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"How could I forget?" He gave her a yearning glance "Are you bringing back any leftovers?"

Maggie began to laugh "You are shameless I’ll make an extra ramekin of mac and cheese for you Would you like me to make a pie for you, too?"

"Would you?"

"What kind? Pumpkin…apple…pecan?"

"Surprise me," he said, and stole a kiss from her, so fast that she had no tiie picked up Holly froht her to her bungalow

"Am I invited, too?" Sairls," Holly had told hi? What if I talk in a really high voice?"

"Uncle Sairl ever!"

"And you’re the best," Sao withoutHolly to her house, Maggie put on some music, lit a fire in the fireplace, and tied one of her aprons around Holly She showed Holly how to use an old-fashioned bell-shaped cheese grater, the kind with four sides Although Maggie was going to use a food processor for most of the cheese, she wanted Holly to have the experience of grating soht in kitchen tasks of

"Here are the different cheeses we’re going to use," Maggie said "Irish Cheddar, Parrate all of this, we’re going to melt it with butter and hot ood smells, with heat and sweetness, and a whiff of flour dust Having a child in the kitchen reredients could be coh mac and cheese to feed an arhtly browned in a pan with butter They , one with pluie showed Holly how to crih into shapes, sprinkled thear and cinnamon, and baked them on cookie sheets

"My ie said

Holly looked through the ovenat the pie-dough shapes "Is your ie set aside the flour-coated rolling pin and went to Holly Kneeling behind her, she put her arether they looked into the oven "What kind of pies did your mother make?" she asked

"I don’t think she made pies," Holly said reflectively, "but she made cookies"

"Chocolate chip?"

"Mie knew, to be able to talk about those ere gone It was good to reme protracted conversation, but in little here-and-there sprinkles, the spice of rance of war, the child put her ar

Holly’s voice was ie’s front "Are you sure you won’t have Thanksgiving with us toaze went to Mark, as standing nearby

"She can’t, Holls," he said gently "Maggie’s family needs her to be there with them tomorrow"

Except that she could, and they didn’t

Guilt and worry began to crowd out the good feelings that had blosso the afternoon As she looked froaze, Maggie comprehended how easy it would be to fall in love with both of them And how much she would have to lose then, more than she could ever survive But if she could so seriously involved, she wouldn’t have to risk having her heart broken beyond all hope of repair

She patted Holly’s back and gently disentangled herself froo to Bellingham tomorrow," she said briskly "Bye, Holly It was a fun day" She bent and kissed the soft cheek, slightly flavored with cinnaie flat-ironed her hair, dressed in trouser jeans, booties, and a spice-colored sweater, and took the large foil-covered casserole dish out to her car

Just as she began to back out of her driveway, her cell phone rang Stopping the car, she fished around in her bag until she found the phone ae

"Hello?"

"Maggie?"

"Holly," she said in instant concern "How are you?"

"Great," ca!"

Maggie s What are you up to?"