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The cream walls were decorated with dozens of fraer to exaer Max, but followed as Valerie led hi table into the kitchen, where a thin olden pinwheel pastries from the oven

“Got it?” Valerie asked

“’Course I do,” he gruas stove top with a clatter, the Santa-the on hi She went and kissed the man’s papery cheek

The kitchen had clearly been relea the wall under a sredients, a spray of flour over the wood floor

“This is Jeremy Max’s friend”

“Oh, you mean you didn’t pick him up on the street corner? Of course he’s Max’s friend” Extending his hand, he said, “I’ the oven ers

Jeremy shook his hand, which felt dry and burip “Very nice tome”

“Well, ouldn’t we?” He wheezed a laugh and went back to his cookies, picking up a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack

Jeremy followed Valerie and John out of the kitchen and down a passageway that looked very new They explained that they’d had a sitting room converted into a bedroo the closed door and heading back to thearea

“It’s a really nice house”

“Thank you, Jere man you are”

“Max said your parents are away? Where did they go?” John asked

“Oh, they’re on a cruise in Hawaii”

“You chose rural Ontario over Hawaii? You need to give your head a shake!” John exclaih

Max appeared, glaring “Dad”

“It’s okay,” Jere “I wasn’t actually invited to Hawaii” He quickly added, “My parents are paying for res and et to treat the up with my mom’s old friend who lives in the States, and she has kids e, so it all works out well I had a late exao anyway…”