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She raised a brow Taken aback, but not in a bad way "Sorry, Sheriff If you saw that o in the oven till to the sauce had spread the rich aroma into the air even more than before "Well, I’ll just have to take a rain check I’d cross an ocean for a good beef bourguignon"

Sorrow paused at that "Would you really?"

He gave a hearty nod "I love Sierra Falls, but…good restaurants? That’s the one thing Iin the city No offense to your tavern," he added quickly

She laughed "Believe me, no offense taken I’d rather…I don’t know…set my hair on fire than eat Sully’s ‘Prospector’s Pie’ one h was loud and deep "What on earth is that?"

"Meat pie," she said, scrunching her face

"Hey, sounds good to me What kind of hed at that "Just how many kinds can there be?"

"Oh, you’d be surprised" She brought the casserole dish to the refrigerator

He jumped to open the door for her "Is that why you learned to cook? An aversion to e door shut with her hip "Necessity is the mother of invention" But as she washed the dirty sieve, she found herself giving him a real answer "If I can’t whiskother countries toher hands, she turned around, and her s physical presence suddenly so near, in her private space, the kitchen

The silence hung

She racked her brain for words and auto to eat?"

"I…I think…" His stohed, the aard moment passed

"I’ll take that as a yes," said Sorrow

"If your apple bread and the smell of that sauce are any indication, I " A look washed over his face, and it gave his words a double"I mean…if you’re sure you don’t mind I don’t want to be an inconvenience"

"Not at all I have to eat, too" She ducked back into the fridge, rifling more than was strictly necessary The cool air was a relief on her war with her? "How do you feel about pasta?"

"I feel good about pasta"

She smiled Finally a ether a quickie Aglio e Olio"

"Sounds fancy"

She grabbed the olive oil and arlic and oil’ Nothing to it"

Billy reached up to grab her colander and big spaghetti pot from their hooks He held them up in silent question

"Perfect," she said, a little surprised "Thanks"

He began to fill the pot ater "While the pasta’s boiling, you can tell me about those letters"

She froze for the merest second "You know about the letters?"

"Your dad told, she poured olive oil in a saucepan and added a decent glug of a Pinot Grigio she’d had in the fridge Her arm hovered in the air a moment What the hell? She showed hilass of wine?"

"Why not" He seemed surprised he’d said it And a little uncoooda little uncomfortable, too, but in an excited-unco the sheriff in her kitchen

The sauce was reducing, the water put up to boil, and it was time to wait As she joined hiertip atop the small stack of letters "Are these the ones?"

"They are," she said "Dated frorand "When I see soine the person ned it The up this paper--it probably cost a lot back then And then taking their pen in hand"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>