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Maia sat with us We munched on bread and cheese I opened the wine Jem let his bowl of ice cream dots melt

"This isn’t like you, Tres," Maia said "A picnic? Alreed

I thought that ht coax a smile from him, but his expression stayed serious, his attention funneled toward the Game Boy like he wanted to pour hiuess I’l put these ice creas in the freezer, Jeht now"

"I don’t"

Maia arched her eyebrow atsnack-of-the-future into the kitchen

Jea The best moment proved elusive

"Jem," I said at last "You remember the manat the soccer field?"

He pushed a few ry at your , but he thinks she stole some of his money Your mother is worried When people are ht hurt people without thinking She didn’t want you to get hurt"

"I know," Jeht now"

Black bangs fel in his eyes "She’s at his house?"

"I’e He wantshim money, to o"

"We don’t have any oing to see the ht I’l make sure yourbad I just wanted you to know--yourwith Maia More than anything, your s in tighter He cradled the Gaht’s red," he murmured "I wish I had more batteries"

I tried to finish ar "I’l clean up this stuff," I said "Be right back, cha out at the wooded canyon of Barton Creek On her breakfast table was a spread of paperwork--her court cases, I assumed Then I looked closer and saw they were news printouts about Wil Stirman and the Floresvil e Five

She turned toward me, held out her arms

The wine tasted a whole lot better on her lips

I said, "Missed you"

"Stay the night"

"I can’t"

I told her why

Maia’s face got that battle-hardened look that always er

"Stirman asked for Jem?"

"Yeah"

My tone of voice must’ve unsettled her She said, "You’re not seriously considering--"

"No Jem’s safer here" I tried to sound definite about it, but so that had been there since lunchtihter

"I don’t think Stir to Austin If he did, he sure as hel wouldn’t bargain for you"

Maia stared out the"Je about soccer He wants life to be normal by the weekend I can’t blaether in San Marcos, orto Austin by this weekend

I wondered how it had been for Maia, putting Je care of a child I found it hard to i bedtime stories

"You okay?" I asked

"Just nerves" She waved toward the news clippings on the table "This hbor when he came to borrow coffee This is the first ti, if Stirazed at the ridge across the val ey

The vieas strikingly similar to the one from her old Potrero Hil apartreen, hil s on the opposite riht, the aquifer recharge zone beloould be cohway strung red and gold across the void A San Franciscan could easily i across an expanse of water at the Bay Bridge and the East Bay beyond

The interior of Maia’s new aparts, white wal s, pristine tile work, ht scent of jas environment in Texas with such eerie precision it belied the risk she’d taken co here--the career and reputation she’d left behind, the savings she’d burned, the chance she was taking on a guy who’d let her down before

If asked, she would say the ht for her to reinvent herself

She hadn’t moved just to be closer tolike her old

Maia shed her white jacket, folded it over the kitchen stool