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She was in luck Her cranky old car started up right away
Nothing stirred in the arid brown and beige land that ringed the city The creatures of the desert took to their nests and burrows during the day, waiting for nightfall and the coolness it would bring, but hurew ot closer to the city’s heart, the area known as the Strip, which was already thronged with people
Dawn parked in the euard at the back entrance touched the brim of his cap as she walked toward him
“Mornin’, Miss Carter”
She’d plucked the name from a display of baby clothes in a store It had taken her row accustomed to it Now, the name felt as if it had always been hers
“Morning, Howard” She s all right?”
“Yes, o to the doctor with onna have a baby”
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Iratulations”
“Thanks Got to ad pretty good this onna be your first day alone with all those VIPs”
“Uh-huh” She held up her hand, showed hiers “Wish me luck”
“You’ll do fine, Miss Carter Special’s got to be a fun place to work Getting to rub shoulders with the rich and fa in later today”
“That’s sohed “It knows more than I do Take care, Howard And tell your wife I wish her well”
She stepped through the door, took a deep breath of air so cool it felt like a soothing liquid slipping down her throat, and set off down the corridor Guests thought of the Desert Song as a fantasyland resort and it was, but it took a small, efficient army to keep it that way This part of the hotel was very different froiven over to adhts, no slot machines and their electronic chortles, just the occasional hu of a telephone Offices opened onto both sides of the hallway The Special Services office—her new office, Dawn thought, and her step quickened—was at the end of the corridor She stopped at the door, took a deep breath, then stepped inside
There were five Service Specialists and they all shared an efficient, behind-the-scenes workspace Dawn had already begun adding her own touches by tacking things on the corkboard that hung over the desk, the sed to her She’d put up a few notes and a calendar with a photo of Tommy beneath it It was just a small picture and he was only one little cowboy in a bunch of other little cowboys dressed up for one of the Ranch’s ured was unlikely, she could always point to one of the other kids and say he was her cousin It was an aay to live, but To
She paused now, sertip