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“You figured wrong, as usual, John Earl,” Dallas replied with no visible break in her concentration

“What did that stranger bend your ear about?”

“Nothing” She scribbled so next to the book

“Sure looked like he was asking you a lot of questions He was co on to you, wasn’t he?” The accusation had a possessive ring to it, enough that Dallas threw hi look

“No, he wasn’t He was asking about work around here”

“What kind of work?”

“Cowboying”

John Earl Tandy released a short derisive breath “It’s the wrong ti on extra hands”

Rankled by his s a jab at it “Is that right?” Her chin caot the idea the Cee Bar was hiring”

Her response only brought a big grin to the cowboy’s face “He can forget about working there”

“Why?” There was a hard heat in her voice “Does Rutledge have his eyes on that ranch, too?”

He ducked his head, briefly breaking eye contact with her “I figured you’d still be sore But you gotta know there was nothin’ I could do about it”

“Just about everybody in town has told us that” Dallas stared at the book’s printed page, but her thoughts were on the gray-eyed stranger and the trouble he’d be letting himself in for if he took that job at the Cee Bar She reminded herself that was his problem, and not hers

“You’ve had a rough tiet better,” John Earl declared with his typical cocksure confidence “Why don’t you let ht?”

“Is that your idea of things getting better?” Dallas scoffed