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CHAPTER 3

I QUICKLY TUCKED MY smartphone away as I heard the screen door creak open behind me

Mary Catherine, dressed in worn jeans, Columbia University hoodie, and her own pair of trusty wellies, came out with the coffeepot Her blond hair was in a ponytail, and she looked great, which was pretty much par for the course for

I hated this farht she was going to be devastated when she was forced into hiding along with the rest of us It turned out the opposite was true Even a cartel contract couldn’t keepIrish nanny down

“Howdy, partner,” she said in her Irish accent as she gave me a refill

“Hey, cowgirl,” I said

“You’re up early,” she said

“I thought I saw soravelly voice

I squinted to enhance hetti Western impression

“Turned out it was a couple of outlaw chickens They startedone of them Which actually worked out I put a little hot sauce on it, and it was delicious”

Mary Catherine laughed

“Well, just don’t tell Chrissy You kno much she loves our fine feathered friends”

“How could I forget?” I said, laughing myself

Chrissy, the baby of ourto one of our landlord’s chickens, whom she immediately named Homer, for soets after one of her ever-helpful older brothers infor a member of Homer’s family into the sweet-and-sour sauce

“So, what’s on the agenda today?” she said