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Marlene s the co honesty, "it’s you who’s looking pretty As always"

Edith had blond good looks, and she’d given thehters, too Weren’t fair-skinned woe more quickly? Marlene touched her own forehead--she wondered how that Botox stuff worked She was certain there were any number of doctors in Reno or even in nearby Silver City orked with it Maybe it was tih abouta "

Hardly She re wasn’t the word she’d use What would be exciting was if she’d already entleood, respectable career A er judge, perhaps Or maybe a retired doctor Someone as kind, with a full head of hair, a healthy nest egg, and a nice sedan Son maybe, with a leather interior that was a color nane She could put this Internet dating nonsense behind her

And the next time Frank visited Sierra Falls, he’d see her, and see hoell she was doing, and how spoiled she was, and he’d be jealous and realize what a fool he’d been to leave her

"But aren’t you worried about this online stuff?" Edith asked, pulling her from the fantasy "I’ve heard stories"

Marlene had heard the part of her was terrified about all the crazies out there But instead she made herself sound bravely nonchalant "Oh no, it’s perfectly safe All the singles are carefully screened" She hoped "And what other choice do I have? I’ve lived here my whole life, and as far as I know, there aren’t any retirees zipping around Sierra Falls in any sports cars, looking for wives"

Edith sluet men, then How are you?"

Marlene sipped her wine, considering Hoas she?

She was a sixty-three-year-old wo to keep hold of her dignity The last tiure out how to balance her reading glasses on her face in order to put on eye rown up with, nice boys her parents knew, not a bunch of strangers who ht fro care of two elderly aunts and an ailing es of Alzhei Bear Bailey’s crappy sauvignon blanc

That’s how she was

What she said instead was, "I’lanced around then leaned in close, looking conspiratorial "I have news"

Marlene leaned close The best cure for depression was gossip Her friend looked happy--it was good news then

Dark thoughts were replaced with a flurry of speculation A smile crept across Marlene’s face as she realized what it must be "It’s Sorrow, isn’t it?" She sla off "She and the Sied"

"Oh…" Edith looked momentarily puzzled "Oh, no, not that But it does have to do with Sorrow She found letters"

Marlene deflated Letters wasn’t nearly as exciting as engageued

When Edith got to the word affair Marlene perked back up Turned out, Bear’s great-great-grandmother had a child out of wedlock with Buck Larsen, of all people She’d written, but never sent, a stack of letters that featured some pretty juicy details

Edith’s face was lit up in a way that Marlene hadn’t seen in some time "It’s just what the town needs"

Marlene hated to play devil’s advocate--as she always the one to put a da, "How do you know they’re real? I mean, those letters must be over a hundred years old"

"Over one hundred fifty years old" Edith bea definitively, "The woman had no reason to lie"

Marlene still didn’t buy it It was a woe that’d spanned almost four decades Who kneomen had been capable of back then? "All theup"

"Why would she go and do so like that? Especially since she never even sent them" Edith waved away the notion "Don’t you see? Itinto a Buck Larsen Festival instead Get soave Marlene pause Edith did have a point The town sure could use so up--and not just financially This discovery could bring new people into Sierra Falls And with the average age of their historical society hovering soroup could use so in a wave of older, single h her mind