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"So it’ll be soon I hope that it’s okay if I coedWe just don’t want a big church thing We’ll have a party out at the house afterward Right, honey?" He deferred to Michele

"Sure," she said "We’ll fire up our grill,his over, too, and we’ll cook whatever anybody brings And other guests can bring drinks or whatever, vegetables and desserts That way no one orry and we’ll all have a good ti That was very practical and low-key I asked the that would be ed, they left, still holding hands and s

India said, "Another one bites the dust How you feeling about this, Sookie?"

"I like Michele real well I’ed?"

"Yeah," I called back, a few happy tears in h he was still a little worried about his own romantic situation Any irritation I’d felt about the Jannalynn episode sinificant others caainst it "Second tiether"

He nodded, acceptingup Jannalynn’s little outburst of jealousy "Crystal was all wrong for your brother; Michele is all right"

"In a nutshell," I agreed

Since Holly called in to say her car wouldn’t start but Hoyt orking on it, I was still at Merlotte’s when JB came in about tenhandso about JB, so, especially when added to his nonthreatening good looks He’s like a great loaf of hoet for you?"

"Sookie, I saw you last night" He waited forreaction

"I saw you, too" Just about every inch of hih that would be news "I saw her as she was leaving"

"Uh-huh," I agreed "She was"

"Was she mad?"

"She was real surprised," I said cautiously "Are you seriously telling ot in pretty late," he said "I slept out on the couch When I got up this one to the store"

"Oh, JB" I shook ot to talk to her"

"What can I say? I know I should have told her" He esture with his hands "I just couldn’t think of any other way to earn soht now, and I don’t ood insurance Twins! That’s gonna be a big hospital bill What if one of ’e to tell him not to worry about it-but there was every reason for hi to tell him he didn’t need to be JB had made a clever move, for JB; he had found a way to use his assets tohis wife he was taking off his clothes in front of many other women on a weekly basis

We talked off and on while JB nursed a beer at the bar Tactfully, Sam pretended to be so busy that he was deaf to our inter special for Tara that night or to stop off at Wal-Mart and buy her a little bouquet Maybe he could give her a foot rub and a backto make her feel loved and special "And don’t tell her how big she is!" I said, poking a finger into his chest "Don’t you dare! You tell her she’syour children!"

JB looked exactly as though he were going to say, "But that’s not true" He was sure thinking it He met my eyes and clamped his lips shut

"Doesn’t reat!" I told him "I know you love her"

JB looked sideways for athat statement for its truth value, and then he nodded "I do love her," he said Then he smiled "She completes me," he said proudly JB loved ht back," I said "She needs to feel pretty and adored, because she feels big and clunant, I hear"

"I’ll try, Sookie Can I call you if she doesn’t soften up?"

"Yeah, but I know you can work this out, JB Just be loving and sincere, and she’ll co," he said suddenly, as I was turning away

"Yeah, I know," I said

"I knew you would understand" He took a last sip of beer, left Saym in Clarice

"This must be couples day," India said "Saht didn’t see Lola?" Though I knew the answer, it was always better to ask

"Naw It didn’t work out"

"I’ht woman will just walk in the door of the bar, and you’ll be all fixed up"