He still was.

‘I don’t want to kick Tori out,’ he said now, uneasily. ‘If she still wants to live there…’

‘She doesn’t. Barb says as soon as the last animal goes, so will she. It’s fine to put it on the market.’

‘Does she have somewhere to go?’

‘I have no idea,’ Rob said, giving him a curious glance. ‘I’ve never met the lady until last night, and five minutes with her didn’t give me much time for in-depth questions. Yours was worse-how many questions did you manage in your minute and a half?’

‘Don’t rub it in,’ Jake growled. ‘I don’t make a great speed dater.’

‘I don’t think you make an anything dater,’ Rob said, pouring another beer. ‘But you’ve met the lady properly today. What’s she like?’

‘Smart. Tired. Worried.’ And very cute, he thought, but he didn’t say it. Really sexy, despite those appalling clothes.

‘Tired and worried equals everyone up here in the hills,’ Rob said, not hearing his afterthoughts. ‘So we’re back to smart. How smart?’

‘She’s a vet.’

‘And?’

‘And she had the gumption to walk away from me when I was being an-’

‘I know exactly what you were being,’ Rob said, and had the temerity to grin. ‘Good for Tori.’

‘She practically told me to leave today, too.’

‘You’re kidding. It’s your property.’

‘Which she’s legally entitled to be on. Oh, she wasn’t rude. She evicted me in the most businesslike way. Maybe she’s a man hater.’

‘Not if she agreed to dating. So you’re interested?’

‘I’m not interested. I’m just concerned. Where has everyone else gone whose houses burned?’

‘Relatives, friends, or there’s a whole town of mobile homes-relocatables-set up further down the valley for anyone who needs them. You’ll have passed them on your way from the airport.’

‘She’ll go there?’

‘Why don’t you ask her?’

‘It’s none of my business.’

‘So why do you want to know?’