I nod my head reluctantly. "Yeah, she was fine. She could have gotten hurt, though. And I mean, she was flirting with the doctor too."
Griffin looks at me skeptically, nodding his head. "Yeah? First of all, her father was a cowboy. She lives on a ranch. I think she can handle herself, Ryan."
"That's not the point," I exclaim.
I see the smirk on Griffin's face, and I clench my fists because I want to punch him square in the jaw. He doesn’t get it.
He laughs. "Okay. Well, what is the point?"
I cross my arms over my chest. "She could have been hurt... really hurt."
The smirk drops from Griffin's face. "Are you listening to yourself right now, Ryan?"
I look at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Griffin shrugs his shoulders. "What I mean is why do you care so much?"
I stutter, "Because it's Mia."
Griffin nods his head real big as if he’s talking to a toddler instead of a grown-ass man. "I know. I know it's Mia, and I know we all care about her, but this isn't like you. Why does it bother you so much that Mia might get hurt?"
"Because," I answer him stubbornly, as if that's answer enough.
He shakes his head. "The only thing I'm saying, Ryan, is that maybe you need to evaluate your feelings for Mia. There's always been something..."
I rear back. "What do you mean there's always been something? Mia works here. We're friends. She’s too young..." I could go on and on, but I slam my mouth shut.
Griffin is nodding his head again. "Yeah, you're friends. But do you feel something more for her? I know that we've all warned you not to mess with her, but a part of me wonders if we messed up by doing that."
I look off into the distance at the house, hoping just to get a sight of Mia. She was very mad, and I know that I probably need to apologize to her. And it's true. All of my brothers have warned me against Mia, basically because I date a lot. But I know that Mia is not that type of woman. No, any man that messes with Mia is going to have to be the settling down type. I look back at Griffin. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Griffin looks at me. "I know you, Ryan. We're brothers. I know you think that you never want to settle down, but it's not always going to be like that. The only thing that I'm saying is that you feel pretty strongly about Mia and her being safe. Maybe you should ask yourself why that is. And as for flirting, Mia doesn't flirt. I can't imagine her flirting with the doctor. But even so, she’s pretty, she’s young, she’s smart. She should be going out on dates and enjoying herself. And even if she was flirting, why do you care? Can you answer me that?”
My jaws are starting to hurt from gritting my teeth. I fist my hands at my side. “Because we don’t pay her to flirt.”
Griffin laughs. Literally, belly laughs and holds on to his flat stomach while he does it. “She works all the time. Hell, Ryan, I can’t remember the last time she took off any amount of time. If she and the doctor are interested...”
I freeze where I stand, and in my most lethal voice, I snarl as I take a step toward Griffin, “It’s not going to happen. She deserves better.”
Griffin doesn’t back down, though. “She deserves better than the rich doctor that’s good to animals and is a decent human being?” He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, you’re right. She definitely shouldn’t go for him.”
I take a few steps back. “Fuck!” I scream. This is all too much, and I can’t handle it.
Griffin looks up at the house and back at me with a smirk. It’s like he’s enjoying my misery. “You’re lucky Eli’s at school. King and Nat would be pissed at you for cussing like that.”
I rub my hand over my eye. “I owe Mia an apology. Damn it, she’s not going to forgive me.”
The smile drops off his face. “What did you say to her?”
Shamed, I look down at the ground. “I called her something the other day, and I guess she heard me. I didn’t know she was...”
Now it’s Griffin’s turn to be pissed. “What did you call her?”
I still don’t look at him. “I told King she looked like a frump.”
Griffin shakes his head side to side and lets out a loud whistle. “Wow, yeah, you’re right. There’s no coming back from that.”
“I didn’t mean she was a frump. I meant she dressed...”