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“So you are.”

He looked into the room, which was cheery and brightly painted, and the dishes on the table were mismatched, orange and teal and cockatiel-yellow.

They had coffee mugs that had probably originally been intended for tea. Bright pink and green, ornately shaped.

They were an explosion of color, the Sullivans were.

They were gloriously put back together, he could see. Trying their very best to take control of this life they had been left by their parents.

He didn’t know the details.

He just knew that they weren’t here anymore.

And he knew what it was like to try and piece something back together when an essential ingredient was gone.

They had done it cheerfully, so there was that.

“Come have some pancakes,” said the youngest-looking of the group.

“Uh... I don’t know about that.”

“Come on,” said Fia. “If you’re going to kidnap our sister for the day, we might as well get to break bread with you.”

“I’m Quinn,” said the smallest one.

“Gideon. Gideon Payne.”

“Oh, we know who you are,” said the other one, who had to be Alaina, he figured, by process of elimination.

Alaina and Quinn had rings on their left hands; Quinn’s was just an engagement ring, while Alaina had a wedding band as well.

Rory was looking muted, and a bit stubborn.

“So, you and Rory went out last night,” said Fia.

“No,” said Rory. “Not like that. We went out as friends. Because I am trying to leave Pyrite Falls a little bit better than I have been living in it these past few years. I’m trying to make a splash.”

He nodded. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing with his face.

He looked over at Rory. She mouthed,Snowy plover.

He smiled.

The other three women blinked. He had a feeling his smile wasn’t overly successful. Damn. For a second there, he’d thought he’d actually managed.

“So you’re moving back,” said Fia, trying to transition things, clearly.

“Yes. And I am taking over my family ranch. Though doing something a bit different with it.”

“Always good to know that we don’t have more competition coming into town,” said Alaina cheerfully.

“I’m not sure that anybody is a real competitive force against Four Corners.”

“Levi is,” said Quinn, smiling. “He is my fiancé.”

“And he’s...a rancher?”

“Beef. But it’swagyu. Very specialized.”