Chapter Four

      Fiona had just finished turning out Soldier Boy when she heard a vehicle barreling into the yard. She crossed the central stable corridor and craned her neck to see Matt Guiliani wheeling to a stop in the yard. Dex Hanifen came roaring in after him, and braked so hard that the rear tires of the oversize vehicle spun out just as Guiliani stepped down from the Bronco.

      She felt herself stiffening with anxiety, half ridden with guilt for what she was about to do.

      Dex got out snarling, rushing at Guiliani and stabbing a finger at him in the air. “You pull that kinda stunt again and I will personally—”

      “Settle down,” Matt ordered peremptorily. “I want to talk to Fiona.”

      “Oh, you know Fiona now, too,” Dex challenged, his voice notching up.

      “Matter of fact, I do.”

      “I don’t think so. See, I know the people that folks around here associate with, and you are not one of them. And you are no more in charge around here than the little man on the moon.”

      She’d never seen Dex taking any crap off anyone, and though he clearly had no intention of taking it now, he’d already been knocked off his pins, reacting in knee-jerk fashion rather than taking control of what went on.

      She shoved hard and the stable door glided smoothly open. She was wearing jeans split at the knee, an ancient mauve mohair sweater with a fairly grubby down jacket over it, but from the way Guiliani’s eyes lit up, she might have been wearing a ball gown. As if it had been a too long a time since he’d seen her. Had her.