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“There’s nothing to it,” Dallas assured hiether and accidentally push it off the end of the string”

“I know folks ht everybody had strung popcorn when they were kids,” Empty declared

“Notstrips of colored construction paper and gluing theth of thread “How much do I need?”

With the lights arranged to her satisfaction, Dallas hopped off the step stool and crossed to the sofa to show hi forward, brushing past his face She automatically flipped it to the other side, but not before Quint caught a whiff of the strawberry-scented shampoo she used

This was the first tiotten this close to him since the day she arrived at the Cee Bar And her nearness sti it difficult for him to respond naturally

“That should do it,” she said after she had unrolled another foot of thread Taking the scissors, she snipped it off the spool “You shouldn’t have any trouble threading it, big as the eye is on that needle”

When she remained close to observe the process, Quint had to check the urge to catch hold of her hand and draw her down to the sofa cushion beside hih the needle’s eye, and succeeded on the first attempt

“Very good” Her expression was a mixture of approval and surprise

“I’er to a needle and thread,” Quint inforness “My o that I had two choices—either find a reliable laundry that would faithfully restitch hems, sew on buttons, and mend torn pockets, or learn how to do it myself I quickly discovered it was a handy skill for a bachelor to have, al”

Her s “A ”

“I thought you’d be ily let his glance slide down to her lips

It lingered on their soft, full shape a few seconds too long I in her attitude toward hione

Just like that, Dallas turned away “I think I’ll start hanging orna action to her statement, she picked up the nearest box and carried it to the tree

Much of Quint’s enjoyment of the moment left with her But Eers continued to lengthen the a

“I seem to recollect that our kids made paper chains when they were small,” Empty recalled “Course back then, we ether with that Paper chains and popcorn Call ht to be decorated Nowadays they go to swooping wide ribbons all over the tree, and it ends up looking like a maypole”