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“Of course we’ve heard I’ your father there now, but I saw Isaac’s truck and realized we’d missed you”

“Yet you come in here upset that I spoke with April Don’t you care abouton?”

“I can help you fix up your house You don’t have to go to Isaac’s You can stay with us Or Leanne”

She had no desire to go either place “I’ve already decided As I said, it’s not for long”

“It’s long enough to ask for trouble What if he gets you pregnant? What then?”

Claire knew that could already be true but she refused to let on

“He’ll never treat you the way David did,” Roni was saying “He’ll walk away as soon as you have a baby in your belly”

Isaac didn’t defend hi that heand unkind

“Let et hiot involved The rift between her and her steph She wasn’t sure hohen they’d be able to move beyond it

“You think he’ll be better to you than we’ve been?” Roni asked “You think he’ll look out for your interests?”

Claire didn’t want to have this discussion, not in public and not in front of Isaac He’d already exhibited more control than she’d ever expected Had Roni been a ht not have been the case “We’ll talk about it later,” she insisted, but Roni was too upset to relent

“Leanne toldlately”

“She…what?” Claire said “I don’t even knohat that uys can’t understand—”

“What we understand,” she interrupted, “is that you’re trying to blame what happened to your mother on us And we don’t like it”

“I’ to blame anyone I want the truth At last Is that too much to ask?”

“Is that why you stabbed ather dirt on me?”

Claire wasn’t sure she could claione She’d knohat to expect “Roni—”

“So I’m Roni now?” Her voice went shrill “I’ood to you for fifteen years?”

“Of course you are!”

“Then why didn’t you call ? And why haven’t you apologized for your behavior at the salon?”