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"Why is it you don’t like Terry? You never really have Even as kids you tere always at each other’s throats"

"I don’t know Bad che…off about him I don’t kno to describe it I just wish Croouldn’t hang out with hi to tell your young man who his friends should be"

"Mrunt is worth a thousand words"

"Main, but smiled

"Crow can take care of himself Hell, we’ve all seen that"

"I know, Daddy, but you knohat it did to hi if it hadn’t been for that job"

"Yep, and I also know that he pulled hiether--while he was still in that job Not a lot of men could do that He fixed himself, as my pappy would say He saw that his life was broken, and he fixed himself"

"Mm"

"Will you stop that?"

"Mm-​hm"

He threw a cracker at her, which she surprised herself by catching She ate the cracker and stuck a cruue at him

Connie Guthrie whisked into the room, all fresh and cute in her floral-​print dress, sensible pu blond curls, and brilliant smile She favored them with an airy wave of her hand and then made a beeline for the stove

"Ooo! We have soup!"

"It’s for Crow," Guthrie said quickly as if he didn’t have a spoon halfway to his mouth

"Well, you have some Maybe I’ll just try a little" She looked quickly at Val, as if for approval, but neither wanting nor expecting any Without another word she took a bowl froave Val an apologetic look, but she waved it off "I didn’t even know you could cook"

Connie had just finished arranging her side of the table with a frilly place mat, precisely folded napkin, soupspoon set just so, the soup bowl positioned perfectly in the center of the plate with five crackers laid out overlapping each other around the ri

"Ooo, there’s the door!" Connie said, as if that were a hilarious joke "Just when I was sitting down" Then she actually sat down Val exchanged an aet that, then?" she asked dryly

"Oh, would you, dear?" cooed Connie "I wouldn’t want this fabulous soup of yours to get all cold and nasty"

"Heaven forbid" Val stood up, waving to her father to reet it"