Free Good Guys Love Dogs by Inglath Cooper Page A

“Yeah,
but I should have warned
    you.
    â€œI'm a little bit
like Smidge. I might have to bumble my
    way through a few mishaps before I
get the hang of country
    life.
    â€œThat could have
happened to anyone.
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    â€œRight, he said,
looking skeptical. “Thanks for trying
    to save my pride, but I already left
it in tatters back there in
    the barnyard.
    Colby smiled. “You've
been a good sport tonight.
    â€œYou're the one
who did al the work, he said as they
    headed down the driveway. “That
was pretty amazing in
    there. Are twins uncommon?
    â€œNot real y. With
the hormones they're giving the cows
    these days, the odds are increased.
Unfortunately, the little
    girl will probably be sterile. She
won't be of much use to
    Harry.
    Ian frowned. “Meaning?
    â€œHe'l sell her to
the stockyard.
    â€œOh. That's too
bad, he said, sounding more than a
    little bothered by the thought.
    â€œThat's one part
of my job I don't think I'll ever get
    used to. Farming is a business. Feed
costs money.
    He stayed quiet for a moment and
then said, “You
    were great in there.
    The offhand compliment pleased her.
“Thanks. So,
    you'd never seen anything like that?
    He shot her a sideways smile.
“City born and bred. We
    don't have too many cows in
Manhattan.
    â€œHow did you end
up in Keeling Creek?
    â€œI had a realtor
looking in this part of the state.
    â€œIt's a long way
from New York. In more ways than
    one.
    â€œI think I pretty
much found that out tonight.
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    INGLATH COOPER
    Colby turned her gaze back to the
road. It had been a
    strange night, yet she felt more
relaxed than she had in ages.
    She couldn't remember the last time
she laughed so much.
    Even if it had been at Ian's
expense, she had the impression
    he real y hadn't minded. Although
she wouldn't admit it to
    Phoebe in a mil ion years, she
actual y enjoyed his
    company.
    Ian swung the vehicle into her
driveway, braking to a
    stop just short of the light from
the porch. Colby reached
    into the back seat for her bag, then
said, “Wel , thank you
    for the ride. And for waiting around
for me. I'm real y
    sorry about the mud.
    â€œNo problem. I
actual y learned a few things tonight. If
    you need any help getting your
truck—
    â€œOh, no. Thanks.
I'l get a tow truck out there
    tomorrow. You've already gone way
beyond the cal of duty
    for someone duped by the local
matchmakers.
    Ian smiled, and Colby noticed that
he had a memorable
    one. The kind that reaches the eyes
and transforms them.
    They studied each other for a second
too long, saying
    nothing in a moment of unexpected
awareness. Colby
    looked away first, climbing out of
the car and ducking back
    to say, “Well,
thanks again. Good night.
    â€œGood night, he
said, then waved and drove away.
    Colby watched his tail ights
disappear down the street,
    surprised to find herself sorry that
the evening had ended.
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    13
    an had been on the phone with Curtis
Morgan for a
    Iful two hours on Saturday morning
when the other
    man finally said, “Wel
, that should bring you up to date
    on the past few days, anyway.
    â€œThanks, Curtis.
Sounds like things are pretty crazy
    around there.
    â€œAre they ever
any other way? Curtis asked, a smile in
    his voice. “I
stil can't believe you walked away from al this.
    Aren't you missing this place?
    â€œIt's only til
the end of the school year, Ian said,
    strangely unable to say that he
missed it. So far, he didn't at
    al . But then he'd been overdue for
a vacation. He'd be
    missing it before long.
    â€œA year must seem
like forever in a place like that. Not
    a whole lot going on, I'l bet. Not
when you're used to the
    life you led here.
    â€œIt's different,
that's for sure.
    â€œYou deserve a
father-of-the-year award for what
    you're doing.
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    INGLATH COOPER
    Ian disagreed with his friend.
Judging from his success
    with Luke so far, that was the last
thing