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Surprise flashed in his eyes Good He was hearing her Only he decided to take a different tack He stepped closer, tugged at the front of her shirt "Look, babe You’ve been so swamped around here And I’ve been swaet out of town, reconnect We’ll take a mini-vacation Drive so French Laundry is out that way, too--I could get us a reservation It’s one of the best restaurants in the world"

She knew an instant of teht not kno the sheriff felt, but she had to be free to find out She took a step back "I can’t I’m sorry"

"Why can’t you? I’ll whisk you away" He stepped forward, leaning down to whisper in her ear "There’s a spa in Sonoe"

Wow, he was good It’d be so easy to say yes Hot stone o He’d love to take her

But she knew she couldn’t She shook her head "It wouldn’t be right"

"What do you ht?" He shook his head, baffled, like she was speaking gibberish

That nonchalant attitude of his girded her Daotten what he wanted But not this tie of you"

"It’s not taking advantage when it’s so I want to do For you For us"

"I can’t, Da it"

He opened hisof guilt Dauy--she cared for hi hienuinely hurt

"What aboutit?"

"No," she said, and the word brought with it a stab of sadness It wasup thing was hard She genuinely cared for hireat--so great You’ve done so uess," he interrupted "The old ‘it’s not you it’s retful sound "It’s okay, Bail I’ve given that talk a time or two myself" He chucked her chin "It’s not done yet, you know It ain’t over till the fat lady sings"

As breakups went, it felt oddly incoh In time, he’d come to understand that she’d meant every word

She moped around the house after that, and Laura found her later, sitting on their brother’s bed It was a good place to think Representing hope andthan BJ’s rooht after college, and though he’d been away for years, everything was just as he’d left it A Metallica poster San Francisco Giants baseball irlfriend

She peered at that photo for a while Strange that he’d kept it, they’d been broken up for so long

"Hey," Laura said, and Sorrow startled

She put the picture fra in here?" Laura wandered in, glancing idly at the books on his desk But then she froze, paled "There wasn’t any neas there?"

"No," Sorrow said quickly, having instantly understood the question A loved one fighting a war on the other side of the planet tended tophones, and somber visits to the bedroom cause for alarm "No word from BJ"

"Jeez You scared me" Laura plopped next to her on the brown corduroy bedspread "So then what’s got you so droopy? You look like you just lost your puppy"

"Damien and I broke up"

Laura smirked "You mean, you broke up with Damien"

Sorrow cast her eyes down and picked at the couessed? You and that sheriff are practically joined at the hip"

She snapped her head up at that "We are not"

"What’s up with that, anyway? Some sort of older man complex?"

"He’s, like, ten or eleven years older than me," Sorrow said "That’s hardly old"

"Whatever" Laura flopped onto her side, leaning on her elbow "So, you and Dao down?"

"He didn’t believe hed "Of course he didn’t I think the last person to break up with Daave her a rueful sht"

"So, what’d he say?"

"He said he wanted to take me away somewhere"

"Like on a vacation?"

Sorrow nodded How she’d dreae of his money that way "Yeah"

"So what’d you say?"