Wrought-iron grillwork decorated every window and doorway, while the stucco glowed in the moonlight.
She took a deep breath of the frosty air, the faint scent of wood smoke teasing her nostrils. Grant must have built a fire in one of the many fireplaces. Probably the study. She could certainly stand being in front of that fire right now. She shivered and clapped her gloved hands together. Where are you, Grant?
She heard a bump and a muffled curse. The door opened. Grant’s dark hair stood on end, and the imprint of three fingers marked his cheek. He’d been asleep, but he wasn’t undressed so he hadn’t gone to bed. He’d probably fallen asleep in front of the computer again. The man worked much too hard.
His comical look of disbelief nearly sent Zoe over the edge into hysterical laughter. Although nothing about this situation was even remotely funny. She lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers in a quick wave. “Hi.”
Brilliant. Hi. That was really going to convince him to let her stay. She had to look pathetic. She tried.
Grant squinted at her. “Something wrong with your face?”
She sighed. Of course she couldn’t do a good job at pathetic. It wasn’t in her nature. Grant was the only one who thought she needed a full-time keeper.
“Mrs. Givens evicted me.”
How was that for pathetic?
Grant did not say anything. Zoe tugged at the ends of her wool scarf. “She detests rodents. Who would have guessed?” This time she tried for a look of innocent confusion. When Grant just stared at her, she gave up. Frustrated, she demanded, “Say something.”
“You rang the front doorbell.”
Zoe looked into Grant’s eyes. Were they bloodshot? She didn’t think so, but it was hard to tell with the hall light off. The outside light was on a timer, but its glow didn’t reach far into the entry hall.
“I know I rang the bell.” She sighed. “It seemed appropriate.”
Grant rubbed the back of his neck. He always reminded Zoe of her father when he did that. She frowned.
“Why?”
“It just did.” She chafed her arms and stamped her feet. “I thought you should have some say in the matter, after all.”
“Some say in what matter?”
“This matter.” Hadn’t he heard her say that she had been evicted? “The I brought one too many animals home and my landlady evicted me matter.”
Grant straightened. “I heard that part. But why ring the front doorbell?”
Couldn’t he think of anything besides the stupid doorbell? “Grant, I need a place to stay until I can find a home for me and my pets. I’ve tried everywhere in town and no one would even consider renting to me.”
It hadn’t been easy coming to Grant. Not that she didn’t think he’d want to help. She knew he would. But she’d been making it on her own, proving that her parents selling off her home and defecting to Arizona did not matter. She’d refused Grant’s offer to let her continue living in the family home. Even paying rent it wouldn’t have felt right. She couldn’t afford the kind of rent the place would have gone for on her salary as a kindergarten teacher, and wouldn’t allow Grant to offer it to her for less than the going market rate.
She’d come very close to regretting that decision today.
“One apartment manager laughed so hard when I told him how many pets I had that I’m sure he had a seizure.” Zoe’s lips were getting numb. “Doesn’t it cost an awful lot to heat up the outdoors with your one little furnace?”
He got the hint. Stepping back, he waved her inside. “Come on in. We can talk about your situation in the house.”
“I’ve got to get everyone else.” She turned around and headed to her truck. Wayne at the garage had fixed the doo-hickey and it ran better than new. She lifted the canopy window and called back over her shoulder. “The cats are in the cab. Would you get them, please?”
She ignored Grant’s less than pleasant rejoinder.
He came out of the house just as Zoe led Snoopy inside, carrying her birdcage and Bud’s home. Grant took one look at her pets and grumbled, “I thought you would take care of Bud, not show up on my doorstep with a zoo.”
She smiled. “Consider it a return on your investment.”
He frowned at her before opening the cab door. He pulled out the cat carrier. Zoe went around to the back of the truck to get Maurice. The goat had not liked the ride out to the ranch. She pulled him toward the house. “Come on, Maurice, you’re going to like Grant’s place. It’s warm and cozy.”
“And it is not open to goats. He can stay in the barn.”
“But Grant…” Zoe let her words trail off at the implacable set of Grant’s features. At least he wasn’t sending her to the barn. “Let’s go, Maurice. I’ll get you some nice, snuggly hay to curl up in.”
Grant snorted.
Zoe led Maurice to the barn and settled him in as quickly as possible. She didn’t even stop to visit with the horses on her way out. Coming in through the back door, she felt warm air blast her. She looked around the kitchen. Grant had already put the teakettle on to boil. Smart man, not to mention self-sufficient. He kept a minimum of domestic staff, and none of them stayed over in the house.
Though the foreman’s wife did most of the housework and cooking, she lived with her husband in a house on the ranch.
Grant turned toward her and she nearly went back out the door. His expression could have tamed a grizzly. It didn’t take long for Zoe to get miffed herself. Some friend. She could not help it that she did not have a place to live. A tiny voice reminded Zoe that she could have refused Bud. It was Grant’s idea, she retorted to her conscience.
“I put your suitcases in my old bedroom.” He did not sound nearly as mad as he looked.
“Thanks.” She gave him a tentative smile. “I really appreciate this, Grant.”
“What happened? When I left, you and Mrs. Givens were sitting down to tea. I can’t believe she would evict you this close to Christmas.”
“Mrs. Givens hates rodents.”
Grant’s expression did not lighten. “Bud is a hamster.”
He was annoyed with Mrs. Givens. Zoe should have realized sooner, but she’d been in panic mode ever since her eviction notice.
“Hamsters are rodents.”
“Why didn’t she just tell you to get rid of the hamster?”
“She hit the end of her rope with me, I guess. Said she thought the next thing I’d bring home would be a snake. She never got over the iguana in the bathtub.”
Grant narrowed his eyes. “What about your classroom?”
Zoe pictured the look on her principal’s
