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“Yes” The word carried a wealth of guilt, which stung Zoe’s own conscience

“The ha deal if I wasn’t already four pets over my one pet quota”

“You wouldn’t have any fool quota for your pets if you’d let Grant rent your old house to you” Roy shook his head as he shifted his tall fra infinitesimally closer to Lottie

Zoe took a sip of the Christht with her and insisted onwhen they arrived The subtle cinnamon flavor teased her tastebuds as she prepared to defend her decision not to rent her old ho charity from Grant and that was that “I can’t afford the rent a house like that would colared at her, his expression so like his son’s Zoe couldn’t help an internal sed you more than you could afford He’d have been happier if you would have taken the house as a gift, like he wanted you to in the first place”

Zoe grimaced, but held onto her teh the eyes of independent wealth “Bottles of expensive perfuifts Houses are not”

Grant frowned at his father “Zoe didn’t want the house”

Zoe stifled an urge to sigh Grant rong She had wanted the house, and the security it represented, but she’d had to prove she could make it on her own If her own parents could cut her loose, she couldn’t rely on the Cortezes to take care of her

“That’s right, Roy Leave the poor girl alone She’s independent, and ouldn’t want you any other way,” Lottie said as she sed “Stubborn too, but I still say Grant would have felt a whole lot better if Zoe’d taken the house He felt pretty bad, advising Jensen to sell”

Zoe felt as if everything inside her had gone still She turned to aze “You told my dad to sell the ranch?”

He’d never said Neither had her dad Not that that surprised her

“Yes”