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* * *

Caleb watchedMakayla and Dakota walk out the front door. Griffin clapped him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry big bro. Dakota won't let her run away."

Caleb chuckled but Griffin had no idea how true his words might be. Makayla had looked like she'd been ready to bolt since the moment she'd laid eyes on him. Every morning he'd half expected to wake up and find her gone along with his truck.

As much as he hated to see her leave, she needed to get out of the cabin. She needed to see what Wolf River had to offer.

"So, what are we doing today?" asked Griffin. "Kitchen cabinets?"

Caleb stared at the door for a minute longer. "Yeah. I think Makayla might appreciate not having the food and dishes all over the countertop."

"Great." Griffin clapped his hands together then pulled the instruction booklet off one of the boxes and flipped it open.

It filled Caleb with happiness to see Griffin and Dakota back together. They'd been through a lot, and they deserved all the joy the world had to offer up.

"I'll get my tool belt," said Caleb.

"And get a level," Griffin called. "Or three. We're gonna need 'em."

He wished Makayla had stuck around for just a few minutes. He'd barely spoken to her since she'd arrived, and since it was going to be her house too, he would have liked to get her input on how she wanted the kitchen laid out. A pit grew in his stomach, and his gaze drifted to the front door again. That was, if she didn't take off.

* * *

"You only want one rooster?"asked Mrs. Miller. "I'd give you a good deal on two." The old woman’s face looked like wrinkled leather, and her clothes looked like they'd been rumpled in a ball before she threw them on.

"No thank you," said Dakota. "She's just starting out, and she'll only have two hens. One will be enough for now."

"What about a hen house? Do you need one of those?"

Dakota smiled. "It's okay. Griff and Caleb can make one. We'll be back on Thursday to pick him up. The big one with the silky black feathers."

Mrs. Miller eyed Makayla. "She doesn't even look like she knows how to take care of chickens. I don't want him dying."

"I'm going to teach her myself, Mrs. Miller, don't you worry." Dakota pulled out cash and handed it over.

Mrs. Miller nodded and snatched up the money, shoving it in her bra. "We'll see you Thursday. And make sure to stop by Arnold's place and pick up some proper feed."

"We will." Dakota led Makayla back to the Jeep by her arm. "Bye, Mrs. Miller." Dakota waved. "Sheesh," she said under her breath. "You'd think the woman was selling us her prize-winning poodle for all the fuss."

“She has prize winning poodles?”

“Are you kidding? That woman can’t even wash her own clothes let alone take care of a prize anything.”

Makayla laughed and got into the vehicle. "My mom is the same way with her French Bulldog, Muddles."

Dakota started up the Jeep and backed out of the dirt drive and onto the road. "Okay, so we need to go to Arnold's for some feed and other supplies. And we can stop into the diner for a bite if you're feeling up to it. And then I could introduce you to Doc if you want."

Makayla fought for a good reason why she couldn't go to see the doctor. "Caleb said he was going to make an appointment, and I'm sure he'd want to be there, so…"

Dakota looked over at her. "Of course."

"We're still going to go to the library, right?"

"Yup, we can do that too."

They drove down a road Makayla recognized as the one leading into town. She grabbed her phone from her purse and looked at it. Please let there be a text. Please let them not have forgotten about her.