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“Does starting over include you berating race to flush

“I’ from the chair “Let me introduce myself My name is Dr Brody Wester And you are?”

“I am annoyed” He didn’t

deserve more from her than that, did he?

“I deserved that,” he said beneath his breath “ A you from work?”

“Actually, you are, so, if you don’t mind…” She nodded toward the door She could be civil if she had to, couldn’t she?

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Lou” He extended his hand to shake hers Her hand rose hesitantly but clasped his firmly She wouldn’t let him see any weakness in her None at all

“I’ll let you get to work,” he said, walking toward the door “Will I see you at lunch?” he asked

She mumbled, “Not if I see you first”

A rin lit his face as he met her eyes, and then he waved quickly and left the room

After taking a few hts, Lou worked in the library, poring over figures and facts until her eyes crossed and she could no longer read the pages She checked her watch and realized it was almost one in the afternoon She went to the kitchen and helped Sadie carry two heaping trays of sandwiches and fruit, typical lunch fare, outside to the picnic tables under the shade trees Jeb had already arrived and had iced down sodas, tea, and bottled water for the lunch crowd Sadie also uncovered a plate of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies

After the hands were all settled for lunch, Lou grabbed a cookie, a bottle of water, two apples, and a sandwich for herself and headed for the barn She stopped at the saddle rack and tucked her lunch into a clean saddle bag Clucking softly to Sunny, a bay gelding of sixteen hands, she chose a leather bridle from a hook on the wall and approached a stall

Sunny bu her attention

“Oh, all right…here,” she said, re it into his led and snorted back Draping the bridle over his ears and fitting the snaffle bit between his teeth was the easy part As was covering him with a blanket and saddle She lowered the saddle to cover the blanket, tightened the cinch, and counted to sixty She muet ain Lou led Sunny froht sunshine beside the barn

“Going for a ride?” a deep voice asked as she swung up into the saddle