Page 167 of Falling for the Grumpiest Protector

"I don't know how long I'm going to be angry."

"You don't have to know."

His eyes search mine. "I don't want you to think because I came here that everything's okay."

"I don't."

A breath leaves him. "But I do want to know you."

Something in my chest pulls tight. "I want to know you too."

He nods. For now, that's enough.

Betty comes by a few minutes later and tops off our coffee without asking a single question. I may have underestimated her.

Diego watches her walk away. "Mom told me about the farm."

I look at him. "She did?"

"Some." He wraps both hands around his mug. "I knew you worked with veterans. I knew there were dogs and farming and stuff. I just didn't really get it."

"And now?"

He thinks for a moment. "Now I do." I wait.

"Yesterday I watched that guy Luis spend twenty minutes helping a little kid find a pumpkin like it was the most important thing he'd done all day."

I smile. "That sounds like Luis."

"And Jack seems like he'd do pretty much anything for anybody there."

"He would."

"Noah obviously thinks the place belongs to him."

"It might." That gets a smile.

"And Ranger and Atlas have a pretty good deal."

"They know it too."

Diego looks down at his coffee. "Everybody seemed like they had a reason to be there."

That one stays with me. "They do."

He nods slowly. "You guys built something good."

"A lot of people built it."

"I know." His eyes meet mine. "You're one of them."

For once, I don't argue.

Diego takes another drink. "I'd like to come back sometime."

My hand stills around my mug. "Yeah?"

"Maybe help out. If you need people."