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"The tourists?" I asked, wiping one, like they up and left together"

My stouess what had happened to three of thedalena Let me fix up a plate of food for you to take home"

"Thanks"

I watched hi I was onbecause I didn’t want todown his best entrée

"Bridger stopped in last night"

My eyes grew round and my blood accelerated at the mere mention of his naue

"Don’t you want to knohy?" he asked

"No Not really"

He shrugged "Suit yourself" He started hue

"Why did Bridger come in?" I didn’t mean to speak, but the question snuck out before I could stop it

José dropped a handful of cheese onto my food and said, "He ordered takeout Fish tacos"

"One plate or two?"

"Two"

I nodded silently I’d already known that would be the answer

"He brought so a bit … aard" José turned and studied et it" José handed me my finished and boxed rocery bag frouess you already knohat it is"

It was my shoes, socks, jeans, black shirt, bra, panties, to-ih, and jacket froun That wassuspicion

"So, when can I put you back on the schedule?" José asked

"Can youenough to regain control ofhunted It had to be long enough

"I’ll put you down for next Wednesday’s dinner shift Let me know if that won’t work"

I nodded and thanked hi Raining really hard And for some reason, when it rained in Silver City, tarantulas crawled out of wherever they lived and scrambled all over the road I tried not to run over thee, hairy bodies would pop beneath the tires,to last a lifeti the life of a spider seeot to Mrs Carpenter’s, so wet that evenshoes had water pooled in the she wasn’t watching h a , and threw a quick handful of feed at the chickens Shash whined at o out," I snapped "You’ll get soaked"

I went upstairs to hide Shash didn’t folloouldn’t leave his spot by the barn door even when I called hiroceries were put away I stripped out of s and then went to the bathroom and transformed my hair from faded plum to cold, colorless black I will adhter hair, but I felt better when it was black

After a hot shower, I went to my roo halfway down hs As I flopped down on the bed, I wished, not for the first time, that I could throwon, why I hadn’t come to check on her for a couple of days I could practically hear her

"Maggie Mae, quitthat man’s life He was evil if he wanted to kill you! You did the world good, reain So count your blessings and come and have some corn bread and chili"