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