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“Sally” Taraboth hands on her arm in silent supplication “You, of all people, should understand why I did it”

Ignoring her plea, Sally declared, “Chase should have thrown you out Why he ever agreed to this is beyond me”

“But, Sally—”

“Don’t you but Sallyin her eyes “I trusted you I honestly thought—” She clamped her mouth shut on the rest of the sentence and pivoted away, shoulders rigid

“Every word I told you was true,” Tara assured her “That’s why I bought the land—so I could be near him”

“But to buy that land” Sally kept her back to Tara “How could you buy that piece? You kno much Chase has wanted it”

“Of course I know But don’t you see, now that I own it, it’s practically the sa, it’s in the family now”

Half turning, Sally searched Tara’s face, her own expression wary yet hopeful “Are you saying that you intend to deed it over to him?”

“Not right away, I can’t,” Tara replied “They are both so upset with me now that they would never allow round for it Wait until you see it It is going to be beautiful Spacious, but not too large or i, just a cozy little retreat on the Montana plains”

“But later,” Sally persisted, seeking a more definitive answer to her question, “you will turn it over to them?”

“Isn’t that what I just said?” Tara said with a warm and easy smile “It will obviously take so, but it will all work out perfectly in the end You’ll see”

Sally wanted desperately to believe her, but it wasn’t easy When she had learned that Tara was the mysterious buyer, she had never felt so betrayed in all her life Even worse, she felt she had betrayed Chase by befriending Tara, only to realize the woman had used her

Tara pressed both hands on Sally’s ar eyes “Please tell me I still have one friend in the Calder household”

After a moment’s hesitation, Sally nodded “You do”

But she wouldn’t be nearly as trusting as she was before