“Why was he holding your hand?” Zane’s voice is sharp behind me.
I stop abruptly and whip around.
I shove my hand out at Zane’s midsection and grab his hand. I give it a firm shake. “See this? This is called a greeting. It’s usually what people do when they meet someone new; they shake their hand.”
I release his hand and stomp over to the car and open the door. I climb in, sit down, and buckle up.
Zane walks around and sits down in the driver’s seat. “Do you have anything else you need to do today?”
I don’t feel like talking to him, so I shake my head. I should go back to the house and check on my ewes. Then I remember I have those goats. I need to make sure they’re still in the field where they’re supposed to be.
“Fine.” He backs out and drives us home.
So much for our lazy day of running errands together.
Now all I wanna do is get out of this guy’s presence before I bite his head off and say something stupid like,Stop flirting with other women. You’re only allowed to flirt with me. Yeah, probably wouldn’t go over so well.
“I don’t know why you’re so mad at me,” he says.
He parks the car in front of the house. I shouldn’t say what I’m thinking, but … I don’t think it’s right that he was flirting with someone else when he’s married to me.
“I’m just busy.” I opt for the standard dismissal answer.
He looks at me, a storm brewing on his face. “Seems like you were busy talking to that guy.”
“He’s the new veterinarian, and Dr. Brown still hasn’t filled my prescription for penicillin,” I explain. “I’ll probably call Grey this afternoon and get an account set up with him.” I jump out and kick the door shut since my hands are full.
Zane climbs out of the car and slams his door. He marches toward me, grabs the bag out of my arms, and carries it inside, stomping all the way up the steps. I follow behind, and when we get inside, he sets the bag on the bench and heads down the hall toward his room. I go into my room. We slam our doors simultaneously.
The day started out so promising, but now we’re both mad.
And I forgot to swing by Darlene’s to get the box of selenium for my lambs.
Why does he make me so mad?
I was not flirting with the vet. He was flirting with the tourist. I get to be mad; he doesn’t get to be mad at me. And I want him to know that I’m mad.
While I was putting away the things I bought at Henry’s, I heard Zane’s truck fire up and pull out of the driveway. No word, no notice…he just left.
Fine. If he wants to ignore me, two can play that game.
I spend the rest of the afternoon hiding in the upstairs room, working on boring bookkeeping stuff that I’ve been putting off. I’m so unfocused that I’m messing up the majority of it, and I might as well be doing anything else.
So I send a text.
Bliss: Are you home?
Charlie: Yes! Just got home for the day. Want to come over?
She doesn’t need to say it twice. I’m in my pickup and on my way in less than five minutes.
It takes a while to get to the Pine Ridge Ranch where Max and Charlie live. It’s still a Pine Ridge address, but it’s on the other side of the valley. I pull down a long driveway and roll past the large log cabin—where Magnolia and Nash are now living—and drive around the corner to see the old two-story farmhouse that Max and Charlie lovingly refer to as ‘the bunkhouse.’
There’s a small sidewalk leading the way up to the wraparound porch. I don’t see Max’s pickup, so I park in the empty spot next to Charlie’s car.
I hurry up the steps, greeting Jim and Larry, the two stock dogs, lazing around on the porch.
“You boys have been into a skunk again.” Both dogs jump up and hurry over to sit at my feet.
