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It caht be interested in having the things that once belonged to his father Jeff’s childhood treasures are his now and don’t belong to a grieving mother Take them, and treasure them, but most of all, re it upside down and exaether"

Jody could barely speak for the tears in her throat "Your father won that when he elve," she said, holding onto the statue with both hands "For soccer"

"My dad played soccer?"

Jody nodded

"I didn’t know that"

Jeff onderfully athletic, the same way Tih school and college

"Wow," Timmy said, "look at this It’s really old"

"It’s your dad’s report card frorade"

"He was smart, wasn’t he?"

"Very smart"

"You were too, weren’t you, Mo one box and then the next "This stuff is really neat I can keep it, can’t I, forever and ever?"

"Of course"

"I’ back on his legs and releasing a slow, uneven sigh "You know, Moet me another dad Not when I already have one It was just that until noas a face in a picture you keep by the fireplace But he was really a neat guy, wasn’t he?"

"Yes, sweetheart," she agreed, "he was sorew serious "Then it’d be wrong to look for another dad"

Chapter 8

Monica was in a tizzy Chet had seen her standing outside of the Blue Goose, and knew she’d sought hiht was that she should ada That, however, would be a lie and she prided herself on her honesty

"Couldn’t stay away, could you?" he said in that impertinent way of his

"I’m sure you’re mistaken," she snapped The buzz of traffic zoo for the light to change

Chet laughed, the soundwith those froed and she reine that’s as close to the truth as I’ hold of her elbow, escorted her across the street He didn’t tell her where he was taking her and she didn’t ask Although she had long legs, she had trouble keeping up with his brisk pace

He steered her into Woolworth’s and over to the lunch counter

"What are we doing here?" she denored her and slipped into a booth She would have brought attention to herself if she’d continued standing so she uneasily clairy?" he asked nonchalantly, reaching for the yellowed plastic-coated menu tucked behind the silver napkin dispenser

"Ias a matter of fact I am, but"

"The steak sandwich is excellent and they don’t do a bad chicken-fried steak"

"I’ll just have coffee," she told hi with him She barely knew the man and what she did knoas a cause for a twenty-four-hour prayer vigil

"Suit yourself"

The waitress caray hair in a pale pink uniforum and looked more worn than the linoleum in Monica’s kitchen

"I’ll have a BLT on wheat, with coffee," Chet ordered

The waitress wrote down the order and looked to Monica expectantly

"The same, only putdown Monica’s order as she went

"I saw you outside the Blue Goose," Chet announced casually

It was all Monica could do not to cover her face with her hands Itoutside the tavern, debating whether she should go inside or not

"I knohy you were there too"

"You do?" Her rebellious gaze shot to his She was certain he could see her pulse beating in the vein in her neck, the sound echoing in her ear like thunder