Daisies in the Canyon(32)

“Okay, folks, sit down and let’s get started. Noon hour is sixty minutes,” Bonnie said.

They took their chairs and started passing food around from one to the other. Since Cooper sat right next to Abby, every time he handed off a bowl or platter to her, their arms bumped against each other or their hands brushed. It was both misery and exciting at the same time every time a fresh new jolt shot through her.

“I’m feelin’ bad about comin’ here for dinner, so I’m goin’ to make y’all a deal. I’ll provide dinner on Sunday. Either steaks right here when you get home from church since that’s the only thing I can cook, or else I’ll take the whole bunch of you out to dinner up in Silverton at the little diner there,” Cooper said.

“Deal!” Abby stuck out her hand.

That way she’d cook on Wednesday and Saturday every week. Her days would be set and she’d never have to interrupt her Sunday sleep-in mornings to plan a meal.

“Deal,” Bonnie agreed. “Abby can shake for all of us since you are closest to Cooper.”

His hand engulfed hers and held a moment longer than necessary, even for a hearty shake. So she was special in his eyes now. He had to be crazy as an outhouse rat if he wanted to take friendship to a new level. Ezra was her father. That should tell him she’d make a lousy spouse and a horrible parent.

Cooper dropped her hand and smiled. “This is really good cookin’, Miz Bonnie. You ever think of puttin’ in a café of your own?”

“Hell, no!” Bonnie said quickly. “I can cook and I don’t mind doin’ it, but I damn sure don’t want to cook every day.”

“You want to make some extra money and cook for my poker night this Friday night?” Cooper asked.

Bonnie shook her head. “No, thank you. Pour up some chips and dip and put out the stuff for them to make sandwiches.”

“So we’re still on for poker and at your place later this week?” Rusty asked.

“Seven sharp,” Cooper answered.

“Waylon and Travis?” Rusty asked.

Cooper nodded. “And Jackson if he can drag himself away from Loretta. I swear he’s so happy about those twin girls, it’s unreal.”

“I could bring the leftover gingerbread to the poker game,” Rusty said.

“Like hell you will,” Abby declared. “If we don’t get to play cards with the boys, then the boys don’t get our gingerbread.”

“Y’all play poker?” Cooper asked.

Bonnie giggled.

“What?” Shiloh asked.

“I would bet dollars to cow patties that she’s played before and that she’s damn good at it. She might own your ranch and maybe even your boots before the night was over if you played with her,” Abby said.

Bonnie beamed. “I’m not that good.”

“We’ll take y’all on Saturday night, right here at this table,” Rusty said.

“I’ll bring the dessert for that night,” Abby said.

Cooper laid a hand on her shoulder and their eyes locked across the space between them. “I thought Frito pies was all you knew how to cook.”

“I know how to open a container of ice cream, squirt caramel sauce on it, add a dollop of whipped cream, and put a cherry on top.” Abby smiled sweetly.

He quickly removed his hand and cleared his throat. “Saturday night it is. Seven o’clock unless I have an emergency. You ladies best go on and bring your Friday paychecks. You can just sign the backs when I win them from you. Rusty, did you tell them why Ezra’s land is set so far back off the road?”

Rusty put a thick slab of ham on his plate and passed the ham to Cooper. “Story has it that Ezra and Jackson’s grandpa got into a poker game. They were the only two left and Ezra thought he had a good hand, so he bet half his ranch on the win. Grandpa Bailey put up half of his, which was a damn sight more acreage than Ezra had. Ezra spread out a straight flush and figured he’d just landed half of Lonesome Canyon. Grandpa Bailey had a royal flush and gave Ezra a choice. Front half or back half of Malloy Ranch. Ezra chose the back half because it was better land and had the house and the family cemetery on it. Grandpa Bailey gave him the easement if he kept up the road, so he could get back here to his ranch.”

“And story has it that was the last time Ezra played cards. If you got his card-playin’ genes, y’all might do well to leave the poker to the big dogs,” Cooper said.

“Maybe none of us got our poker faces from Ezra. Maybe we got them from our mamas,” Shiloh said.

“Or our maternal grandpas,” Bonnie piped up.

Everyone looked at Abby, who shrugged. “Who said I have poker sense? I just offered to bring dessert, not wipe out the whole lot of you.”

“That one will bear watching,” Bonnie said.

“I agree,” Cooper nodded. “Fantastic dinner, Miz Bonnie. I still think that you and Shiloh could put a restaurant in either Claude or Silverton and make a fine living.”

“Haven’t got time,” Shiloh said. “I’ve got a ranch to run.”

“And I done told you, I’m not interested,” Bonnie said.

Abby felt eyes on her again as she reached for a second helping of ham. “What? I’m hungry. It takes a lot of food to make enough energy to work like we do.”