Trainer's Treat: Culpepper Cowboys, #7

By Kirsten Osbourne

Patience Quinlan moves to Culpepper, Wyoming, with only two expectations: That she would get out from under her father's thumb, and that she would open a bakery with two of her favorite people. Once those two things are accomplished, she is content. When a young ballerina walks into the bakery one morning arguing with her father about ballet camp, Patience immediately offers to help, remembering her desires to dance when she was small.
Ryan Bassett is a single parent with way too much to do to be able to get his pink-clad ballerina daughter to ballet camp every day all summer. When the pretty girl behind the bakery counter offers to help him and his daughter out, he's skeptical at first but realizes she could be the answer to his prayers. Will the friendship formed between woman and girl lead to a special relationship between Ryan and Patience? Or will the strain of the past keep them apart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Unlimited Dreams
• Release date: Oct 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781536526707

Book preview

I don’t often remember to make dedications, but I want to make sure I do with this one. I want to dedicate this book to Corinne Smith, a little girl I’ve never met, who lives across the ocean from me. Her mother, Suzanne Smith, was one of my first fans I got to know. When I found out I had cancer in January, little Corinne sent me a video on Facebook wishing me well, and she wrote me a very sweet book that came all the way to me from England to my Texas home. She brought me to good tears multiple times with her sweet manner, and I believe she is the star of this book.  Thank you, Corinne and Suzanne, for lighting up my life, whether you realized you were doing it or not.

Chapter One

PATIENCE FROWNED DOWN at the display case. She’d made four types of scones and three different ‘new’ muffins for the bakery, and she was dying to know if any of them were a hit. She looked over her shoulder at her cousin, Grace. Is that cake going to take all day? I have someone who wants a birthday cake they can pick up by this afternoon. Will you have time to get to it?

Grace looked up from the wedding cake she was working on. I can take a break from this for a birthday cake if it’s not too elaborate. If there’s a lot to be done on it, you may need to have Felicity do it.

Felicity made a face. I hate working on cakes. I like cookies.

I know, but you’re good with a frosting bag, and I don’t know if I can do this cake as well as a complicated birthday cake. If someone wants another princess castle, I definitely won’t have time!

Oh, this is a simple one, Patience put in. It’s just a few flowers and a happy birthday message. It’ll probably take you twenty minutes.

Grace nodded. I can do that much easily. Piece of cake. She giggled at her own joke.

Patience rolled her eyes. Just don’t start on the lawyer jokes, Grace. You promised no lawyer jokes until after the first of July.

Grace frowned. Why did I promise that again? I don’t even remember!

Doesn’t matter. You promised and Felicity and I both witnessed it.

But I love telling lawyer jokes!

We know! Patience and Felicity said together. Patience was two years older than her sister at twenty-four, and the oldest of the eight cousins.

Grace sighed. You two take all my fun away.

Patience looked over her shoulder at Grace as she counted the change in the cash register in preparation for opening the bakery for the day. I’m sure you and Marcus have plenty of fun.

Grace blushed, staring at the cake, and refusing to speak.

Felicity rolled her eyes. Give Grace a break. I’m just glad she’s married and happy.

So am I, Patience responded. Time to open. Are you two ready to act all professional and stuff?

Because of the way the bakery was laid out, the women worked in full view of the customers who patronized the shop. Ready. Grace still didn’t look up from her cake.

Of course, Felicity said, decorating a cookie to look like a minion for the daycare the Culpeppers had at their house.

Patience hurried around the counter and unlocked the door, flipping the sign in the window to Open. Patience’s specialty was pies, but they weren’t selling well at this time of year, so she was experimenting with making other things. She hoped the pies started selling better in the fall for the holiday season like she expected. Until then, she’d bake whatever she could that would sell, and hopefully she wouldn’t always be relegated to working the cash register while her co-workers got to have all the fun baking.

She took her spot behind the counter and made sure the coffee was ready. She heard the tinkle of the bell, indicating they had a customer. They did a brisk breakfast business, which had surprised them all at first, but now they baked muffins, scones, and cinnamon rolls to accommodate the breakfast customers.

She smiled at the man who walked in, a little girl with brown hair and beautiful eyes in a ballerina outfit coming along behind him. The girl had a frown on her face. But, Daddy! If I don’t go to my ballet class, how will I ever become a professional ballerina and dance across all the best and biggest stages in the world?

Her father sighed. I take you to your ballet classes twice a week. I just can’t leave work to take you to camp all summer.

The other girls will get better than me!

The man rubbed the back of his neck as he looked down into the display case. Do you want a scone or muffins for breakfast?

I want to go to ballet camp. The little girl folded her arms across her chest belligerently. Why can’t someone else drive me?

Patience felt memories flooding back. She’d wanted so badly to take ballet lessons when she’d been about that little girl’s age, but her father had refused. He didn’t feel like women should prance around in skin-tight clothes showing off their bodies and trying to tempt men. Even at the age of six.

I’ll take her. The words were out of Patience’s mouth before she’d realized she was going to say them.

Oh, you will? The girl clapped her hands together, a big smile on her face. See, Daddy? This nice lady will take me. It’s all settled!

The man shook his head. We don’t even know her. I appreciate the kind offer, Miss—

Quinlan. Patience Quinlan. My cousins married the four Culpepper brothers.

So you know Hope? Hope runs the daycare Corinne starts at today.

Patience nodded. Hope is my cousin. I’m staying at Linda Culpepper’s house. My business partner is Hope’s sister, Grace. She pointed to her cousin. And my sister is also here. That’s Felicity. I’m Patience. I promise, I’ll take good care of her.

You don’t understand. It would mean picking her up from daycare at eleven-thirty every morning and driving her into Culpepper to the dance studio. I could pick her up, but I can’t ask anyone to even drive her one way.

You’re not asking. I’m offering. And I do know exactly what it means. Every day? she asked.

I—yes, I’d need it done every day, but I really can’t ask that.

Look, Mr.—

Bassett. Ryan Bassett.

Look, Mr. Bassett, I know exactly what I’m offering to do. I wanted to be a ballerina with everything inside me at her age, and I was never allowed to take one lesson. Let me watch my dreams come true through your little girl. If you don’t trust me, ask Hope about me. Ask Linda about me. I’ll even give you the name of my pastor back home, and you can write and ask him about me.

I don’t think asking your old pastor about you would be necessary. Ryan seemed to be arguing with himself internally. Finally, he nodded. I’ll ask Hope and Linda about you. May I call in an hour with my answer?

Patience nodded, winking at Corinne. She could tell she’d won the battle. That would be fine. Let me give you my cell number. She waited until he had his phone out and rattled off her number. Can she help me find the studio if I can get us into Culpepper? I’m new to town.

She can. Ryan frowned. Are you sure? This is a big commitment to make to a child you’ve never seen before. You won’t be missed here in the bakery?

Patience turned and looked at her cousin and sister. If I promise to do extra clean-up, will you mind?

You don’t even have to do extra clean-up, Grace responded automatically. I think it’s a great idea.

Me too, Felicity said. It’s just for the summer.

Ryan blinked a couple of times, surprised by the generosity of the three women in front of him. Thank you. He looked at Patience. I’ll call you in a bit, after I’ve talked to Hope and Linda.

Corinne gave Patience a thumbs up. I’ll see you soon. Thank you!

Patience smiled as the little girl chose a scone. I made that myself. Will you let me know later if you like it? Scones are new to me!

I’ve never had a scone, but I know I’ll like it, cuz I like you!

Does that mean you don’t like me? Ryan asked her, as he pointed to the orange muffins. I’ll have two of those.

No, but your cooking is yucky, and she’s wearing a big white apron, so she must know what she’s doing. Corinne accepted the scone in a small white bag, and Patience handed her two napkins.

Would you like coffee, Mr. Bassett? Patience asked, hiding a smile at the girl’s summation of her father’s cooking.

Yes, please. He looked around. "You should have some tables in here for your breakfast customers.

Patience nodded. I agree. We’ll have to see about that as soon as we can. She took his money from him and gave him change. Have a good day. She smiled down at Corinne. "I will see you later."

Thank you! Corinne looked as happy as a clam as she hurried out of the store, doing dancing leaps instead of walking.

Ryan slipped behind the steering wheel of his pick-up truck as Corinne scrambled into the backseat and climbed into her booster seat, buckling herself in. Are you ready? he asked.

All buckled! Corinne told him. Are you going to let that nice lady drive me to camp?

Ryan frowned. First I need to talk to Miss Hope and Mrs. Culpepper. Depending on what they say, I probably will let her drive you.

I like her. She’d make a good new mommy.

He shook his head. You had a mommy. She died, remember?

I remember. That’s why I need a new mommy. Then we wouldn’t have to worry so much about getting me places. You and my new mommy could take turns.

He said nothing else because they’d already reached the big house on the Culpepper ranch. They’d gone to the bakery because it was right there on property, and he hoped the breakfast lived up to the hype. People had been talking about it ever since it opened. Have you got your things?

Corinne nodded, grabbing her bag with her scone and her backpack. I have everything. She got