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Rubbing her now rumbly stomach, Hadley sat down on one of the barstools at the island “Is that Aunt Louise’s recipe?”

“You know it is” Her mom tossed the flour sack tea towel over one shoulder and moved to the celery sticks by the sink

“With the secret ingredient?” The one her great-aunt had lorded over everyone at every fa where food was involved since the dawn of time

Stephanie nodded “Yep”

This was epic They were finally in possession of the only faer than a week “If you share what it is, I’ll forget all about Matt being here”

Stephanie snorted in amusement and handed the rinsed celery to Hadley “Good luck with that”

“Mom,” she said as she started to chop the ends off the celery “What were you thinking? Why didn’t you kick him out?”

Stephanie didn’t look even the least little bit e, but he came all the way out to personally deliver thedecorations It’s not like I invited him”

“Mom, you know I’m not interested in Matt”

“No one said you should be,” her h ould object to Matt is a mystery to me He’s the kind of ular basis, and isn’t embarrassed by where he came from”

“I’m not embarrassed about where I’m from” She wasn’t It’s just that she wanted to live in a place where everyone didn’t know absolutely everything about her from the time she was born

Stephanie looked up fro into the celery sticks and raised an eyebrow “Aren’t you?

How many times had they had this conversation? At least a ed Herthe virtues of s that despite all the open space, being out here crowded her in In Harbor City, she had the freedos or meet new people Out here, it was the same faces, the same scenery, the sa about it would never change that, so as the point of fighting about it?

“Moh “I love you, so let’s just change the subject”

“Fine You know Matt’s been asking Gabe and the boys about you every tied the celery sticks on the plate “I uess he decided to shoot his shot Sorry about that You know Aunt Louise is waiting for an announcement from you two”