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"Why do you care?"

She was taunting him Maybe she didn’t mean to do it, but she had, and Grant found hi her and wanted to do it et all about Keith and how close a friend he was

He ainst the front door From here, he could smell her skin and the sweet-scented lotion she’d sht by her temple and breathed in deep

His world spun for a moment, and he had to force himself to remember where he was and why he was here "I care because I want you to be happy"

Her voice was thin, almost breathless "And you don’t think Keith could make me happy?"

"Maybe I bet he’d like to try" Grant knew he sure as hell could make her happy At least for a few hours He’d love to make her so happy she’d howl for hi the chance ainst his chest and gave hiht he wasn’t really sure it had happened Her eyes ide, her pupils dilated, and a sexy hint of color warht," she told him "You and I"

"Why not?"

"Because you’re leaving toood it ht Grant knew that She was a nice girl A freaking ele her like this

So why the hell couldn’t he stop?

"And even if I was into it," she said, "Dale is right upstairs"

Dale A kid One who didn’t need to see his fosterrooer

That was enough to get Grant thinking straight again

He nodded slowly and backed away froh his li his body’s reactions to let theet the better of him now "Sorry"

Isabelle sed "How about some tea? That will keep your hands busy"

"No thanks I’ve been on the road since two ao see the police first thing tomorrow and see what they have to say" And he’d be sure to tell theht have a patrolman drive by her house a few tiested, then he’d be less likely to mess with Isabelle if the police were always around If notGrant would just have to stick around a while and find out

Dale was deep into the futile effort of studying for the SATs when he heard the click of a s his

For a second he thought ithard Her i else that had once occupied the space He saw her sweet s blond hair that always looked too perfect to touch In his ht pink sweater she had on last Thursday that showed off her perfect breasts--the sweater that had hiht to learn the history lesson he’dat her She was so pretty he had no idea why all the other guys in his class hadn’t fallen on their knees at her feet for just the chance to talk to her

Maybe they were as gutless as he was, too afraid she’d turn hi as she hadn’t said no, there was still a chance she ot hiela

God knew he needed solass, and Dale scraela and she’d co love for him He’d climb down to her and she’d throw herself into his arms They’d find a nice, quiet place where they could ht of endless sex that would ruin her for all other ether to a place where SAT scores didn’t matter, and he’d buy her a pink sweater for every day of the week

When he looked down into the yard, all his hopeful thoughts that Angela had fallen in love with hihborhood ell lit enough for hinize his dad’s prison build and the expectant stance he’d used with Moone to jail for it

Cold, bitter pain sla it hard to breathe He missed Mom so much Isabelle was nice, but it wasn’t the same It never would be

Dale stared for a er and hatred for theMoood idea Wyatt should have been charged with murder, not just assault He’d beaten his wife so often she felt the need to escape with a hefty does of heroin as often as she could get it If it hadn’t been for that, his ht still be alive

As far as Dale was concerned, that was murder

Wyatthim Let the bastard freeze down there while he was safe and warm up in his rooet angry And when he got angry, he hurt people Isabelle didn’t deserve to have that kind of shit coh to open her home to him Dale owed her more than that

He opened theand stood there with his arhts pretty hard for the past year, but he was no rown ht years with little else to do in prison but lift weights, getting stronger and meaner

"I need to talk to you," Wyatt whispered

"Fuck off," Dale whispered back, adding in a hand gesture to ensure that his dad didn’t misunderstand

"Get your ass out here, boy"

"You’re not even supposed to be here Supervised visits only, remember?"

"I’d be happy to come in and let the little lady supervise"

Shit Dale had heard Grant go to bed about an hour ago Wyatt would never mess with a man like Grant, one who radiated confidence with every breath he took, but if Isabelle was aloneShit