Page 70 of A Cowboy to Call Her Own

“Double their bacon. Add extra honey for their tea,” Pauline stated firmly. “And Frannie, tell them their orders are being served with a side of heartache.”

Kelley rolled her eyes and walked into the diner before anyone could stop her. Smiling big, she seated guests, took orders and even bused tables. She joined in on small talk across the diner and bolstered the gossip at the lunch counter. Anything to keep busy. Anything to keep her thoughts from circling back to her cowboy.

Fortunately, the dining area was buzzing. The parade showcase was proving a boon for Gold Finch. The inn was already booked solid for the weekend. And the fireworks show had been doubled for what Beatrice deemed an even grander grand finale. It was not difficult to get swept up in the excitement.

When Kelley overheard Pauline offering the diner to Edith Sterling for a Friday night parade costume prep and repair party, Kelley jumped right in and volunteered her cooking services. She was more than thrilled to have another evening arranged. After all, it was in the stillness that her cowboy walked right back into her mind.

That buzz around the diner gained momentum after Mayor Corbin’s entertaining and all too engagingMorning GallopTV appearance. The locals were convinced out-of-towners would come just for a chance to meet the exuberant and genuinely enthusiastic Mayor Corbin. The mayor’s live shout-outs to Edith Sterling and Kelley Munroe, his efficient and dedicated committee members, were unexpected yet welcome. It was the mayor’s wrap-up with a rather witty plug for the Galloping Fork Diner that had the folks truly enthralled.

“Mayor Corbin just called your grilled cheese the best in the state, Kelley.” Beatrice beamed. “And on live TV to boot.”

“We could not have paid for better advertising,” Pauline said, sounding thoroughly pleased.

“The mayor outright encouraged viewers to head on down to the Galloping Fork, have a taste and decide for themselves.” Lynette dunked her tea bag into her teacup. “I’m no marketing guru, but I do believe that was genius.”

“It’s sure to fill up around here,” Len mused, a gleam in his gaze, approval in his words.

“Wait until word spreads about how good Kelley’s grilled cheese really is.” Frannie’s smile grew wide. “You could turn into an internet craze overnight, Kelley, with like a huge following and all.”

Kelley chuckled. “I would not go that far.”

“Why not?” Frannie asked. “You’ve got the culinary chops as it were to lead, rather than follow.”

Lynette hummed. “Let ’em follow you for a change, Kelley.”

Lead, rather than follow. No one could accuse her of standing still, then. Kelley flexed her toes in her boots as if testing the fit.

“And we could add a sense of urgency by letting our grilled cheese ingredients run out each day,” Pauline mused, her expression thoughtful. “When we are out, we are out. It’s limited and you best get it while you can.”

Kelley eyed her boss, surprised at the interest she heard in Pauline’s words. They were flying, not sticking. Selling, not settling. This was not a diner conversation they should be encouraging.

“Bea and I went to a restaurant in North Carolina once with a secret menu,” Lynette said and arched her eyebrows. “If you knew, you knew what to order.”

“Oh, yes, I remember that. It was the special menu for the locals in the know.” Beatrice’s gaze sparked. “Our niece was a housekeeper at the local inn in town. There’s something rather fun about being in on a really good secret.”

“It helped that it was a delicious secret at that.” Lynette laughed. “We certainly felt very special that night.”

Kelley had felt special in her cowboy’s arms under the twinkling lights on a wedding reception dance floor. She supposed that was her secret. Kelley topped off Len’s coffee and said, “Aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves a little bit?”

“Better that than being left behind,” Len quipped.

Everyone at the counter nodded, including Frannie and Pauline.

“Speaking of being left behind.” Beatrice picked up her tea mug and eyed Kelley over the rim. “When are we going to talk about you, dear?” Beatrice patted her heart, giving Kelley a silent cue as to what she was referring to.

“There’s nothing to talk about there,” Kelley replied. “As it happens, I’m really good.”

Lynette’s brow wrinkled. “It’s worse than we thought.”

Kelley tried to smile at that, and said, “Look, Asher and I went to a wedding together and sat at the singles’ table. What does that tell you?”

“Laura-Beth was not very efficient or detailed with her seating chart,” Beatrice answered.

“Nooo,” Kelley stressed the word. “Asher and I knew there was nothing between us. Friends was all it was ever meant to be.” If she wished for more, well, that was her heart wandering where it never should have been. But Kelley was finding her way now. Without her cowboy. And she was determined to be better for it. Forcing a grin, she added, “Let’s just call it a limited special and leave it at that.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Asher lasted allof five days in New York before the silence spurred him into booking a red-eye flight back to Kentucky. He missed diner coffee. He missed sunrise out on a pasture. He missed the horses. The staff. The land. But mostly, he missed Kelley.