Chapter Twenty Two

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A little while later . . .

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Jane couldn't believe how late it had gotten. She was sitting on Red's bed in a pair of flannel pajamas (with footys) that Mindy had finagled from their stores. Mindy had apologized for about an hour before she and Jane made peace with each other.

Jane had donated almost all of her money to the Strays coffers, except for about twenty dollars, plus enough to buy Red a gift. She had picked up a candle that gave off three different scents as it burned its way down, all of them floral.

"God, that's so stupid," she muttered. She hadn't bought a gift for anyone in a long time, and never for someone she was trying to form an intimate relationship with.

"What's stupid?"

Jane jumped, her braided hair swirling around and rearing up like eight individual snakes until Jane actually saw Red standing in the doorway. When she began to relax, her extra appendages relaxed.

"My . . . uhm . . . I bought somethi