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  The sheriff came to Cece’s house and Vicki calmly explained what she had seen earlier in the day when Cece was digging outside in the back yard. He and Len went outside where they stayed for several minutes. When they came back in, Len was white as a ghost.

  The sheriff nodded toward Vickie. “There’s a newborn buried out there,” he said. “And I can just imagine what Cece has been through here with Ed. He always was a big mouth and tended to get into trouble whenever he had a few drinks.”

  “What’s going to happen with her?” Vicki asked.

  “Nothing,” the sheriff said. “She’s is shock and who can blame her? She lost her child and he probably had something to say about it. She killed him for it. I don’t see that as being any different than if it had been between him and another man in the saloon over a deck of cards. Ed lost the game.”

  “Thank you,” Vicki said, relieved that Cece wouldn’t have to stand trial or anything else. Her heart broke for the friend who had traveled with her across the US with her mouth going a hundred miles per hour, constantly talking and full of life. To see her now, this blank face and withered life, was heartbreaking.

  “I wouldn’t leave her here, though. Might want to get her into the rooming house for a few nights. Then she can decide what she wants to do.”

  “You take her to Ali,” Len said. “She always knows how to bring a heart and a head back in balance. If anyone can fix Cece, it is Ali and Ichabod.”

  Four months later, Cece pushed the chairs back underneath the table as Vicki straightened up papers on her desk. Cece had been helping her in the school for the past two weeks, learning the ropes so that she could teach while Vicki was out with the baby that was due in about three months.

  “You feeling okay today, Cece?” Vicki asked.

  “Yeah. Why do you say that?”

  “I don’t know. Just seems that you’re lost in thought or something.”

  Cece stood up straight and looked at her friend. “I was, actually. Thinking about Ed and how we could have had what you and Len have, Vicki. You’re so happy and so is Len. Ed was miserable, selfish, hateful and whatever else you want to say about him. I was about to steal away to escape him, but then I found out I was pregnant, so I stayed.”

  “I’m sorry you lost the baby,” Vicki said. “So sorry. But, you can share ours. How’s that?”

  “Oh that’s okay. I know the poor thing wouldn’t have had much of a life with me and Ed. I’ve prayed about it and I’m at peace, Vicki. Besides, this works out. I’ll teach while you have the baby, then I’ll babysit while you teach. Works perfectly.”

  Vicki smiled to herself. Ali and Ichabod had done a wonderful job of nursing Cece back to good health, both physically and emotionally. It had been a hard thing to get her over the first hump, but they had persevered and won. Cece wasn’t 100% still, but she was near to being herself.

  Len and Ichabod had also removed Ed from the house and buried him so that Cece never saw him again. They whitewashed the entire inside of the house and built on another room, tearing down the bedroom where they had slept together. But the best thing they had done was to rebury the child under a small tree with a rock bordered gravesite. Vicki had seen Cece there one or two times knelt in prayer.

  All in all, the trip over the ocean had brought about many changes in both of the girls as well as the world they entered in Jonesboro, Colorado.

  Life wasn’t perfect, Vicki thought to herself. But, it was so close that only God could get it closer. And she knew he’d do whatever he had to do to make perfection. He always did.

  THE END