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“No, she’s already left for the barn,” Chase told her

“I’s registered—the ballpoint pen Chase was holding and the open checkbook beneath his hand

There was only one conclusion she could draw froers For what? And how much this time?

The questions nagged Sloan all the way to the barn Her first thought was to find Trey and let him knohat she’d seen But one look at the crowd in the barn and Sloan knew this wasn’t the time or the place to talk abou

t her suspicions Sloan settled instead for locating her son and getting him into his costume To do that, she had to find Jessy, who had volunteered to keep an eye on Jake while Sloan went to locate his sandals

Scanning faces, she started working her way through the throng A second later, she spotted Jessy and altered her course toward her mother-in-law

“You found them!” Cat’s voice came from her left

Sloan paused to reply as Cat closed the gap between them “In the pajama drawer Thanks for the hint”

Cat smiled away her thanks “Jake is his father’s son”

“True” Sloan found it impossible not to notice how incredibly alive and happy Cat looked She looked radiant and positively youthful It didn’t call for any great deal of iuess why “I noticed that Wade made it here after all”

“I know” Cat fairly bea Dad dohen they were finished Hopefully that won’t be too long” Her glance strayed to the barn’s entrance

“It better not be, or Chase will et Jake in his costume”

“Good luck,” Cat said with a laugh

On her way to Jessy, Sloan spotted Jake playing with two of his friends not far fro but happy when he saw the sandals in her hand Grudgingly he let Sloan lead hi roo roorace, he re them for the sandals and turbaned headdress, then donned his shepherd’s robe

Sloan all but dragged hirumbled “It isn’t even time yet See” He pointed to his friend “Dan doesn’t have his costume on yet”