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Phoebe didn’t believe that for a second She wanted to point out that Lucy and Toht here and available to adopt Or, if not them, then there were hundreds of other children desperate to belong But she didn’t say anything CJ already knew Maybe she was one of those wo child

“Considering all you’ve been through, it was really nice of you and your husband to agree to take care of Tommy and Lucy for the week”

CJ shook her head “I didn’t want to” She laughed harshly “Don’t I sound like a bitch? But it’s true Thad talked lanced at Phoebe, “I tell ood thing But I can’t help being angry about how unfair it all has been”

Phoebe wanted to say it was unfair for the kids, too None of them had asked to be orphaned None of them had asked to be alone She still remembered every birthday she’d spent after her parents had died That had always been the worst day

Oh, sure, there was a party, a cake and a few presents, but it wasn’t the same There hadn’t been anyone to hold her and talk about the future and love her There hadn’t been cards frorandparents and dinners with aunts and uncles No older cousins had teased her, no younger cousins had gotten in the way There hadn’t been any family at all After all this time, that was still true for her

LATE THAT MORNING Phoebe found herself riding next to Zane She wasn’t exactly sure how that had happened Okay, ht have maneuvered Rocky kind of close to Zane so that when they started out again, his was the horse Rocky followed But she hadn’t been sure the plan would work And now that she was bouncing along beside him, she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say

The day was still beautiful with clear skies and a slight nip in the air She could sht occasional whiffs of cattle Her butt hurt, but not enough to distract her fro sixteen again and assigned to her crush’s study group The afternoon practically crackled with possibilities

She wondered if he was thinking about their kiss Had he relived it over and over again, as she had? Not that there was a way to ask She ht find Zane a little more approachable than she had when she’d first uy Even if he was, she doubted she would be co, “How about that kiss? Pretty a, huh?”

It had been a hih she was certainly becoet to know him She wanted to find out about the man behind the handsome face Who was Zane Nicholson and what did he dream about? What made him happy and what made him sad? Had he ever been in love or had his heart broken? Had he—

Phoebe mentally backtracked Maybe she didn’t want to know about wo that when compared with them, she would come up short Not that she wanted him to fall in love with her She barely knew thethat made her wonder about the potential for more

“You’re quiet,” Zane said

As she wasn’t even sure he’d known she was riding sort of next to hihtly Rocky turned around to glare at her, as if re her that it was his back her fanny thumped on

She patted his neck by way of apology and considered Zane’s statement

“I didn’t want to interrupt if you were thinking about soht Like the fact that he’d had his hands on her bare ass and his fingers between her legs A shivery tingle twisted low in her stomach at the memory

“Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked