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she didn’t drop the plate.
    â€œOh, they’re so cute. Can we play with them?”
    Scott chuckled. “I thought you didn’t want to come along. You thought this would be boring.”
    She showed a grin of slightly crooked teeth. “That was before I knew we were gonna see sweet little babies.”
    Victory! He’d finally found something she liked.
    â€œCome on. Let’s see if anyone’s here. Maybe you can play with the lambs.” He inclined his head toward the barn.
    The wide double doors stood open, the bright sunlight filtering inside. As Scott stepped into the shadows, he caught the pungent aroma of straw and animals. Dust motes floated in the air. Stalls lined one wall of the barnwith a small tractor, shovels and other tools hanging neatly on hooks along the other wall. He heard voices coming from the opposite end of the barn.
    â€œYou think she’s too tender to ride?”
    â€œNah, she’ll be all right. Won’t you, girl?”
    Scott followed the voices, hearing several muted clapping sounds, as if someone were patting a horse.
    Conscious of Shelley hovering at his heels, he peered into a stall at the far end of the barn. An older man wearing a beat-up Stetson and a white, scruffy beard stood bent over a mare’s right front leg. The man held the animal’s hoof between his knees. Wearing baggy, faded blue jeans and old cowboy boots, he used a metal pick to clean dirt away from the sole of the horse’s hoof. He grunted as he fought to reach over his own rotund belly.
    Melanie stood leaning against the stall, one booted foot raised and braced against the wooden wall behind her. Her forehead crinkled and her delicate jaw tensed as she watched the farrier work. Strands of auburn hair came free of her long braid, resting against her flushed cheeks. Even wearing blue jeans, she looked too feminine for such work, but Scott knew better. Life couldn’t be easy with her husband gone, but this woman had spunk and was sure of what she was doing. Scott couldn’t help admiring her.
    â€œSee here?” The farrier pointed at the hoof and Melanie lowered her foot as she leaned forward to see. “I’ll rasp the outside of the heel, but not the inside toe, which is much lower. I think once we get the heels lined up with the back of the frog, she’ll be in good shape for riding.”
    Scott took a step and Melanie turned, her green eyes widening. His senses went into overdrive the moment she looked at him. Since when had he had such a reaction to a woman? Even Allison never made him feel warm andgushy inside. He rubbed one hand over his face, regaining his composure.
    Her gaze lowered to his drab olive Forest Service shirt and the badge he wore on the flap of his left front shirt pocket. Her lips pursed together in annoyance. Casting a quick glance over her shoulder at the farrier, she pushed a curl of hair back behind her ear. “Mr. Ennison. This is a surprise.” She gestured nervously toward the bearded man. “Have you met Pete Longley? He’s a local rancher and the best farrier around Snyderville.”
    â€œI’ve heard your name. Glad to meet you.” Scott extended his right hand.
    Pete let go of the animal’s hoof and stood straight before clasping Scott’s hand. “Howdy.”
    Melanie fidgeted with a bridle hanging on a hook by the stall gate. “Umm, Mr. Ennison’s the new ranger in town.”
    â€œThat so?” Pete let go of Scott’s hand a bit too abruptly and narrowed his gray eyes. He studied Scott for several moments before he turned and spat into the dirt. And just like that, Pete dismissed him.
    The shaggy man didn’t say another word as he went back to his work on the horse, but his actions spoke volumes. Scott knew the drill and had become inured to this attitude. Pete didn’t respect him simply because he was the forest ranger. He’d find another opportunity to chat