For me? The fire was coming from inside the house.
“I was thinking I could fix that lattice on the front porch today,” Daniel told Pop between bites of food. “I saw you had some replacement pieces leaning up against the little shop next to the coop.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Pop replied gruffly.
“I don’t mind,” Daniel said easily. “I’m not used to sitting around. You’ve opened your home to me. It’s the least I can do to take care of the projects you haven’t had time for.”
“About that,” I said, interrupting them. “Did you ever really say that Daniel could stay here?” I propped my chin on my palm. “Because, as I recall, the rule was no boys in my room, and you’ve already let him stay two nights. Getting soft in your old age?”
Pop looked at me in amusement. “Nice try.”
“I’m just saying?—”
“If this is the safest place for you, then you’re staying here.”
“Of course,” I gasped dramatically. “But Daniel, on the other hand, seems to have free rein to go wherever he wants, so?—”
“Are you trying to kick me out?” Daniel asked dubiously. He looked at Pop. “Is that what she’s doing?”
“Seems so,” Pop confirmed.
“What the fuck, Rosemary?”
Leaning back in my chair, I shrugged my shoulders. “Just saying, the hypocrisy isthickaround here.”
“He’s your mate,” Pop said dryly. “Not some little boy you decided you were in love with because he got his hands on your boobs one time.”
“Gary Maurice Whitlock,” I hissed, my eyes widening. “First of all, how dare you? Second of all, he got his hand down my pants, for your information.”
“Rosemary!” Pop barked, throwing the salt shaker at me. “The hell is the matter with you?”
I caught the salt as I laughed. “You started it!”
“And you took it and ran so far across the damn line I can’t even see the line anymore.”
“Don’t dish it if you can’t take it,” I replied primly, setting the salt carefully back in its place.
“I’ve lost my appetite,” he grumbled, shoving his plate away.
“Not me.” I shoved a huge pile of food into my mouth. When I looked up at Daniel, his expression was a mix of puzzlement and laughter. Like he couldn’t quite understand what had just happened, but he was here for it.
I looked away.
I’d known before I said anything that it wasn’t as if my pop would suddenly decide that Daniel couldn’t stay at our house anymore, therefore backing my mate into a corner so he was forced to let me leave the property. With the way things had been going, he probably would’ve just agreed and left me behindfor my own good. The idiot.
It wasn’t as if I couldn’t just leave on my own. I wasn’t being held captive, for god’s sake. My pop left his keys in his truck most of the time, and even if that wasn’t available, I could’ve dragged my dirt bike out of the garage if I was desperate.
I could leave. Hell, I could fucking disappear if I wanted to. I had the skill and enough cash to get by for a very long time without anyone knowing where I was. If I thought that would help the situation I was in, I would’ve used it in a heartbeat. But it wouldn’t.
Leaving the property when Daniel was so adamant that I stay there for my safety was more trouble than I was willing to deal with, especially since I didn’tneedto be somewhere else. Even if I wanted to slap him, and curse him, and beg him not to leave me behind again, I wouldn’t, because we were linked forever now.
Daniel and I would spend the rest of our very long lives together. There was no way around it and no way out of it—not that I’d ever try to get out of it. Even if he seemed to be confused about how a mating bond should look, I wasn’t.
I was his, and he was mine. The end.
“I’m going to take a shower,” I said with a sigh as the now familiar tightening in my chest made another appearance. I’d known relief wouldn’t last long, but I could’ve been happy with a few more hours of minimal symptoms. “Don’t do the dishes, Pop. I’ll clean up when I get back up.”
“Gonna run the dishwasher while you’re in there,” he said, staring into his coffee.
