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"Not often enough," Tanni coe and I don’t want it to"

Tanni sounded like she had as a little girl, needing her ?" Shirley chanced asking

Her daughter glared as though the offer had offended her

"A hug wouldn’t hurt," Shirley added

Tanni shrugged "I suppose so"

Shirley put down her knitting, then stood and walked over to her daughter She couldn’t remember the last time Tanni had perhed escaped as she slid her ared her back

"You’re going to do just fine," Shirley said "And so is Shaw"

Tanni leaned her head against her mother’s shoulder "I hope he does"

"I know you do"

"But I’m afraid," Tanni whispered "What if he’s so successful he doesn’t want anything to do with me?"

Shirley wasn’t sure how to reassure Tanni She couldn’t promise that wouldn’t happen and some part of her actually hoped it would

Tanni broke away and straightened

Shirley returned to her knitting; Tanni stayed in the room After a couple of minutes, Tanni said, "The school passed around a notice fro, the woman who runs the library"

"A notice for what?"

"The library’s looking for volunteers to ith kids and dogs," Tanni told her

"Dogs in the library?"

"That’s what it said Ms Harding is bringing in dogs fro problems read to them A lot of kids at school say it’s silly, but I think it’s a great idea"

"Why would the library need volunteers? Don’t they already have quite a few?"

"I’ I’d like to do"

"Okay It sounds interesting"

"There’s a o"

"I’ll be curious to hear more about it"

"I’ll let you know" Tanni started to leave Halfway across the roolanced over her shoulder Then, in a casual tone, she said, "Thanks for listening, Mom"

Tears welled up in Shirley’s eyes "You’re welco her husband, it alhter back

Twenty-Six

Saturday evening, after spending eight hours on her feet at the cash register, Christie was tired Bone-deep tired Forbut work and school She couldn’t even remember her last visit to the Pink Poodle

They’d had exams that week and Christie decided she deserved a snments, studied hard and become proficient with both a camera and a calculator One beer wouldn’t hurt, and it would be good to reconnect with her friends

She pulled into a parking space, and out of the corner of her eye saw a limo at the back of the lot

No It couldn’t be Ja there on the off chance she’d show up?

Well, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d dropped by the Pink Poodle, but it would be the last! Cli out of her car, she sla hard against the dark s, she didn’t immediately realize the vehicle was empty

She rubbed her knuckles If James wasn’t in the limo, that probably meant he was in the bar That was fine with her She’d flirt with her friends and ignore hi into the tavern, Christie first spotted Kyle, a divorced plu at tables A few of the pool

"Hey, look who’s here" Kyle lifted his beer ive her a hug

Larry, orked the bar, auto to find James He sat alone in a corner of the room That wasn’t a beer he had, nor did it rese a soda

"Where’ve you been?" Kyle asked when Christie slipped onto the bar stool next to her old friend

"Oh, around"

"I heard you been taking college classes," Larry co in front of her

"Yeah, I decided it was tiet serious about a career"

If Jan

Bill sidled up next to her

"What’s with the guy in back?" she asked, pointing at James

"We call him the Professor," Larry said and his voice fell to a whisper

"Does he coed "Once or twice a week"

"Been comin’ by every so often for the past couple months Never says a word All this time and none of us even knoho he is"

"He’s James Wilbur," she said autoe him Her problem, one of many, was her inability to keep her mouth shut