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Beth’s heart swelled with love and appreciation "Be yourself, Sam That’s all I want"

He pressed her hand to the side of his face "Aren’t you even a little bit curious what I look like without all this hair?" he asked

Actually, Beth did wonder Until now, she’d never given ithair, too

Sa atto picture you without a beard"

He winked at her and gave her one of his special sh"

Beth sipped her latte and sighed, thinking about her aunt "You did warnout loud

"Warn you about what?"

Beth looked up "That dinner I arranged for ht you said it went fine?"

"That hat Sunshine ledo well?"

"I don’t think so When we spoke she said it was a real surprise for them both, but she didn’t say it was a pleasant one I quizzed her about it and all she’d tellup"

Sa to read between the lines of her aunt’s co to happen, Beth?"

That was the same question she’d asked herself countless ti "I don’t know … I thought, I hoped, they would reconnect and give their relationship a second chance In retrospect, that sounds foolishly romantic and a little silly, doesn’t it?"

"Not in the least You have such a warain would be natural for you"

Sa more than kind when she felt like she deserved to be chastised for stirring up old hurts that were none of her business

"Are you thinking nothing good will come out of their dinner?"

"Doubtful," Beth ad to keep in touch with Peter and she gave me a sad smile and said probably not"

Beth didn’t have a clear picture of what had actually transpired between the two She knew they’d had as away But it didn’t sound like anything of importance had taken place And she was even more convinced of that after she’d heard from Sondra Reacher

"What I really wanted," Beth said, clearing her thoughts, "was for there to be healing I don’t know entirely rong between them, other than the fact that oing on than I’rew thick and she sed hard "Oh Saht have stirred up a hornet’s nest"

Sa his ar his warht to say you told me so You did warn ood that did anyone now, especially Sondra Reacher, who, thanks to Beth, ithout a job

Beth exhaled a long breath with the decision to tell hi "I talked to Sondra this afternoon She’s the receptionist I worked with to set up thewith Sunshine and Peter"

"I reme he did when he got back was to call her into his office" It was unfortunate that Sondra worked Mondays Perhaps if Mr Haht have had a change of heart

"What excuse did he use?"