Without waiting for an answer, she started across the lot.

Okay, he thought, she was a little pissed that he hadn’t patted her hand while she cried. Maybe the flowers hadn’t come through yet.

He unlocked the door, took a quick scan. Progress on the rough electric and plumbing on this level, and signs the HVAC was moving. He needed to get upstairs, check it out up there. Maybe they’d—

“Ryder, I’d appreciate it if you’d pay attention.”

“Okay. What?”

“You had no business confronting Jonathan behind my back. You had no right to take this situation out of my hands, or to do anything at all without so much as a discussion with me. It’s my business. Did you think I wouldn’t hear what you were doing, where you went?”

“Didn’t give that much thought. And I didn’t bother with your ex-asshole. I went to the power source, it’s usually the best way. I talked to his father.”

“You—” She went pale first, then righteous fury bloomed in her cheeks. “How could you do that? Why would you do that? This is my mess, it’s my business.”

He’d just spent over three hours on the road into and out of what he considered a man-made hell. And she was ragging on him?

“You’re my goddamn business. Do you really think I’d let some bitch of a blonde come around here and slap you around and do dick about it?”

“I got slapped. She’s stuck with Jonathan. I’d say she’s got the worst of the deal.”

“You got that right. She doesn’t get away with it. She doesn’t get to walk away after hitting you, after making you cry. That’s it.”

“I wasn’t crying because she hurt me. I was humiliated. Beyond humiliated. I don’t even have the word. That your mother would have to see that, hear that.”

“She can handle it.”

“And your crew, all those men who saw it. Everybody in town knows what happened by now, or some variation of it.”

“So the fuck what?” Jesus, he was tired, and getting a damn headache, and she stood there bitching at him for doing what needed doing. “It’s how it goes, and she’s the one who comes off the idiot, not you. And don’t, don’t, for God’s sake, don’t start crying again.”

“I’m not crying!” But one tear trickled through. “And I’m allowed to cry. People cry! Deal with it.”

“Here.” He grabbed a hammer out of the tool belt he’d discarded earlier. “Hit me in the head with it. That I can deal with.”