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"We don’t need the nice dishes We just need to fill it"

North pointed out the correctly sized boxes and bags, and they used the the large far it on its side across froe their shelves with still-packed boxes of books--and two overstuffed living roo chairs, four patio chairs, a laer, and half of the regular dining room chairs were further tucked in with expert precision

The way North stacked everything--sos on their sides--was Tetris-like Blocky Stable Every piece of furniture was padded with linens and towels, and every re crevice was ja was dusted before it was slid into place North only vetoed a handful of ite, and a few others Those were set aside

The air was cleaner Eold became more aware of her breath, becary

"What about the couch?" she asked "It’s still in my bedroom"

North"It’s going in the living rooht--that incredibly si to sit on beside your beds Somewhere to relax when you come home fro to sit on while you adold was thankful she was already flushed froht of North undressing wasit your tree"

He grinned "I grew it, didn’t I?"

"I bought it, didn’t I?"

"And I’lad you did" North tossed aside the flannel shirt He was noearing a black T-shirt … with an NPR logo on it

Marigold was doubly tongue-tied

She knew, on sos like this if they didn’t like you But this was the first out-loud acknowledg his superhu

And then … there was the T-shirt National Public Radio see a boy who liked indoor activities would be interested in Maybe they had ht they did,

But the fact that Marigold hadn’t iiven him a smartass retort took North’s own smartassery down a notch He looked unsure of himself, like maybe he’d misread the situation Maybe she wasn’t interested in hiold was definitely interested

She gave hihten his shoulders, and Marigold couldn’t help but notice--really, really notice--the shape of his upper body The fact that it had a shape But as her question sunk in, he grew embarrassed He turned around to shove a shoebox filled with nuts and bolts into one of the last ree drive," he said, old said

"I like keeping up with the news I like learning things"

"My mom listens to NPR"

His back was still turned "So I should have asked this earlier, but are there any boxes of Christmas"--he shook his head--"Yule decorations that we should be looking for?"

He was changing the subject instead of playing along Interesting Until now, he hadn’t seemed like someone who could resist a comeback

"Or are solstice trees bare?" he continued drily "The way nature made them?"