No, it couldn't be true. Sally was a little shallow, maybe, a Uttle uncaring, but she wasn't mean. Was she?

Suddenly, all Jenny wanted to do was get home. She pushed her horse into a faster pace and held on

tight, letting the pounding gait drive all the unanswered questions from her mind for the moment.

At the tumoff to Sally's house, Jenny slid off Emma's back. "I'll see you when you get back," she said. "I hope your visit's not too awful."

"Thanks," Sally said. "And thanks for grabbing me up there. I probably would have broken some bones if I'd fallen." She waved as she rode off on the winding dirt road to her house. "I'll call you in a few days!" came floating back on the dusty air.

Jenny watched until Sally and the horses rounded a bend,- then hiked up the road to her house. She let herself in, patted the dog, and went straight to the answering machine.

McPherson. The younger. "Miss Fowler," he said. "Still alone, huh? Too bad."

"How do you know I'm still alone?" Jenny said out loud, hating the crude chuckle in his voice. She stopped the machine. She remembered his eyes, riveted to her bathrobe, and shivered. How did he know she was alone? He couldn't, unless ... no. No, he was just guessing. Wasn't he?

Jenny started the tape again and heard him say they could start in ten days, at eight in the morning. He didn't mention her being alone again. Maybe somebody had come in while he was talking, she thought, and he couldn't say what he really wanted to say.

No, stop it. You're acting paranoid. Jenny gave herself a shake and shut off the machine. That was the only message. Nothing from her parents. And

nothing from her secret admirer. Jenny wondered if he'd decided to give up. It had been a while since his last contact; maybe he'd had second thoughts. Or maybe he felt like an idiot for making the calls and sending her flowers in the first place. She wanted to tell him to keep it up. Better yet, she wanted him to march up to her door and introduce himself.

"Oh, well. Maybe he will."

Peaches, stationed at Jenny's feet, perked her ears up and whined.

Jenny smiled at her. "Have you been lonely, Peach?"

The dog wagged her stump of a tail.

"Okay. I've got dust in my hair so I'm going to take a shower," Jenny said. "Then we'll drive into town and buy some food."

Ecstasy. Drive and food were two of Peaches' favorite words.

Jenny showered off the dust and grit, and decided to let her hair dry naturally. It would look like a gone-to-seed dandelion, but she didn't want to stay in the house. She wished she had someplace to go besides the grocery store, some friend's house where she could feel comfortable and safe. Sally was leaving, but she wouldn't do, anyway. After the way she'd acted before, Jenny wasn't sure she'd ever feel comfortable with her again. And there wasn't anybody else. The store was her only escape. Later, she'd have to stay in the house whether she liked it or not. Then she could mess with her hair if she