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“I guess. I would like to go grocery shopping with you later.”
He straightened and looked at her. “What the hell do you think this is, mite?”
“A partnership, Angus. I want to know the kind of food that you like. And then you can take me to dinner.”
He looked like she had hit him with a two-by-four. And she had to admit it was sort of satisfying to see that. Because... Bear. Therefore difficult for him to ever be thrown off his game.
“Well.Well.”
“Well indeed,” she returned.
“Sure. We can do that after work.”
“Great. I already have my assignment for the day. We will reconvene when everything’s done.”
She turned on her heel and felt...good. Because she had taken control of the situation. She was not going to leave the house a squalid den. And today her room wasn’t going to get unpacked. So that was a little bit unfortunate. But she was amped to be helping with the vet check.
She went down to the main paddock, and Lachlan was already there. Leading a horse out of one of the stalls.
“Hi,” she said to him.
“Howdy,” he returned. “You here to help?”
“I see Brody’s been in touch.”
“Yeah. Charity’s almost here.”
And a few moments later, a big truck with modified racks on it pulled onto the property. And a very small woman climbed out of it.
Charity had always reminded Alaina of a mouse. She was quick and able in her movements, fine-boned and bright-eyed. She had wispy blond hair that fell in ringlets from a bun piled at the top of her head. She was wearing a pair of serviceable jeans, a T-shirt, and as soon as she got there, put on some gloves. “All right. Vaccines, checkups and all the rest ready to go.”
“All right,” he said, elbowing her. “How’s it going?”
She frowned. “My dad’s not doing great.”
“Sorry.”
And for all that Alaina knew they were just friends, she felt slightly uncomfortable witnessing the intimacy between them. They were close. And it was obvious.
“We’ll talk later,” Lachlan said.
She nodded. They got twenty horses checked and given a clean bill of health, and when they were finished, she went and found Elsie, who was exercising a horse in the paddock. She leaned up against the fence and looked at her friend. “How’s it going?”
“Great,” Elsie said. “Great. How are...? You didn’t...you didn’t tell me how the whole...the whole you-and-Gus convo went.”
“Which, um, one?”
Elsie’s eyes went wide. “The...sex one.”
Alaina’s throat went dry. “Oh, that. Well. Because. Because he laughed at me and said he didn’t want to...do that.”
Elsie stopped the horse. “Oh.”
“Right? I thought men were all for that.Gung hofor that. But apparently he is just wanting to help.”
“Is that why you didn’t ask anyone to be your bridesmaid?”
Alaina’s heart slammed against her ribs. “Yeah. It wasn’t a real wedding. Were you... Did I hurt your feelings?”
