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Vale’s gaze slides to her dad and herShe looks back to ’s he been out?"

"Since the end of the first quarter," I whisper back, and stand up frorumble, and I look down at him His eyes are open but a little bleary He leans forward and puts his recliner back in the norh to clear his throat, and leans past Vale with his arm extended The dude steps forward and accepts Dave’s handshake

"Hey, Todd Good to see you," Dave says, and I try to analyze his voice Does he like this guy? Clearly this is so awhile, and I knoithout a doubt it’s the guy that called her the other night when I was here I don’t hear any overt affection for the dude, but he seeuy He’s good looking enough, I suppose Nothing spectacular, ina pink button-down, khaki shorts, and a pair of deck shoes

"So, hey," Dave says as he realizes introductions need to beback at me "Hawke…this is Todd Walters And Todd…this is--"

"Hawke Therrien," Todd says with a bea smile He pushes past Vale, rounds Dave’s recliner, and advances on e, as a rabs mine and he pumps enthusiastically With a nod over his shoulder at Vale, he says, "Knew you’d been traded here and Vale told ues"

"Juniora da about me or my career

"My bad," he says sheepishly as he pulls his hand away "Yeah, Vale said you used to be friends way back when"

"She said that, did she?" I look back to Vale and her eyes are noered as she fastidiously studies the carpet Refusing to look atinfor

"Yeah, Vale and I go way back," I say as I continue to look at her, watching her shoulders tense A quick glance at Dave and I see hi back a smirk It’s in this moment that I realize Dave isn’t all that fond of Todd and is relishing this interplay

"Well, aslate," Vale says as she steps past her father to stand beside Todd His arm slips around her waist and he pulls her in close, still bealy, her e clear She doesn’t want her boyfriend to know about ether I bet she’s afraid it will scare hiuy off at the knees