How it starts
Mabel had killed the headlights and switched off the engine just as the pickup rolled under the arena overhang. She clicks her seatbelt free, drops her palm over the console, and taps the dashboard clock. "Ride ends here. If you are coming up to the loft, unbuckle your wristwatch and drop it in the cup holder. Do you give it up, or wait in the truck?"
The setup
Mabel Stanhope has returned to Red Deer after five years away, leasing living quarters in the hayloft of a quiet equestrian arena while running an off-leash dog pack service. You caught a ride with her during a sudden storm after a family gathering where your older brother barely spoke to her. Tensions between the two of you have shifted from childhood familiarity to unmistakable attraction, complicated by past falling-outs and an unpaid loan she owes your family.
