She wondered about the stress they felt, thousands of miles from home, wearing flak jackets, living among people who spoke a foreign language, trying to stay alive Victor followed him""That's all it takes?""He's a cheap date "No idea Mom makes her own salsa kate spade christy shoulder bag and everything He put the jack in place and raised the car, then removed the first wheel The air vibrated as the muzzle flashed and the upper stories of a building collapsed, dust and glass filling the air Nor was he sure that it wasn't" Just an initial It was deserted"He has a photograph of you," he went on, "and when he first got to town, he flashed it around Decker's Pool Hall What's new?"Thibault paused in the parking lot of a run-down motel on the edge of town "What's that like?""You mean where everyone knows everything? I guess it depends on how many big mistakes you make, since that's what most people end up talking about But you will""He's not coming in," she said If he hadn't been so damn angry, it might have excited him, knowing she was in there, getting it on, getting all hot and sweaty You're an adult and it's your lifeShe noticed his expression and slid closer to him "My mom was kind of a music fanatic "Stick Like he was the only kid in the history of the world to get a shiner playing ball She imagined saying to her hairdresser, Chop it on off,Terri It hasn't caused me anyproblems yet, but I wonder how long I can keep pushing it down before it gets away from me Cramps would insist on it, and the courts, including Judge Clay?ton, would intervene" She studied his face for a reaction, her lips up-turned in a teasing grin She was more relaxed than he'd imagined, but he could sense that, like Nana, she wasn't sure what to think of him Years ago, along with her husband, Nana had taught them to do pretty much everythingGlancing through the window of the kennel office, she saw no sign of Nana, but she could hear Nana's voice echoing from the pens Do you play baseball?""Last year"When he didn't respond, she reached over to the window ledge and grabbed a small flower pot"Melody stoodHe led Zeus to the tub and washed him, using the shampoo in his backpack Worse, discovered with a card full of nudie pictures Or a bar Sometimes when they were in the truck together, he'd put his arm around her and she'd lean into him, savoring how good it felt By then a couple of hours had passed, and he was late for an appointment with one Mr""So you say nowand granted, he might not have been, but let's say he was""Well, I'm sorry what? You're sorry you did Kate Spade Messenger Bag it, or sorry you lied?""Both It's like you two were stamped out of the same mold In the distance, the driveway seemed to vanish into the grayish blur"Yeah, real busy, Clayton thought" He hesitated""Awesome""No, I don't suppose so "Like I said, Ben and I had a great time this weekend "I mean, I was so busy with Ben and school, I didn't pay much attention to itIn a town this size, he doubted whether there were more than three or four places where locals hung out Bars and pool halls had the advantage of alcohol, and it was Saturday nightAll in all, it had been an excellent day And it's just a bruise "No," he said Over the last week and a half, they'd settled into a routine Hastings""That's all it takes?""He's a cheap date Usually, he caught her eye two or three times during the service; today, he turned around constantly, sharing his awe at the fact that he was friends with someone so accomplished "Yes, you have a son, and for some men, that might make a relationship with you a nonstarter"Do you think you could handle something like that?" she asked He knew what she meant Talking was what might have gotten him into trouble in the first place But time had lessened the pain And not fried, either "It went well On Wednesday, she rode with him to town to pick up another load of dog food He knew full well what was going on Sunk in misery, he barely registered the sound of someone knocking at the front door But I'm from Charlotte originally He regained his bearings, then stroked and kicked with desperate effort And whenever he saw her, he was reminded that he'd come here because of her He wasn't sure why, but a few minutes later, when he was walking Zeus outside, he was suddenly struck by the notion that Elizabeth wasn "You don't like being drenched?""Let's just say it's not the same as being on vacation She liked him but certainly didn't love him"Hi, Zeus," Ben said He wanted a certain kind of son, and by God, Kate Spade Messenger Bag sale he was going to get him""Stop me from what?""From eventually going to college and becoming a teacher""I want you to come to the wedding"Yeah, baby?""Can I spend the night at Zach's tonight kate spade little minka shoulder bag?""I thought he had soccer practicen criminals