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"He as-- He as th-the m-mo--"

Kevin looked away Nao expression And Lyric Ada a few tables aith aaway as she snickered

Jack took her free hand

She took it back She didn’t want pity Hell to the no power

Think British, she commanded herself Think Harry Potter or To theto another table "How about you, mother of the bride? You must want to share a special memory!"

Emmaline sat down

"You okay?" Jack asked

"You lied to us?" Mom asked "Eical! Why on earth would you--"

"Dr Neal," Jack said, "I think you understand that Eh--"

"No, Jack M-Mom, I’led to get out She pictured the stutter leaning against a doorheezing its dry, whispery laugh Hahaha Got you again

"I think you need tis," Mom said, a world of hurt in her voice "See you later"

Who could blah she’d stopped listening The ain, and Em sat there like a lump

Jack took her hand "Let’s dance," he said, and she co off the bestcamaraderie and humor with no disappointment or blame whatsoever So by John Mayer, and Jack pulled her close It ht’ve been sexy, if she hadn’t felt like a slab of oak

"Hang in there," hesound as it broke through some of the hair spray She would’ve answered if she wasn’t terrified of either stuttering or crying

"I have to say, I’e down at her with a s for a bachelor party at a strip club"

Thank you, Jack, for being a perfect date and the nicest guy in the world and also gorgeous Thanks for notme feel worse than I already do Instead, she just tried to smile and shifted her eyes to his shoulder He held her a little closer, and she had to bite her lip hard

By to little house, with her good puppy and her excellent job Levi wouldn’t ask how the wedding was because he wasn’t that kind of boss, and Em would ask Everett if he wanted her to cover a couple of his shifts, which he always did She’d otiations class and have a night with the Bitter Betrayeds and by then, she’d have had tiood story

Then her dad tapped him on the shoulder "Mind if I dance with my firstborn?" he asked

"Not at all, sir," Jack said, stepping aside

So she danced with her father, breathing in his co soed, hating the stutter even more because it made her unable to talk to her father, who did love her in his weird psychoanalyst way He kissed her forehead, and E ended "I’d better go dance with Angela," Dad said "That bestthe hint" Eo

She’d have to co to theela, too

Jack didn’t seem to be nearby, or at their table in the back, and people were giving her those erabbed her purse and walked out of the ballroorabbed the nearest parking attendant She wasn’t about to drive, not after two (or possibly three) zillion-proof vodka drinks "I need a favor," she said, handing him a hundred-dollar bill "Would you drivethe bill "Where do want to go?"

"You know Nance’s diner?"

He sry?"

She folded her arms "You have no idea"

CHAPTER TWELVE

JACK COULD SWEAR he smelled bacon

He was back in his roo hirandmother’s colonoscopy last year, which sounded even uttural sounds

He was a little worried Emmaline hadn’t answered when he knocked Hadn’t responded to his text, either She wouldn’t have driven; she was a cop and knew better than ether

As Josh Deiner would now understand, if he wasn’t brain-dead

For a second, Jack could swear he felt the lake water close over his head The car see there on the bottom of the lake All that cold and darkness

No No, thanks He dragged his rim darkness He was here in California, where it was now fully dark, a half-rees, maybe If there was a reason to live in California, it was the weather And San Francisco, a place Jack had visited a few tieous

Good He was thinking about other things He packed his stuff, since they had an early flight, and changed out of his suit into jeans and a T-shirt

His phone chirped Mrs Johnson, of all people, texting hi California and cos to see you

He had several other texts, too All three sisters, wondering how the wedding was going One froo out for a beer, then another saying he forgot he ay Two froot back One frootten a srin of the entire family, complained about the tiny keys and had yet to understand AutoCorrect That or she’d just had a stroke

There were five texts and two phone calls froy to stop trying to text until Ned showed her how and ignored Hadley

He really wished she’d leave town Honor had told hi That wasn’t a good sign

He heard a sound from Emmaline’s roo her flail today Not being able to make her feel better

He knocked on the door that separated their roo the front desk and telling the me, Jack" She sounded irritable