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“I—” The rest of the sentence died on her lips at the sound of a door opening in the rear of the clinic It took a split second for Beau to realize it was the door leading from the main part of the house

Natalie’s face paled She took a step away from him “I’m up front, Slade,” she called

Beau stood his ground, waiting for Slade to appear He hadn’t , and he’d be da to turn tail and run

“Hello, Slade,” he said as the man stepped out of the hallway

“What’re you doing here, Tyler?” The tails of his work shirt hung loose over his belly, and one hand clasped an open can of beer He looked h to spit acid

Beau kept his calm “Your wife’s antivenin saved my brother The folks at the hospital in Lubbock askedher a new supply I just dropped it off”

“So, if you just dropped it off, how come you’re still here?”

“Show so about the un That’s all”

Slade’s eyes narrowed to ive her one of ot a proble you to a bloody pulp”

Beau’s gaze flickered toward Natalie Her eyes were big and frightened Her mouth formed the word Go!

Reining in the urge to drop the man to his knees with a well-placed jab, Beau took a step toward the door “I didn’t co now Thanks again for your help, Natalie”

Tearing his gaze away fro into the driver’s seat, he backed into the street and switched on the radio As he headed out of town, he punched in a country music station and cranked the volume up so loud that it al noise would drown out the thoughts in his head—wanting Natalie, worrying about her, knowing he couldn’t allow her problems to beco He switched the radio off

Natalie faced her husband across the clinic’s small reception room “That was uncalled for, Slade,” she said “Beau’s an old friend and he had a legiti here today Beyond that, there’s nothing going on between us”

“Nothing,it to the floor “I know you went tearing off to Lubbock to be with him Did you think that because I was on the road I wouldn’t hear about that?”

“Stop it!” Natalie’s fist cah to hurt “Will was snakebit and had to be Life Flighted to Lubbock Beau rode along in the helicopter The hospital was out of antivenin, so I rushed there hat I had That’s all there was to it Call the hospital if you don’t believe me! Ask anybody as there!”