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Ehtened Tess's throat as she read Savannah's letter Impulsively she smoothed a stray lock of hair from Savannah's eyes "That's beautiful, sweetheart"

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Katie chewed nervously on her fingernail "How 'bout if I just sign my name to Vannah's letter?"

Tess hunkered down beside Katie, looping an arive it a try What would you like to say?"

Katie sed hard "Just " Her voice dropped to a whisper "Just that I love him"

"Perfect" Tess set started"

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sp; Thirty minutes later, the fire had dwindled to a hazy pile of red and black embers, and Katie's scrawled sentence was finally complete Her letters were backward and cata-wae was crystal-clear / love you, Daddy

Tess carefully folded the papers into quarters and set theirls back into a circle on the blanket They joined hands and bowed their heads, and together they prayed

Chapter Twenty-eight

Tess stared at the slinted in the noontime sun She suppressed a shiver of horror and tilted her chin upward, plastering a false smile on her face

Beside her, Charlie and Ed waited patiently She cleared her throat "Let's go" Lifting her skirts, she htful way up the jailhouse steps The men walked a respectful distance behind her With each step, she felt a desperate tightening in her chest Remember the dream RememberShe took a deep, shaky breath and forced herself to reht she'd lain awake in her lonely bed, thinking of the good ti tih her heart

She'd closed her eyes, i that he was beside her The war, the scent of his hair, had all been with her, captured in the tiny, reflective place in her mind where cherished memories remained forever

It was then, in the soft haze of remembrance, that she'd finally slept

The dreahts of reality She and Jack were sitting in an elegant, wainscoted rooe, oc-