eroceededtotellheragain,untilsheuldnthelpbutgettheir

drift.

”tellabouttheshoed

pictures””fradthenddeliveredthe”hopesaid.

santhaadded,”beingthingsup.u

lately.dadstheo.”beforeracheluldask

aboutthelessthansubtlelobbying,katherinearriveddearkatherine,

ahegirlsevenifjackhadntshown

upsuavekatherine,uallyblushedhedoctorwhohad

earlierintrodu.thecrush

hopehadntioherineracheled.butthat

thefirstthingsheaskedherinefinallygota

nutealone.shewiggledherringfinger.

”s””no.katherine,didyou

callhiftertheact””idid,”shesaid,lookingdefiant.

”ifiguredyoudhere.”

”hereheshutdoe.

youknostillhurts.”

”youstilllovehithatshurts.

thatsalled.”

”ithurtstoseehi”

”youdontthinkhefeelsthat,tooyouthinkhesbeenherefor

sixteendaysforhishealth””hesherefirls.”

”andyou.”

”hefeelsobligated.”

”hecares.”

”gisntlove,andevenifiteoneandstill

shuttheut.”uddled

”hroughthis,katherine.youknowhowifeel.”

”sotaketheringoff,”katherinesaid.

racheldidnt,becausesheedical

peopleeantkinga

publiightbeachar

shehadbeeofthea.shefigured

shee.

leavingra,katherinesaadistand,

stoppingtalkhanurse,leandoo

studyaputer,straighten,tu,andsleolleague

approached.shefoundsuchpleasureing.

becauseheart,kind,aivebecause

heherightageforherbecauseheherightheight,the

right,therighteverything,physically

hingto

hislleague,andstartedtobedwalk.he

wasgrinningbroadlywhenhearrived.

”youoelunch,”hesaid.

shegrinnedback.hotohispleasureious.shefelt

itsthatthesatithatshefeltantradihill,deep

inside,inaspotsheuldntplace.”iknow.”hegavehera

onceoverthatraisedboththethandthechill.”youlook

great.

”heglahisch,thensaidinaaxinganbuya

upleoffreehoursthisafteoon.adeashow

oflookingatherohillyspotinsidewasgrowing

aced.”idontknohursdaysarepacked.”

”fethours,plural.tryonehour.anyce”she

alreadystartingofflate,beingherenoonday”his

fattodoubttocautionwhichwas

ahingabouthihathe

felt.heelysuspiciousthat

restaurantondays””onlyoffseason.itsopennow.”

”thenitsadate

””uhhuh,”shesaid,gratefulforthereprieve.”theshopsclosed

ndays.iree.”

”illkereservations,sayatoneok”shenodded

vigorously.

hesledagain.hislidslooherlips.

heuthedthekindoftinykissthatnooneuldseebuther,a

offbackdoher

kneesup.assheheadedfortheelevator,shelohill.it

waslower.

shehadldfeet.

bythursdayafteoon,hatrachelwasawake.by

evening,friendsingbytoseefortheelves.

jackhadfeltathegirlsandkatherinewere

talkiorespecther

friendsandtheyhibuthearingtheinghispraisesfeltlike.

.

.

everyona

hen,houtgivingaclueastoshefelt.

soheidledinthehallonthephone,callinghislae,

andeliveringahuge

bouquetofballoonsfroiredibleappropriateandh

hopesgleefulhelp,tiedtheorachelsivpole.superfluousonce

agsun,healedtothedoor,thenleanedagainstthebeyond

it.before

heeheroo

”happensnoafreeandclear”heshared

thesafearthegirlsdideverytiralosedhereyes.”iread

aofaaandwas

talkingily,asluhel.helapsedbatoa

athedayandlaterdied.”stevesaid,”asirecall,that

felloatoseforseveralyears.raaseisre

logical.herheadtooksixteendaysforittoheal

enoughforhertainnsciousness.

oing,butidontexpecttoseeanything

wrong.

shellbeondsforainizeceoftheswelling

retuing,ybealightonthstoke

surethereisntanother,butthatsit.”

”e”itontoftruth.hehadbeen

sleepinginrachelsbed.

”theiveoutlater,”steveexplained.”artherona

liquiddietaosoftsolidsoit.well

nitenationlevelforanotherday,getheroutofbedin

theing.ingandhatsdoneand

shesregainedfullbladdertone,shesyours.”jackwasas

easyasthat.”bestguess,hoanydaystillshesout””three.

sheshouldbehobysunday.”thegirlssleptsoundlythatnight.

jaeeveryfeheirordeal

edenoughaboutrachelsato

bejacksfutureroleintheirlives,buthesurewas.

heeonlyinshortstretches,brokenby

restlessnessandfear.heesduringthe

night.rachelreiofhera.bethy

sleep,sheingpudding.

fridayihehospitalalone.herivpolewasgone.

herhairpandly,herfacewasshinyde

...