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“Then why on earth did she…” There was a long pause in which Abby connected the dots “Oh Of course”

They turned up Blackberry Hill now and Tom’s hands started to sweat Jess had pushed the two of theether and they both knew it What was even worse was that his cousin had known that all she had to do was say the words and he’d co Was he that transparent?

“Jess was just htly “Don’t pay any attention to her”

“It’s so e

“E home with me?”

Her head snapped up “Oh, no, of course not! You’re the catch of the town!” She clapped a hand over her mouth “Shit”

He chuckled, unco how she seelasses of wine It leveled the field somehow “The catch of the town, huh? Says who?”

“Only everyone” He could feel her gaze on hied Who on earth was everyone, anyway?

“All I hear is Tom this and Tom that If people find out you drove me home,” she continued, “I’ll be the envy of every woman in Jewell Cove So that le, Tom?”

He sed The wine had definitely loosened her reserve, hadn’t it? “Guess I’m picky who I spend my time with And here we are” Thank God

He put the truck in park but Abby didn’tfor hi when he saw the color of her cheeks They had paled and her eyes looked enormous She hadn’t see to be sick, are you?”

She shook her head vigorously “No, I didn’t have that ht on The house is so dark”

He stared at the hulking figure of the house, felt that sto sense of unease he’d felt in the base It had kind of freaked him out, actually, and for just ahaunted held a kernel of truth

It was all nonsense, of course, and he hadn’t always felt it the past hen he’d been working around But there were times when he’d felt … well, watched And then he’d turn around and there’d be nothing

The house really was inti all alone in such a place Everything echoed in the high ceilings and oversized rooms “You want me to walk you to the door?”