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"I told you We broke up" Nearly a year ago, he decided not to remind her

"I know that, sweetie But you said you tere still friends I ue "She’s such a sweet girl Good head on her shoulders" There was a pause "She’d reat mother, you know"

AJ waited for it…

"But you’re just deterrandbabies, aren’t you?"

Her tone had a teasing lilt to it, but AJ wasn’t fooled Co so close to death had really freaked his mother out, and she was now on his case more than ever to enter a new phase in his life, the one that involved giving her a daughter-in-law to gossip with and a grandchild to dote on

"I haven’t found the right woman yet," he said aardly "But don’t worry, I’ll let you know the moment I do"

She looked pleased "Good Because your father and I aren’t getting any younger"

The conversation blessedly shifted again, back to his father’s business and all the new clients he’d picked up this past , AJ helped his dad clear the table, then went to the counter to cut three slices of store-bought apple pie for dessert

As he handed his parents some pie, he sed a luo-lucky de perfect he felt like tearing his hair out And like clockwork, a familiar itchy sensation pricked at hiyht pro At first, AJ had pretended he was doing it to keep Reed co buddy, and when Reed had convinced hiht in a few a

But he’d wanted to fight He’d craved the adrenaline rush, the ht him

"Did I tell you I ran into Tamara Howard the other day?" his ether"

AJ shoveled a massive bite of pie into his mouth in order to delay his response Tamara had been one of the cheerleaders who’d harassed Brett, and as he remembered that, a vise of possessiveness squeezed his chest

For so Brett pissed him off, and he suddenly wished he had the ability to travel back in time so he could stick up for her But he’d been oblivious back then, sparing no thought to a girl as three years behind hi a football scholarship

Another atte his parents, of course AJ didn’t particularly care for football, not the way his father did

Or the way Joey had