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He shook his head, and privately Grace was pleased but she recognized that her response was purely selfish

"I figured the coer man I recommended Cal Washburn"

"Your trainer?" Grace had met Cliff's trainer on a couple of occasions and liked hiht through her It was unsettling As she recalled, he spoke with a slight stutter

Cliff's mouth moved in the barest hint of a smile "Cal wasn't exactly keen on the idea"

"But he's willing to volunteer?"

"He didn't say, but he's considering it"

"For someone who loves animals as un now appeared full force "Are you trying to ree to this, Grace Sherman?"

Grace sain "I'ht away Apparently you've stirred up more interest than you realized"

"I suppose you were the one who threwwas the last man she'd recommend, and all because of her own self-interest "It wasn't aret White was the one who suggested you"

He shrugged as if he didn't know the name

"She works at the vet's office"

He gestured in a way that inize her but he wasn't sure "I've probably seen her then"

Silence again

Grace couldn't ilanced into the dining areas, but the wo the two parties ahead of her

"Olivia and Jack are ho to make conversation The silence was unbearable She couldn't stand next to this h price her Internet indiscretion had cost her

"So I understand"

Grace hadn't seen Olivia so happy, not in years At the sa to married life A couple of recent phone calls had left Grace feeling there was soh Olivia hadn't been co

"Fro Cedar Cove quite a bit"

Grace froze When Stan found out that Olivia had decided to marry Jack, he'd come to Grace, maudlin and sorry for hio to dinner with hi she wanted noas for Cliff to learn about that

"I think Stan knows he made a mistake," Grace said tentatively If Cliff knew about her dinner with Stan, he wasn't letting on "People do that-- with hiiveness

Cliff avoided eye contact "Stan learned that his regrets ca Grace hers had, too

The terrible silence was back

"Charlotte told me what you did for her and her friends," Cliff said next, as if he couldn't bear the silence either

Grace was furious every tiroup of elderly protestors For heaven's sake, Ben Rhodes was a retired admiral! Troy should be asha to better our community I felt the least we could do was support her efforts"

Cliff tried to hide his a down at the carpet

"What's so funny?"

"You," he said, raising his eyes That little set on your bad side"

She was on his bad side, though, and the reminder instantly sobered her

"Charlotte was thrilled with the community support and she credits you with that"

"I didn't do ave a careless shrug "It wasn'therself to do it, but in retrospect she wished she had

As if reading her thoughts, he said "I would've been there had I known"

The hostess reappeared just then "Sorry to keep you waiting" She automatically reached for two menus