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I sigh and drink soers for both of us?and the silence stretches on

Skip and Annabelle seehs froles fro our oes over to Skip and asks, “Didn’t you used to play baseball?” and Skip says with false lightness, “Oh, hell, a long ticars

“I really think I hate him,” I whisper to Malone He nods

The Parkinsons are not finished Apparently (I have forbidden iven, because Annabelle cries, “Oh, Skip! Oh, sugar, you shouldn’t have!”

Malone doesn’t look over Neither do I We look at each other instead, united in this odd, unco not to bother me

“You don’t talk much, do you, Malone?” I ask

He doesn’t answer

“Want to have a staring contest?” I ask Bingo! The lines around his eyes deepen and the corners of his mouth move upward a fraction “I think you may have just smiled,” I inform him “How did it feel? You okay?”

As usual, he doesn’t answer, but there’s so a little different It takesThose lashes are so long they’re actually tangled in the corners His hair is thick, curling a little around his ears and neck And while his face is slashed with harsh lines, and while I have yet to see a real s and rather sexy, actually Life has left its mark on Malone’s face with a heavy hand, but it’s an interesting face, scruffy and rugged and glooular, carved by the wind, almost, and it’s this phrase that lass of wine

I clear s our check, and I fish around in my purse for my wallet Malone takes out his first and withdraws a few bills

“No, no, letit out to him “This is definitely on me”

He scowls, ain He doesn’t take the money I put it back down and stand up

“Okay Thank you for a lovely dinner and everything else,” I say He follows me across the restaurant

“Bye, now So niceyou,” Annabelle calls out

“Ditto,” I say Malone offers nothing, and neither does Skip

In the parking lot, I pause “Thanks again, Malone,” I say

“Ayuh” He walks to his truck, pleasantries complete

I get into ine doesn’t start This is not an uncoet out Malone is still there, sitting in his truck, watching me

“It’s fine,” I call “Happens all the time”

But it’s dark, and I have to fumble in my purse for the screwdriver I carry at all times If I can just find it, I’ll open the hood, stick the screwdriver in the air filter, and the car should start But I can’t find it, because I failed to transfer it fro now Nor can I find anything else that would work, like a pen

Sighing, I walk over to Malone’s truck “Do you have a screwdriver?” Surely he must He’s a man, isn’t he?

“No”

I close my eyes The restaurant door opens, and Skip and Mrs Skip walk over to their expensive, shining car

“Good night, now!” Annabelle calls Skip holds the door for her, then goes to the driver’s side He looks over to me and pauses

“Malone, how about a ride ho

“Sure,” Malone says He leans across the seat and opens the passenger door for me, which is unexpectedly polite fro I climb in Tomorrow, Jonah or my father will have to drive me back here, but at least I’m safe from Skip’s eyes for now Malone starts the truck and pulls out of the parking lot

“I really appreciate this,” I tell hi

We don’t talk on the way hoht to try to lure Malone out of his cave When we get into town, I break the silence and direct hiet out before he can open my door

“I’ll walk you in,” he growls

“No, that’s okay, you don’t?” But he’s already waiting by the porch I sigh “I live upstairs,” I say “That’s Mrs K’s aparto first The stairway is a straight shot to h roo I fish out my key and unlock the door, then turn around to thank him

“Thanks again, Malone That was really?” My words are cut off, because Malone leans in and kisses me

At first, I’hiht back, and it also occurs to ly soft and warainstainst his chest He feels deliciously solid, his heart thudding under my palm His mouth moves to my jaw, and I breathe in the sain My knees tingle and groeak, and I grip his shirt, giving a little sigh Then Malone pulls back, smooths his thumb across my mouth and looks down at the floor of my porch

For a , but he doesn’t He just gives a terse nod and heads down the stairs

“Uets into his still-running truck, then drives off in aht,” I say Perhaps I ake up in the ht has been just a bizarre drea me different

I go inside and kneel down to pet Colonel, who is waiting patiently by the door “Hey, buddy,” I say “How’s my pooch?” He licks oes back to his doggy bed in the corner and lies doith a groan

“Malone kissed ht,” I tell him

Colonel doesn’t understand it, either

CHAPTER NINE

I GET A CALL on my cell phone the next day while I’ht be Malone It’s not Of course not, as he doesn’t have the number

“Maggie, hi, it’s Doug,” says the caller

Doug? Oh, Doug “Hi,” I say

“Listen, I’ht,” he says There’s a pause I wait to feel bad, but nothing co says His voice is heavy with uess I’m not really ready to see someone”