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"I don’t know," he admitted with some reluctance "I turned down their f irst settlee chunk of cash just to ht be willing to settle, the plaintiff cas to a person"

"No kidding Besides, who’s to say I won’t be sued again next week, next erous either way I’d rather confront this head-on and have it dealt with once and for all"

Phoebe sighed "I wish there was soerly

He folded her in his embrace "Let me hold you for a few more minutes," he whispered "When you’re in ht not be as eloquent as Clark had been, but his words were sincere His emotions were real

Chapter 29

Anne Marie Roche

This was going to be diff icult; Anne Marie could see it already As Tim had repeatedly re present when Ellen met Vanessa That was certainly true, but Anne Marie didn’t think ht-- "accidentally on purpose"--was such a brilliant idea She’d agreed to do it his way, although it went against her instincts That had been her f irst ame as planned and were headed toward their seats when Tim had called out to the had gone downhill from there

Vanessa had been openly hostile to Anne Marie To Ellen she’d been patronizing and saccharine sweet The worst part, as far as Anne Marie was concerned, was that Ti amiss with Vanessa’s behavior To all outward appearances, he seeone better In Anne Marie’s opinion, the whole experience had been a disaster Now that they were ho for bed, she had a chance to

"Mom," Ellen called frohtly ritual Ellen climbed into bed with Baxter cuddled next to her Anne Marie knelt on the f loor so Ellen could say her prayers

"Did you enjoy the baseball gaht"

It wasn’t for Anne Marie, but she couldn’t tell Ellen that The girl looked guilelessly up at her "I thought you were Ti her best to sound calhter "Tim and Vanessa are a couple"

"Oh" Ellen frowned "But he took you out to dinner by yourself, reet "Vanessa was there," she half-lied Perhaps not in the physical sense but in every other way Tiirlfriend had been with them

"You didn’t tell me about her"

Anne Marie realized she didn’t actually know very uess I should’ve told you earlier," she said In a short tirown close to Ti with Brad, Mark and Hector he was a positiveto jeopardize that special relationship

"I knowVanessa was a surprise" Tim had wanted to be the one to introduce Vanessa to Ellen, and Anne Marie had agreed In retrospect it would’ve been a hundred times better if she’d been able to lead up to the subject of this other woretted that she hadn’t

"You like Tiive her away, Anne Marie nodded instead

"And he likes you?"

"Yes," she said, "just not in a girlfriend-boyfriend way"

"Oh" Clearly Ellen was disappointed as well as confused Who could blame her? "The person Tim really loves is you," Anne Marie ht "I like hih and takes us neat places"

"Yes, he does Besides, Tirandmother and your other mom" Anne Marie didn’t believe it was her place to inforhter She’d leave that to hi had taught her a valuable lesson She wasn’t about to let Tiroundwork Ellen’s dark eyes widened "He knew my Grandma Dolores?

How come I never met him till now?"

Anne Marie wasn’t prepared to answer that question She’d already stretched the truth about as far as it would go "You’ll need to ask Tim the next time he stops by"

"Will Vanessa be there?"

"Probably You like her, don’t you?"

Ellen shrugged "She’s okay, but she talks to me like I’m a baby"

"She’ll learn," Anne Marie assured her and prayed that was true "Vanessa’s a very nice person" She alritted her teeth as she said it

Ellen seemed to consider that and then nodded "She must be if Tiht of it in those terht" Anne Marie reached for Ellen’s small hands and closed her eyes, prepared to listen while the child said her prayers These sometimes went on for three or four minutes She asked God to bless Anne Marie f irst, then listed all her friends from school and day camp, followed by her Blossom Street friends and f inally Tim She hesitated and added Vanessa to the list

"A her eyes

"Amen," Anne Marie echoed and kissed Ellen’s cheek She stroked Baxter’s silky fur, then left the roo the door quietly behind her