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“I just talked to soent He stabbed it out in the desk’s ashtray “He’s in surgery now They’re talking about multiple broken bones, possible spinal injuries, collapsed lung, and a concussion” There was no emotion whatsoever in his voice, but Jessy wasn’t fooled

“You’ll want to shower and change clothes before you leave,” she said “You can’t go to the school looking like that It would only frighten your sister more”

“There isn’t any easy way to tell her”

“There never is,” Jessy agreed “Maybe by the tio with you A woht cope better with Cat’s tears”

“How did you kno did you get here so soon?” His eyes see she should have been elsewhere

“The telephone lines across the ranch were all busy from the minute you left South Branch I came as soon as I heard” There was no reason to tell hi sheds and stopped at her place long enough to throw on some clean clothes when she’d learned there was no one with him Maybe it wasn’t her place and ive a damn about that

His hand reached up to touch her face, as if to athered into his arainst his body She could feel the awful tension in hi to absorb some of it His face was buried in her hair

“I can’t believe it, Jessy” His ainst her hair, the words issued in a hoarsely painful voice “I just can’t believe she’s dead”

“I know,” she whispered and held hi for him because he wouldn’t cry for himself She felt the shudder that racked his shoulders

The s deeply into hi the cloud of death, here was life He tightened his hold on it and moved his head to drink deeply frohly, unable to slake his thirst or find a bottoency, and the vitality of life all wrapped together in a harsh embrace

He tasted the wetness of her tears and drew back, breathing raggedly She quickly lowered her head and wiped them away before he could see thelitter in her eyes and identify the tears, but she pulled back with a short, sharp shake of her head

“You’d better get cleaned up” Her voice was low but even

After a , and Jessy answered it The phone call was the first of a series of inquiries that came Jessy told them all she knew After the last phone call, she walked into the large living roo Ty As fast as the neas traveling, there was a risk soht learn of it and inadvertently say so to his sister

The front door opened, and Jessy swung sharply around A tall, lean coas pulling off his hat “Repp, what are you doing here?” She crossed the foyer

“Does Cat know yet?” The concern in his eyes was apparent