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Shelby ithin ten miles of her Uncle Walt’s ranch when she had to pull over to the side of highway 36, the busiest stretch between Virgin River and Fortuna, behind an old pickup truck that looked vaguely fahway that ran across the mountains from Red Bluff to Fortuna, it was mostly two lane She put her cherry-red Jeep SUV in Park and stepped out of the vehicle The rain had finally stopped, giving way to a bright summer sun, but the road et and splattered witha bright orange vest holding a stop sign toward a long string of cars, closing both lanes The turnoff to her Uncle Walt’s would be on the other side of the next hill

She picked her way around puddles to the truck parked in front of her, intending to ask the driver if he kneas going on When she got to the driver’sshe smiled "Well, hey, Doc"

Doc Mullins looked out the open"Hey, yourself, little girl Up here for a weekend of riding?" he asked with his usual grumpy tone

"Not this tia Bay," she said "Packed up the bare essentials and a in with Uncle Walt for a while"

"Perh I’htly, but only slightly "Once again, condolences on your loss, Shelby," he said "I hope you’re doing all right with that"

"Better all the tio" She tilted her head up the road "Have any idea what’s holding us up here?"

"Soft shoulder gave out," he said "I passed it on my way to Valley Hospital Du"

"Guardrails would be nice," she observed

"Only around the tight curves," he said "On a straightaway like this, we’re on our own Dao with that soft shoulder It’s going to be like this the next few days"

"Once I get to Walt’s, I’ain, for a while anyway," she said with a shrug

"What are you planning, if Ione of his bushy eyebrows

"Well, while I’ applications to schools Nursing," she said with a s care of my mother for years"

"Ach, just what I need," he said with his usual scowl "Another nurse Drive hed at him "At least on’t have to drive you far"

"There’s just what I mean Another ihed again, loving this ornery old guy Shelby turned, Doc leaned out of hisand both of them watched a man approach from the truck that had stopped behind Shelby’s Jeep He walked toward them His hair was shaved down in that military fashion she’d been accustoeneral A black T-shirt was stretched tight over broad, hard shoulders, his waist narrow, his hips sli But what fascinated her was the way he came toward them, with an economy of movement Deliberate Confident Cocky His thuot closer, she could see his very slight smile as he looked at her, or looked her over, to beeyes In your dreaht, which caused her to slanced inside at all the packed-up boxes, then continued to where she was standing beside Doc’s open"That yours?" he asked, jutting his chin toward the Jeep

"Yup"