“Do I hear a challenge?” she whispers, “Oh, Carlos. You know I can’t resist a challenge.”

“Don't challenge resistance. Don't resist challenge”

“You can talk the talk but you can’t walk the walk.”His eyes narrowed in challenge. “Oh, I can walk the walk. I can walk the walk so hard that you’ll be sore for days.”

“You do realize I love a challenge?”

“Understand?”“Sure.”“Good.”“’Cause I always love a challenge.”He’d caught her with that when she was halfway in the cab. With one foot in and the other still braced against the curb, she stared at him. “What challenge?”“You’re challenging me to get you back into my life.”“No, I’m not.”“Your exact words were ‘I challenge you, Bobby Ray Smith, to get me back into your life.’”“I never said that.”“That’s what I heard.” The beauty of wolf hearing. You heard only what you wanted to, made up what was never said but should have been, and the rest meant little or nothing.”

“The road ahead holds many tests challenging everything she ever believed. I whispered a prayer for her inner strength to guide her on her path. She was going to need it.”