Ten Years to Win Her, Two Weeks to Leave Her novel · Chapter 4 of 24

Chapter 4: Spare Cabin

The Northwestern Branch sat on a plateau of sagebrush and basalt, two hours from the nearest town.

The wind reached the truck before the gate did.

A woman in a canvas coat with the sleeves rolled stood waiting by the gate with her hands in her pockets.

Joan Tolbert had run the night shift at the Tucson Institute for twenty years.

Nolan had not seen her since the day she left it for the high desert.

She came around the truck and looked at him first.

"You look like you haven't slept since I left," she said.

"I haven't."

"Good, you'll fit right in. We eat at six."

Then she turned to Lydia, and her eyes stayed on Lydia a moment longer than they needed to.

"Dr. Wexford," Joan said.

"Joan."

"Your father called me at seven this morning."

"I'm sure he did."

"I told him the Branch doesn't take calls from Tucson before breakfast." Joan held out a hand. "Welcome. Get your bags. You're in Cabin Nine, because it's the only one with a bed in it."

Cabin Nine had one bed, one couch, one window and a woodstove.

It smelled of cedar and old coffee.

Lydia hung the garment bag on the closet door, and the wedding dress hung there in its white plastic, taking up most of the wall.

Both of them looked at it.

"I'll move it," she said.

"Leave it."

She turned, and he kept his voice level.

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