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There was so familiar about her that Caleb couldn’t place, and he worked his brain to re Caleb a thorough perusal

He felt Lana tense beside hilance That plastic, diht on her face, but her eyes were too wide "This is my friend Caleb

Caleb, meet Kara McIntire and Phil Macy Volunteers"

Phil held out a beefy hand in greeting "New boyfriend, Lana?" He squeezed Caleb’s hand hard, entering one of the older,contests around Caleb sh to rie it

Caleb nodded his head toward the woman but didn’t offer to shake hands, because she didn’t seem inclined to, either "Ma’am Nice to meet you"

"The pleasure is entirely ant attire

"We heard about Stacie," said Phil "How is she?"

"She’l recover, but it’s going to take a while," said Lana

Kara offered a gentle sot a chance to know her, but I could tel ere going to be good friends"

"She’l be back in a couple weeks, I’ about her next time I talk to her," offered Lana

"That would be lovely," said Kara, dis the topic of Stacie with a wave of her hand Her eyes roamed up and down Caleb’s body in a blatant show of adain," she said, then walked away in a lovely swing of hips Phil wasn’t far behind, panting after her

Lana stood there,a little too rapidly as if relieved

Caleb stepped in front of her, blocking her from the rest of the room He bent his knees and tilted up her chin so she couldn’t escape eye contact For abeauty of her blue eyes fringed by dark lashes "Has Phil been bothering you, Lana?"

He saw her face shut down No warer Just the neutral mask of a mannequin "No"

"I can speak with him Make sure he knows to leave you alone I proo within twenty feet of you"

"Don’t you dare He’s harmless and I don’t want your interference"

"I’m not so sure about that, especialy not after what happened to Stacie"

"You don’t have to be sure"

"Promise me that if he bothers you, you’l letto say so different, but what came out was, "Okay I proave a nod, but he wasn’t satisfied at al There was so, but he had no idea what He hated not being able to read her beneath that artificial expression

She walked off to join the kids ere coloring at the table Caleb hung back and watched as she chatted with the up a crayon or irls asked her to draw a puppy, and Lana sht beside irl

The little girl watched Lana’s paper as if waiting for a miracle to appear, but Lana hesitated The pencil in her hand quivered as her hand shook and she closed her eyes in defeat "My hand is tired How about I use yours?"

The girl nodded happily as Lana put the child on her lap and guided the chubby little hand over the paper The puppy they dreas lopsided, but the girl ran off squealing with pride to show it to her big brother, as playing basketbal

Caleb looked back at Lana and saw the pain of loss on her face He remembered those sketches in her apart had happened to her hands to make her unable to draw Her left hand had been broken in Arht had only been a little bruised He knew because he’d spent hours holding her hand, praying that she’d live

Before he realized what he was doing, Caleb had gone to her and wrapped his hands over her sliers, but Caleb knew that was an ilusion Lana Hancock was rip, but she didn’t flinch away

"You look beat Let h, her shoulders rising and faling with the long breath "I should go back to the office, clean up the o for tonight"

"I wish I could, but there’s so damn much to do, and noith Stacie in the hospital--"

"Let it go tonight and I’l lend a hand tomorrow I’m not Stacie, but maybe I can help"

She turned around and leaned back so she could look up at him She had the oddest look on her face--a mix of hope and desperation that made his heart ache with the need to hold her and make her life a happy place "I wish you could, Caleb You have no idea how much"

CHAPTER NINE

Kara’s hand shook with exciteoing to be pleased or angry that Caleb Stone was in town, but both prospects were thriling, each in its oay

"Helo, love," came Marcus’s deep voice from over a thousand miles away