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"He’s in his eighties The body wears down, and that’s the way it is," Angela said "The water is just whistling now You go on up We’ll keep at it on the computer"

Ashley poured hot water over the leaves in the pot, turned off the stove and added a cup, sugar and h the parlor; Whitney was sitting at the screens again, watching to see if there was any activity in the key areas

"Hey, you know anything about this?" she called to Ashley

Ashley walked over to her

"Amundsen’s Hay--Finest Feed That’s what that truck says," Whitney said "Is that a usual delivery?"

Ashley shrugged "Yes, that’s our feed store When were they here?"

"Just a few oes, out the drive now"

Ashley balanced the tray in one hand and dug her phone from her jeans pocket with the other She speed-dialed Cliff’s apartment

"Hey," she said, relieved when he answered

"Hey, yourself"

"And hey--as in hay for horses We just got a delivery? I thought it was due yesterday," Ashley said

"It was, and it came Seemed we had so the truck, and somehoound up on his books two days in a row Rather than take back the order, they gaveto do right now," Cliff said to her "That all right?"

"Of course That’s always your decision Those poor creatures would probably die if they had to depend on ed creatures love you"

"Just checking that everything is fine," Ashley said

"Yep And I’ about hed "You’re not old, and every female who coo fishing for cooing to coood I’ in the stables My eyes are open I’ll holler if I need anything"

She hung up The tea tray was starting to get heavy in her one hand She shoved her phone back into her pocket and grasped the tray with both hands "It’s all good," she told Whitney

Whitney nodded and gave her attention back to the screens

Ashley walked up the stairs to her grandfather’s roo his eyes when she entered He’d been lying back on his pilloith his eyes closed "I told Angela you all didn’t have to bother"

"Only so many names for so many of us to try to track," Ashley said cheerfully

He frowned

"We think that it all stretches back to soht have happened with one of the soldiers here linked to the original fight Soht that needs to be rectified"

Frazier closed his eyes again "I didn’t think that anyone would actually be after Charles Osgood," he said

"Poor Charles"

"Well," Frazier told her, opening his eyes and pluainst it for his tea, "I can say this Charles was happy We can be glad we gave hih it was"

"Well, actually, Raave him his moment in the sun," Ashley said

Frazier sh Never until that day"

"True," Ashley said She was silent for a host?" she asked him

His lashes flickered over his eyes, and he was silent for a minute "Ghosts--are they memories? My life is now filled them, and e are accusto moments we had Your father! God, how he loved your mother Well, you knew that He’d have never have left you on purpose, but…I try to think that death for hi with her And that’s how I find lanced at her wryly "Well, it’s all right In all actuality, I e’d known that she was allergic to bees, and that it hadn’t taken such a toll on your dad, and that they were still here with us I ache a little every day But I watch you--and I thank God for what I have"

She leaned over and kissed his forehead "You’re the best"