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Cat settled into the desk chair he’d vacated, happy to chat with her son They exchanged small talk and he launched into a story about Josh’s first kiss

“What?” she said with surprise “He’s getting an early start He’s not two yet”

“Well, it wasn’t exactly a kiss More like buirlfriend didn’t see Then Josh patted her hair”

“My, my,” she said “He’s quite the char them, by the way”

“You’re welcome So how are you?”

She hesitated

“I heard you’re going on a date,” he inserted on a teasing note

“How’d you know that?” Cat said in surprise

“We live in high-tech tiot a boost from e-mail”

“Oh” Cat tried to think of what to say, feeling a little chagrined that someone had told him before she could “Well, yes I do have a dinner date, but that’s all He’s very nice A friend of Chase’s About ers”

“That’s great, Mom,” he said “I’m really happy you met someone And have fun It’s time you did”

They talked for a while longer, then said their good-byes Cat hung up, staying in the chair for a bit, rocking and thinking She hadn’t kno to tell hilad that Quint was fine with the idea of her dating someone Everyone seemed to be

Like he’d said, it was time

Chapter 7

A pickup truck with the Triple C brand painted on its doors jolted to a stop on a rough road that led to a small barn in South Cas on the ranch, standing about a mile out from the main house