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"Who more likely for you to be attracted to than someone who misses Matt as much as you do? Who loves little Mattie as much as Matt would himself? Besides, it’s not like you just met him--he’s been around since the day you met Matt! You know him better than anyone You certainly don’t have to wonder what kind of man he is"

"I’o of Matt"

Nikki laughed "Vanni, you don’t have to let go of Matt any more than Paul does He’ll be part of you and Paul forever"

Vanni gave her a thankful s lately It’s not like it has to be a choice, does it?"

"No way, babe"

"So, how are things with you and Craig?"

Nikki’s save hi he needs time But how much time? It’s been five years He knoant a fa still"

Vanni shook her head, doubtful "He’ll never give you up," Vanni said, but truthfully, she feared Nikki would never leave hiive her a tenth of what she needed

Nikki lifted her chin "Oh, yeah? You a betting woman?"

"Nikki, do you mean it this ti through life without at least a shot at this," she said "I’otiable with Craig on all of it"

Paul had been back in Grants Pass for just over six weeks He’d had that evening with Terri and had promised her he’d be in touch When she came to him at work and asked if he could sneak away for a conversation, he figured it was about the fact that he hadn’t called as he’d pros up into her little Toyota parked in front of his office and said, "What’s up?" Through sonant and hadn’t been with anyone but hinant?"

"Yeah," she said "It happened that night after you got back to town You reotten"

"How in the world did that happen? You said you were on the pill I wore a condo "It’s probably my fault I’m sorry"

"Your fault?" he asked "How?"

"I haven’t had a boyfriend in so long, I got a little sloppy with the pills,them sometimes Your call--it ca ti you But you had the condo Ita faulty condom…I can’t think of any other explanation…"

"Aw,a grip on his panic "Okay, tellit in both of his

"Any possibility ht come to mind?"

He didn’t even have to think about it There was so tiet married What did you call us--friends with benefits? We’re consenting adults who like and respect each other and that’s a lot, but at the sah You’re important to et us married Keep us ht now," she said

"We don’t really know each other Not really"

"We know each other well enough that I’nant"

"I take this to mean you’ve decided you want to have the baby?"

"I’ rid of it"

"Okay, okay, good," Paul said, relieved in spite of co him this could be taken care of; it could disappear He did not want to be in this position, but he didn’t want this baby erased, either "I can help financially I can do my best to support you e more than that would be ato her eyes

He put an arainst his shoulder as ht space in her car "Lots of reasons, starting with, before anything happened between us, we had a conversation about us--neither of us was looking for anything serious We’ve been together, what? Three tiht this happened, that’s the closest we’ve ever been, and that happened because I was ive me an ear Honey, we’re just not in love"

"How do you know I’m not?" she asked

"We’ve spoken once in the last six s, I never suspected" He tightened his arm around her "Terri, you’re so special and wonderful But here we are, two people who can go sixeach other" He shook his head "I knew that night was a ot too attached But it’s just not the real thing It was ot us where we are today Marrying you noould only get in the way of you finding what you really need And believeto do?"

Selfishly he thought, what a to do? "Whatever you want to do, I’ll help in every way I can I’m sorry, but you deserve a husband who loves you asyour baby!" she said desperately