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I could also ied to a cowboy na to heat up, the water cooled down, shovingto the house settling in for the night I finger combed my curly hair as I dried it most of the way, literally too tired to even hold the hair dryer for too long Clutching my copy of Loins of Endearment, I crawled into thethe scent of clean linens and line-dried sunny blankets

I was asleep before even one loin was endeared

Chapter four

I dreah the surf, his very presence called toacross the sand packed fir down off histoward me But at the same time, a man who looked curiously like Clark waded in fro me know in no uncertain terht find in my shoes

"Lobsters? What lobsters?" I’d asked, to the tune of "Rock Lobster" by the B-52’s, of course He’d pointed down, and I was horrified to seeup and down the beach

I woke in a cold sweat But the soothing sound of the waves lulled ain, and I was back to the Land of Nod in no tian to creep into the sky, my body still on East Coast tiet on West Coast ti dream, I’d slept like a rock No drips, no leaky roof

I pulled the covers overto squeeze in one more set of forty winks, but it was useless Then I realized that it was after six And that meant

Coffee!

I threw on sos and a fleece, pushed my hair back into a headband, and clattered down the front steps I decided to walk into toanting to stretch s a bit after the hard work they’d done the day before, and would surely do again today Down the long driveway I went, turning down the main street into town Maybe a quarter mile or so, I could walk it in less than ten , I noticed a shop that specialized in antiques, and notably, old paintings Landscapes, several of the town I wondered if any of Aunt Maude’s paintings would be worth anything Might be a good idea to keep inopen the tinkly door, I looked for Jessica’s s face behind the counter She waved, and I headed down to the last seat again

"Saot to eat dinner last night" I sat down and picked up a newspaper someone had left

"I’ve never had that probleood cook," she proclai a ticket with ry Man on the hook behind the counter for the short-order cook

"I can see how that would never co a hello to Mr Martin in the seat next to an to read the news of the day Did two days in a row create a breakfast routine? Not sure, but I liked already where this was going

After I atefully now, and it pro back home, but here it was still full summer As I walked back to the house, I et tired of looking at that ocean Gulls surfed the there, I stopped to peer through the gri on top of a tarp, which covered a car I wondered what kind it was Best guess? A pink Pinto

I flipped through the keys ona few until one slid ho into the rafters with a puff of dust I coughed a few tis I’d inhaled so much of it over the past few days, I’d no doubt that if you patted e, cracked concrete belowup for the big reveal Holding e of the tarp, I pulled it out into the driveway, revealingmiles and miles of painted Detroit iron

A 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible White fins Whitewall tires Powder-blue body Not to , you," I breathed, running ood condition, and I could barely believe ood luck I couldn’t wait to drive it! I reluctantly covered it once e door And as I started walking back toward the house, I noticed the barn door was ajar I course corrected, heading for the open door I could hear the rustle of hay inside, and as the chickens hurried fro cards the horses ain

As I poked hty, he was a sight

Shoveling hay down fro up a sweat I leaned against a barn post, the sweet s of thick, his white T-shirt clung to his broad body, which was ridiculously strong He was like a steak, a pri down a load of hay right in front of e it in ti a tuft in my mouth in the process

"Told you to stay out of the barn," he called down, throwing the pitchfork aside and descending the ladder with perfect grace I started to brushof hayseeds in o in the barn whenever I darn well pleased when hebeganto brush me off