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FOUR
     
    The first wispy flakes fell as Sam fired up the ranch truck. The thing always took forever to warm the engine enough to move so she headed back to the house to get her gear. Staying warm and dry would be the biggest challenge. Hopefully the new guy had his own stuff, because none of the hands were big enough for him to borrow from.
    The slightest thought brought his image to mind, sharp and clear, as if she'd known him forever. Those eyes… silver gray tones that swirled as if in constant motion. Sam was willing to bet the man could convince anyone to do anything just with those eyes. But if, by some chance, that wasn't enough, his mouth would do the rest. Beautifully sculpted, mobile, sensual. Perfect. She'd never met him before but something about him seemed so right, so… safe.
    The damn kitchen door nearly flattened her nose before she saw it, so engrossed in recalling every detail of the man's features. A flush of annoyance spread over her cheeks as she stepped into the kitchen. There stood the man himself, gently flirting with Kassie. Sam couldn't be genuinely aggravated with him, though, since the bright orange duffel bag she'd sent him after sat by the door and he waited as she'd instructed.
    But watching the woman who had practically raised her blush and fluster like a teenager gave Sam an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. Especially when the reason for the behavior looked like that one. The man literally oozed sex from every pore and seemed entirely unaware of the fact. Whether he actually had no idea how his looks affected others, or he was just really good at faking it remained to be seen.
    Either way, it was good to see Kassie smiling and aware of her femininity again. It was the first time in the four years since Ben's death that Sam had seen her blush from male flattery even though she'd had no shortage of attention from men in the past year. It looked like she might be ready to start considering life again, and if so, Sam owed Toren a debt of gratitude.
    "Toren? Or was there something else you'd rather I call you?" She felt like a fool asking, but he hadn't given any other name, and she didn't have time to check references and fill out tax withholding forms.
    He turned to give her his full attention, those silvery eyes doing insane things to her insides. The corner of his mouth lifted in a little almost-smile. "You can call me Toren, or nearly anything else."
    Having that gentle flattery pointed in her direction left Sam uncomfortable. Men simply did not flirt with her, not even in a friendly teasing way. She needed to shut him down fast and let him know she wouldn't fall for that kind of bullshit. "Well, Toren, why don't you grab your gear and we'll head out. We'll be setting up hay and checking stock locations , so we'll be gone a while." She turned to Kassie with a little hidden wink. "Kassie, if you don't mind, maybe you could pack a couple of your experiments for us to take along, just in case we're out late?"
    "Of course. Cocoa along with the coffee?" Kassie patted Toren's shoulder. "You get on out of here so I can get you a mess of my special supper pastries to take with."
    Sam paused to check the contents of the orange bag. It was her daddy's one concession to her demands for safety and preparedness. The bag held an extensive first aid kit, emergency shelter and blankets, a handgun and ammo, freeze-dried food and other wilderness survival gear. A person could manage fairly well with the contents of that bag for several days – more if they had water and fuel. And with a storm that size headed their way, she wasn’t fool enough to forget it.
    She checked that her gloves were securely in her pocket and her scarf waited around her neck, then stooped to sling the orange duffel over her shoulders. Turning to push the door open with her backside, she froze.
    Toren stood staring at her, lower lip caught between his teeth as if he wanted to say something. He seemed entirely at a loss for how