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“Oh, you know, middle of the semester marathon.”

“Uh huh.” Eli’s sweet voice echoed through the line. “I came to town the other day, thought I’d stop by and see you, then remembered you were in class and figured I’d avoid that place even longer.”

Azalea chuckled. “You are always welcome to come by for lunch.”

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

“How’s calving?”

Eli groaned. “I regret this job every year during this season. The late nights, the middle of the night checks, the random hours—”

“The calves lost?”

Eli sighed. “Yeah.”

“Lose one recently?”

“Twins, actually.”

“I could hear it in your voice.” Azalea leaned back in her chair and stared out her window to the street. It was dark, the streetlights the only thing lighting up the sky as a storm moved in. “You have to go out tonight?”

“Every night.”

“Be careful with this storm.”

“I will, Ms. Fuller.” Eli’s tone was slightly mocking, but Azalea ignored it.

They had known each other for years, ever since Azalea had taught Eli in school, and they had formed a fast friendship afterward. Azalea had taken Eli under her wing, protected her as best as she could, supported her as she came out to her family years ago, been there through the ups and downs of her dating Bridget. She was glad that Eli had, it seemed, found love finally.

“You didn’t call just to check in on my cows.”

Azalea grinned, brought back to the conversation. “No, I didn’t.”

“What can I do you for?”

Focusing on the papers in front of her, Azalea sighed. “I was hoping you had a room or preferably two open during spring break.”

Eli hissed. “You want me to move mountains?”

Azalea chuckled. “Thought I’d check just to be sure.”

“Give me a minute.”

Listening as the rain started outside, pinging down on the tin roof of her carport, Azalea waited for Eli to do whatever it was she was doing. A few extra minutes wasn’t going to make her night any shorter. Eli groaned and the clicking of a keyboard echoed through the line.

“You’re in luck, Azalea.”

“Oh?”

“I just got an email for a cancellation that week. One room—the Bathsheba suite. All yours if you want it.”

“You named all these rooms, didn’t you?”

“I did.” Eli sounded proud. “What, you don’t like it?”

Azalea snorted out a laugh. “What are the other rooms named?”

“Oh, Pricilla, Rebecca, Leah, and Rachel.”