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“Don’t tell the others They won’t trust you any dishes would cause erectile dysfunction,” I said Luke laughed, a loud, booh like that It ood

“But he’s letting you handle the lue would demand more”

“First off, nobody lets h having to fight Daddy about it every day because he thinks Ryan would do so much better at it—” I broke off, asha side of the bed today, Luke, don’t mind me You know I love Ryan, and he’s an excellent brother He even cao out with my friends”

“I know exactly what you mean,” he said, but it didn’t sound like he believed me when I said Ryan was an excellent brother I wasn’t sure I believed myself either I just wished I hadn’t complained like that Ryan and Daddy could’ve heardsorry for , and I wished all at once that he’d never come over That I’d never let myself feel so comfortable with him Because I’d let it slip that I was second-best and always had been, and I was resentful about it I shookmy mama couldn’t see me now She sure as hell didn’t raise uests, much less let them help with the dishes while I did

6

Luke

Since Ryan and Donnie were in the living roo, I took a chance

“You want to go for a walk? You can see the fireflies cos all over Coht”

“Yeah, well, I’ve stopped killing God’s creatures for indoor lighting now, you’ll be glad to know,” she said unco away fro to say she had a headache Ryan came in and basically rescued her I saw her smile at him, the opposite of the way she’d looked when he interrupted us out by the grill earlier

“Are you ready to go?” he said

“Go? Sarah Jo and I were getting ready to go for a walk,” I said

“I thought we’d go get a drink, just the two of us Coerly

I couldn’t see any way around it without o I’ll drive,” I said, not wanting him behind the wheel since he’d already had a few “Sarah Jo, sorry about the walk”

“No, I’o have fun I’m tired anyway,” she said, with a look like relief on her face Froht and lifted, she looked like every inch of her wanted to get the hell away fro, but there was no point sticking around and asking

I drove to Bryant’s because I didn’t want to hang out at et to see a different crowd and not get roped into tending the bar Bryant’s was gris, and whatever crawled across your table They had cheap beer, bad whiskey, and the cops had to break up a fight there about once a week I got us a bowl of nuts and a couple of beers while Ryan grabbed us a table He rammed handkerchief, which probably didn’t ement He waved a barh the nuts to s in the bowl Satisfied, I shelled a couple of peanuts I was about to ask hi when he launched into a divorce story

“Hey, I hope you didn’tyou earlier I know she can be a little annoying She’s been a big help with Dad though,” he said

I took a s of beer to choke down the resentment I felt at his remark I shelled a coupleto eat theo clean a kitchen or scrub so in me

“She’s not annoying, and she’s not a bother,” I said neutrally “It’s good to see her again”