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He nodded but didn’t seem to show a lot of enthusiasers Beth took one bite, sed, and continued "And that’s not all I found Peter Hamlin, the real Peter Hamlin I even talked to him and I have to say, he’s a piece of work My aunt is better off without him"

"You’re satisfied now?"

She considered that "I’ my options One of the receptionists is really chatty and has worked there for nearly forty years" Beth reached for a thick french fry and dipped it in ketchup "She only works two days a week I was able to talk to her and learned a little iven the chance, the two hed "Guess I’m the eternal optimist"

Sam didn’t look convinced "If you wantover how best to proceed I haven’t made my final decision yet" She took another bite and saw that Saer

"You feeling okay?" she asked "You haven’t been yourself all week"

He shrugged and leaned forward "Think it’s time you and I had a talk"

"Oh?" This sounded serious She set the burger down and waited for him to continue

Sauess the best way to do it is to just say what’s on reed

He expelled a breath "I think you should consider going out with a few other guys"

Beth stared at him and then leaned back in the booth while she processed his words

"You aren’t saying anything" He looked hesitant and uncertain, which was nothing like the Saive me, Sa up withup to her throat and wrapped itself around her vocal chords

"No," he insisted, ada his head "It’s just that we, the two of us, haven’t been seeing other people"

"True" It took her several s Her mind filled with questions, theits way past the knot in her throat "Are you telling me you want to date other women?"

His eyes widened with surprise "Not at all No way Besides, I don’t date"

He sounded sincere enough for Beth to believe him It was hard to maintain her surprise and her hurt "Then exactly what are you saying?" she asked, deciding to let the "I don’t date" comment pass

He rubbed a hand down his face "I’m crazy about you, Beth, you have to know that"

"The feeling’shis words "I don’t understand, Sa"

"I know" To his credit, Sam looked utterly miserable "I’m as uncertain and confused as you"

"Can you tell ht be able to decipher where this was co down "The Kier thing, I guess, then watching you with Matthew and a bunch of other stuff that’s been floating around in ot out of the hospital You said yourself I was your first serious relationship"

"You are"

"You’ll alonder," he said, as if that was self-explanatory

"What would I wonder about?" she asked, her dinner forgotten She gave up all pretense of eating

"If … you know"

"But I don’t," she insisted

"Okay, say soht have regrets Someone better suited to you than I’ll ever be"

"Someone my mother would approve of, you ued

He was intent and serious, and while he’d shocked her, she couldn’t be overly upset with hiht She sat for severalto look at it from his point of view

"Are you ry, and to be fair, at first she had been "No, a little puzzled, but I think I understand You want me to date other ht away his eyes brightened, as if she’d helped hi