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Eleven days, he thoughtto make a break for it once I showed up I hadn’t even considered you were avoiding ?" she asked

"Whew," he answered, shaking his head "I haven’t been out of the ar Your uncle--"

"Isn’t anywhere in sight," she said, cutting hiirl, Shelby," he said "And you’re just a girl Puts ave her a perplexed look and she said, "You’re a good-looking guy, obviously been around a lot hed at her candidness "There you go--like water on a grease fire Let’s play it safe, huh? Now tellto tell Besides, this is interesting I’d like to knohat’s going on here So, it’s pretty er than you are Or you just don’t like me" And then she blushed, which uts for her to push on this issue But she wanted to know So he decided to tell her

"You knohat it is, Shelby," he said "You’re young and tender A sweet young thing I’hed at hiet past all that"

Well, she didn’t scare easy, Luke realized with some admiration And here hat had him screwed up--it wasn’t just that he had taken one look at her and felt that fa had happened to her Except that she had feelings deep enough to fall into and drown, and his feelings were all superficial, physical Once his lust had been satisfied, he wouldn’t have much left for her She’d end up sorry He had always been able to avoid things like this, but this one, she was real tough on the nerves It was going to be torture, just holding back And it could be suicide, giving up the fight

"I just wish your Uncle Walt was a retired eant," he said

Luke usually confined his prowling to a town or two over so when the affair had run its course, he didn’t keep buain Or her uncle Before crawling between the sheets, he’d always give them "the talk": he didn’t fall in love; wasn’t interested in long-term deals or commitment He had his reasons, serious and personal reasons, for believing that a serious relationship wasn’t possible for him

He wondered how Shelby would take to "the talk" Given her age, she would probably cry

He had been atte next to her, having a beer, se hazel eyes, it was increasingly apparent he was destined to fail It was just a matter of time; maybe a matter of hours

"Well, I admit, you’re not exactly what I have inaround twenty-six, more hair, polo shirt, or maybe a sharp, crisp, white button-down," she said, and then she grinned at hi the attraction and she had so else in mind anyway? "I’m too old for you, plain and simple," he pointed out

"Probably, but there don’t seele men around You kind of stand out"

"You should throw your net wider," he suggested

"Until I do, let’s not get ridiculous It’s a beer and some dinner It doesn’t really matter how old we are or who my uncle is"

He smiled Sometimes she seeht Quick Usually the problee was they were dimwits Not this one She was honest and direct Luke respected that "You’ve been riding," he said "Your cheeks are sunburned"

"Every day So?"

"Since I was real young I’m Uncle Walt’s only sister’s only child, and my parents were divorced when I was just a baby, so ht ht it would buildani anied and looked down "I used to be real ti American paint came to mind "You’re sure not timid on that horse," he said "And you’re not so tih a lot of that I don’t know very much about you besides that you flew helicopters in the army What about your family? All I know is you have a brother in Black Hawks in the Middle East"

Luke’s dad had been a hardworking teaood provider, there hadn’t been a great deal left over for things like college educations There were five boys to raise and educate "I was the oldest and first one in It wasn’t a hard decision for me--I always liked the idea of the army It was a place for e Colin followed h school, into Warrant Officer School and the Black Hawks Aiden upped it a notch--went into college ROTC and got a navy scholarship for med school Don’t ask ot into the U-2 Sean is the brother ent in on the cabins with ot into the Naval Academy and F-18" He smiled because her mouth had dropped open

"Holy crap, there are five of you!"

"Yeah," he said He thought he was going to have to sit on his hand to keep fro her hair "Prolific Irish family Sean and Patrick and their jets--they think faster is cooler But they think that because they’ve never been in the Black Hawks"