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Prudence, dressed much like he was in a flannel shirt and jeans, approached "Hey, Useless!" she said, s? Guess what? I’m officially in menopause The results came back today"
"I’m thrilled for you"
"Oh, bite me It’s horrible, Jack I want to climb Carl one minute, then slowly choke the life out of hi of Carl, do you happen to have any spurs?"
"No, Pru Believe it or not, no"
"Damn I back-ordered some, but they’re still not here"
Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw a table of wo a beer to the side of her face
She didn’t even want to be spotted, in other words
"Catch you in a little while, Pru," he said, walking over to the ladies--Shelayne Schanta, Allison Whitaker, Grace Knapton and Jeanette O’Rourke
And Emmaline
"Hello, ladies Mind if I sit down?"
"Jack!" four of the five of the their chairs to make room for him "How are you, you look so handso, have you eaten?"
One of the
"Hi, Eo out soave hiame if she’s not, Jack," Shelayne said
"So a for an older woo out with you, Jack," said Hannah O’Rourke, co up with a tray full of peachy-pink drinks
"Me, too," said Colleen’sRonnie Petrosinsky on and off"
"The Chicken King?" Grace asked, na Ronnie’s franchise "I just love their Mm-Mm Maple Glazed"
"How about it, Emmaline?" Jack asked
"I’m very busy," she said "But thanks just the same"
"That’s too bad" He looked steadily at his prey, as staring determinedly at the jukebox over Allison’s shoulder "Because I had a great tiht"
Her eyes jerked back to his "Good! I’e needs walking Nice seeing you, Jack Bye, girls"
"You seriously don’t want to go out with him?" Mrs O’Rourke said
"I’ll walk you out," he said, following her
"Together again!" Colleen called "So cute Coulda called it Did call it, in fact"
"Stop harassing the customers, Colleen," Connor called fro on," he called, catching up to her "Why won’t you go out with o bruised?" she asked
"A little"
She smothered a smile "You’re really nice, Jack, and you’re not exactly the Elephant Man, but I don’t think this is a good idea"
"I just want to have dinner"
She took a breath and held it, clearly on the fence "Just dinner, Emmaline," he said "Please"
Her eyes went a little soft and wide
Score
But then she looked over his shoulder, and her cop face reappeared
"Have dinner with your wife Here she is Take care" With that, she turned and walked away, her feet crunching on the snow
"Well, hey, stranger!" Hadley said "How are you, Jack?"
And so, not wanting to be a jerk, he held the door for Hadley, took off her coat when she turned her back and gave her his hand as she struggled to sit on a stool
Then, rather than getting webbed into a conversation with his too-beautiful ex-wife, he opted for the company of his cat and walked across the street to where his truck was parked
There was a note on the windshield, on bright pink paper
"You better watch yourself," it read Laser-printed, not handwritten
He glanced back at O’Rourke’s Was this a warning fro to do with his interest in Eht be from Mr or Mrs Deiner But they’d been camped out at the hospital around the clock
You better watch yourself
The pink paper watered down the threat of the words
Might not be a threat after all Or it ht have been ray pickup trucks It was just a note, anyway Not a big deal
He could feel the water slicing into his scalp as he went under His chest burned from the lack of air
By the time the flashback was over, Jack’s flannel shirt was damp with cold sweat He started up his truck and headed for home, his throat raw from the cold, cold air
TWO DAYS LATER, Jack, his father and Pops were at work It should’ve been easy, but for so today He bu his coffee Missed what Dad had just said Stepped on Pops’s foot
"You okay, son?" Dad asked