“Do you want to come inside for a drink?” she softly offered. “No. No. No, no, no, no. No.” Gwen stared at him. “One ‘no’ would have been clear.” “Those ‘no’s’ weren’t for you. They were for me. I was simply saying them out loud.”

“What do you see in a guy like Christian Prescott?" he asked me that night when he dropped me off from prom. And what he was really saying then, what would have come through loud and clear if I hadn't been so blind was, why don't you see me?”

“I thought such awful thoughts that I cannot even say them out loud because they would make Jesus want to drink gin straight out of the cat dish.”

“His soul sat up. It met me. Those kinds of souls always do - the best ones. The ones who rise up and say "I know who you are and I am ready. Not that I want to go, of course, but I will come." Those souls are always light because more of them have been put out. More of them have already found their way to other places.”

“You wouldn't let him do it, would you, Jamie?"Jamie's expression was very serene. She stared at Andrew when she spoke to her husband."With your permission, I would like to answer him.""You have it," Alec replied."Andrew," she called out in a voice as cold and clear as a frigid winter morning, "myhusband does whatever he wishes to do. I am sometimes allowed to help, though. If hedecides to cut off your feet, I will, of course, offer him my assistance.”

“Pulling her eyes away, she figured it was best to keep such questions to herself. “You could have just, you know, asked me out instead,” she offered, though she wasn’t sure why. John let out a soft chuckle. “Very true. I guess I just…I wanted to keep you safe.”“Safe? From what?” Evangeline suddenly felt heat rush her face. Was this man just paranoid or what? “Safe from this? Or from you?”He looked up, placing his fork down on the plate. His stare was expressionless and she suddenly regretted her brazen accusation. “Both.” His reply had been simple, direct, stern. “Those people who did this to me, they’ll do worse to you if they think that we’re involved…if they think that their message wasn’t clear enough.”