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“I get that But this isabout, Dad In the four years I’ve worked for her, she never onceyou Why?”

“Because I wouldn’t let her tell you”

Georgia frowned She thought back to her conversations with Stephanie About the odds of getting assigned a job in Sundance, Wyo So ere the odds that Barbara, a business owner from Dallas who just happened to be a friend of her father’s, just happened to be one of the eo?

Astronomically sli He’d always run her life with a heavy hand and it seemed no matter how far away she moved, she’d never be out of his reach

She stood and paced angrily, kicking up dust that reeked like pig manure “I always believed I’d nailed that intervieith Barbara on my own merits But now I find out you…” Her entire body burned with huie Yes, I asked Barbara to do the official interview at UW, but she does that all the time And she wouldn’t have hired you as a favor to me—she’s too shrewd a businesswoman for that Barbara liked what she saw in you—that’s why she offered the job And I’ve not meddled in your life since”

Her head spun “Did Mom know about this?”

“No one but me’n Barbara knew”

“Didn’t you think it rong if you had to keep it a secret? Froie, if I’d told you that I’d asked an old friend to interview you? You would’ve refused the er and resentment, just because that option came from me”

She opened her ree sohter I care what happens to you As your father, you can’t fault me for tryin’ to help you secure a job so you could provide for yourself I’ll repeat, the only part I had in this process was getting you the first interview The rest you did on your own And you should be proud of that God knows I ae his pride in her “And what part did you have in convincing Barbara to assign me to a job in Sundance?” she de in my life anymore? Bullshit”

“I knohat it looks like But Larry and Kim Pradst, n L bar K, are friends of mine They’ve stuck by h tiave them Barbara’s name for a possible buyout since rodeo promotion is part of her business Barbara handled it from there, but the Pradsts knew you worked for her”

“How?” she deot a pro, if only for this season”

Throughout her realizations and recri in her head: had her life ever been her own? Had she ever been allowed to ruff voice roused her “Georgia Lou Please Stop cryin’ You’re gonna make yourself sick”

She reached up to find her cheeks et And although the sun beat down, she was cold So cold She shivered