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"Maybe" Trickout of her way "Want to do the honors yourself?"

"Yes" Crouching beside hie and shoved up the heavy lid, wincing at the loud creak The chest shook, and dust clouded the air She turned her face away, covering her nose "Daht"

Frankie turned back to the chest At the top was a frae Christopher She looked at it for a moment and then carefully placed it on the floor She flipped through the other items--there were clothes, books, baseball cards, sports medals, and"Nice" She lifted the chain At first the pendants looked like s was thicker than the other "I think it’s a locket"

"Open it"

Using her nail, she pried it open There was a photo on either side--one of Caroline and one of Frankie as a toddler Sing hard, she closed the locket and looked at the thinner dog tag Engraved on it was "To the best mate a woman could wish for Happy birthday, Chris"

When she went to return it to the chest, Trick gently shackled her wrist and said, "You should take the locket"

Her brow creased "But--"

"Your parents would want you to have that, just as you would if the situation were reversed Thisto them, just as you do Clara said you elco as a keepsake"

"Yeah, but this is jewelry It looks expensive"

"When people cos, they’ll take all this stuff too A lot of it will be throay or donated to charity Lydia would probably see this and keep it, but she’d then give it to you anyway No one would begrudge you taking it"

She twisted her mouth, torn Maybe she should ask Lydia first and--

Trick took it from her and shoved it in his pocket "There Now I’ve taken it Your conscience is clear"

Frankie softly snorted in amusement "If I wasn’t busy, I’d make a citizen’s arrest" She lifted one of Christopher’s shirts to her nose Beneath the smell of stale cotton was"Earthy e, andCaroline I remember this smell" For some reason her eyes filled "I didn’t remember hers as clearly as I do his That s"

"Yes, but those things probably belonged to her before she htly different on those You only knew your parents when their scents were intertwined," he pointed out

Daht of it that way

"If you were to find soed to her after she mated with Christopher, her scent would then be as memorable to you as his is" Trick flicked a look at the shirt "How do you feel when you inhale his scent?"

"It makes me feel safe and happy," she admitted in a low voice

"Until the end, you were safe, and you were happy"