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THEY WERE SITTING ON A BENCH IN A PARK NOT FAR FROM THE HOTEL The weather was perfect: the heat of the suone, but the trees still kept their leaves and the greenness of the holiday months On that same bench, she had sat with Mrs Sloan three weeks before They'd met in a park siiven the proxi as a guest -, they'd chosen for their conversations this other park, where she was now discussing her future life with another virtual stranger

"I'll stay," she said

"Great," Jesse just whispered "This is scary forfor Mrs Sloan had becoood boss too This is all going to be so different for both of us… But I really want to do it! I don't feel that I have to do it anymore! Now it's ot… carried away"

"You've put into words the evolution I've witnessed in you since we met At first, you seemed forced to convince ht And it feels great"

"I don't understand"

"You're not supposed to"

"Mr Tanner?" Aa dark blue suit with a white shirt and no tie, ca down the lane from the hotel He was handsome, in a 1950s-movie-actor way His impeccable hair and his serene sy Kathy liked "I'm so sorry to interrupt, but ould really appreciate your supervision of the winter budget It was customary of Mrs Sloan to do so"

"Of course Steve, isn't it? Steve, this is Kathy Schneider She is the co-owner of the hotel"

"Nice to er of the Pink Roses Hotel, at your service"

Kathy watched as the two men walked away Jesse had insisted she ith theo back to Patty's Bed & Breakfast She recognized and appreciated Jesse's efforts to involve her in everything, but her h to go through the hotel's books just then She had agreed to stay, to be his partner Nevertheless, her whole body was feeling out of place Again she felt like crying, which was a waste, she thought, a - she was afraid of not being able to assu the two businesses, even if shared, and the fear was a trigger for a chain reaction of every upsetting feeling that was stored in her mind