Page 10 of Warlander Grizzly

“Maybe,” she said thoughtfully. “But he sounded very serious when he told me, ‘Tell Beaston not to kill me if my son fucks this up,’ and that got me thinking…”

“Dangerous pastime,” Lucia pointed out.

“Landon is local, so it makes sense that he is visiting his dad for some family bonding—”

“Destruction of property,” she corrected.

“—and the only thing that makes sense to me is that Landon is pursuing one of my daughters.” Mom cleared her throat. “Are you dating Landon?”

“No!”

Mom just stared.

“Nope, nope, nope, I’m not dating anyone. I am unapproachable.”

Mom was still staring.

“He sent me one dick pic, but that’s all.”

Mom’s facial expression didn’t change, and the silence was too heavy.

Lucia cracked her knuckles. “He wants to take me out tonight, but I’m standing him up.”

Mom didn’t move. She just let Lucia sit there in silence.

“Are you Fuller-ing me?” Lucia asked.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You’re doing what you did to Clinton! You’re just being quiet until I spill my guts.”

“It’s working,” Mom whispered through a grin.

“Look, I hate him. I don’t like him, and I don’t even find him attractive, so you can tell Dad he doesn’t have to worry about matching Clinton in a wedding tux, because there will never ever be a wedding. Ever. In a million years. Because I hate him.”

“Why did he send you a dick pic?” Mom asked.

“I’m not having this conversation with my mother.”

“Why?” she demanded.

“Because he’s a freaking Fuller. These mountains are probably peppered with their dick pics.”

Mom was biting back a smile.

“It’s not funny.”

“At least Landon is fun.”

“He helped his dad pull someone’s prize rosebushes out of their yard, Mom. That’s not fun. He’s crazy.”

“We’re all a little crazy.”

“Not Fuller-crazy, and you shouldn’t be encouraging this. Dating Landon would be a dumpster fire in the middle of a bonfire on an island of fire. Has he even kept a relationship longer than a one-night stand? If he has, I haven’t heard about it.”

“You haven’t kept relationships either.”

Well, that wasn’t true. She’d tried and failed, and now she didn’t have her animal anymore, but Mom didn’t need to know about that. “Men are destructive.” She meant it.

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