Gaby Reslin is positive she will never marry. She is also positive that she will never find a companion so perfect as the Collie, Lightning, who she has raised and trained since he was a pup. When, due to the nature of her father's work as a cattle dog breeder, she is forced to sell Lightning to a young rancher, she is more than downhearted. To her surprise, Tobias Branson, the rancher in question, admires her love for the dog and invites her to visit his ranch once every week to continue training him. Gabby knows that Tobias's true interest is in her as a woman and not the continued training of Lightning. All the same, in order to see her dog, she accepts his proposal, warning herself firmly not to become too attached to the handsome young rancher. But, as the months go on and she becomes more and more fond of Tobias, that promise she made to herself becomes nearly impossible to keep. When news of a tragedy in her family overtakes her, she has nowhere to turn for comfort except to Tobias. Will tragedy force Gabby to accept the love she has been pushing away for so long? A Standalone Short Story with no cliffhanger!

Mode of access: World Wide Web