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"My girls should be here around six"

"You’re going straight to church after dinner?"

"That’s the plan," Grace told her "I was going to invite Mary Jo to join us"

"For dinner or Christ second thoughts" Grace hesitated

"Why? And about what?"

"Oh, about inviting Mary Jo to dinner I’randkids running around You kno much racket children canI can do for her?" Olivia asked

"Should I ask her to have dinner here?"

"I’m not sure I’ll talk to her when she wakes up and then I’ll phone you"

"Thanks And tell her not to worry about her brothers"

"I’ll do that"

"See you tonight"

"Tonight," Olivia echoed

After setting down the phone, Olivia poured the tea and placed both s on the table, followed by the plate of cookies, and called Jack into the kitchen again

His eyes widened in overstated surprise "Cookies? For me? You shouldn’t have"

"I can still put therabbed the star-shaped cookie and bit off one point "What’s this in honor of?"

"I had pie with lunch So I’ habits, Jack did a double-take "You ate pie? At lunch?"

"Goldie made me do it"

"Goldie," he repeated "You mean Will took you to the Pancake Palace?"

"It’s where I wanted to go"

Jack sat down, grabbed the tree cookie and bit into that, too "You’re a cheap date"

"Not necessarily"

He ignored that remark "Did you enjoy lunch with Will?" he asked, then sipped his tea Jack was familiar with their soh I’ in the palm of her hand "He’s interested in Shirley Bliss, a local artist"

"She’s not married, is she?"

Olivia shook her head "A "

Jack shrugged "Then it’s okay if he wants to see her"

"I agree It’s just that I don’t know if I can trust my brother It pains me to admit that, but still…" She left the rest unsaid Jack knew her brother and his flaws as well as she did "I want hi over, and at this stage of his life that can’t be easy"

"I don’t ireed "By the as that on the phone?"

"Grace She called to update me on Mary Jo"

"Problems?"

"Not really, but she said we need to keep an eye out for three irate brothers who ilante posse?"

"Not exactly" But now that Olivia thought about it, it ht not be so bad if Mary Jo’s brothers stumbled onto David Rhodes instead "If her brothers find anyone, it should be David"

"There’d certainly be justice in that, but David’s not going to let hi woentle, but Olivia felt chastened "Yes--and her baby"

9

Mary Jo woke feeling confused She sat up in bed and gazed around at the sparsely decorated rooht her hoht in this apart to do She was a stranger, after all, a stranger with problems who’d appeared out of nowhere on Christh above her head, Mary Jo yawned loudly She was still tired, despite her nap Her watch told her she’d been asleep for the better part of two hours Two hours!