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He knelt and felt around the board “I can tack it back into place Nothing to lose sleep over” He sounded genuinely puzzled

“I don’t want you to tack it into place I want you to rip it up”

He stood and gaped at her “What? Are you crazy?”

“I think there’s so underneath it”

“Hopefully not rotted joists,” he grumbled

“I was going to try to do it last night, but I knew that if I wrecked the board it would be wrecking the whole floor”

“You’re daht it would” He frowned “Whatunderneath there?”

She already felt ridiculous forIf she told hiht he’d think she was coed “Just a hunch”

“You’re willing to chance wrecking this flooring on a hunch? I could never replace it, Abby Not and have it ht? If I wreck this one board, itthe whole floor”

She looked up at hi for a pry bar last night Will you do it? It won’t get ruined if you do it”

He shook his head “You are the strangest woman I’ve ever met”

“I know” It wasn’t the first tiood part of her childhood with her head in a book or in the clouds Oddball came with the territory

“If I say no, you’re going to do it when I’m not here,

aren’t you?”

She smiled “Probably And then you’ll be sorry”