The Willow Springs Ranch Collection Volume II by Laura Harner

Author:Laura Harner [Harner, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hot Corner Press
Published: 2015-05-08T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Two weeks later

Park turned the dough he was working with into a lightly oiled bowl and draped a clean dishtowel over the top. After washing his hands, he put the bowl on a shelf in the warmer to rise, automatically glancing at the clock. Still three hours before the crack of dawn. He’d been awake for nearly two hours already—which explained the dough—but it was still too early to start packing.

“What are you doing in my kitchen?” Ty asked, causing Park to jump.

“Cooking something to eat.” Park wasn’t sure why he bothered to answer. Neither the question, nor his response had changed for the last two weeks. Of course, Park didn’t usually show up at oh-dark-thirty—as Ty would say—so maybe there was a reason to ask, after all, he conceded.

Ty stood for a minute, hands on his hips as his gaze traveled over the dusting of flour on the stainless work station, then shifted to the dirty dishes in the sink. Park’s already frayed temper snapped. “I’ll have them out of your way in a minute,” he ground out between clenched teeth.

Without replying, Ty headed straight for the stove. Park had spent enough time in the kitchen to know Ty’s usual custom was to start a pot of coffee on the stove, before he did anything else. Hoping to avoid any conflict, Park had already taken care of that little detail.

“Hmm…you made coffee?”

“Yes. Look, I’m sorry. I know I’m in your space. Give me a minute to wash these up, then I’ll be out of your way.”

Ty poured a large mug of coffee, flipped the switch on the industrial-sized coffee urn to start the brew for everyone else, then leaned his hips against the counter and studied Park over the rim of his cup.

Park ran a sink full of hot water and pretended he didn’t notice the big cook staring daggers.

“Kind of hard to get out of my way when you have dough rising in my proof oven. What’s in the bowl?”

“Pumpkin cinnamon rolls. I can wait to roll them out until you’re finished with whatever you have planned.”

“How many did you make?”

“Two dozen. I know that’s not enough, but I thought you could…” Park rolled his eyes. “Look, I’m sorry. I should have asked first.”

“Two dozen, huh? That’s enough for half the men. Let’s double the batch. Where’s the recipe?”

“Oh, I uh…” Park glanced around the kitchen, looking for a way out of this awkward conversation.

Ty sighed. “Let me guess…you don’t measure?”

Unable to hide his grin, Park shook his head. “If you want, I’ll make a second batch over here out of your way, and you can go ahead with whatever you had planned.”

“Nah, I usually just have coffee and biscuits or rolls for the men before the first round of chores. I think I’ll sit here with my coffee and watch you.”

“Oh, uh—”

When Ty refilled his coffee and pulled up a stool, Park realized the man was serious. Returning to the pantry, he pulled out the bag

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