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“Well, you better get on out there, and take a jacket with you. I don’t care if you believe me, the weather’s turning, girlie. Bundle up.” Maggie smiled and shooed her away.

As she turned the corner past Maggie’s desk, she caught someone entering the front out of the corner of her eye. She could’ve sworn it was Jake. There was no way it could be though.Ugh, you need to get it together.She reprimanded herself and chalked the hallucination up to her dipping into her old memories about the two of them.He’s old news. Leave him in the past for Christ’s sake.

Grabbing her jacket off the door in her office, she did one more double take down the hallway, but she couldn’t see who was standing at Maggie’s desk, so she decided to get a move on. She needed to do a few more things for work that afternoon, and the following morning before she flew out in the afternoon. While she could have taken the full day off the next day, she’d opted to save it and finish up any last minute loose ends that needed to be tied up.

Out in the stalls, she took her time chatting with the horses as she always did. There were a handful who lived there full time, and she’d come to love them like they were her friends. Ginger, and older mare, loved carrots and apples, and Coralee made sure to keep a bag of each on hand in the breakroom for when she could sneak away to hand out some treats. Pulling the apple from her pocket, she watched Ginger’s ears perk up.

“How you doing girl?” she cooed to the horse.

The horse nudged her hand, requesting the apple in the politest way a horse could ask for anything, and allowed Coralee to rub her face against her soft muzzle. The horse chuffed a bit, and Coralee handed her the apple, repayment for the snuggle. Her thoughts returned to her past, and how different things had turned out than she thought they would all those years ago. She chuckled lightly to herself and shook her head. “I guess that’s how it goes when you grow up,” she said quietly to herself as she stroked the horse.

Being so close to Christmas, the stables were pretty quiet, so when she heard voices coming in, Coralee was startled, causing the horse to get a bit fussy, stomping her feet and chuffing. “Easy girl,” she soothed.

Three people were walking down the main corridor which led to pens on the other side of the stable. She made out two men and a strikingly beautiful woman, who didn’t seem to be dressed to hang out with animals. Coralee squinted her eyes and tried to see if she knew any of them, when she realized she absolutely did know at least one of the men. It had been a couple of years, but there was no mistaking the chiseled jaw, the way he filled out his jeans, or his boisterous laugh.

“Shit!” she muttered under her breath as she tried to scramble for a place to hide. Jake Corriente was the last person she wanted to talk to, not after her memories had already been nagging at her.What is he doing here?She groaned as she scanned the area, trying to tuck herself somewhere. Deep down, she knew it was too late as the threesome approached.

“Coralee?” he asked. His voice was just as sexy as it had been the last time they’d crossed paths.

“Uh . . .” she stammered. Coralee lifted her chin and took in the group standing in front of her. Each had a confused expression, furrowed brows, and a bit of a gawk, except Jake. He had a smirk.His stupid crooked grin hasn’t changed.

“What are you doing out here, Coralee?” he asked. “I thought I saw you earlier.”

Regaining her composure, or at least pretending to, she finally found some words suitable for public consumption. “Oh did you? What a small world.”

Shifting in place, he openly looked her up and down. “You look amazing, Coralee.”

Coralee felt like he was staring right through her, as if she were under a microscope. “Uh . . . Thank you, Jake. What brings you here?” She was struggling to make small talk, too busy internally cursing herself for what seemed to be her never ending attraction to him. And he was there with a woman. A beautiful woman. Who, while didn’t seem to fit in at the stables necessarily, certainly did appear to have a relationship with him. She recognized Billy Chadwick, the sheep broker, now that they were all standing there awkwardly. “Nice to see you, Mr. Chadwick,” she added.

“I told you to call me Billy, young lady,” he replied with a grin.

“Sorry, sir—Billy.” She smiled at the older man taking the momentary reprieve from Jake.

“Jake, let’s get moving on these sheep. If you’re happy, I can have the paperwork done up by morning, and maybe get you out of here before the storm hits.”

Not taking his eyes off Coralee, Jake replied, “Sounds good, sir. Let’s go see these sheep.” He started to back away, and added, “Coralee, we should catch up while I’m in town. You never did say whatyou’redoing here. Are you going to be home for Christmas?”

Home for Christmas. Ugh. Shit.“I’ll be home for Christmas. You?”Please say no. Please say no.

“I will. I don’t anticipate missing any more Christmases with the family.”

Billy cleared his throat, clearly wanting to get a move on. “Okay . . . Well, I’ll see ya, Jake.”

As she scurried away, her metaphorical tail between her legs, she overheard him say, “Yes, you will.” Coralee didn’t turn around, in fact if shuffling away to emotional safety were a sport, she’d have won a gold medal.

Aggravated with how much he still affected her after all this time, Coralee exited the stables, and decided to go home. She could finish the last of her work the next morning before her flight. What she needed now was a glass of wine and a hot bath.

ChapterThree

Jake

After they’d met with Billy the Sheep Guy, as Dana called him, they went out eat. Since Dana’s husband wasn’t going to make it, they kept it casual and went to a nearby diner they’d eaten at numerous times.

“So, are you gonna tell me what that little exchange in the stables was all about?” Dana grinned over her milkshake.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jake replied.

“Oh, I think you do.” She glared at him. “Is that the girl you told me about? The one who got away,” she said using air quotes.

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