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Sierra Falls Veronica Wolff 29340K 2023-08-31

Damien’s parents came back in "Sweetheart," Phoebe told her, "I aht was ruined"

Dabney turned to Sorrow, too, giving her a bolstering look "She’ll get another chance, won’t you, kid?"

"She spilled grease in the oven," Bear said

Sorrow’s voice was dangerously calrease in my Coq au Vin"

Billy put a protective arm around her "Nobody keeps a healthier or cleaner kitchen than your daughter"

"Well so was in that cocoa van of hers" Bear shook his head as he told her, "I told you not to cook That kitchen’s too big for you"

The patronizing cohtly at her chest, edging one step closer to her father "Too big? Too big?"

Dabney helped his wife shoulder into her jacket "Listen here, Bear If the girl said there was no grease, there was no grease"

"It’s a shaood-bye She held her chin and looked into her eyes as she gently said, "One of these days, this toill serve so more palatable than Tom’s chicken poppers, and my money’s on you"

Dabney went to the door Looking back at Damien, he said, "Coive the guy soo Damien turned to Sorrow "You sure you’re okay?"

She nodded The Simmons family left, with the rest of the crowd close behind

"Grease fire," Chief Haskell said as hemuch to do but clean it up Believe it or not, the oven survived"

"Thanks, Mike," Sorrow said "That’s good news"

"Anything for a pretty lady" Mike gave her a wink

Billy clapped hiht, work’s done here Don’t you have a wife to get hohed "Understood Hey, Sorroe’ll see you at the festival I hear it’s shaping up to be a doozy, ith all the Buck Larsen stuff"

"Let’s hope," she said, giving hiht stabbed him Billy wouldn’t stand idly by--he needed her father to listen to reason "I wish I could convince you," he told the man "First the freezers, now this I don’t think these accidents are accidents at all"

"That’s enough for one night I told you before, city boy All we have in Sierra Falls is neighbors No vandals, or gangs, or anything like that" Bear nodded toward the door "Ti shop Gonna open some s to air it out Between the stink and the cold, we’re pulling a goose egg on business tonight"

Sorrow stiffened "It wasn’t my fault"

"It was somebody’s fault," Bear said

Billy was quick to intervene He was just as done with Bear as Bear ith his night "We’ll lock up here, Mister Bailey You go join the o watch some CNN" She winked at her sister

Her father sucked at his teeth a second, then with a stoic nod, let Laura lead hiave Billy a sad half smile "I think Dad could use some alone time to sit in his recliner and lick his wounds"

"Do you need to go back to the lodge, too?"

"Are you kidding? I’ back there until I know my father is sound asleep in bed"

He wrapped her in his arms "I know it’s not your fault Not even a little bit"

She relaxed into hiine how soh tofrom a Dutch oven, and Sully keeps a spotless kitchen So, what happened? Usually, thethat happens in this town is when old ler has one nip too many and drives his sno off the road"

"Actually, that sounds dangerous"

"Yeah," she admitted, "it kind of was But that was back in Christain I think the whole episode hy Marshall finally becaot back frorew silent, thinking There’d been severed freezer lines, a roof cave-in, one downed tree, and now this Fire was nothing to mess around with, and it shot his concerns to a whole different level But how to address it with Sorroithout scaring the wits out of her? "Your dad thinks it’s all just a run of bad luck…"