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As if she’d sit in her room while they talked about Uncle Jesse who, she wished she could point out, had actually let her hang out for over a week He even joked around with her

Amanda stomped up the stairs and made sure she hit all the squeaky floorboards in the hallway before sla her door hard Then she pivoted on her toe, flattened herself along the wall and eased back toward the edge of the hallway She got just close enough that she could hear their hushed voices

“Do you knoho this Julia is?” Rachel asked

There was a silence and A his head “I don’t quite understand what’s upsetting you so much about her”

“Everything about this situation is upsettingdesperate

“I can see that, sweetheart But you’re the one anted to give him space”

“I thought that’s what he needed” Mo “What if I’? What if he leaves before we can talk?”

“Then let’s not keep our distance It’s been killinghim fix that roof on his own”

Boris, the duht of Amanda from her parents’ open bedroom door

Crap!

He stood from his spot on their bed, shook hirin at her

She held her finger up to her ood He barked cheerfully at her anyway

“Why did you think this Julia woman is a journalist?” Dad asked “And not just an interested single mom?”

“I got a phone call the other day from the hospital Caleb Gomez is conscious”

Caleb Gouys in the helicopter crash The only one besides Uncle Jesse that lived So is up! A is definitely up

“That’s great” Dad sounded totally relieved “He’s recovering”

“He’s asking to talk to Jesse”

Boris jumped down fro Because he was a dog and dued to step on all the squeaky floorboards

“Well, I’d iuy’s alive because of Jesse,” Dad said