“He hesitated, as if wrestling with the desire to cross the space between us and kiss me until I admitted I was just a tiny bit in love with him too. But he didn't. He didn't.”

“But the change was in the tiny fraction of space that Tanner closed between us, when his mouth touched mine and the gentle brush of his lips drew a sigh from me I didn't know I was holding. He smiled against my mouth and then kissed me again.”

“I loved the way he kissed me, as if he had to, as if he'd go crazy if he didn't and had nearly waited too long.”

“I cast myself at him, like a fool, but he didn't see me. And then one day he noticed I was beautiful and he wanted me. He broke me off and took me with him, in his hands, and I didn't care that I was dying until I actually was.”

“Actually I didn't shoot a man in Reno just to watch him die, but he could tell I was extremely cross.”

“I hammered him with my fists. He just stood and took it. He didn't suffer graciously, he looked pissed off to no end. But he let me hit him. And he didn't hit me back.”