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Chapter One
Morgan Keesling sat on the porch overlooking the large pond below Her eyes followed the reflected i water as they were captured in a raw mirror only nature provided
Two sycamore trees with their wide branches and perfect jade leaves doeous country scene With the rolling hills stae projected a cottonwood, taller than the other greenery displayed, but not quite as beautiful as the colorful rose bushes scattered around the pond’s perimeter
It wasn’t quite seven o’clock Thanks in part to a woodpecker that refused to sleep, Morgan had been awake since five She’d been re the yesterdays she barely re behind
The fresh air filled with the sweet fragrance of mixed flowers in blooredients threw her back to a time when she remembered how to find so away at the wood under its beak, didn’t rattle or agitate her
She was slowly co around
Taking a deep breath, Morgan filled her lungs with the blessing of country air It felt good to feel alive again, to notice the extraordinary beauty surrounding her When she left East Tennessee four years prior, she’d sworn to never return Now, she couldn’t think of a better place to relax, unwind, and hide
The running was over When she had nowhere else to go, she headed for the only safety net she’d ever known
Morgan had finally returned home
Working like the dickens to get a few bales of hay in the barn before breakfast, Blake Ballantine and Grant Fowler tossed straw and cracked jokes The banter between the the time hatever came to mind
“I don’tlike a misunderstood stepchild if Kit and Kemper could try to remember to leave us a case of beer for every day we’re here,” Blake announced, wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead “I don’t think that’s too much to ask”
He really didn’t, considering the fact he and Grant had been house-sitting for the last few years Whenever the Keesling brothers went on vacation or to The National Cattlemen’s Convention, Kit and Kemper relied upon them In the cattle business, it was is’ sprawling three hundred and fifty acres, not everyone stood in line awaiting the opportunity to take care of their farm and animals
“Case of beer, hell,” Grant gru our stay this year The only tiood meal is when she cooks for us”
“Guess she finally believes we’re old enough to fend for ourselves”
Grant worked his buckskin gloves away froers and tossed the pair on the last bale of hay swung “I reckon I can fry an egg and ht, a few nice cold beer bottles left in the fridge would’ve been a nice housewar”
“That’s the probleon “Kit and Kemper didn’t
want us sitting inside with the air conditioner blasting on high pohile tossing back a feskies They knoell enough to figure out how this work thing would play out if they supplied the alcohol We wouldn’t be able to do a blasted thing around here”
“In this heat? I still ”
“Did I say that?” Blake asked, arching a brow “I could’ve sworn it’s your turn”
“Mine?”