Rachel had the next day all to herself. She took some landscapes in the morning—when the light was the best—then planned to spend all afternoon working on processing the pictures she had taken the day before. Alyssa was working on the final report for her internship that had to be turned in this week. Beau also had to write up his experience and evaluation of her as an intern. So, everyone was busy working on their computers. Her new desk was supposed to arrive today, she thought, and it couldn’t come too soon. The little writing desk was just too cramped. She still loved it, but not as a work surface. She needed more space. Adam had been right about it not really working for her—not that she wanted to admit that—but it didn’t make it less true.

After working on the photos for about four hours—on the tiny desk—she needed a break. She grabbed her camera bag and set out to find a distraction. Hopefully she would have the new desk to work on tomorrow.

She heard Tony laugh and decided to follow that sound. He was in the kitchen where he and Meg were making chocolate chip cookies. He stood on a chair next to the island counter and he was covered in flour. Meg had a fair amount on her too, and Rachel wondered what had happened.

“Mind if I watch?” she asked, as she took her camera out of the bag and adjusted it to take indoor pictures with no flash. It was bright in the kitchen with sunlight coming in the windows, so she would get some images, probably not as good as she would have gotten with the flash, but Tony might be distracted by the light and she didn’t want to cause another flour explosion.

Meg smiled. “Sure. We’re making cookies.”

“It looks like a flour tornado went through.”

Meg barked out a laugh and nodded. “Yes, one did.”

Tony yelled, “It was me. I was the toe-nado. Flour got everywhere.” His gleeful expression changed. “Mama is not going to be happy.” He shook his head sadly.

“We’ll get it all cleaned up before your mother comes home. Don’t you worry.” Meg patted his arm.

“Okay, Nana. Is it time to put in the chocolate chips?”

Meg smiled at the little boy. “Almost time, just a little more stirring first.”

Rachel took some pictures of the process and the mess. Tony’s eyes lit up when it was time to pour in the chocolate chips. Once the bag was open he took out a small handful and put them in his mouth, then poured the rest into the dough.

He chewed up his candy and then grinned at Rachel with a chocolaty smile. “The cookie maker always has to eat a few chips. To make sure they are good for the cookies.”

“Do they now?” she said as she snapped a few pictures of the boy.

He nodded and then said dramatically, “But now we have to wait forever while the cookies bake.”

Meg laughed. “Nine minutes is not forever, Tony.”

“I know, Nana. But it seems like forever.”

Rachel had to agree with that. Waiting for cookies to bake and be cool enough to eat, did seem like forever sometimes.

“Did you take my picture, Rachel?” He asked.

“Yes, do you mind?”

“No, but you can’t show mama, ‘cause she’ll see the toe-nado mess.” Tony drew pictures with his finger in the flour coating the counter.

“Don’t you ever make cookies with your mama?” she asked.

“Yes, but mama doesn’t let me help as much. I just do the chocolate with her. Not the flour.” He hopped down from his chair and raced around the room.

Rachel looked at the kitchen disaster then back at Meg. As Tony ran around and around the kitchen island, flour flew off of him leaving the air murky. Rachel decided Emma was the wiser of the two. Then again, she knew grandmothers always let their grandchildren get away with more than their children ever did. And she figured that is exactly how it should be.

* * *

Adam stopped dead in his tracks when he found Rachel, Tony, and his mother eating chocolate chip cookies in a room that appeared to have had a flour bomb go off in it. Tony was nearly covered from head to toe except for the chocolate all over his mouth and hands. His mom had some on her clothes and in her hair. Rachel only had a little on one knee and an elbow, apparently, she’d come in after the explosion.

He walked into the room. “So, I smelled chocolate chip cookies clear out in the barn, and thought I better come investigate. Tony, did you help Nana make cookies?’

“I did. I helped with the flour and the chocolate,” his nephew crowed.

Adam enjoyed the little boy’s pride in helping his grandmother. “I never would have guessed. Do I get to taste one?”

Tony nodded excitedly. “Yes, uncle A, you can have one.”

Rachel looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “Uncle A?”

He shrugged. “I’m uncle A, Beau is uncle B and Drew is uncle D. For Cade and Chase, he has to use their names, two uncle C’s wouldn’t work.”

“I guess uncle C1 and C2 would be kind of weird and they might fight over who was one and who was two.” Rachel laughed, and the sound slid through Adam making goosebumps break out on his whole body.

He gritted his teeth and nodded. He didn’t want to have that kind of reaction to this woman. She was too young for the likes of him. Hell, he thought Alyssa was too young for Beau. The girls were the same age and he was two years older than his brother. That was just wrong. He frowned and ordered his body to get under control, took a cookie and ate it, to give him a minute to collect himself.

When he was finished he turned and spoke sharply to Rachel. “I came in because the delivery people called to say they would be here in fifteen minutes with your new desk. Do you know where you want it or need to move anything?”

Rachel raised an eyebrow at him, probably wondering about his change in attitude. Well she would just have to wonder, he was going to start treating her like a child to remind himself to keep back.

“I have the space cleared, so it can be delivered with no problems.”

“Good. If you all can stay here in the kitchen, I’ll have them bring it in through the front door.” Rachel started to stand. “You too, Rachel. Unless you think I can’t tell where the desk should go.”

“No, it’s obvious. I just thought—”

He cut her off. “I’ve got it. The less people underfoot the better.”

She flinched and folded her arms. “Fine.”

Now he’d pissed her off, any time a woman said “fine” in that tone of voice it was anything but. He decided that was a good thing though. If she was ticked at him maybe she wouldn’t go around laughing all the time.

* * *

Rachel watched the man walk out of the room. Did he really say I would get underfoot? Like I’m five, and don’t know how to get out of the way? She honestly could not believe he’d said that. Underfoot? Really?

“I must admit that was weird,” Meg said turning her gaze back to Rachel. Rachel realized she must have spoken out loud.

She was just so shocked. He’d seemed pleasant enough when he walked in, but then he’d gotten nasty again. She supposed he’d used up his allotted quota of niceness yesterday.

Meg shook her head. “I know I’m his mother and I should be on his side, but I don’t think I would let him get away with treating me that way. If I was you.”

Rachel turned her head slowly to Meg, weighing her options and Meg’s opinion. “You know, I think you’re right. It’s my room, and I have a vested interest in the delivery, not Mr. Imperious.”

Meg grinned. “Sometimes Adam can get a little full of himself, as do most men. I think you’re just the one to take him down a peg or two.”

“I can do that.” She brushed the flour off her clothes, as she walked out of the kitchen with her camera bag. A little full of himself, indeed.

She sauntered into her room where Adam was standing. “I decided that the delivery men would want to know how I want my desk positioned in my room, so if you think two people are going to get underfoot, you need to be the one to leave.”

He sighed. “I should have known you wouldn’t take that comment lying down.”

“I am not a five-year-old that gets underfoot, Adam. I’m an adult woman who can determine how to ride a horse and what I am capable of. I can direct workmen without getting in the way. And I am a competent photographer. So, I expect you to treat me with respect and not like a child.”

“Got it.” The doorbell chimed. “I’ll go let the delivery men in.”

“Thank you.”

When he’d left the room, she wondered if her little speech would help or if she’d wasted her breath. She felt better about not letting him put her down or treat her badly, so she decided it was worth it even if he was determined to be a jerk.

The delivery men brought the desk into her room and she was shocked. It was huge. On both sides of where the chair went were pedestals, one side had a bunch of shallow drawers, the other side had a filing cabinet drawer on the bottom and a shelf above that. This was a desk for a serious professional. She was so shocked at Adam’s generosity, she could hardly direct the men. There was also a very nice rolling desk chair in a box and a pad to go under it, so it would roll smoothly on the carpet.

When the men were finished setting the desk up, Adam said, “I’ll walk them out and bring up some tools to put the chair together.”

She nodded. “Okay.” She was so flabbergasted it came out as almost a whisper.

He arched a brow at her and left with the men. She went over to the desk and ran her hands over it, then she opened the drawers and filing cabinet. It was an amazing piece of furniture, much nicer than what she had at home, and Adam had bought it without her even asking.

She honestly didn’t know how to feel, she was so confused.

* * *

Adam let the men out, grabbed up the tool box, and went back to Rachel’s room. She’d acted very odd when the men had brought the desk in. He didn’t know if she liked it or hated it. He thought it was a nice desk and it had lots of drawers and a filing cabinet, and everything he thought she would need to stay a few months and work on her photography.

He walked into her room and she didn’t even acknowledge him, she just stood there like a zombie running one hand over the top of the desk.

He cleared his throat, so he didn’t startle her and asked, “So will it work?”

She turned her head and just looked at him.

“Rachel? What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “I just don’t understand you. One minute you’re nice, the next you’re treating me like a pest. When I got here three days ago you were crabby and short with me. But while I was unloading my car you were ordering me a thousand-dollar desk and having the family put all my things away in an orderly fashion. Downstairs a few minutes ago you were friendly and laughing one minute, and calling me a child the next. Frankly, you’re giving me whiplash.”

Oh, hell, how was he going to explain? He knew he was acting irrationally, but he didn’t want to tell her he found her attractive and was fighting that with everything he had. Could he just avoid the whole thing with deflection? He was damn sure going to try.

“I’m not sure what to say. Other than, will the desk work?”

She frowned at him, then turned toward the desk. “It’s perfect.”

“Good. This room needed a decent desk. Until you came with all your equipment we just never noticed.” He hoped she would leave it at that, and turned to the chair to start putting it together. Hopefully it would be as quickly assembled as the advertisement had said.