But my biggest problem with her desperation?
It draws me like a magnet.
I’m a damn sucker when it comes to playing hero to the desperate. Usually, helping out the kids in tough spots fills that need.
But Maisey Spencer is getting under my skin with those emotions flitting across her face, and I don’t like it.
“I would love to talkmuchsooner than that,” she’s saying to Kory. “Junie wants to help with the animals. She really does. She’s just having an off night. And I’d love to see her find new interests. Honestly, it would be lovely if Junie got involved with the theater, too, so we could see you all the time. But I can’t pick what she loves for her.”
“She’ll find where she fits,” Kory says.
Maisey sighs over her drink. “I should’ve had us here two weeks ago. No, I should’ve had us here twomonthsago. And we would’ve been here, but—well. How about I save thewoe is metale of our moving adventure until after we’re good enough friends that you won’t mind my occasional bitter rants?”
“Are you bitter?” Kory asks.
She frowns. “I don’t think so.”
“You don’t know?”
“Have you ever been married?” she asks us both.
Kory chokes on his coffee.
“No,” I answer for us.
“He meanshell, no,” Kory offers, his voice raspy. “I’m in a committed relationship with a drama queen who’ll probably never agree to marry me, no matter how much I bend over backward—and forward—and sideways—for him. As for this guy, you want your heart broke, date him. Hello, commitment issues.”
I rear back. “What does that have to do with anything?”
He smirks.
I scowl.
I know that smirk.
That smirk says,You’re being an ass to a woman because it’s your favorite defense mechanism.
Any other woman, that might be true.
This woman?
This woman is a disaster waiting to happen on a ranch she has no business living on, much lessowning.
She couldn’t even handle a bear that had no interest in her this morning.
“Are we friends?” I ask him. “I thought we were friends.”
“You tell her yet how much you take kids out there to the ranch to work out their frustrations?”
“Wait, what?” Maisey goes sheet white.
“Yeah. Tony used to let Flint take kids from the high school out to the ranch all the time to fix things, ride horses, drive cattle, use power tools ...”
“But you don’t do that anymore, do you?” Maisey asks me.
I glare at Kory.
“Of course he does,” Kory replies. “What Tony always wanted.”
