Page 54 of Sunkissed Colorado

“Boundaries are a good thing, Callum.”

“But we’re friends,” I reasoned.

“Barely.”

Don’t forget, while you’re working hard to charm her, that you’re in competition with this woman. So Piper had said. But today was our day off. Hearthstone was closed on Mondays.

And that visit with Paula Mackenzie had left Z unbalanced, I could tell. It wasn’t even about charming her. This was about following my instincts, and my gut told me not to let Z out of my sight too soon.

Because this woman had taken over my head, and I didn’t mind that one damn bit.

Then Zandra asked, “What kind of field trip?” And I knew I had her hooked.

“Just say yes. You won’t regret this, I promise.”

Her brow arched.

“Don’t you trust me?” I asked, sticking out my lower lip.

“Define trust.”

“Fine, it’s work-related. Cross my heart.” I traced my finger in an X over my chest, and Zandra’s lips twitched.

“Why am I not reassured?” she muttered.

“Is that a yes?”

She crossed her golden legs. They looked so good in those shorts. “Yes.”

“See, that wasn’t so hard.”

“I need to make sure Chloe’s settled without me, though. I wasn’t planning to be gone all day.”

“And I need to pick up a few things. How about I drop you at Rosie’s, then come back in about an hour?”

The hour went by a little too fast. I wound up having to rush.

But when I pulled up in front of Rosie’s, I still had a minute to spare. After a brisk knock, Zandra pulled the door open. “Come in. I’m almost ready.” She dashed off toward the kitchen, and I closed the door and followed.

“I told you an hour. You’re not late, are you Z?”

“Shush. I’m doing my best.”

When we reached the kitchen, Zandra picked up a can of cat food and a can opener. Movement on my periphery caught my eye, and Jimmy Perkins walked in cradling a mass of orange fur in his arms.

Jimmy was wearing a short, floral robe.Veryshort. As in, I’d never needed to know exactly where the tan-line ended on Jimmy’s hairy legs. But now I did. He’d tied his hair in its usual low ponytail, his beard as scraggly as ever.

“Hey, Callum,” he rumbled in his gravelly voice. “Would you like to pet our little queen here? She’s a grumpy puss today.”

“Zandra? I’ll pet her anytime she wants. Wait, were you talking about Chloe?” I smirked, proud of myself.

Z gave me a look, half amusement and all exasperation, as she forked cat food into a bowl.

“Chloe’s grumpy,” Jimmy cooed, nuzzling the cat’s head. “Aren’t you, precious? Yes, you are. She’s as mad as I am about what this town is coming to.”

Uh oh. Jimmy clearly had a rant coming on.

While he went on about whatever “they” were doing to the town, something about ugly new streetlights, I went over to give Chloe some chin rubs. She might’ve looked grumpy, but that smooshed-face scowl was also pretty cute.