Forty years earlierOlivia breathed in the glorious scent of freshly cut lilacsarmloads of them in a corner of the gymnasium. Tiny lights glittered along the edge of the stage, over the doors and windows, and the basketball hoops were draped with purple and yellow bunting, the Frampton High colors.
Olivia smiled in contentment as she and James placed stubby candles nestled in glass pots on each of the white clad tables that ringed the large area. James McElroy hadn't left her side all day, and she gloried in the idea that now he was truly hers.
"Whew! That's it, I guess. I'm glad to be finished, aren't you?" she asked, not the least bit glad. She cherished every moment she spent with James.
"Don't wish your life away," James teased, taking the last of the candles from her hands and setting them on a nearby table.
The sounds of the room faded as James reached for her. "Every time I see that look in your eyes
" he murmured, pulling her behind a huge ...
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