“It’s too dangerous for you to be cycling around the ranch,” he informed her.

“In your opinion.”

“In everybody’s opinion.”

“So you decided to stop me?”

He nodded sharply. “I did.”

“Don’t you think that might be a little high-handed?”

“What? Keeping you safe?”

“I’m a grown woman, Reed.”

“And?”

“And it’s not up to you to decide how to keep me safe.”

He gave a grunt of disbelief. “I’m the one who has to come rescue you.”

“Nobody asked you to rescue me.”

“Mandy did.”

“Well, I didn’t.”

“So, I should have left you there?”

“You should have asked me before disabling my bicycle.”

She wasn’t sure why she was drawing this out. Truth was, it was going to be a whole lot easier to bike in here where it was smoother on her ankle and she didn’t have to watch for obstacles and worry about breakdowns.

“Do you want me to take it apart?”

She caught a glimpse of hurt in his tightening expression and instantly regretted her reaction. “No. No, I don’t.”

“Good enough, then.” His tone was sharp. He turned on his heel, leaving Katrina alone.

Three

No good deed ever went unpunished. Reed banged a frying pan against the stovetop, wondering if he was just too stupid to remember that fact.

He was up to here with being criticized and having his efforts go unappreciated. It was one of his father’s favorite head games, pretending to want one thing, then changing the rules at the last minute and acting as though Reed had misunderstood the instructions.

He turned the sausages in the big skillet and cracked a couple of more eggs into a glass bowl.

“Smells good,” came Caleb’s voice as he entered the room, making a show of sniffing the air. “I can’t believe you’re such a good cook.”