Page 32 of Rafe

“Okay. You?”

“Fine. Are you racing this year?” Sam grinned.

“I haven’t decided yet.” Rafe smiled.

“Well, if you do, my money’s on you.” Sam stood. “I need to get back to the office. I’ll talk to you soon. Maggie,” Sam said ashe touched the brim of his hat, then walked toward the register and paid his bill.

Rafe looked at Maggie. “Hi,” he said.

“Hi, yourself. I’m glad you could meet me.”

“Sweetheart, I’ll meet you any time I can.” Rafe grinned, then told her about Fred. He laughed at the look on her face.

“How?”

He shook his head. “I have no idea. He just said, ‘you think I don’t know what goes on around my ranch’ and walked out. Oh, and he’s going on a date.”

“What? With who?”

“A woman he met at church a few weeks back. He said he just got the nerve up to ask her out.”

“I would love for him to find someone.” She touched Rafe’s hand. “Like I did.”

“And like I did.” He winked at her.

“I hope you race. I loved watching you win last year.”

“Nate talked me into it.” Rafe took her hand. “Maggie, we still need to talk.”

“I know, and I promise we will. I just have to get the courage up to tell you everything.”

“Alright, but we said no secrets.”

“I know. I will, soon.”

Once Connie took their orders, they ate and talked. Making plans for the weekend. When they were done, Rafe walked her to the shop, then headed back to the diner parking lot and headed back to the ranch.

The following Saturday, as Rafe labored in the barn, he wiped sweat from his brow, then stripped off his damp T-shirt and hung it on a peg that jutted from the weathered wooden wall. It was chilly out, but the barn was hot. He moved along the aisle, swinging open the first stall gate and stepping inside to shovel the old, musty straw into a waiting wheelbarrow. He had to worktoday since one of the guys had a death in the family. Rafe knew Luke and Bryce McCallister were visiting Fred, but he continued working, rhythmically shifting the straw.

“Rafe?” came an unexpected voice.

Rafe turned, his brow furrowing slightly, to find Luke standing there, framed by the barn’s wide entrance, bathed in the afternoon light.

“Hey, Luke. What’s up?” Rafe asked, pulling off his work gloves and extending a hand to greet Luke with a firm handshake.

Luke nodded. “I’m afraid I have some bad news,” he replied, his expression grave. “I wanted to let you know. Frederick is out of prison.”

“What? How?” Rafe’s voice was laden with disbelief.

“Good behavior, if you can believe that, plus the fact the prison is overcrowded,” Luke explained, the disbelief mirrored in his eyes.

“Son of a bitch,” Rafe muttered under his breath, tension coiling in his muscles. “You know he’s going to come after Maggie.”

“My thoughts exactly. Fred’s not happy either,” Luke agreed, concern etched into his features.

“Does Maggie know?” Rafe inquired.

“Not yet. I stopped by her job, but Vanna said she took the day off and there was no answer at her apartment. I didn’t want to tell her over the phone,” Luke replied, shaking his head.

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