Page 11 (2/2)

“Either that, or you et left out in the rain when I decide to suit up and play”

“You’re such a romantic,” Duke told him

“Actually, I am,” Hank stated flatly “I plan to love Julie like there’s no tomorrow After I watched her aluarantee for another day”

“And if she leaves us again?”

“The thought will never cross herthe tiet what she wants She doesn’t know this yet, of course, but when she figures this out, she’ll go after what she wants…us!”

“You really think she’s here to stay?”

“Without a doubt”

Duke chuckled “And Julie thinks I have a problem with confidence”

“I know, little brother We both need to work on it”

Frank lit up the barnyard as soon as he saw her He was already beet red fro about the way he s under heaven’s spotlight

“Hey Frank!” she exclaiot a new plug down here” She teetered toward hi better than they had in weeks past Soon, she’d toss the cane aside and ithout the aggravating crutch

“Plug hell,” he gru his arrey Thoroughbred you see there is anything but a dutz”

Julie giggled, and hearing her own laughter made her feel unusually happy, an e tie A dutz, in Frank-speak, was anything considered undesirable, or not quite up to par In this case, Julie agreed The Thoroughbred was a far cry from a dutz

“Where’d you get her?”