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Sky cleared his throat “Let’s go for a ride,” he said

They saddled Stored canyon country Riding single file through the scrub, hat brilare of the late-day sun, they said little until they’d reached the lengthening shadows of the escarpment It was cooler here, the trail low over the rocky buttresses and hoodoos

“I had no idea it would be so beautiful here” Lauren caught up with Sky, who’d paused on a level spot to wait for her

“People can miss a lot with their heads buried in their computers,” he said

“I’ll try not to take that personally” Lauren let her hat fall back against her shoulders Her hair and clothes had dried in the heat A light breeze cooled her face

Storm Cloud snorted and tossed his handsoht, the black horse and the hawk-proud, black-haired man If she’d been an artist she’d have chosen to paint the sun and the canyon behind them

“Stor today,” she said

Sky patted the gelding’s shoulder “I haven’t had much time to ith hih by the tio back, I’ll let you ride him”

“No perfu this was as happy as she’d felt in months

“There are solyphs up that steep-sided canyon It’s not far We should have enough daylight left to see them”

“Then let’s go” Lauren nudged the , but the pace made it easier to talk

“I want to apologize for yesterday,” she said “I was trying to ss out for my father’s sake It turned out to be a bad idea”

“I don’t own you, Lauren” Sky’s voice had taken on a slight chill “I’ve no right to judge your choice of company”

“Not even if that company turns out to be a horse’s ass?”

He sucked in his breath as if her choice of words had shocked hi some poor innocent horse”