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Standing on the wooden porch, I knock twice as Maddock pulls away in his truck and aain, Hardman’s sister, the woman who drove ?" she begins by way of a greeting "We’ve been worried sick" Behind her, five people sit at a round oak table, just finishing supper Lilly, the young pregnant woman, a tall redhead, stares blankly at a space over the stove, but her face is turned our way

"Oh, Patience," she says with a laugh "We’re so glad you’re here Mother’s been fretting all day, but I’m fine These are my parents, Mr and Mrs Wade, my uncle Billy Hardht behind you" My friend has already moved into the room She puts down the birth satchel and touches Lilly on the shoulder as Lilly reaches up and hugs her If Mrs Wade is still offended by the color of irl we all look the saood," Lilly says when Bitsy hugs her

"It must be Patience’s hoet some for the store, then! Could we, BK? Wouldn’t that be lovely? If it wasn’t too expensive, the wo and placing his dish in the sink

The beautiful redhead stops her chatter and begins to swing her head slowly fronize a contraction when I see one The roooes quiet, and BK steps up behind his wife to rub her shoulders When she’s done, she rests her head on his stomach "Thanks, hon"

"Lordy, how long o on?" Mrs Wade wonders

"Bertha," Mr Wade warns, "it’s the o back to the spare bedroom, and read" Bertha slashes him a look but does what he says, clears the table, and stalks out "I’ over to my office," Lilly’s father tells us "Call if you need anything"

"I better get a move on too" That’s Hardman, Uncle Billy "I came by your place on Wild Rose and waited for a while, but had to get back to town Maddock bring you? He’s an odd duck" The sheriff doesn’t wait for s into his policees his niece

"I have so of yours, Miss Murphy," he says tofor me?"

He nods his scarred chin and tips his head toward the porch Outside a fog has moved in and silenced the street Hardman pulls out a yellow sheet of paper folded in quarters "It’s been intime"

My hands shake as I take the docu that this is so someday, a wanted poster with my photo on it

I’m surprised, when I unfold the parchuely reseht, and there are wire-ri and the almond eyes look alue description

"Two Hundred Dollar Reward," the announcement reads, "for the arrest of Elizabeth Snyder, approxianizer froitator Mother Jones, is suspected of the murder of coal miner Ruben Gordesky of Matewan Inforiven to any local law enforce" I look up