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“What?”

“I’m not trying to insult you. I want you to understand that. But... I was also wondering if you wanted to maybe see to getting some more clothes.”

She blinked. She’d had the same clothes since she was in high school. It never really occurred to her to replace them. She had a belt, and sometimes it was the only thing that kept her jeans up. Truth be told, her jeans were feeling a little tight. She had filled out some since she had come to live at the ranch. Amazing, since she was still working herself to the bone every day. But there was always plenty of food.

“Why would I be insulted?”

“Because I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with what you have. But you’ve been here a month, and I just noticed that...”

“That I don’t have much.”

“Yes.”

“Well, your brother has been paying me quite a lot of money, so actually I could go buy my own clothes if I wanted to.”

“Understood. But, you have to drive somewhere to get them.”

“Oh. Right.”

“I have to go over to town—to Mapleton. It’s about forty-five minutes away. I just need to get something from the outdoor store there. Do you want to stop and look at some things?”

She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know. I... I guess.”

“You can get something for the meeting.”

“Wait a minute. Is that why I was supposed to be insulted? Or was I supposed to try to not be. Because really you’re embarrassed to bring me to the meeting if I look like a raccoon?”

“You don’t look like a raccoon,” he said.

“Well. How am I supposed to interpret this?”

“It’s something I’ve been thinking about. And I have to go to town today. That is why it’s coming up now.”

She wanted to be sulky, but she was far too intrigued by the offer. She didn’t have a bank account, so all her pay was processed through payroll, and then presented to her in cash. She grabbed a thick stack of it and tucked it into her wallet, and allowed Daughtry to drive her to town.

They had about four hours until the town hall meeting by the time they got to Mapleton. The town was nice. It was strange, being away from the ranch.

“I’m tempted to believe that what you’re actually doing is just dropping me off and abandoning me. Like a sad kitten.” Until she had said it, she didn’t realize how much she was actually afraid that was what might be happening.

Okay. So maybe she didn’t feel wholly secure. It was something to do with Daughtry, which was weird, because he was the reason she was here at all. He was the reason that she had gotten the job in the first place. He let her stay at his house.

“I’m definitely not doing that.”

“You’re not?”

“I would have to drop you off hundreds of miles away, first of all. You’d come right back.”

“I have pride,” she said.

“You’re also a stubborn cuss. So I just don’t think that you would ever let me have the last word on this. Nope.”

She did laugh, because it was true. If he kicked her off the ranch, that would be her main problem. That he had made the decision. She was going to leave tomorrow anyway.

He went to the outdoor store, and she walked by a few of the little boutiques on the main street while he did. She looked at the prices on the clothes and nearly died of shock.

When he came out with a bag, and crossed the street toward her, he frowned. “You didn’t get anything?”

“Not in there,” she said, jamming her thumb toward one of the boutiques. “The prices are ridiculous.”