everything.”
Her smile looked pained. “I’d love to, if you don’t mind that I’ve never been on a horse.”
He liked the way she accepted a challenge, though. “Of course. You might want to change into a pair of jeans, though. You did say you were going shopping?”
“Yes. I bought jeans.”
They took the bucket of milk to the house and strained it. “You’ll have time to gather the eggs before I get back with the horses.”
Her smile was still pasted on. Her face kind of looked like those of some of the actresses he’d dated who’d had Botox injections one too many times.
She nodded. “I’ll meet you on the front porch.”
“Great.”
Boy, did he have her number. She didn’t want to ride a horse, but she was trying hard not to let her fear show. Not that he’d let her get hurt or anything.
He went out the door and climbed inside his pickup. He had a feeling the rest of the day was going to be as interesting as it had started.
Chapter 14
Celeste snuggled down in the bed. It felt so good to sleep on luxurious sheets and…
She pushed the cover down and glanced at the clock. Drat! It was after eight. Being late her first day on the job wasn’t good. Not that Brian had actually set a time. She was pretty sure it wouldn’t be noon, though.
After a quick shower, she pulled on a pair of white slacks and a bright yellow top. As much as she loved her robes, they had a tendency to get in her way when she was giving a massage.
There was only one more thing she needed to grab before she left the room. And what she needed was in her suitcase…somewhere.
She dug around inside until she found the herbs she was looking for. There they were. Right at the very bottom, of course. She brought out the small bag that contained other small bags. Inside, she found what she needed. Her supply was getting low and would soon need replenishing.
She left the room, closing her door, and walked back to Brian’s office, stopping at the secretary’s desk. Shelley glanced up.
Shelley smiled. “Good morning. Amazing what a good night’s sleep will do. You look radiant.”
“Thank you. I feel a lot better.”
She studied her for a moment. “You’re dressed different, too. The outfit you’re wearing is…nice.” She tapped her pencil on her desk. “I might just have to tough out this cold to see what’ll happen today. Amazing what a change of style can do.” When Shelley smiled she looked like a cat who’d just found a bowl of cream.
“Is this okay to wear?” Celeste looked down at her clothes. Maybe she would have to wear a uniform, which was okay; she didn’t mind.
“Oh, no, what you’re wearing is fine. Who would’ve thought you would have a figure like that underneath the loose robe you wore yesterday.”
Celeste had no idea what Shelley was talking about. Maybe the cold had made Shelley a little spacey. Her figure was okay, nothing spectacular in her opinion.
She decided to change the subject away from what she was wearing. “The bed was wonderful. I slept like a baby,” she said.
Shelley started to say something but her words turned into a cough. She quickly covered her mouth. “Ugh, this cold is driving me crazy. I just can’t shake it. Sorry about that. I hope no one else catches it.”
That reminded her. “I brought you some herbs.” She held up the small bag.
Shelley eyed it skeptically. “Herbs?”
Celeste nodded.
“What kind of herbs. I don’t do drugs or anything.”
Laughter bubbled out of Celeste. “Neither do I, but a…a relative taught me about them. Trust me, they’ll help with your cold.”
“What is it exactly?”
Her brow wrinkled in thought. “Elder flowers, thyme leaves and a few other herbs. Just put it into a teapot and add a couple pints of boiling water. You’ll want to let it steep for about thirty minutes then strain off the herbs and drink it. It can be bitter so sweeten it with honey. Thyme honey if you happen to have any.”
“And it will cure my cold?”
Celeste laughed. “If I could cure a cold then I’d be rich. No, it won’t cure your cold, but it’ll ease the symptoms.”
Shelley nodded. “Okay, I’ll try it.”
The door behind Celeste opened and Brian stepped out. His eyes narrowed when he saw the baggie of herbs. He looked up and their gazes collided. His mouth dropped open, and for a moment he didn’t speak as he looked at her. Really looked. She could feel herself blushing. What was it with people today?
“You’re awake, and you look different.” He waved his arm toward her. “You’re not dressed the same.”
“Oh, my clothes. I don’t wear my robes when I’m working. As much as I love the freedom of movement, they kind of get in my way.”
He frowned.
Her stomach growled. “I don’t suppose you’d have something to eat? The sandwich I shared with you last night has worn off.”
Shelley started to cough.
Brian’s frown only deepened. “I told you to stay at home if you were still sick. Take the rest of the day off, and if you’re not one hundred percent better by morning, I don’t want you to come in.”
“But…”
“I’m the boss.”
Shelley rolled her eyes. “Okay, if I’m not feeling better, then I’ll stay at home. I’ll get Beth to cover me. She’s back from vacation.” She smiled at Celeste. “It was nice meeting you, and thanks for the herbs.”
“What exactly did you give her?” Brian asked as he and Celeste walked toward the kitchen.
“I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you.”
He stopped and looked down on her. She suddenly realized how much he towered over her, and right now he didn’t look happy. And he was still her boss.
“Herbs-that was all. They won’t hurt her and they might help with her cold.”
“You’re trained in the use of herbs?”
“Yes. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t give her anything that would cause her harm.”
“This is the dining room that you went through last night. Meals are provided for guests. We have one cook, one assistant, and two servers.” He walked past the tables, then through the swinging doors into the kitchen.
A woman looked up as they entered. Her gray hair peeked out from under her red cap. She wore a matching red apron that had “Kiss the Cook” emblazoned across it in black letters. When she saw that someone was with Brian, she smiled a smile that enveloped Celeste in a warmth of welcome. Celeste immediately liked her.
“This is our new massage therapist, Celeste,” Brian told the older woman. “At the moment, she’s starving.”
“Hello, Celeste. Have a seat at the bar and I’ll fix you right up with some breakfast. We can’t have you starting your first day on the job starving to death.” She continued to smile. “You can call me Betty.”
“When you finish eating, come back to my office and I’ll show you where you’ll work.” He turned and left without another word.
“He doesn’t say a lot, does he?” Celeste asked as Betty went to the counter and began to fix a plate of food. Celeste took a seat at the island, hooking her tennis shoes on the bottom rung of the stool.
The kitchen looked a lot different in the light of day-less forbidding. Maybe because Brian had left the room. It just seemed homier. And very clean. The tan granite countertops were free of clutter and complemented the
