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To her, this was about what she had done, and the issue was

already resolved. She had no way of knowing how Claire had

been thrown back into the past so easily when normally she

would do anything to keep from going there.

“I already apologized, and I meant it. In the car on the way

home. I’ll apologize again. I really am sorry. I didn’t mean—

okay, it was thoughtless and dumb. I’m sorry. To you too.”

There was no mockery. No tricks either. She meant it. Her

apology was real.

It sucked the wind right out of Claire. She felt awkward,

like every inch of her towering height was too much. She

nodded, her jaw clenched tight. “Alright.”

“Do you accept? And forgive me? I really never meant to

hurt anyone. I just didn’t think you’d let me see my friends,

and I missed them so much. I can’t just disappear out of

people’s lives.”

“I realize that. This is my house, but you’re my guest. In the

future, please—”

“Yes, I know. Ask. I will.”

Claire didn’t care about last words. There wasn’t such a

thing in an argument. It wasn’t the first or the last words that

had the power. This was still her house, and Haley seemed like

she wanted to respect that. They could all use less headaches.

This plan should never have been conceived, and now that it

was, they had to learn to get through the next six months.

Together.

The lesson seemed to have bene learned. Haley was

unusually receptive and sweet, and she did sound sorry, which

was more than her father ever would have done. Robert Watt

and Richard Finley were men who were so similar that Claire