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"What’s the ave hilare

"It would be best if you left now," he muttered

"I don’t think so"

He frowned as if he’d rarely been challenged, but Alison was beyond caring

"You don’t like me, Commander, and that’s perfectly okay, but I would prefer to keep personalities out of this I am a professional and I pride myself on ry though she was, she couldn’t coht

His eyes hardened, but he still wouldn’t look at her

Unable to bear anotheras though there was a huge hole in her stomach

Chapter Fifteen

Shana was inweekend Her business continued to prosper, and she’d hired a new part-tie boy this ti and dealing with eest difficulty to date This was an area where she had little experience and it seemed her lessons were all learned the hard way She’d had to let the other two go and seeer Charles was proving hiood-natured, and he and Catherine liked each other, quickly developing a bantering relationship Shana couldn’t even begin to iine what she’d do without Catherine

After several weeks of hanging around the ice-cream parlor, Jazmine’s entrepreneurial talent suddenly kicked in, and her ideas weren’t bad The kid had real i sundaes and candy treats She took long strands of red and black licorice and--hands carefully gloved--braided the each end with colorful ribbons Then she enclosed the entire creation in cellophane wrap She hung the a festive atmosphere The price was reasonable and the kids who caued by them, so they sold quickly

Jazmine’s creativity had sparked Shana’s, and shecolorful lollipops and ribbons The candy business contributed only a s in popularity

Working long hours had one advantage, Shana decided; she didn’t have ti She was afraid it would be soon, and if she allowed herself to brood on it, she’d remeoing to miss him

Adam still hadn’t mentioned the possibility of a transfer to Jazmine Shana didn’t feel it was her place to tell Jazz, unless Adareed the news should come from him He’d promised he would last weekend, but then for one reason or another, he hadn’t Shana kneould be hard to tell her and that he wanted to delay it until the transfer was official She supposed it would be best to say nothing until he was sure Her heart ached at the thought of Adanht out, but Shana wanted hiht of the lunch business, when the restaurant sh and tomato sauce, and it was all Shana could do to keep up with the pizza orders, the phone rang Catherine bustled over to answer it and her gaze flew to Shana

"It’s for you," she said, holding out the receiver

Shana finished slicing a sausage pizza still stea hot from the oven If it was Adam, she’d call back the minute she had time to breathe "Who is it?" she asked

"Adaht have news; if so, she wanted to know as soon as possible "Ask hirabbed the phone and as Shana watched, the older woman nodded at her

Her sto even before he told her Adam had received his transfer papers or whatever the Navy called theht

Wiping her hands on her apron, she asked Charles to fill in for her while she answered the phone "Could you bring this pizza to table ten?"

"Sure"

Shana walked to the other side of the room and took the phone from Catherine "Adaainst the wall, hardly able to breathe

"Listen," he said, and she could hear the regret in his voice

She could think of no reason to delay his news, so she said it before he had a chance "You got the transfer to Hawaii"

"Yes, my orders hit the boards"

"They what?"

"They’re official And I have to fly out alency"

There it hat she’d dreaded h she’d known this was cohtness in her chest was painful, and she bit her lower lip to keep fro"

"So soon?" She’d hoped they’d have some time to say their farewells At least one more chance to talk and decide--not that there was really anything to decide But it felt wrong for hio like this, so quickly, without any opportunity for Jazmine or her to adjust

"I’m sorry," he said

"I know" She couldn’t seeed through her painfully dry throat

Despite her lack of clarity or detail, he understood the question "Unfortunately, I can’t There’s too much to do"

"I know…"

"Is Jazainst her forehead "No, she’s at the park skating with her friends"

"You may need to tell her for me"

"No!" Shana’s objection was immediate "You have to do it"