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is a wonderful girl. CJ is lucky she’s interested in him.”
    Most of her defensive tension drained away. She hid a triumphant smile. “About time you realized that.”
    â€œMaybe so.” He still looked doubtful.
    â€œBut?”
    â€œI’m just not happy about it. CJ can’t afford the distraction.”
    â€œDistraction? Boys have been falling for girls since the beginning of time. That’s not going to change just because you’re not happy about it.”
    â€œThe last thing CJ needs right now is to get too involved with a girl—any girl.”
    â€œConnor, he likes her. She likes him. You can’t make that go away. In fact, in my experience, which is reasonably extensive given that I work with teenagers for a living, the more the parents try to come between a young couple, the more the attraction grows.” Tori spoke with intensity. With passion, even.
    He was staring at her, frowning.
    Was she becoming a little too emotional over this? Maybe. But she really believed what she was saying and she wanted to get through to the hardheaded man across from her, to get him to understand. She feared if he didn’t, he would only be making things worse for CJ.
    â€œRomeo and Juliet,” she declared vehemently. “ Wuthering Heights, Titanic. Think of all the books and plays and movies about passionate, thwarted young love. It only leads to heartbreak when the grown-ups decide to interfere.”
    He leaned toward her again. “So, Tori.”
    â€œWhat?” she demanded hotly.
    â€œTell me what you really think.”
    She blinked. And then she laughed. He laughed, too. “Okay,” she admitted. “I try to be open-minded, but when I really believe something, I advocate for it, you know?”
    â€œNothing wrong with that.”
    She qualified wryly, “Up to a point, you mean.”
    â€œYeah,” he agreed. He was watching her mouth again.“Up to a point…” The words trailed off. A few seconds of silence elapsed—a silence filled with sparks. Finally, he confessed, “Sometimes I’m at a loss, you know? I have no idea how to get through to my own son.”
    â€œAre you asking for my advice?”
    â€œYeah. I guess I am.”
    â€œOkay, then. Here’s what I think you should do. Take Russ up on his offer to put CJ to work at the Hopping H. And then tell CJ to invite Jerilyn over to your house.”
    â€œOver to the house for what?”
    â€œTo visit, to hang out. You know, play video games or watch a movie. Make your son feel that his new friends are welcome at home. Let him know that you’re on his side. Start changing the equation from you versus him to you supporting him and really taking into account what he wants and needs.”
    â€œSeems to me I already support him.”
    She let her exasperation show. “You mean by buying him every electronic gadget under the sun and then being frustrated because all he does is play video games?”
    â€œWhat?” Rueful humor shone in his eyes. “I should take away his Xbox?”
    â€œI can’t answer that question. You might just widen the rift at this point by denying him something you gave him in the first place.”
    â€œActually, I think that was Jennifer—my ex-wife—who gave him the Xbox.”
    â€œAh. Blaming the ex, huh?”
    He shook his head. “Does nothing get by you?”
    â€œHey, I teach high-school English. Without a sharply honed sense of what’s bull and what’s not, I wouldn’t make it through the first week of a new semester.”
    He gave in. “Okay, okay. I’ll ask CJ to have Jerilynover and I’ll take Russ up on his offer, get CJ working at Melanie’s guest ranch. Anything else?”
    Tori laughed. “I’ll be in touch with further suggestions.”
    Â 
    Entranced. Captivated. Enchanted.
    They were words straight out of some women’s