Cedar Woman (129 page)

Qui
c
k
of
wit and
sh
ar
p
of
m
ind,
s
h
e
c
o
u
ld
c
on
v
erse
o
n
m
any su
b
j
ects,
h
e
r
dry
s
e
nse
of
h
u
m
o
r
adding
to
t
h
e
c
o
nversation
as a delectable
sauce
adds
to
a well-pre
p
a
r
e
d
d
i
s
h
.
Her
l
a
r
g
e,
br
o
w
n
e
y
es w
o
u
l
d sp
a
rk
l
e, and
h
e
r
w
h
it
e s
mil
e
f
l
ash,
as she
s
a
v
o
r
e
d
c
o
n
v
e
rsa
ti
o
n
as one
d
o
es
a
del
i
cious
m
eal.
More
i
m
por
t
an
t
l
y
,
she
m
ade
t
hose
a
ro
u
n
d
h
e
r feel
i
m
por
t
an
t
,
we
l
l
li
k
ed,
a
n
d des
i
r
a
b
l
e
as
h
u
m
an
bei
n
gs.

Her
m
o
st
at
t
ract
i
v
e
featu
r
e was
h
e
r
wa
i
s
t
-
l
o
n
g
,
ab
u
nd
an
t
,
b
l
a
c
k
ha
i
r
.
S
h
i
mm
er
i
n
g
w
i
th
b
l
u
e
h
i
g
h
li
g
h
t
s
,
it
b
ro
u
g
h
t
to
m
i
n
d
a
n
eb
ony
waterfall,
a
n
d
m
any
a
m
an
wished
t
h
at
he
c
ou
l
d
tou
c
h
it,
pe
r
h
a
p
s
w
r
ap
it

arou
n
d
h
is
n
eck
a
n
d breat
h
e
in
its
h
ea
d
y
p
erf
u
m
e.

Nic
k
ie
was
ob
l
i
v
i
o
us
to
t
h
e
effect
she
h
a
d
o
n
m
en.
She
saw no
o
n
e
bu
t
Son
n
y
,
a
n
d
Son
n
y was
i
n
l
ov
e
w
it
h
Le
n
a
.

Nickie
h
a
d
o
n
ce
h
o
p
ed
t
h
at
S
o
nny
w
ou
l
d
notice
he
r
,
but
at
Lena and
Michael’s
wedding, Nickie
glanced
towa
r
d
S
o
n
n
y,
and
saw
t
h
e
l
o
ok of
utter
d
e
vas
t
ation
on
his
f
a
ce.
Her
he
a
r
t
plu
m
m
e
ted.
S
h
e
r
e
c
og
n
ized

t
h
e
sa
m
e h
o
pe
l
ess
lo
ve
s
h
e
fe
l
t f
o
r
So
nny
o
n h
i
s
fac
e
.

S
h
e
co
n
t
e
m
pl
ated
lea
v
ing
t
h
e
resta
u
ra
n
t
and
g
etting
a
j
ob elsewh
e
re,
but
she
owed
L
e
na
so
m
u
ch;
l
o
ved
h
e
r
li
k
e
a
sister.
Hell,
if an
yo
n
e
co
uld u
n
d
e
rsta
n
d w
h
y S
o
nny
l
o
v
ed h
e
r, Nickie c
o
uld;
s
h
e
co
u
l
d easily
see
w
h
y
a
n
y
on
e
,
m
ale
o
r
fe
m
ale,
wo
u
ld
lo
v
e
Le
n
a.
B
u
t
it
was
so ha
r
d
!
W
h
en
e
v
er
So
nny
a
p
p
roa
c
h
e
d
h
e
r,
a
heat
w
ou
l
d
r
i
se
in
h
e
r
bo
d
y
, a
n
d a lon
g
ing
i
n
h
er
h
eart f
o
r
t
h
is
b
ea
u
tif
u
l,
t
ale
n
ted
m
a
n
.

She wish
e
d
w
i
th
all
of her
h
eart
t
h
at
she
c
ou
l
d
h
a
ve
a r
e
lationsh
i
p with
So
nny li
k
e
Lena
h
a
d with
M
ichael.

C
h
a
pter
F
if
t
e
en

W
h
en
y
o
ur time c
o
m
es to
d
ie,
b
e
n
o
t li
k
e
t
h
ose w
h
ose
h
ear
t
s are
filled with
fear
of
d
e
ath,
s
o
t
h
at when t
h
e
i
r ti
m
e
co
m
es, they w
e
ep
a
n
d pray for a little
m
o
re time to
li
v
e t
h
eir li
v
es
ov
e
r a
g
a
i
n
in a
d
iffere
n
t way.
Sing
y
o
u
r death
son
g
,
an
d
die
li
k
e a
h
e
ro
g
o
i
n
g
h
o
m
e.