She had always wanted to be a nurse, even as a little girl. ‘Tiffany, if you’re pregnant, all your hopes of becoming a nurse will be dashed. You k...ow you can’t attend college if you’re pregnant, and if you have a baby, you won’t be able to properly care for it while you’re in school. I wish you’d have thought of that before you and Mark had sex.’ Tiffany sat there, giving me her lukewarm attention, her fingers fidgeting in her lap, a blank stare on her face. I know she was wishing we hadn’t. “Only a hack round the lanes when the weather’s OK; how about yourself?”“Well, I sometimes get my bike out on a fine day.” I quipped, “How many horses are there?” I inquired.Iris laughed, “Only my gelding now, he’s grazing in the meadow: several were stabled here before the war but with the price of hay in the winter...”“Is your husband in the war Iris?” I asked cautiously. There was an uncomfortable silence before she answered. “Ronald was lost at sea over six months ago Margot.” She replied. She needed to trust him.Luca stood there and looked at her. He could tell she was afraid. But she had to trust him. What could he do to convince her? Luca took his hand and ran it against the side of her face. Then he took his finger and ran it across her bottom lip. He was gazing at her. He bent his head down close to hers.“I don’t want to forget about last night.” His voice was soft and low.Kay took in a deep breath. Her body wanted him. She wanted him. She looked at him confused. She thought. The burly cop said, “It isn’t possible. You are a little girl, and people saw this taking down a bear.”“Taking down a bear is hard?” Ellen replied. “You want to get someone to take this cat, or should I let her go?”While they waited on animal control, the darndest thing happened. The big cat turned to Ellen to put a paw on Ellen’s stomach and pushed her to the ground. Ellen didn’t react when this mountain lion began licking Ellen clean like she was one of the lion’s cubs. The cat used her paw.