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Together, Jack Together

Suddenly he ached to hear those co words

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again, trembled with the need to feel the softness of her skin and smell the lavender-scented sweetness of her hair

He h the tall, swaying, golden grass toward home

Toward Lissa

Chapter Twenty-five

It took Jack hours to find his way to the house He paused by the side of the barn The last, fading rays of sunlight cast the farlow The house seemed almost iridescent, its ordinary ashed boards transfor sun

He felt a stab of longing so powerful and unexpected, he alered fro in a place like this An honest-to-God hoht And here it was at last

He started to take a step toward it when a sound caught his attention He paused, turned toward the barn door Fro, he eased the big wooden door open and slipped quietly inside

Lissa was standing with her back to hi his tools She'd cleaned his pitchfork and put it back where it belonged The huge red ribbon around the tool barrel was gone The only thing out of place was his old Winchester shotgun For some reason, the weapon was propped in the corner of the barn It stood at an odd angle, alotten

"Lissa" He said her na her to vanish at the sound

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She gasped and spun around The hoe she was holding slipped froround "Jack!"