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Page 123

| But the memory of her betrayal by one man kept her from going after Ashton and accepting fate as it was handed to her. |

| She sat down on the ground and yanked on her boots, then dispiritedly moved through the tangled brush back to the camp. At least that dratted itching had stopped. Looking guardedly around her, she was almost afraid to see if any of the men would look knowingly up at her, knowing, somehow, that she had just lost her virginity. |

| But to her relief, all of the men were hard at work rolling up blankets and securing their bedrolls on their horses. Some were already in their saddles, ready to ride onward. |

| Hoping to make it up to Ashton, knowing that was best since their futures were linked by agreements and commitments, Sasha walked meekly over to him as he tied his bedroll behind his saddle. "Did you give Lightning a bath?" she asked softly, seeing the pup licking her wet fur. |

| "What does it look like?" Ashton said. His expression was sad and brooding, and there was a searing hurt in his eyes as he glanced at her. "She's wet isn't she? I would think means she's had a bath." He walked past Sasha and bent to grab up another bedroll. He came back to her and thrust it forcefully into her arms. "Here's your bedroll." He turned his back to her to bend and pet Lightning. "And, no, I didn't bathe her. She had enough sense to jump into the river herself.'' |

| "Oh, I see," Sasha said, taking her bedroll and securing it at the back of her horse. She grabbed her hat from the ground and plopped it on her head, then went back to Ashton. "When are we going to be |

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