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Excerpt (ARC – Currently in Editing)
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nReturning to the farm, Melanie slid out of the saddle and led her lathered horse into the barn. Julie met her there as she exchanged bridle for halter and hooked the cross ties to the halter.
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n“Did you get him?” the teenager asked, tears in her big, brown eyes.
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n“Yeah, I got him,” Melanie replied as she unfastened the cinch, let the girth hang free, and pulled the saddle and sweat-soaked pad from the mare’s back. She hefted the saddle onto its designated stand. She flipped the wet saddle over and draped it across the saddle to dry. The warm, slightly sour scent of horse sweat wafted upward. She inhaled deeply, the fragrance calming her nerves.
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nShe grabbed a lead and snapped it to the halter under the horse’s chin. Unfastening the cross ties, she led Fizz to the wash rack and picked up the hose.
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n“Who’s that?” Julia asked, pointing at the tall man silhouetted by the afternoon sun.
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nMelanie looked up at him and then back at her sister. She clamped a hand over her sister’s shoulder and in a low whisper said, “Get to the house. Now. Tell Daddy another one of those bikers from the rally is here.”
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nJulie blinked and looked at her, fear widening her eyes.
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n“Don’t run, Julie. Walk.”
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n“If he touches you, I’ll run.”
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nMelanie gave her a small smile and said, “You do that. Get. I’ll talk to the guy about Buster.”
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nJulie nodded and walked toward the old farmhouse. The biker turned his head to watch her, but made no move to go after her. Melanie turned on the water and directed the cold stream toward the mare’s front hooves. She looked over the horse’s back and called out, “What do you want?”
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