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"I just need a little help," Hadley said "I’m sure you’re a wonderful paramedic, Mr Chartier--" Gerard’s name was stitched on his jacket "--but Jack and I used to be married He can help hed and went over E his hand to his ex-wife

"Maybe if you didn’t wear three-inch heels in the snow, you wouldn’t trip," Emmaline observed

"A lady alears heels," she said, seizing Jack’s hand He pulled her up, and she collapsed against hi," she said, tears filling her big brown eyes She gave an aard hop

"That looks pretty bad," Gerard said "Definitely a sprain, judging fro Let me take you to the hospital for an X-ray"

"No, no, it’s just a sprain U me hoave her a look

"Get an X-ray," Levi said

"No, no, I’ll just get on home and pop it up on soht, Mr Chartier?"

"Callat her like a proud teacher The guy was such a flirt "Throw in soive it to Hadley Anyone could fake a fall in a parking lot It took real colance at her, and Eleam there And Hadley knew she saw it, based on the twitch of lips Watch, listen and learn, Yankee This is how it’s done

"This is downright eonna have to carry hed and picked her up

Em had the impression there would be many more sprained ankles in Hadley’s future "Have fun," she said, starting for her car

"Em, wait," Jack said "I’ll just be a few minutes"

"Oh, no, you should take care of Blanche DuBois here"

"It’s Hadley," the other woan

"I don’t really want to have a conversation around the body in your arms," she said "Have fun, kids"

BECAUSE THE OPERA HOUSE didn’t have an elevator, Jack ended up carrying Hadley up the stairs

"I really do appreciate this, Jack," she said as he set her down She leaned against the door fra slippery it gets around here Oh, well" She s in for a second? I did want to talk to you, after all And rab me an ice pack I’ht If her ankle hadn’t been bruised, he would’ve thought she’d staged the whole thing It was right up her alley; she’d once confessed to hiet the attention of a football player in college

She hobbled inside, and Jack closed his eyes for a minute, then followed He couldn’t just duht want to

Sharon and Jim Stiles kept this apartment for people just like Hadley, folks who’d be in town for a few months at a time Faith had rented it out when she’d first moved back from San Francisco, and Colleen’s husband had stayed here over the summer when his uncle was sick It was a cute little place, furnished and stocked with china and glasses and that sort of thing

Way too easy for Hadley to ood to be back here," she said as he opened the freezer and grabbed a bag of peas, since she didn’t seem to have an ice pack "Frankie came up last weekend, and ere both real sorry you weren’t around"

"I ith Emmaline," he said

Hadley jerked, then recovered "Is that right," sheher hair around to one side She smiled as he handed her the peas "Thank you, Jack Ue? I think there’s a first aid kit in the bathroo but obeyed The bathroom counter was laden with little baskets filled with bottles of perfuirlie stuff

Looked like she was planning to stay awhile

He grabbed the kit and a bottle of Motrin and went back to the living rooo I have to run," he said

"Do you think you could wrap my ankle?" she said "I’uess I feel so stupid Bad enough to be the town pariah Now I’m the clumsy town pariah" Her expression was rueful

"You’re not a pariah," he said

"If you say so I’ve been getting dirty looks since I moved back"

Moved back He didn’t like the sound of that

"Which I guess is what I deserve"

He sat down next to her, and she reached under her skirt and pulled off her stocking with a businesslike motion, which surprised him He would’ve expected a striptease Her skin was cold and s of sympathy