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"Good evening to you, too," Jah his hair "Don’t you listen to your es? I’ve left no fewer than five, and you haven’t bothered to return one"

"Sit down," James said calmly "Do you want a drink?"

Ralph’s eyes narrowed as he studied Ja to need it?"

"That depends" Jae brick fireplace He’d tell Ralph the truth because it was necessary and, knowing his cas about Summer, he suspected Ralph would need a stiff drink "Make yourself at hoot no less than ten phone calls this afternoon asking about your black eye You can’t show up and then say nothing about it"

"I can’t?" This was news to Jaht you were here to discuss business"

"I aht an unopened bottle of top-shelf bourbon out of a cabinet "So I’ue of Woed for you to speak at their luncheon in July It’s a real coup, James, and I hope you appreciate my efforts"

"Yes," he murmured "Thanks"

"Now tell ht," Jalass He half filled it with bourbon and handed it to his friend "I got hit in the face with a fist more than once"

"Whose fist?"

"Some beach bum by the name of Brett I don’t remember his last name if I ever heard it"

Ralph sed his first sip of liquor "Does the beach bu to do with the woman you mentioned?"

"Yeah"

The two men stared across the kitchen at each other

"Were the police called?" Ralph demanded

It took James a moment to own up to the truth "Yes"

Ralph slaainst the counter "I should’ve known! Ja but trouble Mark …"

"Summer!"

"Whatever It doesn’tTrouble You’ve worked all your life for this opportunity This is your one shot at the bench We both know it You asked ht it would be a team effort The two of us"

"It is" James wanted to hold on to his seat on the bench --other than to marry Suet this close and lose it all would be agonizing

"Then why," Ralph asked, paln?"

"I’ it on purpose"

"Stay away from this woman!"

"Ralph, I can’t I won’t"

Ralph rubbed his face with both hands, clearly frustrated

"Su her to Seattle as soon as I can arrange it Probably April"

"Tell ured he should admit the truth now and be done with it "We’re married"

"What?" Ralph pulled out a chair and sank into it "When?"

"Over New Year’s"

"Why?"

"It was just…one of those things We fell in love and gotfor ato be a problem"

"You want to knohat’s the real probleht away?"

"I should have," James said, sorry now that he hadn’t "But when you told me you’d never been in love, I didn’t think there was much of a chance you’d understand"

"What you’ve done is jeopardize your entire ca?"

"Tily

Ja, Suood at connecting with people Unfortunately her contract with Disney doesn’t expire until April"