Page 56 of Beautiful Dreamer

“Been a long time. I wish you’d have let me stop by.” He hadn’tstopped grinning.

Jill glanced furtively at Elizabeth and Devyn, as if she didn’twant to discuss any of this in front of them. Thereby, Devyn remainedrespectfully quiet. “Just wanted to gather a little more strength first. Can’thave you seeing me laid up.”

Devyn smothered a cough.

“Just glad you’re here now. Come on,” Charlie said. “I’ll buy youa cone.”

“Okay,” Jill said automatically.

Well, that hadn’t been hard at all.

She turned to Devyn. “You two gonna be okay on your own?”

“I think we’ll manage,” Elizabeth said sweetly.

Devyn turned to Charlie, shifting to protective younger sistermode. “You realize that she can’t walk very fast, and she needs to use her caneall of the time? Not just once in a while to handle some of the weight on thatside. All the time.”

“Yes, ma’am. I do.”

She turned to Jill. “Do you have your cell phone in your backpocket so you can call if you need us?”

Jill patted her left cheek. “Right here.”

Devyn hesitated and exhaled slowly, wondering if this was such agood idea. “When will I see you again?” But the two of them were alreadyheading off in the direction of the festival.

“Let’s play that by ear,” Jill called back.

Damn it.She hoped Jill would be okay.

Elizabeth patted her shoulder as they watched. “They grow up sofast.”

“Don’t they, though?”

“C’mon. There’s exploring to do.”

Devyn smiled and vowed to keep an open mind. “You lead the way.”

First stop was the face-painting booth, in which Elizabethimmediately zeroed in on a sunflower for her cheek. “What about you?” she askedDevyn.

“I think I’m just going to watch.”

“Suit yourself.”

But after she’d said it, Devyn felt a little bad about notparticipating in something that Elizabeth seemed to think was a lot of fun,remarking to the people around them. helping them find exactly the right designfrom the book the artist laid out.

“Jimbo, you need to get the peace sign,” she told the teenager inline behind them. He smiled noncommittally but seemed flattered to have beenspoken to by Elizabeth, who was, after all, very pretty.

“What about me?” the older woman flipping through the catalogasked. “I like rainbows.”

“I was just about to suggest a rainbow for you, Midge. You lookamazing in multicolor.”

“Maybe a giant building for you,” she whispered to Devyn.

She opened her mouth to answer but Elizabeth beat her to thepunch.

“Or a refrigerator. We could ask the artist if she can do one.”

The words died right there on her lips. She pivoted. “You’retrouble.”

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