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Chapters (88)
  1. Cover Page
  2. Front Flap
  3. Title Page
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. Back Flap
  88. Back Cover

Cleo grimaced. What’s happening to my life? she wondered. She pretended to laugh. “Thanks anyway.”

“Okay. If you need anything at all, just call the front desk.”

“I will.” Cleo waited, then peered out the curtain. The tall, gangly boy was heading down the wooded trail, his arms swinging. He means well, Cleo thought. But isn’t this place supposed to offer privacy?

Cleo went back to her computer to see if there was anything else online about the garage sale. In the comments section below the story, someone had just written, “I hear you’re off doing another movie, Cleo. No dead flowers in this one, I hope!”

5

Cliff and Yaya Paradise were heading back to their campsite in Ukraine, often incorrectly referred to as “the” Ukraine. They were staying in a campground in the mountains, close to the Black Sea, and the ruins of enough ancient castles to keep the most die-hard tourist busy. They’d been at an all-day dance class down in the valley. Naturally they had dressed for the part, wearing the traditional garb of the Ukrainian folk dancers. Cliff was an attractive man with gray hair and a robust build. His petite wife had white-blond hair and delicate features.

“Yaya, I’m tired,” Cliff said. “I never thought I’d say it, but I am.”

“That dancing was strenuous,” Yaya answered. “That instructor really swung you around the room. I think she had a crush on you.”

“You’re making me blush, my sweet.”

“You’ve never blushed in your life.”

“True enough! Yaya, think of how impressed everyone will be when we perform the dances of so many different cultures at our joint seventieth birthday party.”

“Darling, who are we going to invite? We don’t have many friends left. We’re off everyone’s holiday card list.”

Cliff waved his hand. “That’s because no one knows where we are. But if we have a party, everyone will be there, I can assure you of that. Let’s have it in New York over the holidays. We should start planning.”

Yaya reached for Cliff’s hand as they trudged up the mountain. “We should also think about spending more time in California. I miss Cleo terribly.”

“She could have come with us on this trip,” Cliff said. “But she said no.”

“The poor dear wanted to relax. She’s had so much this year. Ups and downs and ups and downs. I do wish she’d get a role she could sink her teeth into after she gets rid of that ghastly agent. And I wish she’d let us take her to a spiritual retreat in Tibet. We’d have a wonderful time.”

“She’s finding her way in the world, my dear,” Cliff said. “She’s independent and headstrong. But you’re right. I miss her, too.” He turned to his wife of forty-nine years. “A strange feeling just came over me.”

“What kind of feeling?”