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"What is it exactly?"

"Mariah Naughton Reht? We take the horses and ride out to sites that aren’t part of the National Battlefield Parks I , and there was Civil War action all around here She talks about Tennessee battles, the ghosts that reo set up ca here is really cool,his hands on Joey’s shoulders "But it’s the coolest thing we get while we’re in purgatory"

"You’re right I do relanced at hi? That was how an agent worked?

Joey scribbled on the sheet and turned back to Dustin "I put your name down, okay?"

"Thanks"

Aaron had co the boys out the door--was now behind Dustin

"Guess I need to get out of here, too," Dustin said "Thank you I’ve heard about this place for years It’s fantastic Good day for ent--Dustin," Aaron said

As he walked out, Aaron turned to theet Sydney? And, Sandra, can you find Mariah and Mason? We need a little "

Five minutes later, they were all seated on the couches and chairs in the entry room Once everyone had settled in, Aaron said, "We have to decide how to handle this situation First, just to let you know, Sandra and I have rescheduled all our sessions for to" He cleared his throat "I guess you’re all aware that Marcus was the end of his line I believe, since he and I discussed it many times, that the facility was left tountil his attorney reads his final will and testa from his life for every one of you There are also clauses that protect the property and the livestock in the event ofThe other iswe have to decide on spin"

"Spin?" Mariah asked

Aaron exhaled "Well, the infore of instant information and socialtodeal of it We all know the autopsy revealed he was on drugs The blood tests --he was fine In fact, he was in a great mood What happened to make hi is, it puts us in a bad light What good does any of this therapy do if the s?"

"He didn’t take drugs willingly," Olivia said fir at her She knew that pitying stare They all believed she just couldn’t accept it

To her surprise, Sydney Roux, Drew’s partner in looking after the stables, spoke up, too He stood to do so; Sydney was an old Tennessean His grandparents and their grandparents had grown up in the nearby hills He was a gentleered the baseball cap he’d removed when he entered the office as he said, "I can’t believe it, either I re when he ca a beer and I tried to hide it He toldyou can’t have that brew because I stopped by I’er days’ And I believe that--just like Olivia believes it So happened Someone tricked him"

"If only," Sandra murmured

"How could we ever find out? How could we prove such a thing?" Mariah asked "We had cops out here They searched with us that day"

"They didn’t find anything!" Olivia said, sitting up straight

Aaron looked at her "Right"

"Don’t you see? They didn’t find anything They didn’t find heroin, crack or anything else on him--and they didn’t find a needle in his possession Where were the drugs or the paraphernalia he would have needed?"

Sandra cae of the sofa by her "Oh, Liv, the acreage here seeo on forever and we’re surrounded by forests He could’ve left stuff anywhere on the property and we ht never find it A hundred years fro the place up to build condos, theyand wonder what the hell?"

"Someone else could have put it in him," Olivia said stubbornly

Sandra looked helplessly at Aaron

"I don’t knohat happened and I probably never will And it doesn’t reatest men I’ve ever known," Aaron said "The point is hoe handle this?"

"With honesty," Mariah said "What other way is there?"

"We downplay it," Mason insisted "We tell the truth We’re honest But we say that it never happened before--and that is the truth We say that Marcus had thirty years of clean living, and many people--and ani on in that fine tradition of faith and belief"

"Mason," Mariah said "That onderful! If you get tired of being a therapist, you can go into public relations"