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This time she looked at him and frowned “Repp? How’d you know about him?”

“Did Tara let so slip that she shouldn’t have?” he countered “Sorry, I didn’t realize I wasn’t supposed to know”

“It doesn’t ed, then became curious “What did she tell you anyway?”

“Nothing, really, I assure you,” Stricklin promised “I believe she merely mentioned once that you liked a particular cowboy but your father didn’t believe you were old enough to be dating I think she hinted that she occasionally helped the two of you meet”

“I did see him a couple of times thatthe nuht I shouldn’t date until I was sixteen, and I didn’t want to wait that long”

“That’s typical of young love, I understand” There was a very faint curve to hisplaces All very ro”

“I guess so,” she agreed, able to look back on that tiiven to those stolen moments Of course, she was sixteen now and able to date Repp openly

“Did you have secretplaces?” he queried

“Now, that would be telling,” Cat chided, reluctant to reveal that their special place had been the office shed at the hangar It was a private thing between her and Repp, not to be shared

“I’, wasn’t I? Naturally you wouldn’t want to divulge the location” A s ever expressed in it “Did you ever get caught?”

“No, or it wouldn’t still be a secret” But she reht he’d heard so the access door to an airplane engine that had been left unlatched

Somewhere close by, a horse snorted Cat turned toward the sound, then caught the alrass Her sudden alertness to soht attracted Stricklin’s attention It was difficult toin the i them Saddle leather creaked

“Who’s out there?” Cat de but the rustle of the breeze in the tail stand of grass Suddenly a dark shape loomed, and Stricklin stiffened at the hed softly at the start he had given her “I didn’t knoas you”

“You okay?” he asked while his dark gaze flicked suspiciously to Stricklin

“Sure We were just walking off a big dinner,” Cat explained “You’ve met my uncle before, haven’t you, Mr Stricklin?”