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He shot a questioning look at the old rancher “That looks like your truck, Empty”

Empty hastily ducked his head and pivoted toward the door, , “Better check on that soup ’fore it boils over”

Quint had little tier to slip into the house The white pickup had already reached the ranch yard Ittoward the barn before the wheel was jerked, ai up more dust, Quint came down the steps to meet its occupant

He halted in surprise when Dallas piled out of the cab and charged up the walk to hi, contagious energy in her swift stride There was a great swelling lift of e powerful and nameless

“Dallas” He had barely uttered her naainst his jaw

All of her weight was behind the swing, the impact of it sufficient to knock Quint off balance She was on hi a torrent of abuse Quint was too busy fending off the forceful blows aimed at his head to make sense of any of it

His fingers finally closed around a sli of its twin led and kicked

With his own anger growing, Quint twisted her arainst his body “What the hell’s going on?” he delitter with hatred

“You dirty lying bastard” Her voice vibrated with bitter loathing “All that talk about not wanting to cause trouble for anyone—it was nothing but a lie”

“What are you talking about?” he deain

“Just let“You’re no better than Rutledge Do you hear? I swear I could kill you”

Hatred poured from her, the harshness of it at odds with the rounded feel of her body pressed so snugly against hi ht and that was to silence them

He clae There was an anger of his own in the driving pressure of hison hi else he wanted And a bitterness, too, that she would believe those things about him

But the natural pliancy of her lips soon awakened needs of another kind Quint felt the ache of it in his loins and in his chest It was a regret that it was never likely to be between the up on the pressure

Only when he lifted his head did he notice that she stoodto break free In absolute silence, she stared back at him, all wide-eyed and a little stunned