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Had it actually been that long? "Sorry, Moot away frolanced at his assistant "Would you bring us each a cup of green tea?" he asked

"I’d be happy to," Gail assured hi his mother and Gail knew it

His mother waited until Gail had left the roo surprised

"I’ve turned over a new leaf," he told her Realizing what he’d said, he added, "No pun intended"

His

"I did ym, didn’t I?" There was no need to tell her he’d only been once

"Oh, yes, and knitting classes, too"

As if to prove he was taking his physician’s advice seriously, he reached behind his desk where he kept his knitting, although he hadn’t picked it up since that initial class "I learned how to cast on last week," he announced proudly, waving the needle with its clued to knit three or four rows, although for every stitch he made he’d had to unravel two But, he reasoned, he was learning

Gloria clapped her hands in delight as he shoved the needle, trailing its skein of white yarn, back in his briefcase Shehe couldn’t tackle Everyone needed a mother like his and in that sense Hutch considered himself one of the fortunate people of this world

"Did youexpectantly at him as she took her place on the leather sofa Phone call? Hutch was supposed to have made a phone call? He wracked his brain, but for the life of him he couldn’t remember

"Bryan, you promised "

She was Bryan to him when he’d disappointed her Apparently his blank expression gave hiain who you wantedwas impeccable and she chose just that moment to return with a small tray The teapot was covered with a white cozy and she’d arranged two cups, together with a sar She set it on the corner of his desk and quietly left

"I’ll pour" His reen as the casehi hi His sister had lots of friends--and then it hit hi about a woman, but it’d been early last week and had completely slipped his mind

"Her name’s Mia Northf ield" With her own tea in hand, she sat on the sofa and sipped delicately

The fact was, Hutch didn’t re his mother that he’d contact this Mia

"She’s divorced"

He nodded That sounded vaguely fa, I really don’t All I want is for you to f ind some nice woman and settle down and have two or three children…or ten"

Hutch nearly choked on his tea "Ten?"

"I’d spoil every one of thee of his ely appealing The proble ti it’d been There didn’t seeh hours in the day for an active social life, not like the one he’d had before his father’s death

All of a sudden Phoebe Rylander’s face f lashed before hiile smile and dark, lively eyes "As it happens," hehis cup with both hands, "I have hter "When?" she asked speculatively, al class" He grinned and knew instantly that his mother had noticed

"Tell me about her"

There wasn’t really that an

Gloria looked worried "She’s not a smoker, is she?" Then before he could respond, she asked, "Does this girl have a weight issue?" She seeret that question "Actually, that doesn’t concern "

"This woman doesn’t smoke--" he hoped that was true "--and she’s certainly not overweight"

"Then tell me about her Why is she in the class?"

Hutch reviewed the introductions Lydia had asked each of them to make "To be honest, I don’t re to quit" What he did recall was a rather sad story "Apparently she was engaged and her f iancé died shortly before the wedding" He raised one shoulder in a shrug "I guess she’s trying to get over him"

"Phoebe What a lovely nairl"

"She’s as lovely as her name" Hutch didn’t realize he’d spoken the words aloud until he saw his htful look over the rim of her cup "She’ll need time to heal, of course Did she say when this happened?"

Phoebe hadn’t given the group many details In fact, she seemed reluctant to talk about her f iancé’s death at all, which told hi with the loss