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"I feel so stupid," Nikki said "Why’d I let myself fall in love with hih "Just get up here We’ll eat fattening food, play with the baby, tease To doll Nikki, you know it’s tih for you And what he did--that was so deceptive, you could never count on hi with us?" Nikki asked "Why are we stuck loving ulped Why indeed, she asked herself And then we feel so stupid, like such failures It rong, all wrong "We’re going to work on that, ot a call froe had done a lot of talking about their growing faht now they were housed in Jack’s old apart rooe’s son, four-year-old Chris, was sleeping in the bedroom above the kitchen that had once been Preacher’s With a baby co They thought about buying a larger house, but in point of fact, Paige and Preacher loved living right where they worked As far as either of theer at Jack’s bar with Paige as his right hand

Preacher had talked to Jack about allowing hiht it was a fine idea; it would at least double the value of the property He et together a contract to rill and attached home was ever sold, the proceeds would be split

Before any further discussion could occur, an architect would have to be consulted to see if building on was feasible There was rooe Preacher wanted to find a plan that would give them plenty of space and wouldn’t disrupt business toorenovation

That’s where Joe caood idea and could draw up soin to look for a builder

Joe loved an excuse to spend a day or tith Jack and Preacher And it ood when his buddies asked hins So Joe said, "I’ll have to see the space and the structure, do so It’s not raw land, Preach An add-on is a little complicated--the basic structure has to support additional square footage Tell you what I’ll drive down toreat of you!"

"For you and Paige, Preach? It’s an honor"

And that’s what he had done When you’re an architect with your own sn at three in thesometimes, if that’s when the inspiration hits So helunch with Mel and Jack, Preacher and Paige and they talked about the expansion To Joe’s surprise, Preacher was the one with theroom, a play area for the kids, a small office for himself, plus a total of four bedrooms And, he wanted the faht now they had to go through the kitchen and up the back stairs to get to Christopher’s room Preacher wanted it to become a house like any other house--with a clear path to all the roo he didn’t need was a kitchen

Joe got busy right after lunch, sketching, h their quarters and around the yard behind the house There were so trees back there he’d rather not disturb and a huge brick barbecue he’d prefer not to move He could see the potential for a nice, spacious house connected to the bar by one door through the kitchen, and with two separate entrances independent of the bar The downstairs could be enlarged enough to hold a great roo station with storage for their personal dishes and dining accessories, with a breakfast bar separating the serving station fro tray, dishwasher, trash co station for convenience He left the laundry rooht where it was, just inside the door to the bar The addition of a small office would square out the first floor and support additional bedrooms and a loft on the second floor They could entertain friends and have family meals there The stairs to the second floor could be reround space and they could put an open staircase to the second floor in the great room

There was room upstairs for two additional bedrooh forspace noelve hundred square feet and he could turn it into three thousand without even breathing hard

The only inconvenience would be that Preacher and his family would have to move out for most of the construction Joe knew they had some options--one of which was Jack and Mel’s cabin Small, but serviceable for four to six months

It was almost five by the time Joe was ready to discuss these possibilities with Preacher, Jack and Paige Since Jack was busy serving, and Preacher and Paige were busy cooking and clearing, he would enjoy a beer while waiting out the dinner crowd He had a large sketch pad and notebook full of

That’s when he saw her, the profile of a s, silky dark hair that went halfway down her back Right beside her, leaning toward her and talking in her ear, was Vanni For ahis wits, he said, "Vanni?"

Vanni looked up, past the back of her friend’s head and said, "Joe?"

"Yeah," he laughed

She immediately left her beer and her friend and came over to hi at her husband’s funeral Joe knew Matt; he’d met him in Grants Pass when he’d been home on leave They’d been introduced by Paul

"What are you doing here?" she asked, ee," he said "They want to enlarge their home You know--to accoht that immediately came to mind was the conversation he and Paul had had a couple of weeks ago Paul was in love with this woman and had messed it up so bad, he probably didn’t stand a chance Joe peered around Vanni at the woman with her, but he saw only her profile She was exquisite Beautiful beyond words

"Nikki," Vanni called "Come here" When Nikki approached, her smile very small and maybe shy, Vanni made introductions "Meet Joe, a friend of Matt’s and Paul’s Joe, meet my best friend, Nikki"

He put out a hand and she laid hers in his "Nice to lanced down