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As Valerie drove them back up to the 400, which had finally cleared, she asked Max about Honey and the guys, and they chatted about his friends’ plans for the holidays Jere him He smiled hesitantly

She s “You comfy?”

“Uh-huh!”

“You seem a little tense”

“No, I’ood Just don’t want to squish you”

“Don’t worry about it I’m not very breakable, I assure you”

Valerie asked, “Okay? Is it too cold? Too hot?”

“Or just right?” John added

“Just right,” Max and Meg chorused, like it was an old joke or so

Jereht up with each other They turned off toward Pinevale, and there was definitely way more snow than the slushy re the sides of the road where plows had ruh

“And…any other news?” John asked

A strange silence filled the SUV The radio was do, and a faint, tinny carol played Jereht it was “Deck the Halls” Yes, there was the “Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la” A second before Max spoke, Jere

“Not yet” Max was tense beside Jere they ht not post the results until after Christmas”

Valerie tutted “Oh, that’s frustrating, sweetheart”

“But we know you aced it,” John said

“We know you did your best,” Valerie added, which made Jeremy like her even more

“Of course!” John agreed

Max shrugged, a jerky uess we’ll see”

Meg rolled her eyes “As if you don’t crush every exam you’ve ever taken”

“Shut up,” Max muttered

Should Jere? What would a normal person who didn’t want to hump him do? He wasn’t sure, so he kept his hands in his lap He also couldn’t help but wonder if there really was a delay on the results There was soe the subject when law school came up Probably just nerves

Valerie slowed and turned into a laneith a big, red wooden sign at the entrance In black script, it read: Nadeau Fah endless trees that Jeremy assumed were all maples The snoould probably be up to his knees For a second, he thought there was a strange single-rope fence before realizing it was a line of blue plastic tubing strung horizontally along the trees