BooksBarbecue
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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

“My mother would be disappointed that I missed out on Cleo’s things. So I’m not going to tell her I was here.”

“Can I ask what you’re doing here?” Winston said, his tone flat.

“Well, my mother was friends with the family when she was in high school, so we stopped by,” Regan said, realizing that she’d given the same evasive answer a few minutes ago.

“Excuse me,” one of the workers said to Winston. “Can I help you?”

“Yes, please,” he answered. “‘Regan, your friend is very rude. Goodbye,” he said, turning away abruptly.

“‘Bye,” Regan responded, a little surprised at her dismissal. I feel terrible, she thought as she turned away. It’s so hard to set people up. Chances are it’s not going to work out. She looked around. My mother and Edna must be in the back, she thought as two men approaching the front gate caught her eye. Neither one of them looked happy.

Instinctively Regan walked toward them. “I am Cleo Paradise’s agent on record!” the older man was saying to the security guard. “I demand to see whoever rented this house to my client!”

34

Slowly but surely Cleo and Dirk inched up the trail. He tried not to lean on her too much.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he kept asking. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’m fine. I really am.”

When they finally reached Dirk’s cabin he unzipped a pocket of his bathing suit, reached for his key, and unlocked the door. He hesitated for a moment, then made a decision. “This step is too high. If I lean on you too hard when I hop up, I could knock you over.”

Cleo started to protest but Dirk wouldn’t listen. He swung around, sat on the floor inside the door, and shimmied backward. He then pushed himself up as Cleo grabbed his arm to steady him.

Dirk’s cabin was larger than Cleo’s and more like a real home. The downstairs room was bigger, so was the kitchen. There was a small dining area and bedroom on the main floor. The loftlike bedroom looked exactly like Cleo’s.

“You okay?” Cleo asked, guiding Dirk as he hobbled to one of two couches situated on opposite sides of the fireplace.

“I will be. With you helping me, how can’t I?”

When he reached the couch, he sat down and let out a sigh of relief.

“Do you have an ice pack?”

“No. If you just wrap some ice in a plastic bag, that would do it.”