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We’d hit it off for real when we’d met.

We’d seen each other several times over the four years that we’d known each other. Most of those times it was me coming to see her because she didn’t like to travel. And I certainly couldn’t bring her to Sawtooth or even Bear Pass where everyone and their brother hated me.

Not only was that embarrassing, but Opie was one of my only friends.

I didn’t want her to be infected by their lies.

True, I should’ve had more trust in my friend, but that fear never really went away.

Ophelia picked up on the second ring. “Are you okay?”

My lips twitched. “I’m fine.” Mostly. “I wanted to give you an update on my life…”

I told her everything.

I ended with my idea.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I might have the emergency infrastructure, but I don’t like people all that much.”

My lips twitched. “You? Never.”

Honestly, we were two peas in a pod.

We didn’t leave our houses much. We didn’t have any close friends—other than each other. We didn’t get butt hurt that we didn’t keep in contact with one another. And we could pick up where we left off like the months of no talking hadn’t happened.

“So you’re banging the sheriff?” Opie sounded amused. “You always told me he looked at you like you were trouble.”

I snickered. “He still does.”

She sighed. “So in a week or so’s time, you’ve slept with your sheriff—your ultimate dream man. You’ve met a new friend that has a psychopathic child. Which, I might add, I’m very proud of you for talking to her. You could’ve ignored her.” She snickered. “You’ve stolen a horse. Your brother’s aged out of Camp Grizzly and moved to your least favorite town of the three in your area. You’ve created a new town which you wanted nothing to do with, but would’ve actually showed everyone that you were a decent human being. And then this morning, you’ve decided to find a solution for a man that you barely know that took in your brother.”

“He kept him away from me for four years,” I said. “These past four years have been the best of my life.”

“How do you know it was him?” Opie asked.

“I know it was,” I said. “Not even Black would’ve done that for me. I don’t know why Milo did it. But I’ll forever be grateful to him.”

“Maybe your brother is resentful that Milo kept him away from you and was the reason behind your Camp Grizzly burning to the ground.”

I had a feeling that was possible.

It truly wouldn’t surprise me if it was.

Which I’d share with Black when I saw him again.

“Tell me everything you know about Milo.”

So I did.

Inevitably, it wasn’t very much.

But, it was enough to get her started.

“I’ll look into him and get back to you in an hour.”

After we hung up, I got a couple of hours of work in.

When I was halfway through the first level of my latest beta testing, I got a message from maybe-Black’s-daughter.