The Rancher's Rules. Lucy Monroe

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      After returning from school, Zoe went straight to the barn. She wanted to check on Maurice. He was used to living in a chicken coop, so the barn should be an improvement. However, she didn’t know how he’d respond to living with horses. They were so much bigger than him. He might be nervous. As it turned out, Maurice seemed perfectly content. He accepted Zoe’s petting with an expression of goat disdain.

      “I talked to Frank.”

      Zoe jumped at the sound of Grant’s voice. She whirled to face him. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

      He smiled. “You were busy.”

      Zoe gave a final pat to Maurice. “What did Frank say?”

      “His wife is a good friend with Mrs. Givens.”

      Zoe couldn’t say she was sorry. She’d prefer staying with Grant until after the holidays. After the visit from her parents. “And?”

      “She won’t let you and your pets stay.”

      Zoe shrugged. “Guess you’re stuck with me for a while at least.”

      Grant smiled. “Not necessarily.”

      “What do you mean?”

      “I’m a problem solver, remember? It’s what I do. If I can figure out the logistics on shipping beef to Japan on a scale large enough to keep my investors happy, I can figure out the living arrangements for one small kindergarten teacher.”

      “Watch the size cracks,” she warned teasingly, but she was nervous. He was a problem solver, and she could see her plans for handling her parents’ upcoming visit with aplomb going up in smoke. “So, what is your solution?”

      “You can stay at the Pattersons’ and leave your pets here with me. When you find a place, you can take them with you.” His cat-that-found-the-cream-pitcher grin said that he thought his idea had merit.

      Zoe’s stomach tightened in a knot. Her day had been emotionally wrenching enough. She’d forced herself to put an advertisement for Maurice, Bud and her bird in the local weekly paper, along with sending flyers offering the animals free of charge home with her students. The last thing she wanted to do was to leave all of her animals behind and go live in the sterility of a pet-free household at the Pattersons’.

      “You have too many responsibilities already. I can’t expect you to take care of my pets too. You’re the one who said you didn’t have time to take care of a hamster.”

      “I don’t. My hands will take care of your pets, and the real problem was that I didn’t want a hamster. I’m not the small pets type and you know it.”

      No, he was the tycoon type, with a strong attachment to the land.

      “I feel responsible for you being evicted and I am doing my best for you now.”

      She didn’t need that reminder of his guilt. She’d much rather think he was helping her because they were friends. She really wished he didn’t want to get rid of her. “They’ll miss me.”

      “You can visit, Zoe. You’re not going to be living in another state. The Patterson place is only about ten minutes away. Besides, I’ll help you find a place and you won’t be separated all that long.”

      Zoe dug in her heels. “No.”

      Grant leaned over and petted Maurice. “Be reasonable, Zoe.”

      “No.”

      He straightened, and his conciliatory smile was gone. “You’re an unmarried grade school teacher. Neither your principal nor the school board are going to think highly of you living with a man.”

      Grant had a point and he knew it. She did too, which was why she hadn’t argued too fiercely with him the night before. “It isn’t going to be that long. I’ll explain to my principal about getting evicted. He’ll understand.”

      Grant shook his head. “He might, but other people won’t. Do you want everyone in town talking about you?”

      Zoe laughed, but it was hollow. The specter of gossip was all too real. “I don’t care what anyone who doesn’t know me well enough to know better thinks,” she said, with more rebellion than truth.

      “What about your students’ parents?”

      Why was he pushing so hard? “What about them?”

      “Don’t play dense, Zoe. You don’t want your children’s parents to think you’re living with some man.”

      “You aren’t some man. You’re my best friend,” she muttered.

      He smiled. “Yeah. And because I’m your best friend, I’m not going to let you ruin your life, niña. What do you say? Should I call Frank back? The sooner you get moved to his place the better.”

      Zoe could not stifle the twinge of pain that Grant’s eagerness to get rid of her caused. It reminded her too much of her dad’s attitude when he’d moved her mom to Arizona. “Will you ask him if I can bring Princess and Alexander?”

      Grant smiled, obviously relieved. “Sure.”

      “Great. You’d better do it right away. You wouldn’t want me to have to stick around any longer than absolutely necessary.” She could not help the bitterness in her voice.

      Turning on her heel, she headed out of the barn. Grant couldn’t have made himself clearer if he had shouted through a megaphone. He did not want her around. She should have expected it. She’d worn out her welcome with her dad before she’d ever been born just by being a girl.

      Grant snagged her coat and stopped her mid-step. “Hold it.”

      She refused to turn around.

      “I’m not trying to get rid of you.”

      Zoe snorted in disbelief. Right.

      “Okay, maybe I am. But it isn’t because I don’t want you around. Come on, querida. You know it’s for the best; you’re just too stubborn to admit it.”

      She heard his words. In one part of her mind they made sense, but they did nothing to dislodge the lump in her throat. She wasn’t sure why she was feeling so emotional. СКАЧАТЬ