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look.”
    Cassidy liked everything she’d seen of the Wild Rose. Plus, Dave Cousins didn’t seem like the kind of boss who’d sexually harass anyone. More likely the female staff came on to him.
    Would he date an employee? She sure hoped that wasn’t against his rules, because the more she got to know him, the more potential she saw for the two of them having a lot of fun.

Chapter Three
    Late Friday afternoon, Robin burst through the door of Dave’s office, beaming. “School’s over! It’s summer!”
    His slim, vibrant daughter was dressed in jeans and boots, her chestnut hair pony-tailed under a straw Resistol hat. As usual, she’d ridden her mare the eight miles from Jessie and Evan’s, stabling the horse a few blocks away at the same place where Dave kept his gelding.
    Merlin, who’d been sleeping on the rug, bounced to his feet and rushed to greet her. She hugged and patted the more than fifty pounds of happily squirming black poodle. Last Christmas Dave had picked the young rescue animal as a gift for Robin, who’d been begging for them to have a dog at the Wild Rose. The pair had bonded immediately.
    Dave had to admit that Robin had been right. The dog was a good companion for him when his daughter wasn’t around. The poodle was smart and sweet-tempered, loved the outdoors, and didn’t require much exercise other than a long walk or run every day. His short-clipped curly coat didn’t shed and he didn’t provoke allergies, important qualities for a hotel dog.
    â€œHey, how about me?” Dave said in a mock-grumbly voice. “Don’t I get a hug too?” He was so happy to have his daughter back with him. He and Jessie each took her three or four nights a week and were flexible about adjusting to each other’s—and of course Robin’s—needs.
    The girl laughed, rose, and came to throw her arms around him. “Hi, Dad.”
    He hugged her back. “Happy summer, sweetheart.”
    â€œIt’s going to be a great one!”
    I just hope it’s a safe one . His daughter lived life to the fullest. He appreciated her exuberance, but her tomboy ways often made him fear for her safety. If he lost Robin—
    No, he wouldn’t even think it.
    â€œMom’s going to pay me to work at Boots!”
    â€œI know. We discussed it.”
    His daughter had been riding and caring for horses since she was tiny. In Jessie’s family, with their ranching background, it was tradition for children to pull their weight in terms of doing chores. Robin loved it, especially when, as at Jessie’s Riders Boot Camp, it involved horses. Maybe paying her wasn’t strictly kosher in terms of child labor laws, but there’d be no stopping her from helping out, her work did have value, and she deserved to be rewarded for it.
    She was pretty amazing, his Robin.
    A glance at the clock on the wall had him asking his daughter, “Is Kimiko still coming for dinner and a sleepover?”
    â€œUh-huh. She should be here soon.” Robin flopped into a chair and Merlin sat, resting his chin on her knees as she stroked his head. “Can we make pizza? And watch movies and have popcorn?”
    â€œSure.” The pizza would be Hawaiian. Not his favorite, but the girls loved it. There’d be a horsy movie for Robin and a girly one for Kimiko. Then the kids and Merlin would retire to Robin’s bedroom and the suite would echo with giggles and squeals until they finally fell asleep.
    Dave would treasure every minute, though the life he offered Robin couldn’t really compare with what her mom had going on. Not only was there Boots, but last Christmas, when Dave had given his daughter a dog, her mom had given her a baby brother. Not to mention, Jessie was now married to Evan.
    Evan. Robin’s biological father. A fact that no one knew except Dave, Evan, and of course Jessie.
    Evan was a good guy and a terrific