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"Hi, Jack"

Oh, shit on corned beef It was Hadley The beautiful ex-ith the wicked cool naht I’d cootten just how much Crikey Emmaline practically had a crush on her, she was so flippin’ beautiful She se brown eyes, silky blond hair, pink cheeks, heart-shaped face, full, soft lips She wore a soft green knit dress, tan leggings and cool suede ankle boots on her tiny little feet Euessed that her own hps were about twice the width of Hadley’s In fact, if Hadley turned around, E from her shoulders, the better for her to flutter away to sprinkle fairy dust

"Hadley" Jack stood up, towering over her "This is ht reave her a sunny smile that didn’t reach her eyes "Hadley Holland So nice to"We’ve met, actually"

"Have we? I’m so sorry I see you’re a police officer?"

"Yes," Eo into a uess I’ to run after a cri"

"Are you hitting on hed uns or tackling involved in that! More like painting and fabric choices,a house into a home"

Em had to admire the skill hich Hadley had just drawn the line Hadley--delicate and artistic Emmaline--manly and brutish

"What can I do for you, Hadley?" Jack asked

"I was justchecking in, I guess," Tinkerbell said now "How’ve you been, Jack?" She gave his arreat" His face was colad to hear that" Hadley snized Jack’s response as the cold shoulder, but Hadley was Southern, and Southerners could make conversation with a block of wood, it seemed "Jack, I talked to Frankie today You kno she just adores you Evento all her friends that you’re her brother-in-law!"

"Ex-brother-in-law," Jack said

"Well, now, she doesn’t think of you as an ex anything," Hadley said smoothly "But shoot, I didn’tJack, I’ll call you about having dinner Bye, Evelyn! So nice to ers and floated away Jack sat back down and took a sip of beer Emmaline noted he hadn’t turned down the dinner invitation

"So," he said "When do we leave?"

"Right That’s another thing The wedding’s Saturday It’s in Malibu, so of course I’ll pay for your plane fare and hotel and stuff"

"No, you won’t"

"Yes I will"

"Not necessary"

"I’"

He shrugged "Fine So we’ll go, I’ll pretend to be your boyfriend--"

"No, no," Ehed, then rubbed her eyes "You really don’t have to co more than to leave her kids and couy, or else you wouldn’t have been looking atshots with Carol"

"Well, yes If I take Allison, ht"

"Are you?"

"Yes! I was engaged to the grooht!" Must use inside voice "It’s justthey think I’aze was on Hadley, as perched alone at the bar, trying to get Colleen’s attention "Excuse ot up fro and then caely, then pulled out a menu, went to Hadley and handed it to her

Based on her excellent powers of deduction, E the former Mrs Jack Holland, and Jack had just asked her to knock it off

So The Princess of Beautiful Land was back in town and sprinkling her fairy dust on Jack And while everyone knew Hadley had cheated on his like this People who looked like Hadley (and Naoot aith some very stinky crap

"So when do we leave?" Jack asked, sliding back into his seat

"Thursday?"

"Thursday’s great"

She paused "Okay Thank you, Jack"

"My pleasure It’ll be nice to go somewhere warm"

"Malibu is beautiful Every day of the year, more or less"

He finished his beer "Send ht and hotel so I can make a reservation, okay?"

"I’llone thin dime on this trip"

He s wrapped in a warm, soft blanket "And blah blah blah blah," he said Well, he probably said actual words, but Em couldn’t quite hear at the moment, as she was rendered close to death by the beauty of that s, pure blue eyes, the tousled blond hair, thethethe glory that was Jack Holland

Then he stood up, squeezed her shoulder and left, waving at the O’Rourke twins and nodding at his ex-wife, who positively beamed and fluttered, butterfly-like, back at hiood five minutes before Euy, she warned herself Very sternly