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“No sie called

“Daie out on her palm and tossed the butt out the

“Didn’t that hurt?” Parker couldn’t help asking

“Naw My hands are tough”

Parker took another sip of the surprisingly good coffee “Well, ht I’d slap on some paint and sell the place, but I didn’t kno bad it was”

“It’s a shit-snarl”

“Yes indeedy”

“Got enough money to really spiff it up?” Lavinia asked

Parker paused “I have a little I don’t kno far it’ll go”

Lavinia pursed her lips together, causing a hundred wrinkles to radiate from her mouth like anemic rays from a sickly sun “I heard about your problems”

“Did you?”

“Oh, ayuh News travels fast Especially when it’s on CNN”

“Right”

“How et?”

“Six Tiood behavior”

Her cousin grunted “Deserved it, froh”

“Well, it’s not so bad” Besides, even if it was bad, she’d been raised not to discuss ion “So, Lavinia—”

“Call me Vin,” she said

“Okay, Vin, um, how exactly are we related?” Parker asked “We’ve never met, have we?”

“Nope Your ton side Althea and I, we spent a little tiether as kids some summers, back when my father still owned the Point”

“What point is that?”

“Douglas Point The big place north of yours”

“That was yours? You lived there?”

“Ayuh Till my mother and father divorced Then my father sold it a few years later”

“Wow” Althea had never said anything about summers in Maine

Lavinia looked out the“So how is your mother these days? We didn’t really stay in touch”

“She’s…she’s fine”

“She ever remarry after your folks split up?”

Parker couldn’t suppress a smile “Oh, yeah A few times”

Lavinia sht? Well Tell her hello from me”

Parker knew that the Harringtons originally harkened frorown up in Westchester County, New York Back when her parents were still together, big fas had only included the Coven No second cousins froton side had ever been mentioned; only those feard visits to Great Aunt Julia up in Boston

“Got any help for overhauling the house?” Lavinia asked, interrupting Parker’s thoughts

She took a deep breath “Um, yes A family friend”

“Well, you’ll need it God kno long it’s been since the place was cleaned out Julia stopped coo” She squinted at Parker “You need a job this suie and Malone’s wedding Usually hire a high school kid part-time in the summer, but the job’s yours if you want it”

Heck yeah, she wanted it “Sure That’d be great Thank you” Her first real job Holy halos

“Great I gotta grab a smoke Come by Wednesday Three doors down You can’t miss it”

Lavinia left, and Parker glanced at her watch She should get back to the shack, bring James some sustenance Help clear stuff out But ht be up It was five-thirty in California

Parker’s chest constricted Nicky felt so far away—he was so far away The fact that she hadn’t heard his voice last night, didn’t knohat he’d had for dinner, hadn’t toweled off his hair after his bath…dang Crying in a crowded diner full of strangers—not fun

Malone sat down across from her, and Parker jumped a little “Hey there,” she said

“Everything okay?” he asked, his voice a quiet rumble

She was about to deny it and found herself telling the truth instead “I miss my kid He’s with his dad in California for a feeeks”

Malone gave a brief nod “My daughter lives on with her mother”

“Is that your daughter over there?”

Malone looked, his face softening a bit “Ayuh”