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Slow Heat Jill Shalvis 18950K 2023-08-31

Bailey laughed "Not Aidan?"

"Yes but see, Aidan is my sin on a stick"

The radio crackled and then Hud’s voice came on, calm and sure "Got one of theasped and leaned into the radio

"Two minutes out," came Aidan’s reply, also calm and sure "Do we need to call the police? Over"

"I a himself on a joyride in the terrain park He’s about three-quarters of the way down the run I’ve got eyes on hi lit sparklers in each hand, having a party of one No visual on the other Over"

"I’ll go to the top," Aidan said "Maybe he’s still up there Over"

Two minutes later, Hud was back on the radio "Got idiot nuhtly strained "He says idiot number two crashed and needs assistance Heads up, idiot number one’s impaired and was combative Over"

"Was?" ca Over"

Lily and Bailey stared at each other Lily poured them each another shot

"What’s this one for?" Bailey asked in a stage whisper, although who she thought was listening, she had no idea

"If you’re going to love one of the Kincaids, you should know, sometioing to love one of the Kincaids?"

"It’s all over your face" Lily knocked her cup to Bailey’s "It’s okay, honey They’re worth it They’re worth every second of this crazy, topsy-turvy, wonderful ride"

Bailey drank to that Was she going to love him?

You already do, a very small voice whispered, ay back in the depths of her brain No, ht up yet

And how could it? Her heart and brain had never, not once, both been in love She’d never really been a whole person

Hud was most definitely a whole person He had a very full life of his ownBut her life wasn’t full at all and never had been She was starting to get that that hat her list had really been about "You’re easy to talk to," she told Lily

"It’s the alcohol"

"No, I mean it," Bailey said "This is nice for me I don’t have a lot of close friends" She never had, because she’d never been a part of any sort of nor even close And she’d seen what herthe herself to get close to people just to cause the to understand without having to be told "I’ back in Cedar Ridge, I’d be thrilled to consider you a good friend"

Baileychoked up, but the radio squawked

"Need backup," came Aidan’s voice on the radio "Handcuff your idiot to a rail and come to me one hundred yards to the west Over"

"Ten-four," was all Hudson said

Ten ain "In sight Over"

"Confir off the rails by his homeboy boarder pants," Hud said "Which are hooked on his ankle, his credentials dangling in the breeze He’s yelling so us Over"

Lily and Bailey gaped at each other