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Tully and Johnny both turned

Kate stood in the open doorway behind thee terrycloth robe Bald and i dress-up in her s like this to both of the She looked somehow both sad and peaceful

"Katie," Johnny said, his voice raw, his eyes shining "Dont"

"I love you both," she said, nottoward them "Youll comfort each othertake care of each other and the kidsafter Ione—"

"Dont," Tully said, starting to cry

Johnny was on his feet He gently picked his wife up and kissed her for a long, long time

"Take her up to your bed, Johnny," Tully said, trying to suest room "

Johnny carried her upstairs with sothat she was sick He put her on her side of the bed "Turn on the fire "

"Are you cold?"

To the bone She nodded and tried gingerly to sit up as he crossed the rooas fireplace With a whoosh, blue and orange fla the dark rooht

When he came back and settled in beside her, she reached up slowly, traced the outline of his lips with the tip of her finger "You first ravished me on the floor in front of a fire, remember?"

He smiled; like a blind woman, she felt his lips curve with the sensitive pad of her finger "If I re "

"And what if I wanted to ravish you now?"

He looked so scared that she wanted to laugh, but it wasnt funny "Can we?"

He took her in his ar that shed lost soleft of her