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“What do you mean?” he said.
“I have nowhere to go, nowhere to live, no money, no paycheck, nothing!”
“Well, you live here don’t you? You got a roof over your head, you got a warm bed. You could have my warm bed if…” He paused when he realized I wasn’t laughing. “I’m kidding. I’m just saying—”
“I know what you’re saying, Chet, and it’s not funny. And while I love it here at Horseshoe Ranch, this isn’t my home, and I don’t want Eloise to think that this is a permanent place for us. She deserves better than that.”
“What do you mean she deserves better than that? You don’t think we’re good people?”
“You’re great people, but she deserves to have her own home. I don’t want her to think that this is her home. Did you know that she’s already calling your mom Grandma?”
“That’s great. My mom’s wanted grandkids for ages. Maybe that will get her off of my back.”
“Dude, I don’t care if your mom wants you to have grandkids. It’s not fair to Eloise. Amelia’s not her grandma, and Eloise is going to be heartbroken when she’s no longer around you guys all the time.”
“Then why does she have to leave?”
“Are you not listening to me, Chet? We cannot stay here. I can’t afford to pay anything.”
“I don’t believe anyone’s asked you to pay anything.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “Are you really this obnoxious and obstinate, or do you just not understand what I’m saying?”
“I don’t see what the problem is, I really don’t. You like being here at the ranch, yes?”
“Who wouldn’t? It’s gorgeous.” I was starting to get seriously annoyed with Chet.
“And we love having you here. So what’s the problem?”
“Because I need a job, I need to make money, I need my own place, I—”
“Then work here.”
“Doing what? I don’t have any ranching skills.”
“I can teach you all the skills you need. I’m not saying that you’re going to become head rancher or anything, but—”
“No, I’m not taking your charity, Chet. It’s not fair what you’ve done to me. You had no right to go to Chip and do that.”
“I was just doing what I thought was best. You have no idea the sort of guys that hang out at that bar.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Yeah, but what if one night you can’t? What if one night Chip’s not there and too many guys are giving you trouble? What are you going to do?”
“I’d worry about it when it happened.”
“Well, I’m the sort of guy that believes in prevention rather than cure. So, I think it’s best for you to not be in that position in the first place.” He took a couple of steps closer to me. “I’m not going to let anyone harm you, and I’m not going to put you in danger’s way.”
“What are you talking about, danger’s way? It’s not like I was freaking going to war. I was just doing a job at a bar. Do you know how many women are bartenders, Chet? It is a thing, you know.”
“I know it’s a thing. I’m just saying that—”
“Oh, I’m so annoyed and frustrated with you. I just can’t talk to you right now.” I turned around and headed to leave the stables. My heart raced with anger. He just wasn’t getting it. He thought he was protecting me, but I didn’t need his protection. I needed to get out there in the real world and start making some money so that I could make a life for myself and Eloise.
“Stop,” he said. I could hear him walking behind me, and I increased my pace. “I said stop, Arya!”
I glared at him over my shoulder. “You’re just a jerk, Chet Hamilton! Do you know that?”
