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26

Wyatt

I’ the last of the salt blocks into the back of my truck Sunday afternoon when I turn to find Oliver Abbott pulling up in his jet-black Mercedes sedan He parks at an angle, blockingspot

“Oliver,” I say, hidingthe stout bastard “Isn’t every day I see you at the feed store”

“What exactly are you doing, Wyatt?” He squeezes out of his car and rushes up to lasses off his round head

“You’re going to have to be ate of my truck

“I know you’ve been spending time with Blaire,” he says

I don’t ask how he found out It was bound to happen People love to talk in this town That and there’s a chance Blaire could’ve brought it up in casual conversation She’d have no reason not to I’d thought about telling her to keep her visits with s and begged more questions

“We had an understanding,” he keeps his voice low despite the fact that we’re the only ones out here “An agreement”

“I prefer to think of it as blackmail, but no need to split hairs”

“I find it rather curious that you’re back in her life and all of a sudden she’s talking about leaving New York,” he says

“Did she tell you why or are you just assu back for me?” I ask

“Are you trying to suggest that I don’t know hter?” He takes a step closer, but the portly asshole doesn’t intilasses over his nose before returning to his idling i to say it one last tihter, Buchanan”

He doesn’t add an “or else”

He doesn’t have to

He o

27

Blaire

“So how’d you ht over chips and salsa at La Fuente

“Beau?” She bats her eyes, grinning like a crushing schoolgirl “He orking the rodeo circuits in eastern Wyoht, and I happened to be there with a couple of friends One ofEventually he bought ether ever since”