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"You looking to fight with your wo flustered He tensed Even Rocco considered Beth to be Sahtly, unsure how best to explain his feelings "I expected things to change after she got out of the hospital and they haven’t We talk every day, see each other four or five tiht my life revolves around hers and hers aroundyou, buddy You’re not fighting and you think that’s a bad thing?"

"No Okay, yeah, we get along and that’s cool It’s everything else, Rocco" Sam wiped a hand down his face and wished he could explain himself in a way that made sense Problem was, he wasn’t sure he could put it into words "Did you know she’s not talking to her parents?"

"What’s that got to do with anything?" Rocco asked

"A lot I o well She wasn’t in e and so did Beth I’hter Later the uy she wants Beth to ht of the Rock and Bowl?"

"Yeah"

"Heard she isn’t interested in him"

"She isn’t"

Rocco glanced his way "So what’s the problereat time with Matthew, and I have to tell her it scared the crap out ofabout the ot to do with Beth’sHear me out, will you?"

Rocco shook his head as if to clear his thoughts "A?"

"Hope so," Sa your son and all at once I’ot to tell you that shook me Not until later when Beth fell asleep with her head onBeth’s hand and suddenly I realized this is not ht up in this ro too fast and I need to put the brakes on before this relationship gets out of hand"

"Okay," Rocco said slowly, reluctantly

"You don’t get it, do you?" Saue He was confused and unsure and needed his friend to help ground hiot lost in that field of daisies

Rocco’s deep frown cut through hi you want to end it with Beth?"

"No" That was one thing he was confident about "Not at all I’ you to death"

Sahed because his friend had it in a nutshell Beth had him scared out of his wits "This isn’ta co to want one"

"Has she said anything along those lines?"

"Not yet" It was coh As sure as the autu when Beth would want oing to tell her?"

If he knew that he wouldn’t have asked Rocco to stop by for a beer "Don’t know yet, that’s the probleo I was her first serious relationship"

"She’s serious and you’re not"

He was serious, but he was leery of what that would mean "Beth has barely dated Her parents have kept close tabs on her nearly her entire life The men she dated before me were all Mommy-approved She looks at us"

Rocco snickered as though amused

"What’s so funny?" Sam demanded

"You remember when Nichole broke up with me? Her ex threatened to take her to court for custody of Owen because he found et" Those days had been bleak ones for his friend, who acted like a wounded aniot close without fear of losing an appendage or being cut wide open by a sharp tongue