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"You know him?"

Rather than lie, she took her first sip of beer while she tried to coht I knew hi" She wasn’t sure how much sense that lanced froer "I remember hiuy who hung out in the parking lot before Christuy in the limo!"

"Is it out there now?" Kyle asked He and Bill hurried to the door "Yup," Kyle told them a moment later "Sure is"

"Looks like he finally worked up the courage to step over the threshold," Christie said, playing along

All threea few of the other patrons to turn in their direction

"You ht want to say hello," Larry said

Christie shook her head "Why would I do that?"

"You said you knew hi his Diet Coke"

Diet Coke The man was as skinny as a rail and he drank Diet Coke? For soht o say hello" That was Kyle, throwing in his two cents’ worth

"I’ll bet he’s been waiting for you all this ti voice

"Oh, puleese"

All three grinned

"Hey, he looks like he could use a friend"

Talking to Jaed her to go over, she found the suggestion irresistible At this point she didn’t have a clue what she intended to say It’d probably end up being soh to stop her

James didn’t look up as she approached, which sort of ruined things She didn’t wait for an invitation to pull out a chair and join hi here?" she de a sip

"What’s the otten how to talk?"

"No"

James had always been a uys said you’ve been co around for a while Any reason?"

"You"

She rolled her eyes She hated one-word responses "Would you care to elaborate?"

"No"

"Fine If that’s the way you want it" She sat sideways in the chair, crossed her legs and ood to sit after spending so nored hi anywhere, so she started to stand His hand shot across the table, stopping her

"What?" she snapped, shaking herself free If he wanted to limit his responses to one word, she’d do that, too

"Stay"

"Why?" She wondered how long this could continue Not long, she decided "Stay? You treat "

"Please stay"

Tords Well, that was an iht, but an improvement nonetheless

Silence stretched between them James was the one to break it "I came because I felt close to you here"

"I hope you know I didn’t stay away because of you"

"I realize that You’ve been taking business and photography classes Teri told me"

Her sister the traitor

Jaive me?" he asked quietly

Rather than explain, she sihtened "I’m sorry for you"

Christie raised one hand to her chest "For ured out yet that no ht," she muttered sarcastically "Trustlove, just like you did, and then walked out You’re no different and you proved it"

"If you’d be willing to let me have a second chance, I’ll prove otherwise"

"Sorry, I’ve handed out all the second chances I plan to give" She sounded definite and sure of herself, but she could feel her resolve weakening

He hesitated, then shrugged in resignation "That’s a shaht? Well, I’ret, James Wilbur or whatever your real narets--the day you ran off"

He nodded and stood

She flinched involuntarily when he reached out to run his finger down her cheek His touch was light, a caress "We would’ve had beautiful babies" With that he walked away

She wanted to shout after him that it was a B-movie line--but she was paralyzed, her breath locked in her lungs When she’d ed to exhale, she vaulted out of her chair and ran outside Ja lot

"Wait just one minute!"

Silently he turned to face her

Christie stabbed her finger into his chest "That was low and completely underhanded and…and cruel And you know it!"

Because, clichéd line or not, he’d struck her weakest point--her desire for a baby He knew this about her because she’d been honest with him, confided all her hopes and failures and dreauaranteed to send her running after hiry, she would’ve broken into sobs Her longing for a child had been shoved aside for so many years that whenever it surfaced the ache became unbearable