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“He wanted inforive it to hiht want to write an article”

Jesse sed, clenching his fist on the doorknob “I’ll call him”

But that was a lie He had no intention of revisiting that crash with Gomez

“Good night,” Jesse mumbled He patted his sister aardly and took off into the night, toward the wo baby aited for him

“That ell,” Julia murmured She leaned forward from the backseat

He pressed a kiss to her head the way Mac had done to Rachel all night long Jesse understood that kiss It wasn’t sexual or friendly—it was a silent, reverent thanks “It was the most painful dinner ever”

Julia laughed “I thought we did okay There were a feard silences”

He rolled his eyes and pulled onto the road The wind, scented with lime and lemon, flooded the Jeep and toyed with Julia’s blond hair

“Thank you,” he said He didn’t look at her, concentrated instead on shifting gears, getting the he wanted to with those words They see he meant But they were all he had

“You’re welcome,” she said, softly

He squeezed her hand where it rested on Ben’s knee as a weight blew off hiht sky

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

THE NEXT MORNING, Jesse got up before Julia, put coffee in alike a zombie

“Let ive you a ride,” he offered Julia

“It’s okay, I need the walk to calm down a little” She kissed his cheek and skipped out the door like a girl on her first day of school She had a brown bag lunch and a smile a mile wide

He felt a little drunk, and a little like none of his bones were doing their job, at the sight of her obvious enthusiasm

She turned halfway down the block and blew hi charesture—that she knew he’d be watching her war by his side, barked