Hired: Cinderella Chef. Myrna Mackenzie

to have a cow,” the third one said.

      “Fuzz. Down now.” Patrick’s voice broke through the noise. The sad-looking, big-eyed mutt backed off of Darcy.

      “Later,” she told the dog, winking. “Steak.”

      “No steak,” Patrick said.

      “Tyrant. He’s just a big puppy.”

      “Who doesn’t belong in the kitchen,” he insisted.

      We’ll see, Darcy thought with some amusement. She’d spent a lifetime being told she didn’t belong here or there. She and this dog had something in common. But Patrick had turned his attention away from the dog who had wandered out of the room.

      “Cara, Amy, Lane, what were you thinking?” he asked, crossing his arms.

      “We thought you were in here,” one of them said. “We didn’t think about Fuzz. Come here, big brother. We have a secret to tell you.” She looked down at her abdomen and smiled.

      “Cara? Another baby?” Patrick’s voice was soft. He folded his sister into his arms.

      “And she’s such a baby when she’s having a baby,” another sister said. “Mark my words, she’ll be calling you whenever there’s a crisis.”

      “I will not!” the other sister said.

      “You did when you were pregnant with Charlie.”

      “That’s because I was looking for an excuse to come over and give Patrick a hand with you, Lane, sweetie,” Cara said. “You are a handful.”

      “At least I won’t come running to Patrick when I have a husband the way you two do,” the youngest beauty said.

      Immediately the two older sisters began to protest and the ensuing sounds was nearly earsplitting, but Patrick calmly broke in. “Enough. You haven’t said hello to either Darcy or Olivia yet. Or apologized for letting Darcy be attacked by Fuzz.”

      Darcy started to open her mouth to tell him that Fuzz hadn’t hurt her, but Patrick shook his head.

      The trio of beauties greeted Olivia and turned to Darcy. “We were out of line,” Cara said.

      “We weren’t thinking,” Amy agreed.

      “And we really are sorry,” Lane agreed. “You’re new, aren’t you?”

      “As new as they get,” Darcy agreed with a smile when Lane held out her hand.

      “What happened to Elaine, the last cook?” Amy asked.

      Patrick gave her a look that clearly indicated that was an off-limits topic.

      “Ah, the usual,” Cara said.

      Darcy raised one brow, but she said nothing other than what she felt needed saying. “I hope you’ll enjoy what I’ve prepared for dinner.”

      “I’m sure it will be great,” Amy said.

      “Yes. Absolutely,” the other women said.

      “All right, we’ve disrupted Darcy’s kitchen long enough,” Patrick said. “If she’s going to work her magic, she needs us out of here.”

      “Magic?” Lane asked.

      “Darcy is a veritable genius in the kitchen,” he clarified, winking at Darcy.

      The sisters exchanged a look. Not a happy look, either. “Is Angelise coming?” Cara asked. It was clear that she wanted the answer to be yes.

      “I didn’t invite her,” he said.

      “Why not?”

      Patrick frowned. He didn’t answer. Now Darcy was as curious as his sisters were, but it wasn’t any of her business, was it? Besides, if he wasn’t going to share with his sisters, he certainly wasn’t going to tell his cook his secrets.

      But as the sisters and Patrick left the kitchen, Darcy was certain she heard one of the young women say, “Be careful about how you praise Darcy, Patrick. You know how many members of your staff have fallen in love with you? One word of praise and they’re writing Mrs. Patrick Judson in their diaries. It’s not fair to hurt them or lead them on.”

      “I have no intention of leading Darcy on.” Had Patrick really said that or was that simply what Darcy thought she heard? His voice had been muffled and low.

      “Olivia?” Darcy asked. “Is that how I got this job? The last cook went off the deep end over… um…Mr. Judson?” No matter what Patrick had told everyone at Able House, this was not a good moment to start calling him by his first name.

      “Afraid so. They all fall in love with him. I would, too, but he’s too old for me.”

      “Well, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m not falling in love with anyone, least of all my boss. I don’t go looking for trouble anymore.”

      “Yes, but my mother says that sometimes trouble just finds us.”

      “Not me.”

      Olivia shrugged. “Whatever you say, but I’ve seen it happen over and over. That last cook—Elaine? I liked her, but she was practically stalking Mr. Judson. He had to let her go.”

      A sick feeling ran through Darcy. She knew all too well what rejection felt like. “We’d better get the meal on the table. We have four mouths to feed.”

      “Six.”

      “Who else is coming?” Darcy asked.

      “The baby-sitter is on her way over to drop off Mr. Judson’s nephews, Charlie and Davey. They’re just four and five and so cute you just want to pick them up and hug them. They’re the light of Mr. Judson’s eyes. He loves children.”

      “Children?” Panic attacked Darcy’s senses. She fought against it.

      “Yes. Like I said, two of them. You’ll see.”

      Darcy shook her head. “No, I’ll be in the kitchen. You’ll be serving.”

      Olivia gave her the look. “You know Mr. Judson might want you to put in an appearance.”

      Darcy wanted to say no, but she couldn’t do that. She had had her one reprieve. He wouldn’t allow her another. Like it or not, panicked or not, she was going to have to enter a room filled with women who were wondering whether she had a crush on Patrick, she was going to have to face those babies she couldn’t bear to face and she was going to have to do it all while trying to pretend that Patrick had absolutely no effect on her at all.

      CHAPTER FOUR

      TWO HOURS LATER, Darcy blew out a long breath. She had made it through the evening. Barely. Every time she’d entered the room, she had had to decide where to look. Those two gorgeous little boys were at one end of the table. Just one glance had nearly made her heart break and made her wonder…would her child have had those chubby little elbows, those huge, innocent eyes? The pain she thought she’d conquered had hit her like a sledgehammer, dredging up emotions she’d learned to suppress.

      Darcy only hoped her hastily pasted-on smile had hidden her distress. Her inability to face children was not something she wanted to discuss.

      After that, she had avoided looking toward the boys and had concentrated instead on doing her job and on the adults. Whenever she’d entered the room, Patrick’s sisters had seemed to be talking about women. Specifically, Patrick and women. More specifically, Patrick and Angelise Marsdon. Apparently the lovely Angelise was quite a catch. And no question about it, Patrick was…he was…

      An image of smoldering green eyes and dark hair assailed her. Sudden, unexpected heat suffused Darcy’s body, and as if her physical reaction was like some sort of magic beacon, she heard Patrick’s telltale masculine steps nearing the kitchen. Caught off guard, she felt the plate she’d been holding slide from her hands, and she had to practically