Supper was pancakes-Dean cooking, and Fred complaining and serving Cynthia, who still had a phone glued to her ear. It was after nine before the two had time to talk, and come to some sort of peaceful understanding.

"Jen's going to finish up this fall and graduate in December, before the baby comes," Cynthia said. "She's far ahead and has enough in credits to do it."

"Jen was her high school valedictorian," Dean remembered. "What about Randy?" he asked.

"He signed a contract. He'll go back to school in September, but miss the spring semester, and not graduate." She took a deep breath but didn't cry. "They won't even be together except weekends." Bucknell was in Pennsylvania, and Ryder College, where Jen attended, in New Jersey.

"They'll make do," Dean said. "That's what they've been doing for the past three years. It can't always be white picket fences and cottages. Some marriages start with a lurch before they get rolling."

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"He wanted to stay in New Jersey this fall. Jen made him go back to Pennsylvania to Bucknell, even without the scholarship. She told him god knows what she'd do to him if he didn't get all the credits he could."

Dean laughed. "Good for her!"

"But he won't graduate."

"Not yet. He will in time. She'll see to that. Is money going to be a problem?"

"That's what I asked. I told them we'd try to help, but right now. . ."

"Once we have a sheriff's salary coming in, maybe we can add a little to their budget-until they get settled."

She shook her head. "They won't need our help. Randy got money-lots of it-just for signing a contract."

Dean stood up and held her close so she couldn't see his cheering smile.




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