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Claire had no idea what to say His words sent hope burbling up fro her weary body Jake missed her What other explanation was there? “Mr Warrick…” Excited possibilities swirled around in her head, but no h the line

“Yeah, well, I’ve said my piece” He cleared his throat “So think about what I’ve said Goodbye”

Staring down at the silent phone, uncertainty floated in her chest She loved hih? He’d walked away so easily from her

Questions she couldn’t answer rocketed around her head as she hung up the phone No matter what she did, she risked heartbreak, but only one choice ca rewards

Claire pivoted to face her mom “That was Jake’s dad He said Jake is a wreck”

“Of course he is There’s so for a Layton that will really throw you for a loop, make you rethink your life” Glenda covered the casserole dish in plastic wrap and slid it into the refrigerator

Curiosity piqued, Claire walked back to the island Her parents had had the perfect romance, fros on their Christ anniversary “But, you’ve always said it was love at first sight”

“That doesn’t ainst the refrigerator, a soft se and beco for the Greyhound bus to go home fro in line at the ticketHe was so tall, with honey-brown hair”

The man in question, noith hardly any hair, whooped and clapped in the living roo well

“Well, it was a long, boring ride, and I figured a cute boy would liven it up I finagled it so we’d sit next to each other Eight hours later, I kneas not going to be the next Barbara Walters I was going to be the next Mrs Layton”

“Just like that you gave up your drearet that?”

Her mom sat down on the stool next to Claire A drearooves in her forehead A sive up anything I gained everything”

“But…” Claire’s words evaporated when her mother shook her head

“It may not have been New York, but I sat behind the WOMD news desk for twenty years I loved that job until the day I retired In place of a big city, I got your father, your brothers, you and a lifetime of happy memories”

Glenda slapped her palms on the island, pushed herself up from the stool and exhaled a deep breath “What you think you want from life isn’t alhat you really need You just have to be sure out the difference between a Brett and a Jake” She swiped Claire’s empty bowl from the island and carried it to the sink “The question is, do you have the guo track down that fella?”