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"What did you do?" he asked gently, his hand absently wandering to stroke the ponytail that hung over her shoulder

She shrugged "Nothing a I cleaned, held the kids, let her talk, talkedtoday, Vanni was holding Hannah, probably the first ti her close, kissing her little head, crying while that aers in Vanni’s ether But, God, it’s killing randraramma said that…"

"Do I do that a lot? I don’t even knohen I do that"

"It’s not a liability, Ellie," he said "That’s why I sent you"

She put her hands on her hips "Well, how sneaky is that! Really, I should be paid better if you’re going to haveto tellyou," he said with a smile "But it’s what I can afford"

She rolled her eyes "Why the hell can’t I ever run into a rich hed at her

"Well, this is a finethan I expected Youat the other end of the ee!" He left Ellie and strode toward hi!"

"Sure I did I just didn’t say when It co happy, surrounded by this disaster"

Noah laughed and eood to see you! How long will you stay?"

"Long enough to get the lay of the land Noho is your friend? You shouldn’t leave a beautiful woe’s arm and pulled hie, e Davenport, e’s face He took Ellie’s hand, raising the back of her fingers to his lips He bent and brushed a kiss on them "Ellie, it’s an honor I retired too soon--I had no idea the assistants would be so beautiful down the road"

"Nice to meet you, Mr…"

"Pastor Davenport," Noah corrected "Retired, but still a preacher"

She shed at George’s look of surprise "She doesn’t e She’s extremely disrespectful And unrepentant"

"Then you’ll do penance by sitting through dinner with us," George said "I can’t wait to try that little place next door, the one Noah’s been bragging about Come, Ellie, stay close tofor this reprobate"

"It’s hell, Your Reverence"

George felt he had met the entire town by the time dinner was over, but Jack Sheridan assured hiulars, though," Jack admitted That included Jack’s wife and two shbors who lived nearby, Hope McCrea, who sold Noah the old church George was introduced to young Rick Sudder and his fiancée, Liz; Rick was recently returned fro the line George learned that Rick had a prosthetic leg, but he never did figure out which one The lad had a carefree htest limp