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"Dont be ridiculous You still want to be a team, dont you?" Tully paused, stared at Kate, who screwed up her courage and opened her hed "Of course you do I knew it You were justwith me Very funny Ill talk to Mr Ryan—hes otta run Chad ant to hear about the interview, but I had to tell you first " Tully hugged her fiercely and left

Kate stood there, in the s at the open door "No," she said softly "I dont want to do that "

There was no one listening

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Thanksgiving in the Mularkey household was always a spectacle Aunt Georgia and Uncle Ralph drove over froh food with them to feed an entire community In years past, theyd had their four children with them, but now those kids were adults themselves and sometimes had other faia and Ralph were alone, and looking a little dazed by their situation Georgia had poured herself a drink before she even bothered saying hello to anyone in the house

Kate sat on the threadbare arm of the cherry-red sofa that had been the centerpiece of this living rooed on the floor at Moms feet It was her usual spot on holidays Tully rarely liked to be too far from the woman she considered the perfect ia, who sat on the sofa

It was the girlfriend hour—a fao—before there were any kids to care about, or so faend had it Every holiday, for one hour, while theroom to have cocktails and catch up on the news They all knew that soon enough there would be a Herculean amount of work to do in the kitchen, but for sixty minutes, no one cared

This year, for the first tilasses of white wine for Kate and Tully It rown up to sit here on the ar her wine Already the first Christmas albu about the little boy in the ghetto

It was funny how an albu, could remind you of so many moments in your life Kate didnt think there had ever been any fa trip—that had been Elvis-free It just wasnt a Mularkey faia ed the tradition at all, but so each other and cry for the loss of him

"You should see what I got to do this week," Tully said, rising to her knees in her excite that she looked like a supplicant, waiting for Mo "You know the Spokane rapist case? Well," she said drauy they arrested? His e and prosecutor Can you believe it? And Johnny—thats my boss—he let me do a first draft of the copy They even used a sentence I wrote It was so cool Next week hes letting uy who invented some new kind of computer "

"Youre really on your way now, Tully," Mo down at her

"Not justto work out with Kate, too Ill get her an internship at the station; youll see I to drop hints Someday youll see us both on TV The first pair of female anchors on a network news show "

"Think of it, Margie," Georgia said dreamily

"Anchors?" Kate said, straightening "I thought ere going to be reporters "

Tully grinned "With our aht to the top, Katie "