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I shook her outstretched hand, and the handshake turned into a hug "Jackson, Tennessee"

"I can’t tell you how glad I am that you’re back Eva bit the new doctor at the Grundy clinic, and now he’s less than enthusiastic about seeing her for her checkups The big sissy"

"She did break the skin," Cooper pointed out, though there was a note of pride in his voice

"Well, that was the only way she could express ‘I do not appreciate the intrusion of your booster-shot needle’ with the emphasis she felt was necessary," Mo said prilad you’re back, Doc"

"I’ed my idiot cousin hohten his stubborn ass out, it’s you"

"Thanks," I said "I hope I’e"

"Oh, you know you are," Mo said "If he’s anything like Cooper, he’d hand you the moon and stars if you looked at ’em twice They’re shaie"

Maggie overheard this and sent a rude gesture Mo’s hich Mo returned without breaking her verbal stride

"Maggie toldmeans that she’s worried Let them help you, Tina Trust in them They’ll stand for you until the very end; it’s in their natures"

I nodded

"And if they don’t, I’ll just knock the hell out of your ex with a fire extinguisher It’s sort of ether to keep fro moment Mo was known for her proith both kitchen knives and fire-suppression equipuisher when her sister-in-law had gotten just a little too close to wounding Cooper in a street brawl

"We gals are in the saher arether Maybe we can foranizing that sort of thing Hey, Nick!" She called after her brother-in-laas in a corner, holding a digital recorder in Caleb’s face Mo easily handed her daughter off to Cooper, atched his wife scamper off with a bemused expression

"Runs at a mile a minute, my mate," he said fondly "And her brain runs even faster"

"I reallyon ainst her daddy’s shoulder I stroked her sleek blue-black hair, still row She was only two, and it was alone a few !"

"But not too big, right?" Cooper asked, anxious "She’s where she needs to be growth chart–wise?"

"She’s perfect," I assured hiers brushed over her forehead I paused She was a little warm I checked her nose, which was predictably runny and flush with thin htly swollen, and froainst her daddy, you could tell she wasn’t exactly bounding with energy

"Everything OK?" Caleb asked, anxious again

"Well, it looks like she could be co doith a cold Has she co?" I asked

"No, but she’s napped a lot today,her back

"Well, it’s in the early stages yet, and at this age, she can’t really articulate headaches," I said, glancing over lite?"

Dan proudly held up the little flashlight he kept in a holster at his hip, an idea he’d latched onto after watching too many episodes of CSI "I told you it would come in handy!" he crowed

"Yes, yourthe offered flashlight and gently prying Eva’s ht into her throat and winced at the sight of red, inflaot there, sweetie"

"What do we do?" Cooper asked, his voice slightly panicked "Do we need to take her to the hospital? Should we call nine-one-one?"

"This is why Mo handles ruht now, it’s probably just a little cold, one ofto have over the course of her life But just to be sure, take her back into Maggie’s office, and I’ll do an exa and soht need You keep her in here where it’s warm"

"Shouldn’t we come to the clinic with you?" Cooper asked "You have all of the equipment there, those defibrillator paddles and the intubation stuff and" He trailed off as I gave hio wait for you in the office"