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"Come on, Grace Hallmark would print a card with a picture like that Or…how about if I put him on YouTube? He’d be a star Just look at hiet to work"

Cliff shook his head and bent to take Beau from her slipper

Grace hated to be so coldhearted but she couldn’t lower her guard, not even a little The instant she did, Beau would wriggle his way into her affections, which was exactly what Cliff and Beth hoped would happen Grace was determined it wouldn’t

Half an hour later, after a second cup of coffee and a toasted English muffin, Grace drove to the library with Beau in the box beside her She had several s the day

Cliff said that if the s ended early, he’d co any proured she’d be stuck with the puppy all day

Naturally Beau had everyone on the library staff wrapped around his tiny paw the

"Anyone want to feed hie for sole employee volunteered She let them work out a schedule as she retreated to her office and assu the e was at the top of her list

Beth phoned shortly after the library opened "How’s it going?" she asked

"It’s going Cliff named him Beau"

"I heard"

So Beth had been in contact with Cliff If Grace was a paranoid kind of person, she’d wonder if those tere teaainst her More than likely Beth had phoned the house and Cliff had answered, then sihed Beau lately?"

"Not ht?"

"Sorry, no"

Beth asked a few additional questions, but Grace was no more helpful with those than she’d been with the first one Cliff had taken on nearly all Beau-related duties and that was how Grace intended to keep it

Once she was off the phone, she went to check with the children’s librarian regarding story hour that Friday afternoon She needed the information for her newsletter

As she walked toward the children’s section, she noticed several people s of it until she looked back Beau was trotting after her as if he were her shadow

Grace stopped and so did Beau He sat on his haunches and stared up at her, his tail wagging Ignoring him, she s hardly able to keep up

Finally she couldn’t stand it adown, she picked him up and cradled him in her arms He licked her hand, then reached for her face

She raised her chin out of his range "I a to love you, no matter what you do," she insisted "Don’t even try, okay?"

Beau whiood ho his soft fur "A family with lots of children for you to play with That’s what you need--a family with children You don’t want to live with Cliff anda Frisbee or doing any of the other things you’d love It’s for your own good Do you understand?"

Apparently Beau didn’t, because he licked her hand again

Twenty-One

Teri Polgar was enjoying her first peaceful moment of the day She sat in the most comfortable chair in the fa ottoman, leaned back and closed her eyes

The triplets were all asleep and, after theshe’d had, Teri was ready for a nap herself Friends and family claimed that if anyone could handle a multiple birth, she could It was a nice co to doubt the high opinion they had of her abilities

Bobby and Jaae help with their sons, and of course Gabrielle, their nanny, was, too Still, the major part of the triplets’ care fell to her Other than quick trips to buy groceries, Teri couldn’t even reirl time"--it’d been practically nonexistent Her hair needed to be cut and her fingernails were a h they’d talked a few days ago--for the first ties Rachel had described her situation--her housemate and the teirl e because she was definitely not in her right ine what Bruce would say once he found out Well, she wasn’t going to be the one to tell hi hi a thirteen-year-old dictate his life How crazy was that? Teri knehat poor Rachel had endured in theout She certainly didn’t bla up with that spoiled brat

Then, last week, just when things see a counselor and Jolene appeared to be softening--everything had blown up in Rachel’s face Jolene had gotten sick and Bruce had to hurry home But Bruce soon discovered that this so-called illness had been self-inflicted He found an ehter He’d emailed Rachel, and Rachel had subsequently told Teri This ood at all

The doorbell chiy than she’d realized she had If whoever it oke any of the triplets…

Bruce stood on the porch

"Bruce?" She was too surprised to say anyhere?"

"I came to talk to you about Rachel"

Teri shook her head, unwilling to let him in This was Rachel’s worst fear, that Bruce would ask Teri for information "I don’t think I should," she said bluntly She’d vowed she wouldn’t supply Bruce with any of the details Rachel had so recently and reluctantly shared Not until Rachel had the chance to tell him herself, which she’d fully intended to do until she’d heard about this latest trick of Jolene’s

"I have soive Rachel," he pleaded, still on the porch