for six months, so that’s progress.”

  He’d been invalided out of the Navy SEALS after being blown up by an incendiary device. From what Billy had been told, he’d endured a long and arduous return to fitness.

  “That’s great!” Bella said. “Did you tell Erin?”

  “Yeah, I called her on the way back. She’ll be here tomorrow. She had to go back and tell her parents the news.” Jay got to his feet. “If you’re okay with it, I’m going to take a nap before we open up for the evening.”

  Bella nodded. “I was just clearing the last of the tables, so we’re almost good to go.” She paused and tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. “Billy offered to help out today, and he’s been awesome.”

  “That’s great.” Jay turned to Billy. “Thanks. Let me know if you’d like to make the job permanent, okay?”

  Bella laughed. “As if Billy doesn’t have enough to do, what with running that huge ranch up there.”

  “No harm in asking.” Jay grinned at his mother and kissed her cheek. “I’ll be down as soon as I wake up. Nancy knows how to set up, so don’t go and do it all yourself.”

  Jay left and Bella’s smile faded.

  “Are you okay?” Billy asked.

  She picked up a dish towel and started drying one of the bowls he’d washed. “I try not to be that mother, you know? But I wish he were a bit more forthcoming about how he’s doing. I hope he tells Erin these things.”

  “It’s hard when your kids start confiding in other people, isn’t it?” Billy washed another plate.

  “Yes,” Bella sighed. “You get so used to soothing their hurts and telling them that everything is going to be all right that when they no longer need that from you, it feels weird.”

  “I think they still need to hear it occasionally,” Billy said. “Even when they think they don’t.”

  “The first year after Jay got injured and came out of the rehab hospital, he was so down, and in so much pain, that I really used to worry he wasn’t going to make it,” Bella confessed. “Every morning I’d go into his bedroom and just be grateful that he was still alive, and talking—even if he was telling me to get out and leave him alone.”

  “It’s hard to see our kids suffer like that.” Billy rinsed another plate.

  “I think that’s why I try not to be too intrusive now.” Bella looked over at him. “I’m scared to push him away again even though he’s feeling so much better.”

  “I know just how you feel,” Billy said. “I walked out on my boys when they were kids and left them with their grandmother. I got lost in a bottle because I blamed myself for losing Annie and baby Rachel. I lost myself . And now I’m back, I worry about giving them advice sometimes because what the heck do I know? Why should they listen to a guy who wasn’t there for them?”

  Bella patted his cheek. “But at least you came back. That was a brave thing to do.”

  “I don’t know about that.” He smiled down at her. “It just seemed to happen.”

  Bella snorted. “With Ruth Morgan involved, I doubt that. Your mother is a magician. She got all her family back to the ranch and saved it from being sold off.”

  “Yeah, she is incredible.” Billy grinned. “Scary sometimes, but still remarkable. And we were talking about you and Jay, so how come I ended up monopolizing the conversation?”

  Bella shrugged. “Because I’d said everything I needed to say, and was interested in what you had to say? You know, one of those conversation things that people have?”

  “Oh yeah, one of those give and take things, right?” He let out the water in the sink and quickly rinsed off the rest of the silverware and plates so that he could stack them in the industrial-sized dishwasher. “In my family it comes down to who shouts the loudest, and Blue usually wins that game.”

  “Jay talks to Blue.”

  “Which is probably good for both of them.” Billy closed the dishwasher and wiped his hands on his apron. “None of us can really understand what it must be like to be in a war.” He checked his watch. “Are you going to tell Jay about what happened with Axel?”

  Bella made a face. “I suppose I’ll have to.”

  “I think it would be wise,” Billy agreed. “Aren’t he and Erin moving into a new house up the street after they get married?”

  “What’s that got to do with it?”

  “Won’t you be here on your own?” Billy held her gaze. “What if Axel decides to come back and try and break in?”

  She shrugged. “Jay’s got this place wired up like a bank vault. Nothing can get in.”

  “Bella . . .” Billy put his hand on her shoulder and she covered it with her own.

  “It’s okay, really . I’ll tell him what happened when he comes down, and if he wants to go all Navy SEAL on the guy, it’s on you.”

  “Nate won’t let him do that.” Billy grinned. “Well, I hope he won’t. Do you need help tonight?”

  “I think I’m good, but thanks for offering.” She went on tiptoe and planted a kiss on his lips. “Thanks so much for everything you’ve done today. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome.” He kept his hand on her shoulder. “If you can’t get anyone to help out, please call me.”

  “Like you have time to help me everyday,” she gently mocked him.

  “I meant what I said earlier. The boys are running the ranch really well, Mom cooks for the family, and there’s a chef for the guest dining room. I struggle to find enough to do everyday.”

  “I think you underestimate yourself.” She eased away from him and he immediately missed her presence. “Thanks again, and I promise I’ll tell Jay what happened before Nate gets around to it.”

  Aware that he was being dismissed, and still not quite happy about it, Billy gathered up his belongings and left the bar. As he walked back toward his truck, he rubbed his finger against his lips where Bella’s kiss lingered. He couldn’t remember the last time a simple kiss had given him such pleasure or made him feel so special.

  He’d loved Annie and had never looked at another woman while she’d been with him. After her disappearance, when the guilt and the drink had drowned him, he’d had the odd hookup, but nothing measured up to the sweetness of that first kiss. Billy fished out his truck keys and stared blindly at the parking lot. Until now. He’d wan
ted to slip his arm around Bella’s waist and kiss her back....

  With a snort, Billy got into his truck. The sweetness and nostalgia of Christmas were obviously getting to him. Bella was his friend. She’d meant nothing more than a thank-you, and he was a fool to think anything else.

  Chapter Two

  “I’m not happy about this,” Jay muttered as he stared at Bella, arms crossed over his muscled chest.

  The evening rush had ended and Bella finally had time to tell him what had happened with Axel. To no one’s surprise, Jay wasn’t happy.

  “What would you have done if Billy Morgan hadn’t turned up?” Jay asked.

  Bella raised an eyebrow. “I’m not a fool, or a damsel in distress, young man. I can take care of myself.”

  “I know that.” Jay leaned over to pat her shoulder. “I’ve seen you knock out a drunk with one of your cast iron pans. But this guy was threatening you in broad daylight. That sucks.”

  “Nate knows all about it, and he’ll swing by every so often to make sure I’m okay,” Bella reminded him.

  “And that’s another thing. Why didn’t Nate find this bastard and lock him up already?” Jay demanded.

  “Because Axel wasn’t at his apartment,” Bella explained again. “Nate will keep checking there as well.”

  “I don’t like it,” Jay said stubbornly. “This is even more reason why you should move down the street to our new house. Erin wouldn’t mind at all.”

  “Erin is a saint to put up with you. The last thing she needs is your mother moving in as well.”

  “Hey, she loves you,” Jay protested.

  “I know she does, and I love her right back, but you two need some privacy right now. You just got married.” She mock frowned at him. “In Vegas, without your mother.”

  Jay groaned. “Don’t bring that up right now. I know, we suck , okay? I only agreed to it because Erin’s parents were behaving like giant assholes about having this massive society wedding, and neither of us wanted that.”

  “It’s okay, I know why you did it.” Bella had a plan of her own to execute over Christmas to make sure the family got to celebrate the wedding, but she wasn’t giving away anything yet. “I still don’t want to live in your new house.”

  “Mom . . .”

  “Look, I’ll make sure I lock the doors when I’m alone here—which doesn’t happen very often anyway, and I’ll keep my phone with me. If I see Axel or his Harley anywhere near here, I’ll call Nate.”

  “Call me,” Jay stated.

  “No, because I don’t want you arrested for murder,” Bella countered.

  Jay gave a reluctant grin. “You know me too well.”

  Bella rose and kissed his forehead. “Now, how about you go on home? Erin will be wondering what’s happened to you.”

  “Erin’s fast asleep.” Jay winked. “She’s still dealing with jet lag, but I might think of a few ways to wake her up.”

  Bella stuck her fingers in her ears. “I can’t hear you. La la la!”

  Jay was still laughing as she practically pushed him out the door and locked it securely behind him. The fact that her son was enjoying his sex life was great, but not something she really needed to hear about.

  Bella walked through the silent bar checking and setting the alarms, and then went up the stairs to the large apartment above the bar. What would it be like to have sex with someone again? As she brushed her teeth, she paused to consider the unexpected question that had popped into her head.

  She looked okay for her age; she was definitely plump and bosomy, but that never seemed to worry most men. After Ron had died, she’d had the occasional boyfriend, but only rarely had such a relationship led to sex. She missed it. She’d been good at it.

  Chuckling at her own boast, Bella made her way into her bedroom. Tomorrow she was going to call Billy Morgan and ask his advice about something....

  Not about sex—although when she’d kissed him, she’d got an unexpected kick out of his reaction—but about hosting an event up at the ranch. That the thought of seeing him again made her heart race was odd, but still thrilling. She lay down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. How would his beard feel under her hand? How would it feel against her skin ?

  With a groan, Bella turned on her side and clicked off the light. She had enough to worry about without involving her old friend Billy Morgan in her romantic fantasies. Just because he’d helped out, didn’t mean he was her white knight. Although he did look fantastic on a horse . . .

  * * *

  Billy finished mucking out the stall and wiped his brow. It was weird how his four sons were so good at organizing things on the dude ranch, but often forgot to do the basics.... Not that he minded much. He enjoyed spending time with the horses, and was at peace just being around them. He sometimes felt as if he no longer had a stake in the old place, but it was in his blood, and he wasn’t planning on walking away any time soon.

  He’d offered to take on the cooking for the dude ranch guests, but no one had wanted him to do that. He’d told Ruth to let him know if she needed his help in her kitchen, but she hardly ever let him assist her. He liked to cook, and had enjoyed working in Bella’s kitchen more than he had anticipated. But that might have been the company. . . .

  “Billy?”

  As if he’d conjured her from his thoughts, Bella Williams stood in the middle of his yard smiling at him. Her car was parked close to the ranch house. Today she wore jeans, red cowboy boots, and a thick pink fleece that made her skin glow. He could hardly believe she’d turned fifty. She looked just like the girl he’d known at school.

  “Hey!” He walked over to her and held up his hands. “I’ve been mucking out the stalls so I won’t shake your hand just yet. Would you like to come up to the house?”

  “I’d love to.” She pushed her sunglasses back on top of her head where her long hair was piled up in a messy bun.

  He had no idea why she’d appeared or wanted to speak to him, but he wasn’t complaining. He led the way into the house through the screen door and heel and toed his boots off in the mudroom.

  “Does this visit require you sit in the parlor or the kitchen?” Billy asked Bella, who was unzipping her fleece.

  “Kitchen’s fine with me. It’s my natural habitat.”

  He walked her through to the kitchen and pulled out a chair for her. “I’ll be back in a minute; make yourself at home. Ruth’s out looking at the pigs with Roy. I’ve never met a ranch foreman who loves his pigs more than his horses before.”

  When he returned, Bella was sitting at the kitchen table rummaging in her large purse. She looked up as he entered and took out her phone.

  He smiled at her. “I’m all clean now so we can shake hands.”

  “No kisses today?” she joked.

  “I’m good either way.” He went over to the ancient refrigerator. “Would you like iced tea or something warmer?”

  “Coffee if you have it.” She mock shivered. “It’s getting cold out there.”

  “Yeah, the Sierra passes are closing up and won’t be open until late spring.”

  He poured them both a mug of coffee from the pot, gathered up some cream, and brought everything over to the table.

  “So what can I do for you today?” Billy asked as she stirred cream into her coffee. “Do you need my help in the bar?”

  She made a face. “I’m still shorthanded if that’s what you mean, but I’m not here to offer you a job.” She hesitated. “I didn’t want to say anything the other day until I cleared it with Jay, but he and Erin got married last month.”

  Billy blinked at her. “Really? That’s great, isn’t it?”

  “Well, yes and no, seeing as they did it in Vegas without anyone being present.”

  He registered the hurt behind her smile and instinctively reached over to take her hand. “That’s kind of sucky.”

  She sighed. “I know why they did it like that, and Jay did FaceTime me just before the ceremony so I could kind of be there with t
hem while they said their vows, but it wasn’t the same.”

  “I wouldn’t be very happy if any of my kids did that to me either,” Billy confessed. “I’d be happy for them , and I’d never say a word, but inside? I’d probably feel hurt as well.”

  She squeezed his fingers. “Thanks for understanding. Jay knows I’m hurt, and he’s trying to make it up to me, and I’m trying to tell him it doesn’t matter, because it really doesn’t. . . .”

  “But it does.” Billy nodded. “It’s okay. I get it.”

  “So I thought maybe the best way to get it out in the open was to have a party for them,” Bella continued. “I’d invite Erin’s parents and family, and everyone here, and then we could all enjoy that and move on.”

  Billy stared at her for a long moment. “I think that’s a great idea.”

  “You do?” Her brilliant smile made him catch his breath. “Then that’s what I need to talk to you about. I don’t want to hold it in the bar because Erin’s parents aren’t that kind of people, but I thought they’d love it up here.”

  “When were you thinking about doing this?” Billy asked.

  “In the next couple of weeks?” She stared at him hopefully. “Or do you shut everything down between Christmas and New Year?”

  “We’ll be here, but we’re no longer taking guests over the holidays because it’s too much work.”

  “Oh, then never mind.” She bit her lip. “Maybe I can find another venue.”

  “Don’t do that yet,” Billy suggested. “I’ll talk to Ruth and Chase and see what we can do. How many guests are you planning on inviting?”

  “To stay over? Only Erin’s family. Everyone else is local. I doubt it will be above fifty in total.”

  “So it won’t be that much work,” Billy mused almost to himself. “Gustav, the guest chef, is off to Switzerland for a month, which means I’d have to do the cooking.”

  “We could do that together.” She raised their joined hands, kissed his knuckles, and laughed. “Now I’m getting ahead of myself.”