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4760b29
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Charity Jones loved a good disaster movie as much as the next person - she would simply prefer the disaster in question not be about her life.
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Susan Mallery |
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0014ede
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She often made choices based on her heart rather than her desire to get ahead. From what she'd figured out, opportunities went to the ruthless, and she could never seem to act in a way that put her best interests first. Not if it meant stepping on someone else.
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Susan Mallery |
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979056d
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If you get into trouble, give a shout." "We'll be fine," Gladys said. Famous last words, Zane thought."
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Susan Mallery |
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d9346da
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Angel was different in every way possible. When he looked at her with those cool gray eyes, she had no idea what he was thinking. That was kind of fun, She just hoped it didn't mean he was a serial killer.
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Susan Mallery |
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2aa2ab1
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People have trouble admitting when they act for purely selfish reasons. Telling the truth about something like that forces them to redefine their sense of self. So they make up a story. We all do it. Tell stories to explain the unexplainable. To get by. Sometimes the stories even help us survive that which would otherwise destroy us.
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Susan Mallery |
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a9d8c27
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Racks holding covered white gowns. Like plastic aliens, hanging and shrouded, waiting to be returned to the mother ship.
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Susan Mallery |
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75557d3
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is a gift and we need to accept it with gratitude and a full heart. I
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Susan Mallery |
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95d517c
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together,
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Susan Mallery |
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5c6afe4
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They seem nice." Zane raised his eyebrows. "Sure. Skinny, starving kids. I can hardly wait for the rest of the folks to turn up. Maybe we'll have a rock star next. Or some business executive who wants to bring his laptop along so he can work while riding." She wasn't sure what to say to that, so she ignored his comments. "Thanks for letting the kids go get something to eat." His gaze narrowed. "What has Maya told you about me?" The only thi..
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Susan Mallery |
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594b014
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Greatness is measured by how one faces adversity. Everyone can be committed when things are going well.
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Susan Mallery |
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1c835cb
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That was the thing I hated, that I'd made such a lousy choice. But I didn't. You set out to convince me you were exactly what I was looking for. I had no reason to mistrust you. You lied, I didn't.
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Susan Mallery |
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52ce761
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As Maya Angelou said, 'I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.
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Susan Mallery |
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6d6b908
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I like that you're emotionally broken," she said cheerfully. "It keeps the playing field level." "I'm not broken. I'm quirky." "Is that what we're calling it?"
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Susan Mallery |
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cb5bd1f
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This can't be legal," she whispered. He raised his head. "Why not?" "It feels too good." He chuckled. She heard the sound, felt the soft exhalation of cool air on her bare, damp breasts, but she couldn't see anything. Not him, not herself. It was strange, but in a good way. The darkness gave her courage. "Take your clothes off," she said, knowing that she would never have managed the words in the light. "Yes, ma'am." There was rustling, th..
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Susan Mallery |
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fa1d4b4
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Hel-lo, gorgeous." Phoebe looked around as she stepped out of Zane's truck. Standing next to the passenger door was a tall teenager with bright, inquisitive eyes and a welcoming smile. He looked enough like Adam Levine to make it easy for her to guess his identity. "You must be Chase," she said. "In the flesh. And you're Phoebe." He looked her over from head to toe, then sighed. "Maya said a lot of great things about you, but she never ment..
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Susan Mallery |
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4949648
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He supposed that was the problem. That he'd gotten over loving Katie, but he'd never recovered from losing their friendship.
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Susan Mallery |
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5296e91
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Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God. Not Riley. Anything but that. After all this time, couldn't her reputation as a young, crazed teenaged stalker be put to rest?
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Susan Mallery |
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a62e973
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Did you bring your camera?" Gracie grabbed her trusty Polaroid from under her arm and held it out. Light from the streetlamp glinted off the narrow lens."
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Susan Mallery |
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7d631af
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He wrapped his arms around her and hauled her against him so her entire body pressed against his. The man was a rock. Big, unyielding and warmed by the sun. She wanted to snuggle even closer. She wanted to rip off her clothes and give the goats something to talk about.
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Susan Mallery |
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8a08f27
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Wanting struck him like lightning, burning hot and bright. His breath caught in his throat as the need grew. She fit him perfectly . . . And then there was the kiss. Her mouth was everything he'd hoped for. Hot and sweet and willing.
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Susan Mallery |
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7abf960
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Friend. The word was like a bucket of ice water. He drew back slightly, breaking the kiss and resting his forehead on hers.
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Susan Mallery |
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31797ab
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I have trouble asking for what I want, especially when it comes to men." "If you don't ask for what you want, how do you get it?" Felicia asked. "If you're relying on him guessing, you're sabotaging your own happiness."
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Susan Mallery |
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435f385
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I thought I loved him, but know I am questioning that. Love is supposed to be a positive thing. With him, my world got smaller, not bigger. I made so many bad choices. I don't know if I want to. So I'm thinking on it... I hate that I was that girl. The one who built her life around a man. I thought I was smarter than that.
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Susan Mallery |
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411db1d
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him. "This isn't the only item I questioned," he said. "I want to taste the others, too." "Try this first," she said, making no effort to conceal her certainty. "Taste it and weep. I'm going to step back a little so you'll have room to come crawling to me." Yeah, right. She'd served fish and chips. How good could"
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Susan Mallery |
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e2dc1d6
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I'm mostly faking it, but I'm moving forward. That's what we're supposed to do, right? Nothing stays the same.
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Susan Mallery |
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30ba31c
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I believe you have the heart of a lioness. You will protect your children with all you have. But sometimes the right thing to do is nothing. We have to let them grow and make their own mistakes.
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Susan Mallery |
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ef20fa2
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Part of getting better was learning how to let go. It had taken her a while but she'd finally figured out that when she stopped trying to control the world, she had a whole lot less anxiety.
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Susan Mallery |
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8d09e04
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H-how many people?" she asked. "About four hundred." Dear God. The room spun and dipped. The buzzing got worse, as did the pressure on her chest. She was going to die, right here at Amy's school. "I know it's more than you were expecting, but how could we tell people no? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To hear someone of your caliber play live." If the panic didn't ease, they were going to hear her play dead."
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Susan Mallery |
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e07a479
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The cattle are restless from the water," he told them. "Stay alert. Given the choice between losing one of them and losing one of you, I want you to save yourself." "Good to know," Maya muttered from Phoebe's left. "What if it's the choice between me and two steers?" Zane either didn't hear her or ignored her."
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Susan Mallery |
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07506f2
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Did you tell him you love him? My mom says men have trouble with that sometimes because they're emotionally immature.
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Susan Mallery |
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05bc08e
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News flash, horses poop about fifty pounds of manure a day. That's per horse. Of course cows poop about three times that, so we have it easy by comparison.
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Susan Mallery |
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1991ed5
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Six months of therapy three years ago had left her more confused than ever.
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Susan Mallery |
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f0c9dd9
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Needing something or someone meant being vulnerable. It meant the risk of not getting. The pain of not asking was a lot easier to stand than the pain of being refused or rejected.
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Susan Mallery |
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ec6a835
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She'd often thought that was what a good marriage would mean. Sometimes she would take on all the burdens, and sometimes her husband would. Most of the time they would share them.
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Susan Mallery |
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557e035
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air fryer
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Susan Mallery |
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48fefc4
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Forgiveness is a gift given by those with a full heart.
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Susan Mallery |
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02d1bf8
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Phoebe Kitzke?" The man had stopped in front of her. He had a deep, beautiful voice that made her thigh muscles quiver. This close she could see the multiple shades of deep blue that made up his eyes. He didn't smile. On the whole she would say he looked about as far from happy as it was possible to be while still breathing. "I'm Phoebe," she said, afraid she sounded as tentative as she felt. Why hadn't Maya warned her? Saying Zane was good..
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Susan Mallery |
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a0a132d
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He towered over her as much while seated as he had while standing. Phoebe fastened her seat belt, then gave him a quick glance. Her heart did a one and a half somersault with a half twist at the sight of his profile. He looked good enough to be on a coin.
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Susan Mallery |
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ba1811e
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As Zane drove toward the exit, Phoebe searched frantically for a topic of conversation. Nothing brilliant came to mind. She nibbled on her lower lip as she considered risking the truth. When nothing better occurred to her, she decided to dive right into the cowboy-infested water. "So this is really strange, huh?" Zane glanced at her but didn't speak. She cleared her throat. "Me being here. I mean you don't know me from a rock, and I'm going..
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Susan Mallery |
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0d16227
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He must be really smart. That must make you proud. I certainly couldn't design a website and entice people to sign up for a cattle-drive vacation." Zane's ever-so-perfect mouth tightened. "He lied, stole and committed fraud. Pride doesn't much enter into it for me." Phoebe hunched down in her seat. "If you're going to put it like that," she mumbled and turned her attention to the scenery."
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Susan Mallery |
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7bab14e
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So are there lots of cows?" she asked before she could stop herself. "On the ranch, I mean." Zane didn't spare her a glance. "Some." "Like twenty?" He glanced at her then, before turning his attention back to the road. "We run several thousand head of steers. Those are the ones that end up on your barbecue. I have another few hundred head of cows for breeding purposes." "No bulls?" she asked, unable to keep from grinning. He sighed the sigh..
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Susan Mallery |
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f8947a6
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You do realize that bunny butt is just a polite way of saying rabbit ass.
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Susan Mallery |
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5645654
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We run several thousand head of steers. Those are the ones that end up on your barbecue. I have another few hundred head of cows for breeding purposes." "No bulls?" she asked, unable to keep from grinning. He sighed the sigh of the long suffering. "A dozen or so."
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Susan Mallery |
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e9804b1
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So steers are boy cows?" "That's right." "What makes you decide who gets to have a really good life and who gets to be a burger?" "Various factors. I've been working on genetically improving the herd." "So a new bull with favorable characteristics would get to stay a bull." He nodded. "Sounds interesting," she said, because it really was. Who knew that ranchers worried about genetics? "You're probably not going for things like eye color," s..
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Susan Mallery |