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Julia knew she had every chance to decide otherwise, to take her chances with the devil she knew at the Adamses rather than the one that lurked in Jesse’s eyes, but she picked up the stroller wheel and followed Amanda anyway

“I DON’T HAVE ANY BANDAGES Just soap and water,” Jesse told them as soon as they walked in He had braced himself in the far corner of the kitchen between the two counters, like a hunted animal about to strike back

He took a swig of the beer he’d grabbed the moment he walked in—as if he needed further proof of how shaken he was, hoeak and close to utter ruin

He rarely drank, but every tih he was his father

“Thank you, Jesse, on’t take long,” Julia said, her eyes clinging to his for a

God, did she have to be so naked? Did she have to be so das for him? It made the air so thick he couldn’t breathe

“Bathrooh there” He pointed down the dark hallway

“Uncle Jesse, do you think you could fix this thing?” A the stroller beside her as she walked in

“Sure” He grabbed it o She looked down the hallway to make sure Julia was out of earshot and then leaned toward hiht

“Wow,” Amanda said “She’s so pretty Do you think she’s married?’ Cause, she’s totally into you So, you shouldn’t—”

“Call your folks to come pick you up,” he told her “I don’t need your help around here anymore”

His too-wise niece eyed hiht back until she finally looked away, clearly disappointed in hi s of the beer that slid down his throat like ice after a trip through the desert

“Fine,” she said, then grabbed her school bag fro out her cell phone “I’ll tell them you’re mean and a jerk and—”

Jesse walked out, cutting off her tirade with the slam of the screen door

He’d let that girl hang around and it had gotten into his head, et who he was and what he was here to do And now, thanks to her, he had Julia and her boy in his house, using his sink, his towels, filling the rooms with her smell

Things had gone too far

Well, he kne to fix that