Six
Beth tipped her face to the hot September sun and closed her eyes. Sweat trickled down her back. Labor Day in Devyn was either cold and rainy, like last year, or clear and unseasonably sweltering. There was no in between. Sitting in the grandstands of the fairgrounds with only her straw cowboy hat for shade, she fanned herself with the rodeo program, but it did little to stir the stagnant air. Her family and Nick’s and several others from Northstar sat with her, waiting for the next event to begin—team roping; one of their own was competing. The atmosphere around them was lively, and though she didn’t join in many of the conversations, she was thoroughly enjoying herself.
After two days at home in Northstar with her family, she’d managed to push the r**e to the back of her mind, and
