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"Hey," Rocco greeted, stepping into the garage He stuffed his hands in his jean pockets as though to warers He walked around to the front of the vehicle and looked over the engine The weather was typical of January, drizzly and ood complement to Sam’s mood, which had been dark since the day he split with Beth

"Hey," Sa his hand with cloth

"Haven’t seen you in a while," Rocco commented

"Been busy" Sam suspected this wassaid, he understood Nichole had sent Rocco on a fact-findingto say, and he’d make sure Rocco knew it in quick order

"Owen’s jar is erinned "You should bring him by; I’ll fill it up for hiine "You okay?" he asked without looking at Sahtening, Rocco shrugged "Heard you and Beth split"

"Yeah, well, all good things ht?" He placed his hands on both sides of the engine and leaned forward, as if the answers to the questions of the universe were revealed there

"Not all good things," Rocco countered

"It was ti ht that way once ether, co is, Sa as happy or content as when you ith Beth"

"Appreciate the words, Roc, but not your business"

Rocco raised his hands as if surrendering "I had my say and as far as I’m concerned, from here on out it’s a closed subject"

"Good Keep it that way" Saood friend because of Beth These first feeeks would be the et easier in time All he had to do ait it out

"Heard Beth’s--"

Sam stopped him "Do me a favor"

"Sure," Rocco said "What do you need?"

"If you hear of her …"

"You mean Beth"

Who else did he think it would be? "Yeah, Beth If you hear anything she’s said or if she’s dating again, I’d rather not know about it Better yet, don’t rinned like he knew so his irritation show

"Sure thing"

"Good"

Rocco hung around for another thirty minutes and then took off on an errand for Nichole When Sa the carburetor on the 1970 Chevy Ina sandwich and stood at the kitchen counter, wolfing it down Funny how even the little things like a countertop in his kitchen reht here when Beth had delivered the cookies for his poker night with the guys

He didn’t dare let Rocco kno bad off he ithout her It’d been only three weeks since he’d last seen her--three dark weeks--and every day was a challenge Countless tiht to reach out to her It took every bit of restraint he couldso like what happened at Christain She couldn’t help herself It was part of her nature to fix things To ht He’d seen it more than once

What Beth failed to understand was that Sa her nose in where it didn’t belong, dragging up the past he was determined to push to the farthest reaches of his mind After Trish, he’d decided never to trust another woether and for a tiood

He’d let his heart rule his head and it had nearly ended in disaster He could only iine ould have happened if Trish had happened to see hi Luci Seeing his daughter She was everything he had i he’d hoped

Pain hit him square in the chest and he closed his eyes while his body adjusted to the e about her and his head felt like it would implode He could never be part of her life He didn’t need to be re a father had been taken away froo of Beth was a protection Hard as it was, he was deterood