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“So you changed to fit in Doesn’t sound like the girl I used to know”

“Changed Adapted Did what I had to do to survive in a cutthroat industry in a city that eats nails for breakfast, lunch, and dinner It’s all the same”

We approach a gate, and Wyatt gets down from his horse to let us in A hundred feet or so away is a sus cattle, no more than ten or fifteen with a handful of calves

“Ready to work?” he asks when he clientle kick of his stirrups, he leads his trotting horse to the rear of the herd, rounding the cattle up and urging theate

A couple of cows take off in the opposite direction, but I’m on them

Less than an hour later, we’ve moved them to another pasture Wyatt checks the water tank while we’re there and lets the horses get a drink before we saddle up again and head back to the house

“I want to see where you live,” I say e’re back in the horse barn and he’s hanging saddles

He stands frozen for a second, as if he’s conte too co to see his personal home, but once upon a time that line shack was ours

“It’s not the same as it was,” he says

“I know You said you updated it I want to see what you did with the place”

“It’s not a good idea” He hangs the bridles on some wall hooks, then turns to face lint in his eyes “I shouldn’t have let you keep co you on and giving you the wrong idea—”

“–leadingidea? Wyatt, you’ve giventhis week except a handful of stories and your stoic co idea”

He frowns, his lips pressed flat as if they’re barring him from a response

I checkthe walk I pro the cattle drive today, so I’ll have to shower off the horse s questions I wouldn’t kno to answer

“I’ to take off,” I say “Thanks for the ride today”

I turn to leave, feeling the weight of his stare growing heavier with each step I take He doesn’t call after me, not that I expect hi calf bottles to the corral

“You taking off, sweetheart?” she asks “I was just about to start fixing lunch”

“Yeah, I have to get going” I don’t elaborate because it doesn’t et Wyatt to open up about the past these last few days has been futile No sense in dragging it out and er mess of it