Читать книгу The Rancher's Rules - Люси Монро, Lucy Monroe, Люси Монро - Страница 6

ZOE rang Grant’s doorbell.

It was a new experience.

So was coming in through the front door. She took in the different perspective of the imposing portico while she waited for Grant to answer. Snow covered the ground around the impressive Spanish-style mansion with Christmas-card loveliness. The house was old for the county, probably the oldest one within a hundred miles, and still the most impressive. Wrought-iron grillwork decorated every window and doorway, while the stucco glowed in the moonlight.

She took a deep breath of the frosty air, the faint scent of wood smoke teasing her nostrils. Grant must have built a fire in one of the many fireplaces. Probably the study. She could certainly stand being in front of that fire right now. She shivered and clapped her gloved hands together. Where are you, Grant?

She heard a bump and a muffled curse. The door opened. Grant’s dark hair stood on end, and the imprint of three fingers marked his cheek. He’d been asleep, but he wasn’t undressed so he hadn’t gone to bed. He’d probably fallen asleep in front of the computer again. The man worked much too hard.

His comical look of disbelief nearly sent Zoe over the edge into hysterical laughter. Although nothing about this situation was even remotely funny. She lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers in a quick wave. “Hi.”

Brilliant. Hi. That was really going to convince him to let her stay. She had to look pathetic. She tried.

Grant squinted at her. “Something wrong with your face?”

She sighed. Of course she couldn’t do a good job at pathetic. It wasn’t in her nature. Grant was the only one who thought she needed a full-time keeper.

“Mrs. Givens evicted me.”

How was that for pathetic?

Grant did not say anything. Zoe tugged at the ends of her wool scarf. “She detests rodents. Who would have guessed?” This time she tried for a look of innocent confusion. When Grant just stared at her, she gave up. Frustrated, she demanded, “Say something.”

“You rang the front doorbell.”

Zoe looked into Grant’s eyes. Were they bloodshot? She didn’t think so, but it was hard to tell with the hall light off. The outside light was on a timer, but its glow didn’t reach far into the entry hall.

“I know I rang the bell.” She sighed. “It seemed appropriate.”

Grant rubbed the back of his neck. He always reminded Zoe of her father when he did that. She frowned.

“Why?”

“It just did.” She chafed her arms and stamped her feet. “I thought you should have some say in the matter, after all.”

“Some say in what matter?”

“This matter.” Hadn’t he heard her say that she had been evicted? “The I brought one too many animals home and my landlady evicted me matter.”

Grant straightened. “I heard that part. But why ring the front doorbell?”

Couldn’t he think of anything besides the stupid doorbell? “Grant, I need a place to stay until I can find a home for me and my pets. I’ve tried everywhere in town and no one would even consider renting to me.”

It hadn’t been easy coming to Grant. Not that she didn’t think he’d want to help. She knew he would. But she’d been making it on her own, proving that her parents selling off her home and defecting to Arizona did not matter. She’d refused Grant’s offer to let her continue living in the family home. Even paying rent it wouldn’t have felt right. She couldn’t afford the kind of rent the place would have gone for on her salary as a kindergarten teacher, and wouldn’t allow Grant to offer it to her for less than the going market rate.

She’d come very close to regretting that decision today.

“One apartment manager laughed so hard when I told him how many pets I had that I’m sure he had a seizure.” Zoe’s lips were getting numb. “Doesn’t it cost an awful lot to heat up the outdoors with your one little furnace?”

He got the hint. Stepping back, he waved her inside. “Come on in. We can talk about your situation in the house.”

“I’ve got to get everyone else.” She turned around and headed to her truck. Wayne at the garage had fixed the doo-hickey and it ran better than new. She lifted the canopy window and called back over her shoulder. “The cats are in the cab. Would you get them, please?”

She ignored Grant’s less than pleasant rejoinder.

He came out of the house just as Zoe led Snoopy inside, carrying her birdcage and Bud’s home. Grant took one look at her pets and grumbled, “I thought you would take care of Bud, not show up on my doorstep with a zoo.”

She smiled. “Consider it a return on your investment.”

He frowned at her before opening the cab door. He pulled out the cat carrier. Zoe went around to the back of the truck to get Maurice. The goat had not liked the ride out to the ranch. She pulled him toward the house. “Come on, Maurice, you’re going to like Grant’s place. It’s warm and cozy.”

“And it is not open to goats. He can stay in the barn.”

“But Grant…” Zoe let her words trail off at the implacable set of Grant’s features. At least he wasn’t sending her to the barn. “Let’s go, Maurice. I’ll get you some nice, snuggly hay to curl up in.”

Grant snorted.

Zoe led Maurice to the barn and settled him in as quickly as possible. She didn’t even stop to visit with the horses on her way out. Coming in through the back door, she felt warm air blast her. She looked around the kitchen. Grant had already put the teakettle on to boil. Smart man, not to mention self-sufficient. He kept a minimum of domestic staff, and none of them stayed over in the house.

Though the foreman’s wife did most of the housework and cooking, she lived with her husband in a house on the ranch.

Grant turned toward her and she nearly went back out the door. His expression could have tamed a grizzly. It didn’t take long for Zoe to get miffed herself. Some friend. She could not help it that she did not have a place to live. A tiny voice reminded Zoe that she could have refused Bud. It was Grant’s idea, she retorted to her conscience.

“I put your suitcases in my old bedroom.” He did not sound nearly as mad as he looked.

“Thanks.” She gave him a tentative smile. “I really appreciate this, Grant.”

“What happened? When I left, you and Mrs. Givens were sitting down to tea. I can’t believe she would evict you this close to Christmas.”

“Mrs. Givens hates rodents.”

Grant’s expression did not lighten. “Bud is a hamster.”

He was annoyed with Mrs. Givens. Zoe should have realized sooner, but she’d been in panic mode ever since her eviction notice.

“Hamsters are rodents.”

“Why didn’t she just tell you to get rid of the hamster?”

“She hit the end of her rope with me, I guess. Said she thought the next thing I’d bring home would be a snake. She never got over the iguana in the bathtub.”

Grant narrowed his eyes. “What about your classroom?”

Zoe pictured the look on her principal’s face if she showed up with another animal and laughed. “I already have more class pets than any other kindergarten teacher this side of the Cascades.”

“I still don’t understand why she would just kick you out like that. You have rights. Besides, Mrs. Givens likes you.”

“Snoopy kissed her.”

Grant’s eyes widened, and then he laughed.

Zoe smiled, feeling hopeful for the first time since getting evicted. “I’m glad you find it amusing. Mrs. Givens didn’t. She thought it was time for me to find a place to live that would accept my weird need to have so many pets.”

Grant’s laughter dried up like a creek bed. “She said your tender heart toward animals was weird?”

The teakettle whistled. Zoe scooted around Grant to move it off the burner. “No, she didn’t call me weird. She didn’t have to. Grant, most people think my tendency to collect pets like other people collect dust bunnies is a bit strange.”

“There’s nothing strange about it. You have a soft heart, that’s all.”

“Tell that to my dad.” She hadn’t meant to say that. She didn’t like to dwell on her relationship with her dad. He had never understood her, and she was not sure she would ever understand him.

Grant squeezed her shoulder. “I did.”

“Yeah, I know. Always my protector.”

Grant brushed a finger down her face. It took every speck of self-control she had not to lean into his touch.

“Always.” The warm promise in his voice soothed her.

“So, I can stay?”

Grant stepped back. “We’ll start looking for a new place for you tomorrow.”

Zoe frowned. “What’s the rush? Can’t we wait until after the holidays?”

It would be perfect. She and Grant could entertain their parents together, and she would not have to spend any time alone in the company of her father. With Grant around, even Zoe’s mom would not be able to finagle such a meeting.

Besides, finding a place wasn’t going to be all that easy. Hadn’t he heard what she’d said about already looking? She hated facing it, but she’d have to get rid of the goat and the parrot. Someone might rent to her with a dog and two cats, but even that was pushing it.

Grant shook his head. “This is Sunshine Springs, not Portland. Among the year-round residents, kindergarten teachers don’t cohabitate with men—not even their best friends.”

“We wouldn’t be cohabitating. I’m just staying here until I can find another place.”

He reached around her and started mixing two mugs of hot cocoa. “You and I know that, but the busybodies of Sunshine Springs don’t.”

“But—”

“No buts.” He handed her a cup of hot cocoa. “I know what we’ll do.”

Zoe took a sip of sweet, steaming beverage and waited for Grant to tell her about his brainstorm.

“Frank and Emma Patterson went across the mountains to Portland to visit family for the holidays. My ranch foreman is keeping an eye on the place. I’m sure they won’t mind if you stay there while you’re looking for a new home.”

Zoe rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. Grant, most people wouldn’t let me stay at their home with all my pets. Why do you think it’s so hard for me to find a rental?”

She also didn’t know how she felt about staying in her old home, now occupied by the Pattersons, a wealthy retired couple who rented the place from Grant.

“I’ll call Frank in the morning,” he said, just as if she had not spoken.

“If you are that intent on getting rid of me, go ahead and call.” She set her half-finished mug by the sink. “I’m going to bed. It’s been a long day.”

Grant frowned. “I’m not trying to get rid of you. The Patterson place is a lot closer to town, and you won’t have to drive so far on icy roads to work.”

School let out in a couple of days, and Grant knew it. “So, we don’t tell anyone I’m staying here. If they don’t know, their overstimulated imaginations won’t have any fodder. And with school letting out soon, how is anyone going to know?”

Grant’s granite-like features twisted into a cynical smile and his blue eyes mocked her naïveté. “Mrs. Givens.”

“You think she’ll tell?”

His derisive laugh was answer enough.

“Okay. Call the Pattersons.”

Grant savored the quiet of the predawn darkness. He’d wanted to make some international business calls before waking Zoe. They needed time this morning to take care of her homeless situation. If she had let him rent her old home to her, none of this would have happened. But Zoe’s pride was only exceeded by her stubbornness.

When he walked into the kitchen, not only was the coffeepot on and giving off a terrific aroma, but Zoe was making breakfast. She flipped a golden pancake off the griddle onto a plate. A pan of eggs warmed on the back of the stove. He knew better than to look for bacon.

Zoe was a vegetarian. Ever since she was sixteen and had told him that every time she bit into a hamburger she saw the soft brown eyes of a cow. When she’d said it, he’d come close to giving up beef too.

A vegetarian rancher. Right.

Her dad had gone ballistic. Jensen had never even considered leaving the ranch to Zoe, and when he’d decided to retire early he’d sold the ranch to Grant to add to the Cortez holdings. Her dad had not believed that she would be able to raise cattle to butcher or sell. Grant did not doubt the older man had been right.

Zoe did not belong on a working ranch and that was a fact.

At least she still ate eggs. His stomach rumbled at the sight of the fluffy yellow pile of scrambled eggs on the plate.

“Mornin’.”

She turned around and smiled at him. “Mornin’. I made breakfast.”

“I see. Are you saying that if I let you stay here I can figure on the services of a housekeeper?” He teased. “That might make me rethink calling Frank Patterson—especially since I gave my housekeeper time off from now until Christmas to get ready for her children’s visit.”

“I cooked breakfast.” She pointed at the sink with the spatula and smiled. “I didn’t say anything about washing dishes.”

She stretched across the counter to pour him a mug of coffee. Her nightshirt rode up creamy thighs and Grant’s gaze glued itself to the sight while his fingers itched to reach out and touch the soft skin. Would it be as smooth as he remembered? Would she shudder like she had that one fateful time he’d allowed himself to see her as a woman?

He bit back a curse. He wasn’t about to give in to carnal urges where she was concerned again. Their friendship meant way too much to him. It meant more than any other relationship in his life, and he wasn’t about to put it at risk for something as fundamental as sex.

“Don’t you have some sweats or something to wear with that thing?” He grimaced at the question, hoping she didn’t hear the tinge of desperation in his voice.

Zoe stopped stirring the coffee and gave him a quizzical glance. “Why? I’m not cold. Does my nightgown bother you?”

Nightgown? It looked more like a T-shirt to him. “Of course not. I just thought you might be cold.”

She shrugged. “I’m not.”

“Good.” What else could he say? That the sight of her sexy legs had sent his male hormones raging?

She would run screaming from the kitchen. Or, worse, she would stay.

He’d call Frank right after breakfast.

The call started off fine, but took a dive like a 747 with engine trouble when Grant brought up the subject of Zoe staying at the Patterson place. Apparently Frank’s wife and Eudora Givens were good friends, and Zoe’s ex-landlady had already given her version of events. Frank wasn’t about to cross his wife by letting Zoe and her “menagerie” as he called it, stay in their home.

Grant hung up and sat staring morosely at the phone. How was he going to help Zoe find a place if even Frank Patterson wouldn’t let her stay in her old home?

Grant ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. What was he going to do? Who would let Zoe and her pets move in?

No one. That was who. The only way she’d find a place to live would be to give up most of her animals. That was never going to happen. But…she could leave her pets in the barn with his livestock while she stayed at the Patterson place and looked for a new rental. Frank would not object to Zoe living there alone.

Now Grant just had to convince Zoe.

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. Perhaps the words hurt so much because they were almost identical to the ones her dad had spoken when he’d told her he was selling the family ranch rather than let her oversee it.

Heck, Grant probably had some convoluted reason why his actions on The Night had been best for her too. She’d hurt then and she hurt now.

She shook her arm loose from his grip and headed up to the house. Her happy reserves were all used up and she was in no mood to discuss why it was better for her for Grant to kick her out too.