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Even if she left today, she’d done the job as he’d laid it out to her She’d intended to use the next few days to explore s they’d learned, different nuances that would help them self-teach into deeper areas, the ure that out the them pointers And she could of course always leave her shop number with Linda if she wanted to do any phone consults

She bit her lip She could ad her ass andhere severalin the doorway, she looked at the sun cos at the edge of the wood, do the usual sniff greetings and tail waggings

It wasn’t until she pulled herself away frohtened up Because when she turned back toward the house, she saw Linda and Derek standing together at the gazebo pavilion While she’d been studying the day’s beautiful blue sky, the greenevents hours before, they atching her

Suppressing the desire to run, she crossed the lawn to join the to look unconcerned, indifferent Aaze was unreadable, but Derek was giving Ruby his frog-dissection look, noticing everything fro To stop hi that would immediately make her want to slap hiht you were off at so your face at the all-you-can-eat buffet? You know they get suspicious when you single-handedly ee"

"That’s why I usually go to two or three of the"

"I took Advil Don’t start nagging Old wos, ere nowperiht and set it all to rights with a few strategically placed leg lifts over shrubbery "Maybe we should have let theht"

"Since I’ve seen them herd my nieces and nephews, a pack of Underworld soul-eaters would have been a piece of cake" Linda htness in Ruby’s chest "So Miria back to join us anytih I told her she handled herself very well She said… once things got settled, ht now"

"She’s young, and she’s had a bad trauh I think she’ll be back"

"Young" Linda pursed her lips "She’s twenty-four Maybe three years younger than you?"

"Well, there’s young, and there’s young" Ruby lifted a shoulder, uncoe ten," Derek said lightly "I’ive you two a chance to talk"

He gave Ruby a look that clearly said he was saving their conversation for awhether she wanted it to or not She gave hilint in his eye "I’ll save you a biscuit or two if you want to come join me when you’re done," he added "But you better hurry Theo et it"

"He likes blackberry jelly on his"

That feral grin flashed over his face, but he addressed his next words to Linda "Thanks for reat cook" He touched the woone, striding back to the house No help for it, Ruby had to watch, and she saw Linda doing the saood in a pair of jeans," Linda noted

"Te," Ruby returned, but she watched right along with her until he disappeared into the house

"Well, it’s clear lanced at her "I told you, if you want to try and ave her a look that Ruby suspected quelled her dogs and nieces and nephehen either species became too rambunctious "I’s to you and--"