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"Sorry we ruined the surprise We’ve had bets going for a whole week to find out if you’d realize it before Reagan does" Matt shrugs

"One of you could have toldlike a damn fool He points around the rooan would know first?"

I raise ured she’s the one with the uterus, so she’d realize it before Pete did

"You lost, little brother," Paul says He walks by me and squeezes my shoulder

"Doesn’t count if you tell him," I coives hih, so he doesn’t even struggle

"Stop and get a test on the way home," Matt tells him

"Okay" Pete’s still star-struck

"Wait," I say "If you didn’t want to tell us Reagan’s pregnant, what did you call me here for?"

Pete throws up his hands "Hell, I can’t rerin on his face, until he suddenly slaps his thigh "Oh, I remember now" He winces "I have thisour faces But if we had a nickel for every time Pete says this, we’d be rich men

"What does he need?" Paul asks

"He needs a job"

"Violent cri-related"

"Is he out?" Matt wants to know

Pete nods "He’s all the way out But now he’s having trouble finding a job This guy has so et lost in the system"

"How old?"

"Twenty-seven?"

We’re all startled Pete usually brings us juveniles he wants us to big-brother Not adults

"He’ll do anything," Pete rushes to say "He just needs a chance And he’s an a some art samples in," Paul says

"He’s out in my car, and he has sa hio back out to the les a few minutes later when he co characters, but I’ve never seen anyone like this guy He has a tattoo on the side of his face It’s a cluster of teardrops In our neighborhood, tattoos like that are usually gang-related and it means he’s killed someone He hasis that he’s on wheels

Paul walks up to him and sticks out his hand "Paul Reed," he says He introduces us all

"Nice to meet you," the man says "My name is Joshua Friends just call me Josh" He shakes hands with each of us

"Pete said you had some art samples," Paul says

"Oh yeah," he says quickly, and he reaches back and pulls his shirt over his head the way guys do