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With exquisite tenderness, he bent and kissed her “To be continued,” he whispered

Without another word, he scooped her up with the quilt, rose, and carried her back to the guest roo her to the bed, he tucked her in and bent to brush a kiss across her mouth “Get some sleep,” he said “I’ll wake you early”

Natalie settled in with a little purring sound She was already drifting into peaceful slumber

At first light, Beau stood, stretched his cramped limbs, and wandered into the kitchen to start the coffeen that Slade had come around But he wanted to make sure

While the coffee was brewing, he went out the front door, locked it behind him, and walked the perimeter of the house and clinic He saw no fresh boot prints, no unfan that soht

Satisfied, he went back inside and poured himself a cup of coffee He would need to wake Natalie soon He wanted to help her choose a gun and show her how to load and fire it A 20-gauge double-barrel shotgun would be light enough for her to shoot without too e to blast any intruder to kingdoun safe

But would Natalie have the guts to pull the trigger, especially if the target was her estranged husband?

Beau could only hope it wouldn’t coun and the awareness of what it could do would hopefully be enough to keep him at a distance

Once he got her set up with the gun, it would be time to leave He was needed at the ranch, and for appearance’s sake, he wanted to be gone before soe

Setting the coffee cup on the counter, he walked into the guest room to wake her She lay on her side, so beautiful that she almost stopped his heart

Last night he’d given her a needed release But he knew better than to read tooshe could wake up and see hiht, and the chasain

Either hat happened next would be up to her

One bare foot peeked out froave her toe a playful tug She stirred, rolled onto her back, and opened her eyes “Hello, you,” she murmured dreamily

“Tirin

“Not qui