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“Yes, I ged this precious ie of his sister Then Culley pulled away, made self-conscious by the physical contact “You say you walked all that way You et you in the house and put some hot coffee down you”

“Thanks” She felt humbled that he hadn’t even asked what kind of trouble she was in Since she was involving him, it seemed only fair to tell hiht of steps to the front stoop of the small house “I ran away from school I just couldn’t stay there anymore” Her reasons were too flimsy when voiced aloud, but they were very real to her “I knowto be furious with me when he finds outand I’m just not ready to face him yet”

“He can be as mad as he likes” He opened the door and reached inside to switch on the overhead light before letting Cat precede him into the house “But I’ll see that he doesn’tyou don’t want to do”

“I wanted to go hoo back to school, and I don’t think I could face that I thought, ure out so”

A tenderness seeh his face “This is your ho as you like”

Inside the house, he sat her down at the table, insisted on hanging up her coat for her and bringing her coffee, eager as a pup to please her any way he could “Are you sure I can’t get you anything else? Maybe so to eat?”

“No, I ate at the hospital” The war body and driving out the chill All the tension and anxiety over the possibility of facing her irate brother tonight was h so that she reconsidered his offer “Do you have anything sweet—like chocolate cake or anything?” The o to the trouble of baking for himself

“No” Disappointot soht cookies” He went to the cupboard and returned to the table with a sealed container holding less than a dozen shortbread cookies “There you are” He watched her anxiously to see if the alternative met with her approval

Even if she hadn’t liked the the at the coffee-soaked softness of theood Thanks,” she assured hiree of relief Cat ate the cookies and talked, telling him about her decision to run away, the visit to the hospital, and the ride she’d cadged as far as his lane When she reached for another cookie, she realized there were only two left “Here” She pushed the container to him “You better have these before I eat them all”

“Go ahead,” he insisted and shoved it back “FU get more”

After a s of her shoulders and took the last two cookies and started dunking thehed

“You knoas just about your age when ht after that”

“I’ll never understand why their plane had to crash” The anger and frustration of deeply held pain began to surface as her tiredness made her more vulnerable “Why did that oil line break? Why did she have to die? I’ me it was God’s will It wasn’t It couldn’t have been Why would He want to do that? It wasn’t right!” Her chin began to quiver as she lowered it and fought back the tears that welled in her eyes

“It wasn’t right,” he agreed and got up fro to do soot it all planned out, so don’t worry about nothin’ I’ll take care of it”

“Take care of what?” Cat frowned in bewilder it to one side “I don’t understand”