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She paused and hung her head. "Sick!"
    The crowd nodded sympathetically.
    From his place in the second row, Max rolled his eyes and shook his head sadly. In the back, Dave edged away from a man who was scratching himself.
    Jamie turned and raised her eyes to Rawlins's. Still holding the microphone, she covered it with one hand so that the congregation could not hear her words. "What I just said was a lie," she whispered. "I'm not really a shopaholic. I'm a sex addict. I just couldn't bear to tell everyone."
    Two blond brows shot high on his head. Sweat beaded his brow. "I'm sorry for putting you on the spot."
    Jamie swallowed. "I'm so ashamed."
    He put his hand on her shoulder, and he squeezed it, massaged it, actually. "Brothers and sisters, we have heard this young lady's confession, and we both know how hard it is to battle an addiction." He turned to Jamie, and his eyes were bright with interest. "Sister, are you willing to go into private counseling with me in order to beat this?" he asked. "Because you know with the Lord's help we can lick it once and for all."
    "I'll do anything," she said. She fluttered her lashes, hoping they didn't stick to her cheek. "Anything."
    Harlan swallowed so hard his Adam's apple bobbed erratically. "I'll speak with you after the service."
    Jamie saw the promise in his gaze that made her suspect he wasn't exactly thinking along spiritual lines. "Oh, thank you." She clasped his hand tightly, bent down, and kissed it. The crowd applauded. She lingered for a moment, letting her warm breath fan over Harlan's skin, and she was almost certain he shivered.
    Jamie reclaimed her seat in the front row. It was all she could do to keep from grinning. "Gotcha," she whispered.
    * * * * *
    Jamie exited the church some minutes later after setting an appointment with Rawlins for the next day. She headed straight for her truck, where Fleas waited. Danged if she wasn't beginning to like the dog. That didn't mean she planned to keep him. He needed to live on a farm where he'd have plenty of space to run. Not that she'd actually seen him run or even move at a fast pace, mind you. He sort of ambled about. Mostly he slept.
    Jamie suddenly felt a presence. Max.
    He grabbed her wrist. "Oh, no, you don't."
    Jamie turned. Had they not been surrounded by people, God-fearing church folks, she would have let him have it right there. After what she'd been through she was ready for a showdown. Instead, she very politely extricated herself from his grasp.
    "Max, I'm only going to say this once. Get out of my face
and
my life."
    "What do you think you're doing here?" he demanded.
    "Going after a story, that's what."
    "I specifically told you

Chapter Four
    "Your ride left you?" she said. "Sounds like you got a problem, Bubba."
    Max arched a brow.
"Bubba?"
    "All right, I'll give you a ride if you'll promise not to say anything to annoy me."
    He looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure that's possible."
    Jamie almost laughed. "Put some effort into it. And no more wisecracks about my dog."
    They climbed into the truck, and Jamie started the engine.
    "This thing is pretty rough inside," Max said.
    "See that, you've already done it. Annoyed the hell out of me."
    "Only because you're still angry with me because I didn't think you should get involved in this, er, job."
    "In order to be angry with you, I would have to be emotionally invested, and that's just not the case."
    He chuckled. "Face it, Swifty. You're still hot for me."
    "I can't hear you," Jamie said, turning on the radio. All she got was static. She pushed the button, and a country-western song came on. Max started to say something, and she turned up the volume to drown him out. She was not going to let him goad her. All at once, Fleas pounced against the window and began growling.
    "What the hell?" Max said.
    Jamie hit the brake and turned around in her seat. Fleas's teeth were bared. He clawed the glass as though trying to get at Max. "Oh, damn, I forgot. He hates