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"Since I work now, I’ a breast pump"

Some subjects were best not discussed between sister and brother Breast puory "I…think ruff but couldn’t help it

Noelle smiled up at him and he smiled back He dared not look at his sister as he hbor of yours?"

There was a short hesitation "What rateful she hadn’t taken offense "It’s just that he seems to be around every time I stop by"

"He lives next door What do you expect?"

Her reply held an edge that warned hi further Difficult though it was, Linc didn’t ask anything else If his sister did becohbor,as Mack understood that Linc wouldn’t allow another e of her

He ell aware that Mary Jo would never talk to hiain if he asked McAfee what his intentions were Still, Linc wanted to know

Mary Jo offered hi already It was time to hit the road

After thanking hi room set, Mary Jo walked Linc to his truck "Drive carefully, okay?"

"I will," he promised

"You know, don’t you, that it’s not necessary to check up on ed in response

"Or even every other day"

He grinned

"You don’t need to hold the faether any our own decisions, learning from our own mistakes You’re sweet to want to protect me, but it really isn’t necessary"

Then, to his utter amazement, Mary Jo rose up on tiptoe, placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed his cheek

As he drove away, Linc considered what she’d said The truth was, he realized his sister was right Mel and Ned didn’t like hi over their shoulders, either, any more than Mary Jo did

Rather than take the ferry hoe He hadn’t driven more than a mile down the freehen he saw a car parked on the side of the road The vehicle’s taillights flashed, indicating some kind of mechanical proble for someone to stop

Cars zoo day, it was now dark, and he was tired Besides, he had a ninety-minute drive ahead of him As he neared the woood conscience drive by

Parking his truck, he climbed down and walked toward the wo, blond, petite Smaller even than Mary Jo, who stood five-three

"What’s the problem?" he asked

The woman stared up at him as if he’d stepped out of a Friday the 13th enuine panic

Linc supposed he could be intih what she expected hi past, he couldn’t iine

"My na an introduction would put her at ease

"It…just stopped running I was onHarbor and out of the blue, et it off the road before it went completely dead"

"Did you call Triple A?" he asked

"Ah, no…Well, yes, I did and learned that h a bit of eh the cracks" She seemed ready to break into tears "You don’t want to hear any of this Sorry"

She was right about that He wasn’t interested in her personal proble?"

She shook her head "I tried to look under the hood, but I couldn’t figure out how to open it"

Typical Most wo a vehicle

He hts because she added, "I’m not stupid, you know"

Linc knew better than to respond to that comment He leaned in and released the hood lever, then walked around to the front of the vehicle He raised the hood and quickly checked all the easy fixes

The woine "That’s not quite true," she said

"I beg your pardon? What isn’t?"