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I walk down to the village at six-thirty and walk back around ht or one Don’t want to be the first in, don’t ever want to be the last one out The bar guy’s got ets it that I only ever want the one drink: Macallan 18 in a snifter, always at the tail end of the night

I’e to the bar when I see Holly coht it is The dinner thing started at six The thing to celebrate our “escape”

I’h with Holly on the walk down to the little place the locals call the Burger Joint

Bikes and a few cars line Middle Lane before we reach the yellow building People spill through the front doors, over the porch, into the dirt-patched grass They’re playing country music Holly takeson the porch When she presents me with a mini bottle of Rumple Minze, I toss it back

Finley

“Well, your partner in crime has finally arrived, and he’s downed the ave Dot at Christmas”

Anna slides back into our booth and takes Kayti from Freddy I watch Kayti lift her fuzzy head from Anna’s shoulder

“Dot gave Declan her liquor?”

Anna makes an odd smirk

Freddy shakes his head “She’s shameless”

“Perhaps more so than Holly, which is quite a feat,” Anna says

Half-hour ago, Holly went in search of Declan, clai they’re dear friends and she felt she should be the one to fetch him from Gammy’s

I clenchsip “Well,” I say when finished, “I suppose it’s good he arrived”

“How long since you’ve seen him, Finley?” Anna pats Kay’s back

“Mm, not quite sure Perhaps five days…or six”