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Me: What do you think this is? The 1990s?
Ranger Holiday: Not the way I want to do this, but as you've given me no choice…
Ranger Holiday: Let me take you out to dinner tomorrow night.
My heart flips, even as I grit my teeth. Of course, he would make it a demand rather than a question. Gah. He is so… Fine, he's sexy and the demand does things to me I like.
Why do I like it so much when he gets bossy?
He is clearly bad news for me. I don't need a man who demands things of me and makes me melt into a pile of gooey submission. I need a partner who supports me and asks what I need.
Scratch that.
I don't need a man at all. I need to figure out my shit and get my life together.
Ranger Holiday: Are you trapped under Mari again?
I smile.
Then I force myself to frown. Ranger is not funny. He's not charming.
Me: I took a survey of the kids and they all voted against me dating you. Sorry, but I'm an animal Mom now and I need to think of the children.
Ranger: You have goats now, too?
I laugh, then slap a hand over my mouth. Damn it.
"I am not in a good place to date," I say aloud. "I am not in a good place to date. Even if I was, Ranger is not the right guy for me. We would drive each other crazy every time I broke a rule, or he insisted on following a stupid one."
I pull in a deep breath and ignore the twinge of sadness that tightens my throat.
Me: No goats yet.
Ranger: I like goats. And I'm willing to work with your schedule, Dani. You have to eat, right?
Ordinarily, I hate pushy men. But Grant doesn't give off the entitled, controlling vibe most pushy men give off. This feels more like he's fighting for me and it's been a really, really long time since anyone's fought for me.
Me: It's not a good idea, Ranger.
I brace for an argument or whining, but I get neither.
Ranger: How's Mari today?
Me: Weird. She won't leave her stall unless I'm with her. I spent an hour with her this evening, singing her lullabies.
My phone rings and I'm so startled, I toss it onto the floor.
Skidmark rolls over and sniffs it like he thinks I might have tossed him a treat.
Slowly, I creep over and pick it up.
The phone stops ringing before I can swipe answer, and I let out a sigh of relief.
Another text notification dings and I put my phone back on vibrate. I only changed it to sound notifications because I was with Mari and hadn't wanted to miss a call over the rumbling of her chest against me as I hugged her and sang to her.
She really is the most snuggly of animals.
Ranger: Answer the phone. I want you to sing to me.
