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"Co into his soliloquy This was the most he’d ever said to her at one time "Yes"

"Yes?" He eyed her quizzically

"I’d be honored to have dinner with you"

He see, and Ali smiled

"More than honored," she added softly and reached for her own coffee She needed a sip to ease the dryness in her mouth and throat

"It won’t be for several months," he warned

"I’hed and looked away "Don’t take this personally, but it’s not a good idea for us to continuehere"

Disappoints were coht in a row, and not once had they even touched

"Lieutenant Commander," Frank said, his voice barely above a whisper "You tempt me and while I’s for you indefinitely Give me a date and a time I can meet you in Seattle and I’ll be there"

Alison met his eyes and smiled "January twenty-seventh One o’clock in the afternoon At the bronze pig in Pike Place Market"

She’d chosen the date a bit recklessly, perhaps, but that was Peter’s birthday, which made it easy to remember And she was very sure Peter would approve…

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Aren’t you going to call Uncle Ada Shana for about the hundredth ti ice crea what remained into a quart-size one This was her life these days For at least two hours every day, she risked frostbite with her face in the freezer

"You know," she said, righting herself and holding up the ice-cream scoop for emphasis, "when I moved to Seattle, I decided I was finished with men I didn’t need a man in my life then and I don’t need one now I’m better off without them"

Jazmine sat on the other side of the counter, her chin propped in her hands Shana noticed that she was frowning

"We don’t need boys?"

"We don’t," Shana reiterated

"At all?"

"Well, technically we do, but only for reproductive purposes" This was definitely an area she didn’t want to get into with a nine-year-old

"But aren’t they kind of fun to have around?"

She realized she was tainting her niece’s ative experiences That had to stop Besides, Adam had potential--or he did when he wasn’t overtaken by jealousy The thing was, he had absolutely nothing to be jealous about It was almost as if he wanted to be upset with her Fine, then, she’d just let hiuardedly

"I thought you liked Uncle Adam"

"I do…I did…I do" While Shana was still annoyed with Adam, she missed him, too That was the point She didn’t want to think about him, but she couldn’t help it--which annoyed her even ain

Shana refused to do that "I phoned last time It’s his turn"

"Oh" Her niece sounded distressed

"What’s wrong?" Shana asked, unsure what had brought the woebegone expression to Jaz you liked Uncle Ada "I do like him It’s just that two people don’t always see eye-to-eye" This was difficult enough to explain to an adult, let alone a child "Sos alone"

"It is?" Jazh confused "Is that how you felt about Brad?"

Shana thought for aWhen I first broke up with hiain ’cause you didn’t like the way it ended, right?"

"Right I regretted the fact that I’d run off in a fit of righteous indignation It was over, and I wanted hi i out from behind the counter, Shana slid onto the stool next to her niece Sighing expressively, she said, "You’re pretty sht smile "How come?"

"You just are" Her niece had told her what she needed to hear She’d refused to phone Adam strictly out of pride Their last conversation had been painful She’d been lighthearted and hopeful when she called hiruff responses had short-circuited her joy He hadn’t phoned her since and she hadn’t phoned hi like children

"That’s what I don’t understand," Jazinal pose, chin cupped in her hands, elbows splayed "You went to talk to Brad, but you won’t go see Uncle Adam"