flipped his hand over and trapped her fingers in his. “That means next year we can put some money into fixing up this place. Build that wall of bookshelves that Laurel wants and fix the porch. Exterior stuff is easy to do.”
Confusion slid into her eyes. “I suppose it is, but we don’t really need any improvements right now. I still need to figure out whether I should get a little place to myself or help build the kids a new home—”
“Dana. That problem is already solved,” he said earnestly. “Really, the bones of this place are good. If we fix it up for the kids, the place will work out fine.”
She went still.
“Wait.” Her frown grew deeper. “Mark, before I jump to any conclusions, let me ask a question. While we’re fixing up this place for the kids, exactly where do you think I’m going to live?”
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles softly. “With me. In the home I’m building for you.”
If he’d expected her to smile sweetly or throw her arms around him gratefully—
Dana jerked her fingers from his and rose to her feet, fury sweeping in. “Why, you arrogant asshole.”
Not the response he had expected.
You jumped the gun, his brain warned even as the door from the porch swung open. Rafe stood in the doorway, eyes wide with shock.
Dana was just getting warmed up. Fists planted against her hips, she shook her head in disbelief. “I told you I was willing to date you. That didn’t mean I agreed to move in with you, that didn’t mean I agreed you could make decisions about what my children or I do. That didn’t mean you get to assume anything about me or what I want or need.”
“I know it’s not a given,” he began before she cut him off.
“Shut up.” She looked slightly shocked at her own words then took a deep breath and lifted her chin resolutely. “I am so disappointed in you right now. I think you should leave.”
“Dana, sweetheart—”
“No,” she snapped. “I am not your sweetheart. Not yet. And if you don’t talk to me and ask my opinions before making decisions for both of us, I will never be your sweetheart.” She snapped up a finger toward the door. “Now get out.”
Slipping out of the house, Mark felt a little as if he were a dog skulking away with his tail between his legs.
That had gone well. Not.
His pride thoroughly chastised, Mark glanced over to discover Rafe pacing beside him. “Really? You plan to escort me to my truck or follow me all the way until I’m off Angel land?”
“Mom asked you to leave, so I making sure you do.”
Holding back a growl of frustration was tough, but somehow Mark managed. The last thing he needed was to get into another fight today, although—dammit—he’d meant well in the first place.
Stupid misunderstanding. Stupid moving too fast.
But then again, he’d been upfront about his intentions since the start.
They walked in silence for a moment, then Rafe cleared his throat. “You’ve got the day off tomorrow, don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“Me too.” The young man tilted his head toward the old barn. “Got any plans? Bunch of stuff in there that I could use some help sorting through.”
The question was unexpected enough to make Mark stumble to a stop. He stared at his nephew for a moment, but even after repeating the comment a few times in his head, it didn’t make sense. “What are you doing?”
Rafe looked at him seriously then offered a light lift of his shoulders. “You pissed Mom off but good, which takes a hell of a lot of energy. Or something else.” His lips twitched. “I’ve heard her swear maybe twice in my entire life. It’s that rare, and she’s had a lot more reason to curse than most. Which means something about you hit hard. But since she’s willing to speak her mind about you riling her up, and she didn’t close the door on a relationship with you completely, I’m going to assume this is a good thing.”
Hope rose suddenly. “Which is why you want to give me a job to do?”
“One that might put you in close proximity to my mom a lot sooner than if you hit the road and stay away like she suggested? Yeah,” Rafe confessed before lifting blue eyes filled with laughter to Mark’s. “Although, if you mention that specific reasoning in front of her, I will deny it.”
A silent assist was better