Page 13 (1/2)

"I didn’t say ather her papers into her handbag

All this talk of spouses made her think If she’d been a ould she have remarried? Would the pain have been this deep? So small-hearted, she wished she were aThat her husband had died instead of divorcing her In her lowhi

Pearl approached the table The wo had been as dra now?"

The other two Kidd sisters were close behind, still bundling up Marlene’s elderlytrouble with her coat sleeves, but before she could help, Billy appeared at the wo Eot all turned inside out"

"What a gentlenificant question there Was there so between Billy and Sorrow?

Marlene studied him Whether or not he was a hether it was Sorrow or somebody else, someday, some lucky woman would find herself turned inside out by this sheriff

Twelve

Billy felt kind of aard He’d gone houest to show up for dinner wearing a sidear too hard He refused to think on the fact that si too hard

Was he trying?

Of course he wasn’t The last time he’d tried with a woues, then friends, and it was a slow courtship that’d turned theht flowers Sys he didn’t necessarily enjoy but had thought his ould Sitting through a three-hour avant-garde opera? Now that had been trying

No, this was a friendly visit, all part of se’s private living quarters He’d never eaten in the lodge before--tourists and lodgers ate at the tavern--and he was looking forward to seeing how the fa," Edith told him as they joined Sorrow’s father in the den The a jeans with a sweater, but seeing Bear’s scowl, he’d begun to regret the absence of that sideared her husband--"say hello to Billy If it weren’t for hireeting then turned back to the ga, sir" Billy’s eyes went to the action on TV as he settled onto the giant sectional couch Its old brown leather was as co this year"

Bear’s eyes narrowed "You a Kentucky fan?"

That seemed like a minefield if ever there was one For all he knew, Kentucky fans weren’t allowed in the Big Bear Lodge

"I went to Colorado State," Billy said, sidestepping the question A topic change seemed in order, so he added, "It’s where I discovered o all the way there?" Bear was skeptical, obviously not the sort of man who thrived on travel

"Football scholarship"

Bear pulled his eyes frohter, feeling a little unco back," he clarified

"Ahh" A shtfully "Yeah, I see it You got that stocky sort of look of a man who played ball I played ball, too, once upon a time It was different then We didn’t e?"

Bear was quiet for a second Finally, he said, "Nah, didn’t go Didn’t need it I played high school ball, then played around here Town stuff"

They watched the ga out of the blue, "I appreciate you driving Edith I’ot better sheriff duties to tend to"

"Not a problem," Billy said, and he meant it It’d been a break from his routine and a pleasure to boot In fact, sether these days By being relentlessly friendly and occupying hihosts--one particular black-haired ghost--at bay

When he’d doubled back to drive the women home, they’d invited him in and plied hily few questions He could tell they wanted to asker like hie Sierra Falls female retiree would view him as a project Oddly, rather than

"I don’t knohat it is os," Bear said "Youto deal with those old birds They’re going to use our letters, though It’ll turn this town around, you’ll see"

"Thanks to Sorrow," Billy said At Bear’s questioning look, he added, "Ithe their worth Not everyone would appreciate such a slice of history Most folks would’ve dued "I guess"