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As Geoff outlined the recent dramatic events, he heard Barry quietly groan.

“I know what you’re going to say,” Geoff grunted. “You think it’s time to leave here, but I’m not going without Annie.”

“Geoff, please listen to me. You can’t take this any further. You’re obsessing. You need to get back here before you find yourself doing something you know you’ll regret. Let it go. Walk away. You can do it.”

“But--“

“You absolutely cannot put yourself in another Patty Henderson situation,” Barry exclaimed. “Do you hear what I’m saying?”

“Fuck! Why did you have to bring that up?”

“Because you needed to hear it!” Barry barked, then lowering his voice he added, “Annie just needs a break. Give it to her. She’ll come back to you. She will. She’ll miss performing and recording and she’ll—”

“It’s too hard,” Geoff muttered. “I’m not letting her stay here with that cowboy hick. She’s mine. She belongs to me. I made her. I created her. How can you ask me to walk the fuck away?”

“You must, and when you get back I’ll take care of you. We’ll visit Dr. Weissman together. He can help you.”

“Fucking Weissman. He’s just a pill-pushing quack,” Geoff growled. “I know where Annie is. All I have to do get her alone. Once I talk to her she’ll understand. She knows we belong together. She does. Her head’s just all twisted around because of that fucking cowboy.”

“Where are you?”

“Huh?”

“Where are you?”

“I’m at a place overlooking a lake, why?”

“If you won’t leave, I’ll fly there right now and help you deal with this.”

“NO! Just tell me how to get her out of here! I need a plan.”

“Geoff, you can’t win this one.”

“The hell I can’t! Watch me!” Geoff yelled, and abruptly ending the call, he turned off his phone and marched back to his car.

* * *

The moment Annie stepped outside, she stopped and stared past the paddocks. Smoky Hill was living up to its name. The air was still, and a thick mist shrouded the forest on the gentle slope.

“I’d forgotten how beautiful this is. It looks like an oil painting.”

“Yeah, it’s breathtakin’,” Brody said softly, moving his arm around her shoulders. “Like it can’t be real. Look, even Bella’s watchin’,” he added, glancing down at the happy dog fixated on the sight.

“It’s magical. I have to go there.”

“I wish I could join you. I have to clean the stalls and get the horses out, but you go ahead if you want.”

“I should help you.”

“No need. I do this every mornin’, it’s no big deal, and there’s some other stuff I have to finish up. Just don’t venture too far in. After lunch we can take that trail ride.”

“Really?”

“Sure.”

“That would great. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” he said as they started walking. “It’s the other way around.”