Grant answered for Zoe. “She didn’t. The animals are staying at my ranch.”
“If I had known you would be willing to give up your pets, my dear, I would never have encouraged you to leave.”
Like hell. The old biddy was lying through her teeth to make herself look better, but Grant wasn’t fooled. He gave her the frozen look he usually reserved for boardrooms and drunken ranch hands. “Letting the animals stay at the ranch was my idea. You didn’t leave Zoe with a lot of options when you kicked her out.”
Mrs. Givens drew herself up. “I could not condone rodents living in my house, and I was not merely referring to the animals staying at your house.” She faced Zoe. “I read the advertisement looking for homes for your pets in the weekly.”
He felt his body go tense. “You advertised for homes for your animals?” Damn it, she shouldn’t have had to do that.
Zoe shrugged. “No one was going to rent to me with so many pets.”
Mrs. Givens nodded her agreement. “Well, I’ve got a few more things to pick up before the shops close as well. I’ll see you tonight at the pageant.”
“Not if I can help it,” Grant muttered as she walked away.
Zoe grinned at him. “Behave. I know you think you have to protect me from the world, but I’m perfectly capable of handling my former landlady.”
He didn’t return her smile. He didn’t want to discuss Mrs. Givens. He didn’t even want to talk about her giving up her pets. But he’d have something to say about that later. He wanted an answer to his earlier question, and he wasn’t going anywhere until he got one. “Answer my question.”
“Let’s talk about this later, Grant.” She gave him the smile that usually disarmed him. “I don’t want to discuss what happened at the Pattersons’ on a public sidewalk.”
“I want to talk about it now.”
Zoe’s smile disappeared. “Well, I don’t.” She turned and walked into the take-and-bake pizza place. She marched up to the counter. “A double pepperoni calzone, please.” She faced him. “What do you want?”
“An answer.”
Her expression took on a hunted quality, and all five feet, two inches of her stiffened with her usual brand of stubborn resolve. “Later. Right now you need to order.”
“I’ll share your calzone. You can never eat a whole one.” Before she could argue, he turned to the cashier. “Add an order of bread sticks and a large salad, please.”
The kid behind the cash register gave Grant and Zoe a bored smile. “That’ll be about fifteen minutes.”
Grant said, “Fine.” It shouldn’t take more than a minute or two for her to answer his question. It wasn’t that tough. Either their experience at the Pattersons’ had changed their relationship for her, or it hadn’t. He couldn’t believe after the way she’d come apart in his arms that it hadn’t, but he needed to hear her tell him so.
He grabbed her arm to pull her to one of the chairs that lined the small store’s walls. “Did it, or didn’t it?”
She crossed her arms over her breasts, drawing his attention to the curves under her coat. “It’s not that simple.”
“Yeah. It is. It’s either yes or no. Which is it?”
She gave a pained smile to an elderly woman sitting next to her husband in the waiting area. She turned her gaze back to Grant. “I’m not sure we should change our relationship. Being friends has worked for a long time.”
“You don’t respond to my kiss like a friend, Zoe. You respond like a lover.” The best lover he had ever had.
Her eyes skittered to the interested faces of the other patrons in the restaurant and she blushed. “Please, Grant, let’s talk about this later.”
He wanted her to admit that things had changed. “Just say yes or no.”
“Yes.” She shot up from her chair. “Yes. They’ve changed. But you aren’t exactly a poster boy for commitment. I don’t want to end up another notch on your bedpost.”
He reached for her, but she yanked away. “I’ll wait outside.”
CHAPTER NINE
“A NOTCH on my bedpost?” They were the first words Grant had spoken about their argument since returning to the truck with their dinner.
The drive to the Double C had been a silent one, with her thinking about the ramifications of Grant wanting her to acknowledge a change in their relationship. Evidently he’d been mulling over her comment about bedposts.
Zoe felt her face heat. “You know what I mean.”
“No. I guess I don’t.” He pulled her from where she stood spooning salad onto plates into the space between his jean-clad legs as he leaned against the counter. “We haven’t even been to bed together. I can’t notch anything.”