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"All right," Joe agreed easily enough, and Paul was grateful "By the way," Joe said, helping hi?"

Paul looked away He didn’t want to think about Madge and Bernard "About as well as can be expected," he ain"

"Then she’s going to die soon?"

"Probably" Once again God would turn his back on a grieving family and yank away a loved one who had prayed desperately for healing, the way Paul had prayed for Barbara

"That’s too bad" Joe raised his feet and set the for tohten up the place a bit"

Paul looked around True, books were stacked here and there, but it wasn’t so bad "Do you think it needs it?"

"Kind of," Joe said

His son always had been the diplo you could use someone who came in once or twice a week to clean for you"

Paul laughed His own voice sounded rusty and odd to hier than he realized since he’d really laughed

"What’s thathirief, ould they do?"

"We could find soain"

"Why would I want anyone to do that?" Paul asked, seriously wanting to know "I’ood cook" He stood and slapped his son across the shoulders "It’s a nice thought, and I appreciate it, but no thanks"

9

The night closed in around Maureen with thick, dark hands She shivered with cold and rubbed the length of her ar It seemed hours since she’d wandered away fro, could it?

"Help," she called out, forcing the panic fro It was useless No one knehere she was No one was going to find her

"Maureen"

Her name came faintly, like a hisper froht and stood on top of the rock "Here," she shouted, cupping her " The whisper becaer

"This way," she shouted a second tiht appeared, and Maureen carefully scooted down the rock and headed toward it

"Maureen?"

"Here" The beacon was nizable Thom She should have known he’d be the one to find her Her treacherous heart reacted with a solid jolt of happiness

As she approached, he lowered the flashlight to the ground "Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice gentle with concern

"No, no, I’ed to rush into his ared to restrain herself Instead she waited for the well-deserved lecture about wandering off without telling anyone where she was going

It never came

"I’enuinely apologetic It had been foolish and risky She should have known better

"If you’re going to apologize to anyone, try Karen She’s nearly frantic"

"Oh, no" Maureen had warned her daughter against doing this very thing countless times Her own actions had been stupid and irresponsible

"I had to leave Midnight back on the trail" He shucked off his lambskin-lined jacket and draped it over her shoulders It felt warainst her chilled skin His scent circled her like the smoke from a lazy fire, and it felt as if his ar his tiuided her over the rocky path toward the trail She held on to hio With her hand in his she felt secure and safe

"Aren’t you angry with rew too ht

"Should I be?"

"Yes," she said crossly "I was reckless and foolish, and it seems to me--"

"It seeh with yourself You don’t needsuch a fine job of it"

They reached the narrow trail Midnight, his dark gelding, was tied to a tree, waiting i, sleek neck and spoke soothingly to the gelding Maureen recognized the sa voice It rankled her pride that he spoke to his horse in the sarace she envied, he lifted himself onto the saddle The leather creaked as it accepted his weight, and Midnight sidestepped twice, seeer to head back to the barn

Maureen wondered exactly what she was supposed to do when Thom slipped his foot free of the stirrup, leaned forward, and offered her his assistance

She studied his extended hand for a rimaced at the squeaky, nervous way her voice reverberated into the night She’d never ridden horseback in her life

"Yes" She noticed he didn’t offer her any advice or instructions