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Corrie had to adhts weren’t on the rather complicated caper plot but on the child she’d never known The child she’d given up for adoption

Twenty-Three

"I’ cheesecake," Grace said as she slid into a booth at the Pancake Palace She and Olivia had finished their Wednesday night aerobics class and decided to talk over coffee and pie Coconut crearuntled and unhappy, and one look told her Olivia felt the sa cheesecake," Olivia said as she took the seat across from Grace

"You first," Grace said They’d been best friends since grade school and were still as close as sisters She kept al from Olivia and knew her friend trusted her unequivocally Theirs was a special friendship

"It’s Jack," Olivia said with a groan "Does that surprise you?"

"No"

Goldie, their favorite waitress, ca a pot of decaf "The usual?" she asked, as she filled their s Olivia and Grace were creatures of habit Every Wednesday night, they attended their exercise class and afterent directly to the Pancake Palace for pie and coffee

Grace hesitated at the waitress’s question and shrugged

Olivia did, too

"We’ve gotvoice

"No, thanks," Olivia said automatically

Grace considered it for a second "Coconut crea so unwilling to venture froe, then how could she nificant one?

Goldie returned a moment later with one slice of coconut creaue, plus the check

"You’re upset with Jack?" Grace said, proht I arief, I hardly see him! I was so annoyed when he broke ourforward to the four of us going out We hardly ever do that"

"I was disappointed, too," Grace said Who’d believe that dinner and a ht of the Christmas season for theood ti me what happened between you and Jack"

To Grace’s astonishuht--okay, ten o’clock, but it ht He was at the office all day You’d think the sun rises and falls on The Chronicle It’s all he lives for, and frankly I hate it" Angrily she wiped the tears froet emotional It’s just that we see…" Grace couldn’t bring herself to say the word divorce

"No, but things have got to change Jack works too hard, he eatsto kill himself if he continues at this pace" She lowered her eyes "He thinks this is all one big joke He said the other day that if he keeled over, what I’d ular sex"

Grace rolled her eyes "Leave it to ato that"

"He’s proe after the first of the year, but I’ve heard those promises before I just don’t want him to kill himself over a stupid newspaper"

"He loves you, Olivia"

"I know and I love hiht him a treadmill for Christmas"

"Good Maybe Jack will take the hint"

"He’s so stubborn, though"

Grace couldn’t help s "What man isn’t?"

Now Olivia smiled, too She reached for her fork and cut into her leoing on with you and Cliff?"

Grace sighed heavily "Cliff fell asleep during the --loudly"

Olivia burst into laughter

"Olivia Lockhart Griffin, this is not funny"

Her friend made an effort to restrain her aain I’d had it, and we left the theater" In truth, Olivia should be grateful she’dCliff had been exhausted He’d been working with his horses all day and ended up feeling tired and cranky Dinner after the movie had been dismal

"I’m so disappointed I could’ve cried"

"What is it with our men?" Olivia asked

"I don’t know But I’m sick of this," Grace said "It’s like I’ular sex?" Olivia teased

"You s I will not divulge, even to you, and my love life is one of them"

"In other words, you don’t have one"