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"You’re out running You’re supposed to"

Dora wasn’t going to argue with that

They reached the corner where Dunleavy’s Pub sat

"Hey," Dev said "Can I buy you a drink? There’s a parking spot right in front That don’t happen every day"

"Good God, no I’ in there dressed like this"

He continued on past Dunleavy’s and the strip of restaurants on Middle Street, most of them not crowded yet In another hour, all of theuests

"Well, how about I drop you off, then you can spruce yourself up Then I’ll swing by and pick you up in, say, an hour? How does that suit you?"

"I don’t know" she hedged This was going too fast

"Come on, Dora," he cajoled in that easy drawl she never could say no to "We’ve got a lot of catching up to do Let me buy you a drink Or dinner"

Right now, all she wanted was to shower and collapse back into bed Maybe she’d watch a little television Going out for a drink was not part of her usual repertoire

"Not tonight"

"Toonna keep on asking, so youunder the charm of his smile "Okay," she said, surprised that she was sincere "What tiravel driveway of Sea Breeze, put the car into park, and turned toward her, letting his arrin on his face now that she re out each vowel, "I’ll sit there till judgment day if you tell ht just do that "We can’t have that Let’s say the day after tomorrow? Five o’clock"

Dora waited till Devlin’s car drove off before letting loose the belly laugh that she’d been holding down What a hoot! After all these years, Devlin Cassell had invited her for a drink

She felt flustered Giddy She hurried to the house to shower and change, then stopped short as a new thought took root She recalled how Harper and Carson alent to the outdoor shower after a run or a trip to the ocean to hose down before entering the house There hadn’t been an outdoor shohen she was a girl co to Sea Breeze Back in the day, they’d just used the hose to wash off

Dora retraced her steps and followed the stepping stones around the enorardenia bush to the outdoor shower It was just four alls with no ceiling Dora stepped inside, avoiding the spiderwebs in the corners There was only one spigot; in the summer on the island all the water came out warm Mamaw had lavender soap, sha the that scent on her sisters