“And where do you think you’re going, young man?”
“I thought I was going to rinse my plate, but clearly, I was mistaken about that.”
“I think you should start making your own dinner.”
Jeff chuckled, but immediately schooled his features when Ma shot him a nasty glare.
“If you really don’t need a woman, then you should get used to living the bachelor lifestyle. After all, you won’t have your mother around forever to do everything for you.”
“That’s not?—”
“And you can stop bringing your clothes up here for me to wash. I believe you have a washer and dryer in your house.”
“It’s broken,” I argued.
“Then you can either get it fixed, buy a new one, or learn to use a wash basin and line dry your clothes,” Ma snapped.
She took a deep breath, then a serene smile crossed her face. Just like that, it was over.
“Well, dinner was delicious, but these dishes won’t do themselves.”
Knowing I was being put in my place, I headed over to the sink. “I’ll dry.”
“Why do you get to dry?” Jeff muttered.
“Because I only have one working hand, and I can’t get my cast wet.”
“Ooh, I’m Liam and I have a broken wrist,” Jeff mocked. “Look at me. I can’t do the dishes.”
“Don’t be a dick.”
“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m dating women whose hearts I can break.”
I snarled at him, but never got the opportunity to take out my anger on him.
“Enough!” Ma snapped. “Both of you, out of my house, and don’t you dare step foot in here again until you can behave like two grown men.”
We both stared at her in shock.
“We were just joking around,” Jeff muttered.
I wisely kept my mouth shut, pressing a kiss to Ma’s cheek as I walked out. It wasn’t the best family dinner ever, but at least she was speaking to me again.
The screen door opened and Ma shouted, “And the next girl you bring home better be for good!”
I faintly heardsomeone calling me a jerk as the thick strawberrymilkshake collided with my face and dribbled down the inside of my shirt.
Sighing, I yanked the door open to the sheriff’s office, already regretting coming into town.
The moment I walked inside, Bea snickered at me from behind the front desk. “Rough day?”
“You could say that.”
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with the rumors floating around town, would it?”
“That depends. What have you heard?” I asked, taking the paper towels from her outstretched hand. “Thanks.”
“Oh, the usual. You’re a scoundrel. You slept with Bailey and then broke things off the next day.”
