Cedar Woman (133 page)

Lena
p
u
lled
i
n
to
h
er
res
erv
ed
s
p
ot in
a
nea
r
by p
a
rk
i
n
g
l
o
t,
and stepp
e
d
f
r
om
her
car.
S
m
oothi
n
g
h
e
r
s
k
i
r
t
and
g
ra
b
b
i
ng
her
pu
rse
a
n
d brief
case,
sh
e
locked
the
door,
and
t
u
rned
t
o
ward
Vic
k
i’s,
ju
st
two b
l
o
c
ks
a
w
a
y
.
The
air was fr
a
gr
a
n
t as
m
o
r
n
in
g
d
ew k
i
ssed grass
an
d fl
o
w
ers; d
aw
n was
j
u
st br
e
aki
n
g
as
Le
n
a unlo
c
k
e
d
t
h
e
d
o
or
to
t
h
e restaurant.

S
h
e
c
l
o
s
e
d
an
d
re
l
o
c
k
ed
t
h
e
d
o
o
r.
Moving
toward
t
h
e
back
o
f
t
h
e resta
u
rant,
s
h
e
head
e
d
t
o
wa
r
d
h
e
r
o
ffice.
Lena
liked
t
o
arrive
e
a
rly
and get
m
o
st
of
h
er
p
a
p
e
r
w
o
r
k d
o
ne be
fo
re
p
h
o
n
es started ri
n
g
i
n
g,
a
n
d pe
o
p
le
started
p
o
ki
n
g
t
h
eir hea
d
s
in
h
e
r
d
o
o
r
f
o
r var
i
ou
s
qu
e
stions or announce
m
ents.
She
m
issed
Michael,
w
h
o
u
s
ua
ll
y
arr
i
v
e
d
w
it
h
her
f
o
r si
m
ilar
reaso
n
s. He
li
k
ed
to get t
h
e
kitchen
o
r
g
a
nized
a
nd
r
eady to
g
o be
f
o
re
an
y
one
else
s
h
ow
e
d
u
p
.
W
e
re
he
h
ere
w
i
th
her
t
o
day,
he
w
o
uld so
o
n bri
n
g h
e
r
a
n
d
Vicki, w
h
o
alwa
y
s
a
rriv
e
d
s
h
o
rtly after,
a
c
u
p
o
f coffee,
an
d th
e
y would sit and plan the
day.

Le
n
a
p
er
m
itt
e
d
h
e
rself
a
s
m
all
frown.
Go
d
,
s
h
e
m
i
ssed
h
i
m
!
T
h
e five
da
y
s
he
’
d been
go
n
e
se
em
ed like
a
n
et
e
rnity.

Wal
k
i
n
g past
Vi
c
k
i’s o
f
fi
c
e,
Lena saw
h
er
f
rie
n
d
a
nd e
m
plo
y
er sitti
n
g
at
h
e
r
des
k
.
Le
n
a
gr
i
n
n
ed,

“
Good
m
o
rn
i
n
g,
Task
m
aster,”
she
joked. L
o
ok
i
ng
u
p
an
d
s
m
iling,
V
ic
k
i a
n
sw
e
re
d
,

“
Lo
v
e yo
u
, Ba
b
y
.”

Lena
s
m
il
ed
her an
s
w
e
r
a
n
d
wa
l
k
ed
a
n
o
t
h
e
r
f
e
w fe
e
t
be
f
o
re realizati
o
n
h
it
h
er.
Vic
k
i
was
b
ac
k
!
T
h
at
meant
Michael was back!
She
m
u
st have
ju
s
t
mi
ssed
h
i
s
r
e
t
u
r
n
t
o
t
h
e
co
nd
o
!
T
ur
n
in
g
o
n
h
e
r
heel, e
x
cite
m
e
n
t li
g
h
ti
n
g
h
e
r
b
ea
u
tif
u
l face, Le
n
a
r
u
shed
i
n
t
o Vic
k
i’s
office.

It was
e
m
pt
y
.