Page 116 of Her Boss, Her Rancher: Sunrise On The Ranch

“I don’t expect you to work every day. You’ll have Sundays and Mondays off, if that’s okay with you.”

“That’s fine. I, um, have a few questions for you, though, if you don’t mind?”

“I don’t mind at all,” he said.

She sat a little straighter in the chair; Sienna was happy as a clam to continue to cling to her. “Well, since I’m cooking for you, I’d like to know how you see yourself food-wise.”

“How do I see myself?”

“Yes. What’s your culinary landscape?”

“In English, please?”

She held back a grin. “Okay. Are your food tastes conservative, traditional, adventurous, exotic, selective...”

“I’m definitely adventurous. There’s nothing I won’t try. Except liver. No liver, please.” He made a little-boy face, scrunching up his mouth, and she laughed.

“No liver, check. Spicy?”

“Yes, but not necessarily all the time.”

“Do you drink alcohol?”

“Does the sun shine?” he shot back.

She laughed. “Okay, got it.”

He was basically a cook’s dream. He liked to try new things and he ate everything, pretty much. She’d put that to the test very soon.

The healthy cast on his face when she’d walked in was beginning to fade. How long had he been at his desk working? She knew the look of fatigue. Being a single mom, she’d had many a sleepless night. And even when she did catch some winks, it wasn’t for very long. Not all of that had to do with Sienna. She had a classic case of insomnia, an inherited trait.Thank you, Marco.

Too late, she averted her eyes. She’d been staring at Jared. And he’d been quietly staring back.

“If there’s nothing more—”

“Actually, there is,” he said.

Gingerly, he rose from his seat to full height. When standing, he was a solid presence in the room, a man who commanded attention. She’d noticed that about Cooper, too. “I have something for you both. It’s a little welcome gift.”

“You didn’t have to do that.” Goodness, she meant it. How awkward was this? What could he have possibly gotten the two of them?

“Would you like to open Sienna’s first. It’s in the big box.”

He moved over to the two boxes by his desk. “Sienna, this is a present for you. Do you want to help your mother open it?”

Her daughter’s eyes went adorably wide and she eased off her lap, took her hand and pulled her over to the wrapped box.

“Christmas isn’t for a few weeks,” she told Jared.

Jared only smiled.

Sienna grabbed at the paper and Bella helped her the rest of the way until all the wrapping was off. When the box was open, Jared explained. “Some assembly required.”

Sienna took one look at her gift and started flapping her arms like a little bird. “Bike! Bike!”

“I can see that,” Bella said.

The balance tricycle was hot pink with streamers on the handlebars and a chrome bell. It was already assembled except for the long rod that attached to the back step, so that it could be pushed and guided from behind. The training bike of tricycles.