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"I talked to your brother this afternoon," Mack said conversationally "We grabbed a coffee after work"

"Oh?" Mary Jo was concerned about Linc Nothing seeht for hi and he was at odds with his in-laws The last she’d heard, Lori had disowned her entire fa to either herfor a new apartht Linc ht mention it to her, but he tended to be private, to keep his problems to himself

It made sense that her brother and Lori would need a new place The Bella where they currently lived, and neither Linc nor Lori wanted to be indebted to them Still, Mary Jo knew that Linc didn’t approve of Lori’s cutting off her family He’d tried to talk to her, but Lori was ada more to do with them Because Linc and Mary Jo had lost their own parents, they had a different view; Mary Jo suspected that Lori wouldn’t appreciate how important family was until she ithout either parent and there was no opportunity left to reconcile

"I put out the word to the fire crew and Linc picked up some business this week"

"Great!" She leaned down and kissed hier on his

"I…I could," Mack said, clearing his throat before he continued, "try to sendsoftly, Mary Jo patted his back "You do that"

"Will I get htened "My dad’s helping, too"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, he’s good friends with the sheriff"

Mary Jo remembered that about Troy Davis and her father-in-law

"Well, Dad was talking to Sheriff Davis and suggested he ht have the city ask your brother to bid on a contract to service police vehicles"

"But, Mack, he has an auto body shop"

"He can es, can’t he?"

"I’ed "I assury"

Mary Jo ell aware of how hungry her brother was

"Speaking of hungry, when’s dinner?" Mack glanced around the kitchen

Mary Jo had started on the puht about dinner "Ah, any chance I could talk you into going out tonight?"

Mack cocked his head "I could be persuaded," he said, winking at her

"Very funny," she muttered "Can we afford to take Linc and Lori? After all, this is a celebration"

"A celebration?"

"Noelle just took her first step"

"Oh, right Where do you want to go?"

Knowing their own budget was tight, Mary Jo said, "The Pancake Palace I love their spaghetti and hetti"

"Sounds good to me"

"I’ll call Linc and Lori and see if they can join us," Mary Jo said "Besides, I have an idea"

"I bet you’re thinking the sa I am"

Half an hour later, when Mack had carved the pued Noelle, it was time to meet her brother and his wife They took her car for the short drive down to Harbor Street and the Pancake Palace

Linc and Lori aiting for them outside the restaurant, apparently deep in conversation

"How are you guys?" Mary Jo asked after they’d left the car and unfastened Noelle fro’s fine"

Mary Jo noticed that her brother didn’t echo his wife’s sentiment Lori took Linc’s hand, and she was sure that whatever they were discussing concerned their troubles with her family

They entered the restaurant and were quickly seated, despite the nu thenized Pastor Dave Fle and his wife, aved cheerfully Once the hostess had obtained a high chair for Noelle, Mary Jo gave her daughter a cracker while everyone else looked over the hetti and meatball dinner

"By the way," Mack said, hidden behind the menu "This is our treat"

"You don’t need to do that," Linc insisted

"True," Mack saidthe fact that Noelle took her first step"

"That’s early, isn’t it?" Lori’s eyes widened with surprise

"Yes, but she’s been ready for weeks now," Mary Jo explained "Only, she was afraid to let go It took her daddy to get her to leave her comfort zone" Mary Jo kne hard it was for her staunchly proud brother to allow them to pay for his and Lori’s dinner

Linc lowered hisalmost humble

This was Linc? Mary Jo looked up She wanted to ask her big brother if he was okay Humility was so unlike hilass

"This is the best e’ve had since I opened the shop and practically everyone’s ned astonishment "All I said was that you do quality work at competitive prices"