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Prologue

“Ninety-eight bottles of ht bottles of milk! Take one down and pass it around, ninety-seven bottles of milk on the wall!”

Mo as loud as we could “Goodness, how et to the beach house?” she asked as she looked back at me

“We just started the trip! We’ve got hours to go before we get there,” Daddy said, then turned and winked at ht, sweetheart?” He s on his hair, and I smiled back

Suddenly, Mommy started to scream, and Daddy turned back to the road Loud sounds fro all wrong One was coht toward us “Oh my God! Oh my God! Frank!”

I closedflying in the car and hittingstopped, and I couldn’t hear her any and loud voices all around me

“Call 911! Someone, call 911!”

“You need to get your little girl out of the car!”

Sorabbed me, and I cried out “Mommy!”

“Do not open your eyes, Timberlynn,” Daddy whispered as he took me from my seat “Do you hear me? Keep them closed”

I nodded and buried my face in his chest “I won’t I pwoht, I slappedall the loud noises would stop

Daddy wrapped his arhtly around me “Don’t do this Please don’t take her frohter! Please, I need to help my wife!”

Daddy moved me, and I was placed in someone else’s arms I instantly cried out “Daddy, no! Please don’t leave me! No!”

He stopped and looked back at et your mommy out of the car”

My eyes drifted past Daddy and I looked at our car all bent and out of shape “Daddy?” I yelled as a woot her Get her out of the car!”

“Daddy!” I shouted again as I watched him run to the car

“It’s okay, sweetheart Shh…your mommy and daddy are fine Just close your eyes

”

I didn’t listen to the stranger I watched as Daddy ran to our car It was the wrong way up The wheels…I could see the wheels Another et Mo bothme, jump

“Oh, no,” the stranger whispered and quickly turned me away from Daddy She looked at me and smiled “Your name is Timberlynn?”

I started to cry harder, but I nodded

She s to be okay, Timberlynn It will all be okay”

I looked past her and saw Daddy on the ground, Mo as he rocked her Why wasn’t she getting up to coe lady held onto htly

“It’s okay, Timberlynn It’s okay”

She buried e, so would be okay It would never be okay again

Chapter One

TANNER

I sat on Trigger and stared out over the open pasture as I got ready to rope with Chance You could almost feel the winter storm about to come in and blanket the distant Colorado ht now they had patches of snow that only hinted that it inter My body ached to be horown up in and loved so hed and looked down