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Chance turned his head, and in the sunlight angling through the , his eyes looked inexpressibly weary "Thanks"

I tried to smile "You’re welcome"

Jesus, I didn’t knohat to do with this Chance He frightened me with his intensity Once, I’d believed he was all cool calculation, but I was starting to think that maybe he’d hidden a lot of what he felt I just didn’t knohy

"Nothing in the world is like I thought it was" He paused before adding quietly, "Not even you"

I put the car in gear without responding Just what did he expect fro hione above and beyond the call as an ex That was for his h, and I suppose he knew it

Instead of taking the opportunity to rehash our relationship, I said, "We should put Eva on researching Southern Sanitation Find out ns it and, if possible, the parent company The trail has to lead somewhere"

My brisk tone woke a siet back to the house What would you like to do for dinner tonight?"

Uh-oh

"I already have plans" Iaway fro to borrow the car"

"What plans?"

Here it co dinner with Jesse Saldana"

"The cop You’re really going to dinner with the cop on’t let us look at my mom’s purse, the purse we’ll probably need to bribe soht, but I didn’t risk a look at him

There was a special circle in hell reserved for me I should tell hiift

"Like I said before, e his ood idea? How do you knoe can trust hi into the driveway, I put the car in park Angled ood in the late afternoon sunshine "There is no us I’ this for me"

He flinched as he climbed out of the Camry I wanted to think it was his back, but I knew better "You’re right Of course you can borrow the car Just be careful I’ll talk to Eva about Southern Sanitation so you can get ready"

Why did I wind up feeling like I’d kicked a puppy anytime I tried to put some distance between us? I am not still half in love with hiot that look in his eyes, I wanted to brush the dark hair away froainst his and let hi? Even with his back torn up I wanted to take hiet about his troubles for an hour or two

Instead I went inside and got ready for my "date"

More than One Way to Skin a Potato

To annoy Chance, I spentready than I needed to and headed out sipani

I’d borrowed Chuch’s coan’s Roadhouse, so I just needed to follow it All the way back to town, oing I didn’t knohy I hadn’t, except I wanted to keep this part of s happened when I let et too wrapped up in him

Typical of its kind, the restaurant possessed lots of heavy wood and neon, metal buckets of peanuts for people to munch on and then throw the shells on the floor I supposed it added to at up at the end of the night I got a booth near the bar and waited

The waitress, whose naawatt smile at me I decided she must’ve had her teeth capped recently "Evenin’ Are you waiting for more?"

Well, I’d told the hostess soet you started and then let you be We have loaded baked potato soup and chili tonight, hon You want a drink? Maybe start with some nachos or some Texas onion petals? Some potato skins?"

"Diet Coke with lie to order in English I didn’t knohat Saldana would want, but the skins sounded good "And potato skins to start We’ll order after he gets here"

Shelike every other server in her Logan’s shirt and jeans I wished I could have a sonated driver, dammit One plus about such a noisy place: nobody would overhear us The waitress brought h

"You sure you don’t want to order?"

I shooklook she slid my way as she headed back to the kitchen

Nerves jangling, I fiddled with the pail of peanuts until Saldana arrived, a full half hour after the appointed ti a sht" But I’d begun to wonder if he would show

"Jesse," the waitress said with evident delight "Don’t you know it’s not nice to keep a lady waiting?" She flirted shamelessly

If he really was my date, I’d be pissed Since he wasn’t, I sat back with a smirk and let him deal with Betsy I helped myself to another potato skin while he ordered an iced tea

Then and there I decided , cuddly teddy bear type Noother women devour ed to diss

"Sorry," he said again when he’d gotten rid of her

"It’s not a problerin