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“How was your first weekend out here? A lot of newcomers say the quiet gets to them fast.”

“It was good, thanks. Quiet is right, but I prefer that. My mother gave me a bunch of junk to decorate the cabin, so it’s feeling more like home.”

“I’d love to see it,” she said, expecting a rejection, but he was eager to take her inside.

“How was your weekend?” he asked.

She was surprised he was interested. “I was on call this weekend, so I worked. It gave my dad some time off.”

“I guess being a vet means you’re always busy. Why don’t we take care of Blackie and Gloria first, and then you can come in for coffee if you’d like,” he said, feeling idiotic.

Did men really say that? He’d been watching too much Hallmark TV. The guys at the fire station loved watching it at night when they finally had a chance to relax.

She didn’t drink coffee, but she’d start if it meant spending a few minutes with him.

“Sounds like a plan,” she said, grinning.

They chatted while she worked. The admiration for her grew watching her skill and the gentle way she handled the horses. He helped her gather her supplies when she finished, and then stood there like he’d forgotten he’d invited her in.

“Take me to your cabin,” she said, a little more forcefully than she meant, and they laughed.

“Right.”

They walked side by side, observed. Robin smiled from her kitchen window, binoculars in hand, at the handsome couple smiling and talking.

“Wife, what in the hell are you doing spying on him?”

“Look for yourself.Faithjust went inside.”

“They’re probably having coffee. I know you’re thinking something much spicier.”

“She’s not that fast, and she’s older, so she might feel like going a little slower than she did with the last tenant.”

“Oh lord, what an embarrassment,” Sam said, sputtering. “I thought poor Dr. Bogart would kill her, he was so pissed off. Imagine, a vet getting caught by the landlord, riding the tenant like a horse.”

“Well, in all fairness, they were completely dressed,” Robin said in defense of Faith.

“They claimed she was trying to get a fledgling off a ceiling beam.”

“It’s possible.”

“There were no other birds around, no nest. No, my innocent wife, I think that guy was trying to cop a feel. And it probably would’ve helped if they hadn’t just polished off a six-pack.”

“Dr. Bogart is a teetotaler.”

“I think Faith is, too. Oh look, oh god, Karin Smith just pulled up. Watch!”

Positioned at the window to take in the view of the forested canyon, the battered wooden table invited relaxation and conversation. After learning she didn’t really drink coffee, he’d placed a cup of hot water and a tea bag in front of Faith. Paul remembered the Italian pastries he’d brought home from his aunt Roberta’s Sunday dinner.

“Oh! I’ve got a treat. I completely forgot about this.” He carried a food container over to the table, along with paper napkins and paper plates.

“Cannoli? You really know how to steal a girl’s heart.”

He paused for just a second, but it was unmistakable. Either he was flattered or annoyed. “In this one, rum cake; this one, tiramisu,” he said, grinning. “Have both.”

“I think I will. I’ll just fast the rest of the day.”

“Life is too short. Eat and enjoy. My aunt always says that.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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