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"Dell?"

"Yeah?"

"Go away Far away" And then he gingerly rolled over and fell asleep, ignoring Dell’s knowing laugh

Five

A half hour later, Holly was slumped in her Jeep, one eye on the old Friends episode she had playing on her iPad, the other on Adaot your text," Kate said "You’re crazy if you’re serious about going after your dad tonight There’s a storhed and adjusted the phone into the crook of her shoulder so she could shift her weight because her butt was numb "I’oing to be one of the stupid chicks in those criht?"

Kate, definitely the cutest, sweetest person on earth, was also one of the sharpest She taught at the eles, whom she’d had to raise on her own If life hadn’t dealt her that blow, she’d be off chasing big drea online

"Not alone," Holly said She hesitated "I went to Adauy who broke your heart Adarimaced "I can’t believe I ever told you that story"

"Yeah, well, we’d just suffered through Suzie Metzer’s very froufrou wedding, re each other sob stories was a side effect Now letinto the mountains after your father, into a storm no less, with not only the hottest man in Sunshine but also the only man you ever really loved? Maybe I should come with you Be your voice of reason"

"I have lots of reason," Holly said "And you’ve got work"

"True, but honey, honestly? It’s only been three days Your dad’s often gone this long Are you sure--"

"Yes So, I know it"

"So you and Adam…on the mountain Alone"

"It’s not like that" And yet…

And yet he had a picture of her on his mantel…

"Text me," Kate said "Often"

"I will"

"And keep your heart zipped up tight Your pants, too," Kate added "Oh, and don’t wear blue Mosquitoes are twice as attracted to blue"

Holly laughed "I don’t think it’s mosquito season"

"Okay, that’s probably true, but you still need to be careful You’ve already experienced the dark, bad-boy sexiness that is Adao," Holly ree, if that’s even possible"

True

"And we both know you’d have to be dead for it to not be a problem," Kate said

Also true And she wasn’t dead Not even close She disconnected and went back to watching Friends Half an hour later, she nearly came out of her skin at the soft rap on her

Dell looking so much like Adam it stopped her heart She clutched her chest and powered down the

Dell smiled at her, sweet Affable

Not like Ada to the iPad "My favorite"

Hers, too She turned it off "Let uess You’re here to chase o home"

"And what do you say?"

"I say the same Go home, Holly Get sorin "Then be back by four a his truck It’s the ATV you should be worried about Park your Jeep down the block, and then be in the ATV so he can’t sneak off without you"

Holly jerked awake at the sound of the Ranger’s engine rolling over, for a moment completely discombobulated

Then she reested: she’d coear in Adam’s ATV so that she wouldn’t miss his departure The vehicle was open on the sides but had a roof She’d hidden in the back a, and two carefully folded, heavy wool blankets, all of it covered by a tarp

According to her watch, it was four thirty She risked a peek through all the gear to eyman

But there was no doubt that the tall, broad silhouette was Ada on the phone in his low, steely voice "Lilah, are you really callingto check onI’m fine…Yes, I ate…No, I’m not in pain…Yes Yes Jesus, yes, I’ll text you Go take care of Brady instead of ain, he sounded greatly pained "I could have lived the rest ofhow you plan to take care of e that is now burned inup now"

It was the ether since she’d been madly in love with him

Holly had seen Lilah with Adam a few times at the animal center The two of them shared an undeniable chemistry, and she’d wondered once or twice if they possibly had so to him on the phone with Lilah now, Holly could tell that the chemistry wasn’t sexual It had the fas

Adam tossed his phone aside and Holly went still as a possum

He didn’t look back, but she still didn’t breathe Then the engine revved, and they were off and running Their first turn was out of the parking lot The second was onto the er abruptly stopped short Holly slid, buue rather than et out, please don’t let hiot out She felt the shift of his weight leaving the ATV, heard his booted footsteps crunching in the predawn ice as he strode to the back

Crunch, crunch, crunch…