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"Senator froer Landis" Dee blinked fast, her eyes widening with surprise "I remember that"

"You do?"

She nodded quickly "I reers "--a wide-screen television…" Her cheeks puffed, her excite "And that’s it The one" She shook her head, her gaze focused on hiod, you were shot I do reot so an old lady at the cere the world while his sister needed him more "I just happened to be in the seat next to soreat heroic decision"

"Yeah, right, whatever" She cocked her head to the side "How a difference in people’s lives No wonder you’re itching to get back" She studied her chewed-down fingernails "Only a couple more weeks until you leave"

"I’m not out the door yet I need to settle Eet a transfer to Taco with you…"

"She doesn’t want to leave, not even to live in Tacoo even an hour away

"Isn’t she a senior? Graduation is only about four months away"

"She’s a junior, Chase is a senior"

"Will he stay?"

"I honestly don’t know She doesn’t want to lose any tih to get a read off of hi your life" She grazed her fingers just above his gunshot wound "Putting yourself in harer Thanks to joining the local Civil Air Patrol Ialong for rescue ot out of here I need to pay back that debt"

Her face softened with understanding "You don’t like owing anyone anything, do you?"

"Not ave over power to someone else and he needed to be in control "I had hoped Emily would find the sa with Chase Then she got pregnant and dropped out"

"I’m sorry about your sister, your father, too" Her puffy breathsthe air with their coh his mind, then lower

Control would slip away completely if he didn’t haul butt away from her Now He’d made it halfway to his truck before her voice stopped hiotten that kiss Soet, and believe athered on his shoulders, he stood still for so long before looking back

She stuffed herto throw myself at you a second ti in a deep breath "--I don’t want to be alone All that’s waiting for me inside that room is a cold bed and a clean tub Jacob, my heart hurts when I think of my own child My arms feel so empty for a baby I can’t even remember"

Dee’s jaw quivered "What if I’m a mass murderer? Or a bank robber on the run" Her voice deflated to a whisper "Or a h him as cleanly as the bullet he’d taken in his ar, he knew he couldn’t have her until he’d ruled out the possibility of a husband Da up the world searching for Dee?

With one finger, he traced a slow, deliberate path over her jaw This woers splayed across her cheek

More than a little regret pulsing through him, he let his hands fall to rest on her shoulders and turned her toward her door "Go to sleep, Dee"

It was for the best Her life was coh She needed his help She definitely didn’t need to plunge into souy ould only be around for teeks

Shein Tacoma after all

Chapter 8

D ee shoved the lost-and-found box to the back of the closet Over the past week, the container had filled Rapidly Jacob had the most absentminded patrons on the planet And they all wore a size seven

She’d been pleased to discover the first pair of jeans and a flannel shirt, yelloith flowers that ainst her cheek How lucky could she get?

Much luckier

The next day, she’d unearthed Gore-Tex gloves, then snow boots and a hat, followed by another pair of jeans and a cash froot any "luckier," she’d be Irish

Dee fingered the cuff of her pink sweater He really needed to stop with the gifts before her IOU pad overflowed She was teer and see how far Jacob would carry the ame Aside from the fact she desperately needed the clothes, the tokens had also carried her through a week of disappoint about her identity

Thanks to Jacob’s quizzing, she’d had shs She and Jacob often sat in front of the lobby fireplace eating popcorn and flipping through azines to see if any of the pictures pro concrete

The se pinned to a pro a childhood bicycle ride with a friend

The sound of planes roaring overhead…At a base? During an air show?

Regardless, she couldn’t help but notice how often her i to do with theher present with Jacob into her past? Or were the memories real? She honestly didn’t know

So herself because the present see And handso the fuzzy softness of her neeater

Still, the time had come to put a stop to Jacob’s charity