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The barn was burnt stone and san had called Shep and E to the hospital to be with Nash, they dropped Gus off at Nash’s house The firefighters had gotten the fire under control quickly, focusing on the house first Now the side of the house was blackened but safe Everyone see slightly bewildered Megan thought quick and told the staff to take the guests down to Kinky Spurs for an early dinner with a ride on theout the fire But Megan saw the way the guests looked on, and the disappointment in their eyes This was just another hit for Nash in uest ranch run flawlessly

While life wasn’t fair at the best of times, Nash seeain To test him? To push hian didn’t know, but she felt for hi to help hi

Those concerns stayed with her while she drove toward toith the kittens on the passenger seat of her car, after calling Leah They looked all right, but who kne much smoke they had inhaled while they were trapped in the barn They sat quietly in the basket on the passenger seat, staring at Megan a little dazed Hell, even she felt a little dazed

She’d thought the worst had happened when that barn collapsed Thinking Nash had been hurt or worse had changed ever

ything All the boundaries she had to keep distant vanished She had always known she was in big trouble when it came to Nash First, she had a crush Then, she had lust But after that, eot messy and she’d done her best to shut him out

When she thought the building collapsed around hi She couldn’t lose his to Nashbetween them She didn’t want to run anyand dammit, she wanted to leave this all be and allow the eht turn into happiness

Truth was, she wanted to give all of herself to Nash for now, for always He ran into that burning barn with zero hesitation to protect those kittens Maybe it was time she stepped up too

When she’d arrived at the clinic, Leah aiting for her at the front door She’d taken the kittens ih there were other people waiting in the reception area

For the last twenty an kept them calm with soft pets to their head

“Lucky, lucky kittens,” Leah said, listening with a stethoscope to the gray kitten’s side “They look good” She picked hi inside with her s any evidence they inhaled any smoke at all” She petted the kitten’s head and looked up at Megan “You said the Blackshaw barn caught fire?”

Megan nodded “Burnt to the ground by now, I iine”

“The town gossipers otten ahold of the news yet,” Leah said

The door suddenly opened, and Leah’s assistant entered the rooht fire”

Megan and Leah laughed

The assistant blushed