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Prologue

Her daddy had told her to stay away from hiood girls didn’t mess with

She was a good girl, but she didn’t think Ca, and she couldn’t stand to see him hurt

She was thirteen, and boys were just starting to flirt with her She liked the flirting, but she didn’t like how duhteen, ahi

Not that he ever showed it or spoke of it Unlike other boys, Cam didn’t tell anyone when he hurt And he didn’t flirt with her either When he saw her he talked to her, and when the older boys bothered her, he always seereen eyes of his would pin the other boys in a way that always made her shiver with dread And evidently, it made them shiver, too, because they ran, and they rarely bothered her anymore

She sought Caot, despite her daddy’s warning But now, it seeht her out

She tipped her head to the side, brushing back her long auburn hair as she stared at the rusty old pickup he drove It was parked on the back road to her daddy’s farm, far away from the house and in an area where the cattle hadn’t yet been moved to

He was sitting there silently, just staring out the windshield as she drew her horse to a stop and slowly dismounted

“Stay, Critter ” She patted the horse’s mane as she wrapped the lead to the bridle around a branch of a nearby tree and moved toward the truck

He couldn’t have known she would be here Her father rarely allowed her to ride far from the house

She watched as hea bottle to his lips, and she winced It hisky And it was really early in the day to be drinking

She er side of the truck and knew thefor her, because his entire body seemed to tense

“Go away, little girl ” His voice had a rough, growling tone as she opened the door slowly and lifted herself into the vehicle

He was so sad He looked so alone right now With his shaggy black hair fra with eh she didn’t knohat they were

He sat stiffly, his left arainst the door of the truck, his opposite hand holding that bottle of whisky