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‘Absolutely Fresh flowers in the roo…’ Except you

The cup slipped froainst the table Coffee oozed over the polished wood

‘Here,’ Nick said, ‘let me—’

‘No That’s okay’She stabbed at the spill with her napkin, then got quickly to her feet ‘Well I guess it’s time to clean up Why don’t you take a pot of water from the kitchen and heat it over the fire so we can do the dishes?’

He nodded ‘Sounds like a good idea’

He stood up, his gaze following Holly as she walked to the kitchen There’d been soret? Pain? No He was seeing what he wanted to see—and what did thatto look for except that which he’d come for in the first place

Closure And, thanks to the storht, he had that

He could leave today, knowing he’d made peace with his past, and with Holly

Holly Once she’d been his wife, and his lover Now, at long last, she ht just have become his friend

And that would have to be enough

‘What’ve you got in this thing, anyway?’ Nick grunted as he heaved the ice chest from the trunk of Holly’s car ‘Rocks?’

‘Supplies,’ she said, hurrying ahead of him to open the door ‘Here Put it on the counter’

‘Supplies, huh?’ He groaned as he set the chest down and turned towards her ‘I brought “supplies”, too They didn’t weigh enough to give a guy a hernia’

‘Well, I told you, I’ up soot a new book to write’

Nick leaned back against the counter and folded his arms ‘One Hundred and One Ways to Cook Chicken?’

Holly laughed ‘More like a hundred and one ways to cook lobster’

His brows lifted ‘People can dine on the cheap eating lobster?’

‘I write for a different cro’ Holly wrinkled her nose ‘Two-inco the week, so they go all out on Saturday and Sunday’

‘Ah Yuppies’

‘Or whatever they’re called today How about you?’