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“That was no daripped the open truck door to steady hiain Then he pushed off, weaving toward the front steps with a staggering stride

“You could say thanks,” Jessy shot out “I did get you home in one piece” Which was more than she could say for herself

Ty stopped with one foot on the steps, his tongue loosened by the beer he’d consu beholden to the tall, self-sufficient girl “Why don’t you wait until someone asks you for help instead of always buttin’ your nose in where it isn’t wanted? I never asked for your help—an’ I never wanted it” In a sober moment, he would have been more tolerant of her solicitous actions on his behalf

Jessy paled at this rejection of all she had ever done for him But she had been schooled by the s show in her face Only the whitening of her flesh revealed that his words had made any effect at all

In a pain-choked silence, she watched hie of one, and stu hiely, Ty atte tangled He was on all fours, trying to walk and climb up the steps all at the same time

The ludicrous sight of hi like a drunken fool, pulled Jessy to the steps Her hands were rigidly claesture of help Hisoff When Ty saw her standing at the foot of the steps watching hile, he flared in drunken irritation

“Daive me a hand,” he snapped or tried to, but it ca force

S thinly, Jessy went up three steps and reached down to help him up “It’s a pity your precious Tara isn’t here to see you like this” She didn’t check the bitterness that curled through her voice

“Tara” Ty looked around, as if expecting to see her appear “I thought she was here” His head swung around to Jessy as he leaned heavily on her shoulders to negotiate the steps “Wasn’t she here?”

“No” It was a hard, flat answer

A melancholia seehtwith so to hi aloud, or that Jessy could hear “I must be drunk It seemedso real”

Jessy walked hihtly under the increasing weight on her shoulders Listening to hi what she knew, it hurt bitterly

The front door was unlocked With a kick of her foot, Jessy pushed the solid-core door to swing inward, then tried to squeeze sideways through the opening with Ty He buainst the door’s twin and careened off it Unbalanced, he went staggering loudly into the foyer, dragging Jessy with hi her heels in and check their forward rush

“You bu idiot!”

“I’m so damned tired,” Tyas he pressed a silencing finger to his lips “Mustn’t wake Cathleen”