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“Natalie?” Vaughn felt heat creep up her neck to her cheeks. She didn’t like the idea and she was trying to figure out why when Natalie strolled up.

“Hi.” She smiled from the entrance of the stall with her hands on the back of her hips.

“Well, hello,” Kim said, walking up to her shake her hand. “Natalie, right?”

“Right.” Natalie took her hand.

“I’m Kim.” She gave her a thousand-watt smile.

“Oh, you must be the farrier,” Natalie said.

“That’s me.”

Natalie looked past her to Holly. “How is she? Is she okay?” She stepped inside the stall and looked at her soaking foot. She carefully stroked her neck.

“She’s got a bit of an infection, but it should clear right up.” Kim watched her closely. “You like horses?”

“Oh, I love them. I just hope they like me in return.”

“Well, what’s not to love? I mean, you look pretty good to me.”

Vaughn stood, having heard enough. She didn’t want Kim hitting on Natalie. She told herself it was because Natalie was dealing with enough already with her ex-husband, but she knew deep down that it was more than that. She just chose not to search, at that moment, deep enough to find out exactly what it was.

“Natalie, will you go see if Gram’s ready for that one o’clock interview?”

“Sure.” She told Kim it was nice to meet her and she walked out of the stall. Kim watched her go and turned to Vaughn.

“Hey, what gives? She’s really cute. Even more beautiful up close.”

“Like I said, you’re not her type.”

“Well, how do you know that?”

“Because I do.” Vaughn walked to the entrance of the stall, unwilling to discuss the matter further. “You can bill me for the visit like you usually do.”

“Okay, Vaughn.” She tilted her head as she stroked Holly down. “I didn’t step on your toes, did I? With Natalie? Because if I did, I’m sorry I—”

“Don’t worry about it,” Vaughn said. “It’s all good.” She left the stall and headed for the house.

* * *

Vaughn walked into the house and saw Natalie standing at the kitchen sink with Gram, cleaning up after their eleven thirty lunch.

“She’s not quite ready for the interview,” Natalie explained. “So, I thought I’d help her finish up the cleaning.”

“Why’d you tell her to come check on me?” Gram asked. “You know I’ll be ready. All we have to do is log on to that contraption.”

“Just wanted to be sure.”

But Gram studied her and Vaughn could almost see the cogs of her mind turning. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with that Babcock girl out in the stables, now would it?”

Natalie’s face crinkled with question. “Kim? Why would it have anything to do with her?”

Gram smiled. “Yes, Vaughn do tell. Why would it have anything to do with Kim?”

Vaughn opened the fridge and grabbed a can of root beer. She cracked it open and slouched onto a kitchen chair and slurped. “It doesn’t.”

“No?” Gram said, pulling up the drain and turning to dry her hands on her apron.