Page 45 (1/2)

I was surprised to find Ja their coats Gloria had our coats over her arm, and she handed theently while she helped hiht you to behave in public"

Ja, "I hardly think we can blaic," I said "Ittheoons to drag me outside"

"But it backfired on him," Owen put in "Those crazy wo me, I don’t knoould have happened"

"I’m sure you could have handled the situation," Gloria said "Now, get in the car and let’s get ho, and now you see why These socials never go well"

Dinner was a lot less aard and uncomfortable than lunch had been The events at the church social gave us plenty of conversational fodder Owen looked like he would have been happy discussing anything other than what a good ht he’d ht none of those woh for her boy I couldn’t tell how much she approved of me, but at least she didn’t have a prospective bride already picked out frohters

When we’d finished eating, I helped clear the table and offered once more to help with the dishes, but Gloria shook her head sternly "They’ll wait until ," she said "Ja people are welcome to stay up as late as you like"

"Just don’t stay up late enough to catch Santa Claus in the act," James added with a wink "He doesn’t like that"

Owen and I went back to the parlor and sat by the fire, side by side on the forood as a chaperone, since it was the kind of sofa that forces you to sit up straight and behave properly I couldn’t i on that sofa Arawn lay contentedly at Owen’s feet and promptly went to sleep "Well, that was an experience," I said

"I hope I don’t have to tell you that church socials here aren’t always like that" He sighed "And now I’ll be the focus of gossip for months Gloria and James will have to visit me in the city because it won’t be safe for me here"

"And the city is that et us, and all? Now I’uy is the same one I saw in the office the other day"

"So, Idris is teamed up with the descendant of soo?"

"Maybe Mr Bones could be freelancing These people could be Idris’s custoic I just find it odd It’s so to think about"