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Rachel illing to be patient and understanding, but she couldn’t allow a thirteen-year-old to dictate the tere

"I love your father, Jolene," she said, looking directly into the girl’s eyes, "and if I want to talk to him alone for a few minutes that shouldn’t upset you"

Jolene nodded contritely "I know"

"Okay, then"

The evening passed, with everyone involved in various tasks--laundry, hoerated yawning noises and darting glances at thewent smoothly

"Isn’t it your bedtime?" he asked Jolene when the clock chi TV by then

She closed her textbook and kissed the to watch the news," Rachel announced She wanted Jolene to understand that they weren’t going to juuess I will, too," Bruce muttered

Jolene walked past Rachel and rolled her eyes The kid wasn’t fooled

When their daughter’s bedroom door shut, Bruce shifted closer to Rachel "Okay, talk to"Jolene and I had a good discussion today while I cut her hair She talked about you and me and her place in this fa Jolene had shared

"You’reto listen "You know, I’ sick of this I’ve done s I’ve spent more time with her in the past two months than at any--"

"Yes, it’s just that--"

"The frustration is killing me, Rachel I want toaround erto her, the more coain he cut her off "What we need is time away, just the two of us"

"No," she countered swiftly She couldn’t disagree more "That’ll make every insecurity Jolene already has thatyou…If we abandon her for even a weekend, it’ll feel like a betrayal"

Bruce stared at her for several seconds before throwing his head back, eyes closed "I don’t believe this"

"We haven’t beenGive Jolene a chance The two of us ress today"

Bruce exhaled and finally nodded

The ten o’clock news caether on the sofa They held hands, and every now and then he’d lean forward to kiss the side of her face Rachel’s eyes drifted shut as a river of awareness flowed through her

"Do you think she’s asleep yet?" Bruce whispered after the last news segment

"I certainly hope so"

"Not as hts as they went, Bruce led Rachel down the hallway to their bedrooht Rachel heard hiot into bed, and Bruce reached for her Racheleach other, until she ith longing

"So far, so good," Bruce whispered

"So far very good," she whispered back and the kissing continued

The bed creaked, and it seeh the roo hesitation, in which they held themselves suspended, afraid to move or even breathe

Then they heard Jolene’s bedroom door open

The sound of the door was followed by the patter of feet going down the hallway to the bathroom

"What if she comes in here?" Rachel whispered

"She wouldn’t dare," Bruce muttered fiercely

Rachel ran her hands tenderly down her husband’s back "Do we risk it? Re, Bruce rolled away from her Without a word, he marched into the master bathroom and a moment later she heard the shower

Rachel didn’t need him to tell her he’d turned on the cold water

Fifteen

"Dad, you’ve got to do soan wailed

Troy Davis had just walked into his house when the kitchen phone rang He picked up, not surprised to hear his daughter’s voice; she’d left a otten to call her back Troy’s day had been interesting and he was eager for an opportunity to analyze what he’d learned that afternoon The coroner’s office had finally sent him the complete report on the reiven hiest what had been revealed and decide how to proceed His one hope was that media interest had died down sufficiently to let this latest develop to an asked i about?" Troy asked, just so she’d know he’d heard her the first time

"You didn’t return "