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“All right” But there was hesitation in her voice as she took notice of the smears of dust on Jessy’s white jeans and saw the taut pallor underlying her skin “Ty’s lip was cut There wasn’t an accident or a fight?”

“No” With a trace of self-consciousness, Jessy brushed at her jeans “I guess I got dirty trying to get Ty out of the truck” When Jessy turned to leave, a consu curiosity prompted her to turn back “Mrs Calder, who is Tara? Ty ht”

“Tara is the daughter of E J Dyson” She seeirl I’ Tara for some time now”

“I see,” Jessy ht, Mrs Calder”

“Good night, Jessy And thank you for ot home safely,” she added

Halfway to South Branch, the tears finally began to collect in Jessy’s eyes and slide down her lashes Her cheekbones glistened wetly, but there was no one to see except the thousands of stars in the sky or the lu across the road in front of her truck

At The Hohter, who had slept soundly through Ty’s noisy arrival ho their son into bed, where he’d started snoring almost as soon as he hit the mattress

“Ty was right when he said Cathleen would sleep through it if he didn’t try to be quiet,” Maggie reether At his silence, she lifted her gaze and probed his face “Chase, surely you’re not angry with Ty for co home drunk, are you?”

He opened the door to their bedroo hers “Are you happy to know your son is drunk and passed out in his bed?” he countered

“I’ie “But it doesn’t upset me either” With a ripple of impatience, she untied the knotted belt of her robe “You’re too hard on Ty You always expect tooand enjoy himself while he can”

“It’s always rim and calm “I’m always too hard on him, but you’re never too soft”

“I’m not soft I simply understand—”

“And I don’t?” he challenged

“I never said that,” Maggie denied and swung away fro to ”

There was a long silence, and Maggie waited for the explosion of angry words—the oft-repeated argument over their son Instead, there cah Chase wadded up his shirt and threw it in a corner