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SIENNA

I silently ateto Micah tell Dewayne everything Dewayne could possibly want to know and then so the pizza It was delicious, and I was being careful to take small bites There was no way I could eat two slices in front of Dewayne I didn’t nor that Dewayne would be thinking how much I didn’t need a second slice would make it hard to eat

Besides, Dewayne had eaten five slices, and Micah was on his second slice They were doing a fine job of putting the pizzas away the Micah enjoy the cheesy pizza orth sitting through this with Dewayne

When Dewayne had asked if he could bring dinner and visit Micah tonight, I had wanted tonear Dewayne was not relaxing But I kne much Micah would love this, so I had said okay And now here I sat, taking the world’s srowled fro to eat a piece of leftover pizza Maybe two

"Isn’t that right, Momma?" Micah said, and I snapped back to attention and blinked, focusing onlike an idiot

"Don’t you have a date to about that? I had asked him if he cared, and then I’d talked to Tabby, who had been thrilled that I was going on a date with Vice Principal Dodge However, this wasn’t Dewayne’s business

I sier bite of pizza in my mouth

"He’s a principal," Micah added with pride He had taken the idea ofmuch better than I’d anticipated

"Principal?" Dewayne asked, his eyes now completely focused on me I sed the pizza and took a drink of water Then I nodded and forced a s happy about this at all "I thought you said you didn’t date You had Micah and that was enough"

Whoawait a hter and leaned forward, glaring at Dewayne with a warning I hoped he understood "Cah school, and if I get asked out by a nice e, that’s my decision I did ask Micah how he felt first, and then I spoke with Tabby before agreeing to this date Your mother was thrilled"

Dewayne clenched his jaw and didn’t flinch "Where did you e?"

I was done This was over I stood up and threw my napkin on the table "None of your business," I infor off the table

"She rocery store He was really nice to her," Micah offered since I wasn’t talking That kid didn’t knohen to keep information to himself

"The bread aisle?" Dewayne asked, as if he was horrified by the idea

I took several deep breaths before turning around to face hi dirty dishes in the sink He elcome into Micah’s life, but he was not welco at him made me crack just a little I hated that he affected me like this I placed my hands on my hips "Yes, Dewayne, the bread aisle We discussed white bread and its healthy alternatives He was nice toyears I think I’m due a dinner date"

Dewayne flinched this tih it didn’t reach ry I wanted hiave the to soak in the bath while you two play Coet aze back to Dewayne "Thanks for dinner It was delicious"

I turned and walked toward the hallway

"You barely ate any of it," Dewayne called out to e line I’," I replied, then sla an to strip I was ready for a long soak in the tub with the new bath salts Hillary had given me to try out She wanted her employees to sample products she carried at the salon so we could recommend thee on things like bath salts

Micah’s laughter in the living rooer and frustration with hi Micah As insulting as it was for hilad he wanted to be a part of Micah’s life I needed to learn to take the bad with the good

From nohen Dewayne ca baths I could eatabout Dewayne being a jerk was that at least I wasn’t going all silly around hiet toDewayne outside to show hi tiht to help hiest star we could see He believed it was Dustin So I let hiood-bye to h her closed bedroooing to have to explain the ‘average’ co it up

Then I needed to re Micah on her own Trusting her was ie I didn’t trust I was going to fix that, too I would talk to hiuy, then I’d encourage this dating thing with Sienna If he wasn’t, I’d ht when Micah took me outside to see the star he believed was Dustin, I should have had aonthis visit to Caht I had toh school, I decided this was the best idea The norewith him and then we’d talk Sienna wouldn’t know about it, and I could hopefully step back and let her date

Maybe she’d s around me

I stepped into the school office, and Mrs Quinn looked up at me She broke into a smile as she stood up The short little secretary was older than ht, her bangs pinned back with a bow like she was seven instead of seventy Couldn’t help but love the woman

"Well, if it ain’t Dewayne Falco come to pay us a visit I’ve heard that you cause less trouble these days now that your buddies have all been tamed by their women"

Leave it to Mrs Quinn to know about everyone’s lives She ers all day five days a week, but she e graduated, she didn’t forget us People like her e needed in education

"I came to see that pretty smile of yours," I told her, then winked just to watch her blush and bat her eyelashes