A/N: Thanks to my two wonderful betas – Sonomom and Jago Ji!

Chapter 1

Stephanie Plum didn't do nervous. She was an accomplished chef and restaurant manager with more than 10 years of experience. So why were her palms sweating and her heart racing? It probably had something to do with her current surroundings, a horse ranch in a small Montana town.

The ad in the Times of Trenton had been almost cryptic in nature. "Help Wanted – Culinary Expert". After speaking on the phone with the manager, Carlos Manoso, she had a little more information but not a lot. Even so, she accepted the job with the generous salary, and drove 1,700 miles to her new home.

She needed to get away from Trenton and the quagmire that had become her life. She had recently lost her job when the owners of the restaurant she worked for had decided to close and move to Florida. Her on again, off again boyfriend, Joe, just wasn't what she wanted anymore, and she didn't even want to think about her mom's constant nagging to get married.

Taking a deep breath, Stephanie exited her navy blue SUV and headed towards the main house. She was amazed at the beauty of her new environment. The snowcapped mountains were a wonderful backdrop to the expansive ranch, and the deep blue sky and puffy clouds overhead added to the overall serenity of the atmosphere.

Before she could get to the top stairs of the porch, the door opened and out walked the most handsome man she had ever seen. He was well over six feet tall with mocha-colored skin and long dark hair that brushed his shoulders. He wore an impressive Stetson and expensive looking boots. His dark denim jeans hugged muscular thighs while his plaid shirt did little to hide his well-defined physique.

Checking herself for drool, Stephanie held out her hand in greeting. "Hi, I'm Stephanie Plum, the new chef."

"Carlos Manoso. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"This place is beautiful. I've never been to a farm before," Stephanie confessed.

"Ranch," he replied. "This is a working horse ranch."

"Sorry," Stephanie apologized. "I guess I'll have to learn the lingo if I'm going to be working here."

"No worries, I'm sure I can get you up to speed. Where's your luggage? I can have one of my men take it up to your room."

"Oh, I'm good. I only have a couple of suitcases and a box with some of my favorite cookbooks and various cooking tools."

"First rule of the ranch. We are gentlemen and always help a lady out," Carlos stated as he grabbed the walkie talkie off his hip and spoke rapidly into it. In no time, another man in a black cowboy hat came round the corner of the house and approached them.

"Ms. Plum, this is Hal. He'll take care of your belongings," Carlos stated.

"Oh, please, call me Stephanie or Steph."

"Nice to meet you, Stephanie," Hal tipped his hat at her. "Just tell me what you need and I'll be more than happy to help you."

Stephanie was stunned. Were these guys for real? She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. Things were certainly going to be different here. And she liked it.

R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S R&S

After settling into her room, Stephanie decided to explore her new work area. Carlos had gone back to work and told her to make herself at home so she decided to do just that.

When she entered the massive kitchen, she couldn't believe her eyes. It was a chef's dream with top of the line Viking appliances. It was obvious that no expense had been spared in creating the ultimate cooking space. Peeking into the refrigerator, she saw that it already contained all the fruits, vegetables and meats she could imagine, and the pantry was equally stocked as well. Stephanie didn't know who the previous chef was, but in her estimation they must have been crazy to leave such a perfect setup.

A polite cough sounded behind her and she turned to see a petite woman with graying hair pulled back into a bun. The woman stepped forward and held out her hand. "Hello, I'm Ella, the housekeeper. You must be the new chef."

"Nice to meet you, Ella. I'm Stephanie. And yes, I'm the new chef."

"Scouting out your new home?" Ella asked.

"I am," Stephanie responded. "Tell me, Ella, what happened to the previous chef?"

"Oh, there wasn't one. It was up to the guys to cook. " Stephanie looked at her, stunned. "Exactly," Ella stated, "and that's why you're here. When Carlos started the ranch there were only a few hands and one horse trainer. It's grown much larger in the last few years and therefore, some things needed to change. The kitchen was newly renovated in anticipation of your arrival."

"Well, I can't wait to break it in," Stephanie replied. "Carlos gave me a meal schedule that starts tomorrow. I guess I better get planning."

"If you need anything at all, please let me know. My husband, Louis, and I have a small home behind the main house. He takes care of the grounds and the greenhouse."

"Greenhouse?" Stephanie asked.

"Yes, our summers here are short, and Carlos likes the men to have fresh produce all year long."

Wow! Stephanie thought to herself. This place just keeps getting better and better. If things go well, I might even buy myself a cowboy hat!