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Madison folded her arms and tapped her foot on the weathered wood floor "I’ll bet they do" They had to find sos on

Brice smiled down at her, and she took an involuntary step back He always see up more than his allotted space

"So," he said, perfectly aware of the effect he was having "When are you co back to school?"

She shook her head "I’ home-schooled It’s a distance course" So I can keep my distance froht frown on his face, like he didn’t knohether to believe her or not "That’s too bad Well, listen, I’ll call you, then We can hang out I’ll introduce you around," he added

Un Be Lievable After everything that had happened, Brice Roper was hitting on her Again For ato stop up in her mouth "Why…thanks so much, but I’m from here, I don’t really need an introduction" In fact, there were people she’d like to be unintroduced to Guess as top of the list?

"Besides, I’ to be really busy, and, anye don’t have a phone right now"

"Right," he said "Carlene’s been using our phone a lot Stop by and use it any time you want I’ at school" He reached out and lightly brushed back her hair with his hand

She slapped his hand away and he caught hold of her wrist, his face flushing to the color of old brick

Bryson Senior spoke fro? Come on We’re late already" He pointed at his watch, turned, and stalked out the door

Madison looked back at Brice in time to see hatred pass across his face before he swept it clean He let go of her wrist "I’ll be seeing you," he said, and turned away

Not if I see you first, Madison thought

"What did young Brice want?" Carlene asked as they descended the broad, shallow steps of the courthouse, Ray trailing hopefully behind

"He wanted me to know everybody misses me"

"I believe he has a crush on you, Madison," Carlene said, reapplying her lipstick without breaking stride "That boy has a hungry look"

"Mama Just…don’t"

"They say the Ropers have scads of s" Too much and too often "Graed "She never liked any of my boyfriends, either"

Ray followed the around like a locust in summer Carlene handed Ray the brush and he cleared snow off the car while she started the engine

"I’ll get the teret back to you on that," Ray was saying "When’s your birthday, Maddie?"

"Not till August"

"As long as you’ll be here, we can arrange the paperwork so we’re ready to transfer the deed to the house and all whenever you turn eighteen" Ray was the executor of Min’s estate

"I still don’t knohy Min would leave you the hter"

"Because if she’d left it to you, it’d be gone already"

Carlene shut up, then, fuoes your wicked tongue again, Madison thought Min always said you never could suffer a fool

Carlene worked a shift that night, so after supper Madison helped John Robert with his bath, washing the foster- it dry into its natural ringlets

While he brushed his teeth, Madison dug the Christmas presents out of her duffle and laid them under the artificial tree in the front room She’d bartered for most of it with the Trinity Square merchants There was a CD player for JR, a handwoven shawl for Grace, and a bracelet for Carlene

Pulling on her coat, she walked out onto the porch She rested her hands on the splintered porch railing, and breathed in the raw cold like a tonic Lights glittered in the valley below Off to the left, Booker Creek worried over stones and whispered secrets on its way down the mountain

She explored the vacancy left by Seph’s absence, like she ht the space once occupied by a broken-off tooth He was a constant presence in her peripheral vision, tall and silent and accusing, pale face frale of curls But he disappeared each ti else, now, too Ever since the encounter in the church baseonheart see any unoccupied space, like i the cru stone steps, Madison crossed the side yard to where the charred rereenhouse Carlene had left the wooden bones to randfather had shaped the timbers with a hand axe Had laid the stones of the foundation higher at one end to account for the slope of the land

Madison knelt and poked through the ashes with a stick, hoping not to find any witch signs

A slight sound behind Madison alerted her to the fact that she was not alone She stood and turned It was Grace, who still couldn’t decide if she was speaking to Madison or not

Don’t be like edyat the ruins, their breath plu their feet to keep warm

"So what happened to the shed?" Madison asked, after a bit

"Some people set it on fire," Grace replied