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Rule got up off the stool and threw some money down on the bar "It happens to all of us now and then"

He told ood-bye and hollered the same to Asa as he appeared behind the bar I introduced the bartender to Sayer as well and he thanked her in rin that was designed to o to bed with hi used to the idea of having a sister I couldn’t even begin to try and workwith a lothario like Asa ht and gave utter my mind had nose-dived into I flipped him off as I followed Sayer to one of the tables that was up near the stage Roet busy later but for noas quiet enough we could talk and not have to shout at each other over bar noise

I was surprised when she took a bottle of Coors Light instead of ordering a h I wasn’t even really sure they served wine here that wasn’t the equivalent of the stuff that calad you asked to meet with me" She talked in a way that was very cultured and even but her constantly ave away how nervous she was

"Sometimes it takes me a minute to work my way around to where I’m supposed to be Like I told you in your office you didn’t deserve that kind of treatet that this is all kind of hard to process"

I picked up my beer and looked at her over the top of it "You had to process it as well"

She nodded a little and picked at the sticker on her beer bottle "My dad was always finding new and perfectly horrific ways to h it all" Her eyes that were an identical match toto track you doas mad at hi We could have had each other and helped each other and he purposely kept us apart until he was gone I’reedy, selfish bastard that would just snap theto hurtI alanted" The corners of her mouth tilted up just a little bit "Someone else to call fas with The fact that you are a goodall on your own, really is an epic ‘screw you’ to the old man I could love you unconditionally for that alone, Rowdy"

I paused with the beer halfway to my lips and just looked at her That was probably one of the nicest things anyone had ever had to say abouthalf of your inheritance, Sayer I don’t ht and I can supportof the beer and put it back down on the table "It sounds like you earned every single cent in the hardest way possible"

She moved some of her hair over her shoulder and leaned a little closer to me so that she could prop her elbow on the table and rest her chin on her hand

"I’ to be really presuet rinned because she really looked concerned about what ht be I couldn’t blame her I hadn’t exactly rolled out the welcome mat for her thus far

"I’ve spent some time with Salem I adore her and think she’s about as perfect for you as any girl could ever be I know you guys have so between you but from the outside the two of you act like you’re a teahtfully yours, youindependently any It could pay for a down payment on a house You could use it for a new business, or for college if you have kids down the line It’s no small sum, and honestly, Rowdy, you earned it just as much as I did"

Fuck me I hadn’t even started to think about what an unexpected windfallforith Salem the way it was There was no doubt she had ahold of oing to put a ring on her finger down the line and the way this group was popping out kids left and right that would probably be on the agenda at soht about it in terht around the corner

"We are a ether Sure there had been others along the way but no one fit in the eht have tried to force the thewohed because that was one way to put it "She’s a force of nature"

"The tattoo she has on her back, the one you drew for her when she was a teenager, I’ve never seen anything so beautiful I think your drawing is aift she ever received with her every day is pretty special"

I had never really looked at it that way before, but Sayer was right It was special Really special, just like the relationship I had with Saleht I had bad luck, ya know?" I leaned a little closer to her as well "My mohed and felt the weight of that loss settle onintoto find ht because I was sick I had a fever and was throwing up, so she was just running to the store real quick to grab soood part of town, so she never would’ve been out unless it was for me"

Emotion crawled up my throat and made it hard to talk I had to look down at the table because the syaze was too much for me to handle

"Then there was the Cruz sisters I needed Saleht I loved Poppy and she didn’t want h that sounded like it was coated in rust "Then there was football I was good at it, really good, but I didn’t love it and what I did love I couldn’t see a future in"