The Rancher's Rules
“You know they are fine. You just saw them yesterday afternoon. Snoopy is sleeping out in the barn, though. He prefers it.”
Zoe felt a pang in her heart. Snoopy didn’t belong being cooped up in an apartment. He was a ranch dog. Grant had offered the big German Shepherd a home when Zoe had moved from her parents’ ranch, but she’d refused. Maybe selfishly. But Snoopy had been her dog since he was a pup and she couldn’t let him go.
Considering the results of her calls on apartments the day before, she might not have any choice. Sunshine Springs wasn’t a big town, which was why the rich and famous seemed to like it so much as a getaway destination. It helped that it was close to the ski slopes on Mt. Bachelor as well. But rental space for year-round residents was limited, and the rates could be astronomical.
No one she’d spoken to, no matter what kind of rent they charged, had been willing to rent to someone with a large dog like her German Shepherd.
Grant frowned. “Your bird is one of the loudest, orneriest parrots I’ve ever seen.”
“You get used to his singing after a while.”
He slid her a disbelieving glance before focusing on the snow-covered road. “Singing? The bird squawks loud enough to wake the cows in the pasture.”
“I’ll have you know that my parrot is a highly intelligent bird. He even says my name.”
“Zoe, that parrot does not talk.”
“Sure he does. You just have to understand his dialect.”
Grant snorted.
“What about Bud?”
“He rolls all over the house in his exercise ball. I think he likes the living room best. I’m really not into small pets, but I let him do the ball thing a couple of hours each night.”
Zoe smiled. “Thank you. Just think of it as training for when you have kids and they have small pets.”
“I’m not getting married anytime soon. Ergo…no kids.”
A sudden image of a little boy with Grant’s dark coloring swam into her mind, making her long for things she could never have with him. “Do you have to drive so slow? I’m already late for school.”
“It’s a good thing I stopped by this morning to drive you. You’d probably have ended up in a ditch, driving too fast.”
Zoe did not appreciate his comment. “Listen, Grant, I drive myself to work every other day of the year and I do not end up in ditches.”
“So, your guardian angels work overtime? I knew that the first day I met you.”
“Then I guess I don’t need you doing it too, do I?”
“Maybe you don’t, but you’re stuck with me.” His set jaw let her know that he found her flippant answer annoying.
It amazed her how quickly small disagreements escalated into full-blown arguments with him lately. This time she was going to remain calm. She gave him a conciliatory smile. “I’ve noticed.”
He didn’t return her smile. In fact, his frown grew more intense. “I promised your parents I’d watch out for you when they moved and I will.”
Just like that, her resolution to stay calm went up in smoke. “Don’t let a promise to my parents stop you from finding someone else to tyrannize. They gave up on me a long time ago.”
He swore.
The rest of the drive to town was mile after mile of charged silence.
She unbuckled the minute Grant pulled up in front of Sunshine Springs Elementary School. Pasting a fake smile on her face, she unlatched her door and hopped out. “You don’t need to bother picking me up. I’ll catch a ride with someone else.”
His jaw could have been hewn from canyon rock. “I’ll be here at three-fifteen.”
“Fine.” She forced herself not to slam the truck door.
Grant waited until she was safely on the sidewalk before backing up. He exited the parking lot at a much faster speed than he had driven into town.
Zoe swallowed her frustration and headed into the building. The last thing she needed to deal with a roomful of five-year-olds was a bad attitude.
When he pulled up in front of the school that afternoon, Grant half expected Zoe to be gone. She wasn’t. She stood talking to a couple of other teachers in some flowy cotton thing that flirted in the wind, with her legs encased in tight leggings. Didn’t she know any better than to wear stuff like that in this weather? And where was her coat? At least she was wearing a turtleneck under the flowy thing.
Wasn’t that the tattoo man from the other evening? If she thought Grant would let Mr. Leather drive her home, she was in for a shock. No way was she going home on a Harley in these conditions.
Zoe looked up and met his eyes. Grant breathed a sigh of relief when she said goodbye to her friends and headed toward his truck. At least that was one battle they did not have to get into. Not like this morning. He still couldn’t figure out what had offended her so much. Did it really bother her that he had wanted to drive her to school?