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She tilted her head "And you would think that because…?"

"Mel told hbor was a movie star, so I looked you up on the Internet Lotta fancy pictures," he said And then he felt his cheeks groar else you’d like to know?"

His first thought was he could probably find out who all those husbands had been, but maybe he’d resist "I don’t know much aboutabout , hauling trash and trainingto pick up another one pretty soon now--I picked the bitch and sire a while ago and she whelped, so as soon as they’ll let hio…And I don’t cook ar for my coffee In case you want to borrow a cup for that cake you’re baking ood man--and they’re at the house every weekend," he found hi "I have reasons to stay out of the house a lot How rinned at hi," he said "That good hter has is here for the weekend"

"Is that so?" Then Muriel turned her ave two short whistles The Lab bolted back where she’d co a decent bottle of red wine then," she said She put her horse into an easy canter and followed her dog

Walt sat there for a long tiht "Da Paul and Vanessa decided to go to Jack’s for dinner, a predictable event for them Of course they expected Walt to join the the week To for one I’ll pass In fact," he said, "I ht head out to Clear River There’s a little bar over there where I’ht do that"

"You sure, Dad?" Vanni asked

"I’m sure," he said "Enjoy yourselves I’ll see you later, or in the one he showered, applied a little aftershave and poked around in the wine rack, selected a bottle and grabbed his car keys

When Walt pulled up to his new neighbor’s house, he wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t co ahadn’t even started--this was just a glass of ith a neighbor But he felt every second of his sixty-two years and although the research said she was just a few years younger, she looked er than he did And far more confident than he was

The property was made up of a tie bunkhouse, a barn and a corral Walt didn’t knohere to look first On instinct, he went to the house and knocked on the front door "Right in here," she yelled "Coreeted first by a very excited Luce, wagging and nudging him playfully Muriel was up on a ladder with a trowel in her hand, which she put in a pan She wore overalls that were as splattered as the wall "Good Break ti that she had stuffed in her back pocket

Hne; she hadn’t even bothered with a coe "What’s that you’re doing?" he asked

"Spackling After which I’ll paint and install new baseboards, and then I’"

He looked around at the mess The place was in full remodel mode He lifted the bottle and pointed the label toward her as she descended the ladder "Will this do?"

She took the bottle from him "Nice," she said "Give rabbed her pan and trowel, disappeared into the kitchen and he heard the water run Momentarily she was back "Come with me Come on, Luce"

He followed her out of the house and across the yard to the bunkhouse She opened the door and surprised hi room--as a bunkhouse it could’ve held six twin-size beds She had a bed in one corner, a settee and chair in front of it, a s one wall a few appliances--a bar-size refrigerator, microwave, small oven, sink, a few cupboards and drawers The bathroom, such as it was, occupied the corner--a toilet, sink and sht out in the open

But she had the rooht colors of yellow, red, a little rose and pale green The bedspread matched the love seat and chair cushions

While he was looking around, she was digging a corkscrew out of a drawer She handed hilasses "Nice little place," he said, going to work on the cork "Hope I don’t have to pee while I’m here More to the point, I hope you don’t have to"

Muriel laughed, then she grabbed soainst the end of her cupboard and, one-handed, glasses in the other hand, she erected a wooden TV tray between the chair and short couch "Instant coffee table," she said "Please pour"

She went to the refrigerator and pulled out a platter covered in Saran, then grabbed a big box of crackers out of a cupboard and placed it on the tray next to her platter Sliced haies and huhed and sat in the chair "Walt, it’s my dinner"

"Oh Oh, I wouldn’t want to take your dinner…"

"I sliced up twice as ar"

"You really don’t cook? At all? You eat like this?"

"I have a feeling this isn’t going to hold you for long," she said, picking up a celery stick and dipping it through the huht You can ht"

And he thought--if we begin to keep coe of the food

And she thought--if we see ht

"Frouesthouse"

"It was Or is First it was an artist’s studio for the rancher’s wife," she said, pointing up to two skylights in the ceiling "Then a bunkhouse for hands or lumberjacks The kitchen and bathrooht, I believe My Realtor had the junk hauled out, then I did so house And if you have to relieve yourself, the bathroo house works just fine The door closes and everything" She took a s her eyes close briefly Then she clinked his glass "To new neighborhoods"

"This isn’t exactly what I expected of a ," she said, leaning back in her chair "You’re exactly what I expected of a general"