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“You shouldn’t break into people’s houses Now, you can either go or you can give me a hand out back” He hit the aluht

Just go, he thought Just head on back to Mac and Rachel and leave me alone

But the girl was right behind hie He couldn’t deny it—part of him was more than a little happy

ADMITTEDLY, Julia’s plan to find work had not been carefully thought out It was day three of her job search The first day she’d walked down Main Street looking for Help Wanted signs in the business s There weren’t any so she’d grabbed New Springs’ weekly newspaper and yesterday she’d filled out applications at the hair salon and movie theater

But today she had a new idea Instead of getting whatever job was available she was going to find the job she wanted

She had an idea of what that job was She’d carried the fledgling dreairl But how to take that idea and turn it into a career—well, she was more than a little clueless

“Hi,” sheflowers Oh, and can you pay me lots of e degree and I barely passed the GED?”

“Ma to see who to

“Boo!” she said with a big sue

First, she would try the grocery store, to see if they had a horticulture department If that didn’t work, she could expand her search

The sun wars stretched and ate up the concrete It felt good tosomewhere with, if not a plan, at least an idea

And the yards in this neighborhood were fantastic, like works of art! These people had so it on plants and flowers Purple and gold and pink lupine was everywhere, as was the ubiquitous eucalyptus She stopped and stroked the silvery leaf of a plant she didn’t know and accidentally kicked over a s its metal poles back beside the hosta and the mystery plant

Hol, it read

Julia had that breathless, shaky feeling that accoood to be true