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They had been riding for an hour, passing close to the edge of the pine forest, gliave sweeping views of Rylan’s land The flora and rock for, and they had seen deer, elk and squirrels It ilder and ed than the farmland of her childhood home, but with a beauty all its own

Now, as they dipped back down, they drew close to the border with the disused ranch Bree was reminded of Rylan’s comment when she first arrived here

“What did you et your hands on this land?”

Rylan reined his horse in “I h to buy this place and not have to worry aboutsoed around the ti an Indian meal and the owner found Papadum in a dumpster”

He shifted in his saddle, turning to look at her “Don’t getin wounded and troubled ani made sense I knew exactly what I wanted to do with this place I contacted Dinah, asked her if she wanted a job and we took it from there”

He rarely opened up, and Bree was content to re expressions All she really knew about his formative years was that his dad had died when he was a child, and his mom had succumbed to cancer just before he joined the ar references to his childhood Those stories and memories that had shaped her, and were so much a part of her own life, didn’t seem to feature in Rylan’s consciousness Or maybe he deliberately suppressed them

“But I want to do more” He pointed to the abandoned ranch “If I could buy that land as well, then I could really make a difference I’d open a non-profit sanctuary for abused ani veterinarians and nutritionists, build state-of-the-art therapy facilities—” He broke off, lifting his cowboy hat and scratching his head “Sorry, I can get carried away about all of this”

“It sounds wonderful” The enthusiasm in his face and voice when he talked about his vision was infectious It touched so deep inside her “You said you can’t do it Why not?”

“When I approached the owner of the land, his starting price was at least three tied as he turned his horse around “I haveany of it away When I tried negotiating, his response was Well, it wasn’t the sort of thing I’d repeat in your company”

Although they rode on, Bree cast several glances over her shoulder at the land Rylan wanted He had been so eloquent; she could alhter understood the i noble causes She also believed in the power of dreaood people who made them come true

What would her mo; she would be too busy s happen

“When you first brought Papaduallery, you said you’d taken in a new arrival who had unsettled the dyna”

“Jekyll has been hospitalized for a few days,” Rylan explained He checked his watch “He should be returning anytime now”

“Jekyll? As in?”

He laughed “Yeah Jekyll and Hyde But don’t be misled We don’t see much of mild-mannered Hyde”

They reached the kennels and dis bed that contained a tiny black and brown dog, whose ears appeared to take up two-thirds of his body Jekyll earing asorry for himself

“Is this the one you were talking about?” Bree asked Surely, so Rylan’s confident, tight-knit dog pack?

“Don’t be deceived,” Dinah said “This little guy is bad to the bone”

Jekyll gave Bree puppy-dog eyes and sighed heavily