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And it would havein love with Rolt Seeing Kurt had opened her eyes to the truth She already was in love with Rolt

"We've both had quite a few things cleared up today We understand ourselves and each other better" He sighed as if he wasn't certain that was good

"No hard feelings, Kurt?" She tipped her head to one side, her gaze sad and wistful

"No" He srimly "I'm still sorry I lost you, but I'm not bitter any more Eventually the hurt will leave, too"

There wasn't much left to say, and both of them knew it Alanna reached for the door handle and released the latch She smiled weakly over her shoulder at Kurt

"Take care," she said in goodbye

"You, too" But there was a tightness in his expression that said he still loved her, regardless of her change of feelings

By the time Alanna had driven back to the house by the lake, the inter Thedispirited and restless, confused by a proble Rolt should have s simpler; instead they seemed complicated

She wandered through the house, listening to the thunder rolling closer Lightning flashed in crackling arcs and tongues Dinner was in the oven when the wind ca the conical tops of the pines The rain ca at the s The fury of the storrew steadily

The table was set and dinner ar in the oven, but Rolt wasn't home At first Alanna didn't let herself become concerned The storm had probably held him up The roads would be slick and the visibility poor

When one hour stretched into two hours late, panic set in Alanna dialed the number of his private line at the office, but there was no answer She called the entrance gate, only to have the security guard on duty tell her that Rolt had left the plant al probleressed into accidents with Rolt lying injured in so the way

When she picked up the telephone the third time to call the police, the line was dead, knocked out by the storlanced at the rain-coated s A jab of lightning exploded solass

The front door burst open, and Alanna pivoted Her first thought was that the howling wind had blown it open A rush ofher cheeks A ering for several seconds

Outlined in the dooras the dark silhouette of a man Dar

k hair ind-tossed in ru Rain glistened on the wooden planks outside the threshold In that charged and lightning brilliant instant, the iant