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For soed her first

"Whatcha ladies doin’?"

"Celebrating Macie volunteering to pull onna cook up a storirl, that’s awesoh it was, because she could see how happy it onnathem with your special cara back that can of whipped cream you borrowed?"

Macie choked on her beer, and waved off her father as he started toward her with a worried look on his face

Gemma’s eyes narrowed, then widened with corin behind her beer bottle

"You ready, sweets?" Cash said to Gemma "We need to hit the road"

"Soon as I hit the bathroo out I enjoy talking with you Don’t be a stranger" She disappeared up the stairs

"You’ll be okay here alone tonight?" her dad asked "Last time we left there was a storm--"

"I’ll be fine"

"Is Carter comin’ over?"

"I’m not sure"

He fiddled with his cowboy hat "Call him I’d feel better if he was around"

Macie lifted her eyebrows Dad wanted Carter here? That was a first "Why?"

"Yeah, well, because I want him to check the cattle before supper He needs to take care of what’s iht The cattle Instead of that horses-and-cows-and-everything-else-are- sensation, she knew her dad had meant her She was important Macie hid a teary sht, Macie was exhausted when Carter barged into Gehly, he said, "Co"

"Can’t it wait until tomorrow? I’m tired and I have to be up early"

"It’ll be worth your while, I promise"

"Then will you tuck ht"

They weren’t getting a lot of sleep the nights they were together If she’d thought the man was dynamic in bed before the whipped crea compared to the stamina hich he made love to her at every opportunity Just a few hours back he’d wrestled her to the floor in Ge rooure out what’d changed him In addition to the shed, Lord, they’d laughed until they cried They had pillow fights and water wars They’d crawl in bed and feed each other ice creale up by the cah neither of the like a couple

Macie couldn’t rehed

"Please? Co"

"Okay But you better not be taking "

"Never Close your eyes" He slipped so went dark

"A blindfold? Why?"

"You’ll see Trust me" He clasped her hand in his and led her outside "It’s just a short drive" He helped her into his truck They rode down the gravel road in silence

Macie was a little unnerved, not knohere they were or what they were doing

They walked a ways and stopped

"Hang on" She heard a rustling noise and then Carter picked her up and laid her on soround

"Carter--"

"Ssh Don’t be scared I’m here Keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open thees of her lips as he slid off the blindfold One last sweet kiss and he moved away

She felt him lay down beside her

"Okay, darlin’, you can open them now"

Macie blinked her eyes open and stared at the sky above her, which was a nificent swath of pitch black, punctuated with silver stars Stars so big she could alht so bright it was as if she were part of the Milky Way

"Ood It is beautiful"

"Isn’t it?"

"I’ve never seen anything like it" That wasn’t a lie She was absolutely floored

"There’s no hts or air pollution to diffuse the pure blackness of the sky"

"Is it always like this in Wyo?"

"No Maybe once or twice every couple of years I’ve seen it in the summer when it’s hot as hell, and in the dead of winter when it’s ice cold I have to adon a blanket much better than bein’ wrapped up in a parka"