Rebel Cowbear (Lone Star Cowbears Book 1) Read online

  She quickened her pace, but didn’t respond.

  Several minutes later, she returned with a bandaged hand.

  “How’s your hand?” he asked.

  “It’s fine.”

  “Let me see it,” he said.

  “No. And stop talking to me. I already lost fifteen minutes and I need to focus.”

  “Just let me see it for one second. I want to make sure you’re okay.”

  His bear grumbled. The beast wanted to know the extent of her injury. Although she’d only touched the stove for a split second, it only took a moment to get a serious burn.

  She huffed as she peeled the bandage open. He reached for her hand, but she yanked it back. Her skin was still red and slightly swollen, but it hadn’t blistered.

  “It should be good in a few days,” he said.

  “Great. Now can I get back to cooking?”

  “Be my guest.” If she wanted to continue with an injury, who was he to stop her?

  “Thanks,” she said. “Now stop distracting me.”

  He shrugged before turning to scrutinize his pot of beans. He’d already added mustard, onions, jalapeños, and a handful of brown sugar. After a quick taste, he tossed in more brown sugar to balance out the heat level.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  Now she wanted to talk? The woman needed to make up her damned mind, or she was going to drive him batshit crazy.

  “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m cooking barbecue beans like everyone else.”

  “You have more brown sugar than you do beans,” she said.

  “And?”

  “Don’t you know how fattening that is?” she asked. “You’ve literally taken one of the best, most natural protein sources in the world and bastardized it into a sugar-filled dessert.” When he tossed in a handful of chopped bacon, she added, “Ugh, now you’re making it even worse.”

  “That’s basically impossible,” he said. “Bacon makes everything better.”

  “You might as well serve the judges in their coffins, because that’s where they’re going to end up after two bites of that stuff.”

  He used a clean tasting spoon to try a sample. “Mmm, so bacony.”

  Okay maybe he’d moaned a little too loudly, because both cooks at the next station turned to look at him. He grinned. They could stare all they wanted. Maybe they’d learn a thing or two.

  “It’s so good it’s bad.” He turned to Kim. “Want some?”

  “No.” She screwed up her face. “There’s probably a thousand calories per cup. How can you eat like that and not be the size of a whale?”

  “Simple,” he said. “I fuck it off.”

  Color flooded her cheeks as she turned to stir her dish.

  “Sex is the best exercise, don’t you think?” he asked.

  She shook her head.

  “No?” He chuckled, knowing that he was getting to her. “You can’t tell me sex doesn’t get your blood pumping and your heart rate up. Well, unless you’ve been dating weak men.”

  “I am not talking about this with you,” she said.

  “Okay. I get it. Sore subject. Let’s talk about your beans.” He studied her simmering pot. Although it smelled edible enough, he refused to compliment her after she’d insulted his cooking. A man had to hold onto his pride. “The color looks… pale. Did you even use brown sugar?”

  “I don’t need to add a bunch of crap to my food to make it taste better. A little bit of honey is more than enough.”

  He picked up a couple of containers of herbs from her half of the station.

  “Hey! Put those back,” she said.

  He held them just out of reach while he read the labels. “Thyme and smoked paprika. Interesting combination. I can see the paprika, but thyme? We’re not recreating an herb garden.”

  “Food can be tasty and healthy,” she said.

  “If you say so,” he said. “Good luck with your healthy barbecue beans, but I’m warning you now, if I find tofu anywhere near our station, I’m calling the barbecue police to arrest you for culinary sacrilege.”

  “You won’t be able to make that call if you’re writhing around in the middle of an artery-clogged heart attack.”

  He laughed. The girl had spunk. As the time ticked down, he stole a few glances at her. Her dainty nose and high cheekbones gave her the profile of a Hollywood starlet. Even with the sun beating down on them, her complexion maintained the dewy look of innocence.

  As he forced his gaze back to his side of the station, his body stirred with repressed longing. He’d have to find someone to help him work off the erotic tension. But as he ran through his virtual Rolodex of bedmates, he couldn’t think of anyone who could tame his growing desire. The realization shook him to the core. What was wrong with him?

  When the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the round, he set three bowls full of steaming beans on the table in front of his station. Kim placed her beans beside his.

  Zack watched as Bobby eviscerated one of the other contestants. By the time the asshole judge was done tearing apart her dish, the woman was in tears. Bobby dumped the bowl onto the dirt before strolling toward the next table.

  What a jerk.

  As the loud, belligerent judge approached the second set of contestants, Zack’s bear growled low in his chest. The guy needed a good ass-whooping. He wasn’t even a real chef. He was just a businessman who’d made his money off the backs of the hard-working cooks in his barbecue restaurants. Sure, the guy needed to eliminate contestants, but he didn’t have to be so brutal. The judge’s incredibly unprofessional behavior stoked Zack’s anger.

  The next competitor endured Bobby’s wrath like a championship fighter.

  “Where did you learn to make beans? A prison toilet?” Bobby asked.

  “No, sir. I worked in a mess hall in the Army. They taught me everything I know,” the contestant said.

  “I wouldn’t brag about serving Army slop,” Bobby said.

  “Well the men and women who served our country seemed to like it,” the Army man said.

  “There’s no accounting for taste,” Bobby snapped before moving on.

  Zack held back a growl. He almost wished the guy would say something like that about his food so he could snap him in half. He forced himself to calm down. He had to keep his temper under control and keep his eye on the prize. If he punched Bobby, he’d risk everything, including his dream of building his own home.

  Four stations later, the judges approached Zack.

  “Hello.” Lori gave him a look that said she wouldn’t mind being thrown over his shoulder and carried off to his bed. She was cute enough. About five foot seven with an oval-shaped face, bright amber-colored eyes, and a slim figure. But her beauty paled in comparison to Kim’s. Besides, he could never fall for a skinny chef. He liked a woman with some meat on her bones, and hips, and thighs.

  “What do you have for us today?” Lori asked in a suggestive tone.

  “Sweet barbecue beans with a hint of spice, molasses, and brown sugar. I like to cook traditional Texas-style barbecue.” He smiled at all three of the judges as he handed out the bowls.

  Lori maintained eye contact as she took a bite. When she closed her eyes and mewled with pleasure, he thought he heard a scoff coming from Kim’s direction. Was the ice princess jealous? This could get interesting.

  “You’re right,” Lori said. “It’s sweet, but with a naughty side that makes you want to take a bigger bite.”

  Kim half-laughed, half-snorted before coughing and clearing her throat. She was clearly jealous. He puffed up his chest. If they wanted to fight over him, then he’d be more than happy to indulge them. Maybe he could get them to mud wrestle. His bear chuffed in agreement.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” he said. “It’s a pleasure to have you judging my food.”

  Lori battered her eyes at him.

  Baited. Hooked. Caught. The other judges were too busy tasting his beans to pay them any mind.

  �
��The texture’s good,” Sebastian said. “Overall, it’s a strong presentation.”

  “Syrupy sweet, a little heavy on the brown sugar,” Bobby said. “Not the worst, but not the best either. It’s passable.”

  Passable? Talk about someone without any taste. The guy obviously didn’t know good food. After hearing Bobby’s snarky comments, he vowed that he’d never set foot in any of the jerk’s restaurants again. Screw that guy. Zack’s bear wanted to roast him on a spit and carve him up for dinner. Zack agreed with the beast.

  “Kim, is it?” Sebastian glanced at his scorecard before smiling at her.

  “Yes. Kim Paulson.” She returned his smile. “I just want to say my mother and I watch your show every week.”

  “Well, thank you for being loyal viewers,” Sebastian said.

  “Anytime.”

  As she smiled at the judge, tension snaked up the back of Zack’s neck. He rolled his shoulders. He didn’t like the way Sebastian was checking her out.

  “Tell us about your dish,” Lori said.

  “I’m so excited to meet you,” Kim gushed. “You’ve been a huge inspiration. I love your healthy recipe segments. I want to show people that barbecue doesn’t have to be full of sugar and fat.”

  Kim handed a bowl to each judge. Zack silently dared them to say something bad about her beans. He didn’t want to admit it earlier, but they were actually pretty good. He couldn’t find any fault with the spice combination she’d used.

  “These don’t look as dark as traditional barbecue beans,” Lori said.

  “No,” Kim said, “but the taste will make up for the lighter color.”

  As the judges sampled the dish, Kim fidgeted. He wanted to reach over and give her a pat on the back to calm her down, but didn’t want to risk pissing her off in the middle of her turn.

  “I’m pleasantly surprised,” Sebastian said. “You took an unhealthy dish and made it better. It’s not my favorite, but I definitely want to see what else you can do.”

  I bet you would, you smug bastard.

  “It’s definitely unique,” Lori said. “There’s something in here, it has an herby undertone, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

  “Thyme,” Kim said.

  “Interesting choice,” Lori said. “Bobby?”

  The oaf grunted and walked across the aisle to station six without saying a word. What a rude little troll.

  Kim let out a big sigh and leaned over the counter.

  “It looks like we both made it to the next round,” Zack said.

  “I told you they’d like my food.”

  “Those judges were jerks,” he muttered.

  “Yeah,” she whispered. “But those jerks are the people we need to impress if we want to have any hope of winning.”

  “We?” He arched a brow.

  “You know what I mean.”

  “I wanted to punch Bobby in the face. That guy’s a jackass.”

  “Shh,” she hissed. “If he hears you, he’ll find a way to disqualify you.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yes,” she whispered. “He doesn’t have the best reputation in the culinary world.”

  “After this is over, I fully intend to kick his ass,” Zack said.

  “Are you always this angry?” she asked.

  “No, but this guy inspires me.”

  As he helped Kim clean their station, his belly clenched. What was going on with him? He’d advanced to the next round so he should be happy, but instead, a sense of dread gnawed at his gut. Although Kim hadn’t done anything directly to throw him off his game, her effect on his mood was disconcerting. If he was going to win the competition, he had to stop thinking about her as anything other than another combatant on the culinary battlefield. He’d have to institute a take-no-prisoners approach and stop fantasizing about bedding the enemy. No matter how much his bear wanted to wine her, dine her, and sixty-nine her, he had to maintain the upper hand. Anything else would ensure his defeat, and he only had one chance to make his dream happen. He couldn’t screw it up.

  Chapter 4

  Kim hurried across the fairgrounds. The sooner she could get away from him the better. The jerk had almost cost her the competition. He may as well have held her hand to the burner. She wouldn’t have made that mistake if she hadn’t been so flustered. She’d maintained her composure at their station because she didn’t want to appear unprofessional in front of the judges. Now that the contest was over for the day, she could unleash her fury.

  “Wait,” Zack called. “Why are you so angry?”

  “Don’t talk to me right now.”

  “We both made it to the next round. Isn’t that a good thing?” he asked.

  When she reached the road, she huffed. She’d completely forgotten that she didn’t have a way to get back to the ranch without him. Stupid broken car. Now she’d have to wrap her arms around a man she couldn’t stand. A man who had nearly ruined her chances of winning.

  She hated relying on other people. When her mother had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, Kim had been the one to help her mom through the treatments. She didn’t need a musclebound meathead to storm in and save the day. She didn’t need some renegade cowboy to ride in and save her, especially in the kitchen. The audacity of that man! He needed to keep his damn hands off her burners.

  The image of his strong, masculine hands flashed through her mind, and for a moment, she wondered what they would feel like on her body. She quickly banished the thought.

  “Are you coming?” he asked as he hopped onto the death-cycle.

  She grabbed the helmet from his hand and yanked it over her head. After climbing on, she continued her internal tirade. He had no right to act like she didn’t know what she was doing. She would have been fine if it weren’t for him. What gave him the right to touch her half of the station? Was she going to be stuck with him for the rest of the competition? Would they get new partners tomorrow?

  As he raced down the road, she clung to him. Her hand ached like crazy, but she grit her teeth against the pain. What choice did she have but to hold on for dear life?

  By the time they reached the ranch, her fingers throbbed. She couldn’t wait to pop a couple of aspirin and dunk her hand in a bowl of ice water.

  “I don’t get why you’re so angry,” he said as she scurried off the bike. She tossed the helmet at him and he caught it mid-air.

  “I almost blew today’s event because of you.” She stomped over to the cottage. After jamming her key at the lock a few times, she huffed.

  “Here, let me help you,” he said.

  “I don’t need your help. You’ve done enough already.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked. “I didn’t do anything but help you today.”

  “Are you kidding me? I never would have burned my hand if you hadn’t messed with my burner.”

  “You’re seriously blaming me for that?” he asked.

  “You bet I am.” She finally pushed the door open. “I am going to rest and start fresh tomorrow.”

  “What about your car?” he asked.

  “I’ll call a tow company. Goodbye.”

  After slamming the door in his face, she placed her back against it. What was wrong with her? She’d arrived at the ranch feeling rested and ready. Now, a nagging sense of unease flowed through her, and there was only one explanation for her frustration: Zack.

  Why did that man make her so crazy and confused? Sure, he was handsome. But he was also annoying and snarky as hell.

  Kim paced the length of the cottage in an attempt to expel some of her pent-up frustration. If she could just calm down, then she’d be able to think rationally. She considered calling her mom, but she didn’t want to worry her. Her mom needed to focus on recovering, not on her daughter’s problems.

  She rolled her shoulders and decided to go for a walk. As she headed toward the door, she paused. What if he was still outside? She stood next to one of the windows and peeked out through the curtains. When she didn�
��t see him, she slipped out and headed down the path to the river.

  A gentle breeze rustled the trees. She tilted her face toward the sun and let its warmth melt away the tension in her body. As she strolled past the other cottages, she waved at a group of contestants who were sitting together on one of the porches. They smiled and waved back. She considered joining them, but decided she’d rather be alone.

  The path curved toward one of the pastures. Several horses stood under a huge oak tree. They neighed as she passed. A horse galloped across the meadow straight toward her. The woman riding the horse pulled up just short of the fence.

  “Whoa, boy!”

  As she hopped off the horse, her long, dark brown hair flapped against her back. She blew her bangs out of her eyes and adjusted the clip which held her hair in place. Her golden-brown skin glistened in the sunlight. Her slightly upturned nose and arched eyebrows gave her an almost snooty look. But Kim’s impression of her changed as soon as she started to speak in a friendly tone.

  “I’m Beth,” the woman said. “You’re Kim, right?” She reached her hand through the fence.

  “Yep,” Kim said as she shook her hand. “Are you Zack’s sister?”

  “Yep.”

  “I can see the resemblance,” Kim said.

  “Did you hurt yourself?” Beth asked. She motioned toward Kim’s bandaged hand.

  “I had an accident at the barbecue competition earlier. It’s nothing.”

  “It looks like you might need another Band-Aid since that one’s falling off,” Beth said. “You could probably use a topical antibiotic too. I have some in the house.”

  “That’s not necessary.” Kim held her hand up to inspect it. One corner of the Band-Aid had lifted to reveal a small patch of red skin. It didn’t look any better than it had a couple of hours ago. “Okay, maybe it could use a fresh bandage.”

  “I insist.” Beth opened a gate and led the horse through it. “Let me get Thunder back to the barn. I’ll meet you up there and we’ll get you patched back up.”

  “Thank you,” Kim said.

  As she waited on the back porch of the main house, she scanned the surrounding area. Hopefully she wouldn’t run into Zack. If she could get through the rest of the day without seeing him, she’d be happy.