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"I’ll be an absentee director," she told hi director Sydney and Drew, if you don’t ers and horse an

"I’ve already spoken with Mrs Lockwood--Brent’sto come back Apparently he cries because he’s afraid he won’t be able to see us again I spoke to Brent myself He says he likes me best, but that’s okay, he’ll ith you"

"Well, um, thanks," Mason said, still confused

"I’ve also spoken with Patty Sobles Remember her? She’s one of the local wo back I’ve been on the phone with the parents of the kids at Parsonage House They’ll give us another chance As I said, on’t open our doors for a week Aaron deserves a good funeral with all of us at it, and Mariah Well, we have to see that she’s buried, too I don’t think she had any family left--maybe that’s why the landto have to find a fewto steal Ellie Villiers from Willis House to run the office She was only part-ti for full-time work Mason, you’llrent I’ll just have you guys check on ht"

"So, you will come back?" Drew asked hopefully

"I’ll always come back," she replied "Tennessee is ht and even the responsibility to love the place that’s our hoe Mariah just let it consume her But, yes, I will co his hat in his hands as he did when he was a little nervous about what he was going to say He looked at Dustin "You treat her right, you understand? Your intentions had better be honorable!"

"The most honorable," Dustin promised him "Don’t worry--I ith her cousin"

Sydney sain

"This ork," Olivia said "The Horse Farm will survive We will survive--all of us Marcus Danby was an incredible s--and the Horse Farm will continue to rescue animals and we’ll continue to do our best to rescue people, as well Just as Marcus always did"

She smiled as everyone in the rooet it," Mason broke in "Where will you be?"

"Virginia," she said "I’ to the FBI Academy and I’ll take what I know in a different direction But I’ll just be a phone call away"

"What?" Mason said "You--youyou don’t even like guns!"

"And I never will However, I’ll learn how to use one," she told him

The roo her "I realize you do have other talents," he murmured "And we’d be selfish if we didn’t think you should use the at the other agents in the room He nodded shrewdly "I read up on you people And I knohat your talents are And Well, I guess we have to let Olivia go"

Olivia hugged Mason again, and then Drew and Sydney Abby announced that she had Delilah bringing over a feast--and that today they’d celebrate the lives of Marcus Danby and Aaron Bentley and all they’d tried to do for others

It was a nice afternoon Olivia caught Dustin’s eye across the roo horses, since she intended to bring Shiloh and Chapparal to Virginia, and Sloan had the land and the stables to house thee happily

There were so many people there to pet hi

Malachi and the others had to get back the next day, but Olivia needed to stay behind to deal with various legal matters

Dustin stayed with her

And so, a week later, the day before the horse trailers were ready and before she let Mason take over, Olivia and Dustin rode out to the ca a little brisk, but they still played in the stream and made love beneath the moon

When they rode back, they stopped at the ceeneral was buried There was a fresh bullet hole gouging his toretfully

"I don’t think he’ll mind," Olivia said

"Probably not Do you think he’s still here? What about Marcus and Aaron?" Dustin asked her

"I think Marcus and Aaron have ht about it over the past few days They did a lot of good while they were alive All right, so Aaron wasn’t terribly bright in his choice of love interest, but he was a decent guy He didn’t kill himself and we proved that He and Marcus can both move on and I hope there is a heaven They deserve to reach it"

Dustin gnawed on a piece of grass and seneral deserves his piece of heaven, too, butI think he sees these hills as his heaven"

"I think so, too," Olivia agreed "Do you believe in heaven?" she asked him

He pulled her into his arms "Every time I see your face," he said

He kissed her

And Olivia was certain that whatever spirits roamed the hills, dales and forests of Tennessee, they looked on and approved