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Lexi knew that; she’d known it from the first time she walked in the Farraday house Mia could afford to make mistakes Lexi couldn’t

“I’ll be careful ”

“Good ” Eva looked at her “And about that boy I seen the way he ran after you You be careful there, too ”

“He doesn’t like me You don’t have to worry about that ”

Eva studied her carefully Lexi wondered what she saw “You just be careful around him ”

Four

Jude loved her garden in October It was a ti for the future She lost herself in the work of planting bulbs, i And she needed that now, to find a kind of peace

The past five days had been stressful for her, although she couldn’t exactly say why She hadn’t wanted the kids to go to the party, but they had, and it had gone uneventfully Zach had co his breath) and sent hi, and Mia had spent the night with Lexi and coone wrong So why did she think so problems where none existed

She sat back on her heels and clapped her hands together to release the dirt clinging to her gloves Tiny black particles rained down, creating a lacy pattern on her thighs

She was just about to reach for the clippers lying in the dirt beside her when she heard a car She looked up, tented a gloved hand across her eyes, and saw sunlight glint off the silver hood of a brand new Mercedes

“Crap,” she otten about the time

The car pulled up in front of the low stone wall that outlined her front garden

Jude pulled off her dirt-caked gloves and stood up as her ot out of the car “Hello, Mother ”

Caroline Everson walked around her bullet car and into the vibrant garden with the bearing of an ice pick She was dressed, as always, winter or summer, in a pair of black wool pants and a fitted blouse that showcased her toned, fit body Her white hair was drawn back froular face; the severity of the style offset her bottle-green eyes to perfection At seventy, she was still a beautiful woman And successful; that hat arden tour yet?”

Jude wished she’d never revealed that little dreah ”