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“I have,” Dax says with awe “I read them to my niece and nephew You wrote those? They’re always on the bestseller lists”

“That’s me,” she says with a wink

“They’re hilarious,” Dax tells her “And the drawings are fantastic”

He thenhis ar his butt Waddle, waddle, peck, peck, all day long

He then turns to Legend and says with probably a little too end…you have a bona fide, fa next door to you”

Legend’s gaze cuts over to Pepper but there’s nothing but contempt in his expression She merely lifts her chin and stares back at him blandly

“And yet I could give two fucks,” Legend says as he glares at her He then throws his shovel to the ground and heads across the patio, around the pool, and into his house

“I feel like I should apologize for his rudeness,” Bishop tells Pepper as she stares at Legend’s back door

She turns to look at Bishop and just shrugs “He’ll get used to me”

Pepper is totally hot, and quirky enough that if Blue weren’t in the picture, I’d totally make a play for her But so to have an effect on Legend

We chitchat with Pepper for a bither nuether sometime and then she saunters back into her yard where Mötley Crüe’s “Girls, Girls, Girls” starts playingChapter 14ErikHitching her on my shoulder, I push open the exit door that leads fro lot Tacker follows behind me

“You played really great tonight,” he says as we head not to our cars, but to the barricades that separate the lot fro out there after the gae in When we lose, we’re usually in too crappy a ht to our cars

“Thanks,” I reply in a monotone voice “You too”

And he did Tacker is one of the best players in the league and now that he’s back to full strength physically— it He had two goals and an assist tonight in our victory over the Quebec Royals, extending our winning record that’s causing all kinds of buzz in the hockey world since we’re an expansion team

“Don’t sound that happy about the win,” he observes as we approach the crowd of fans

“Sorry,” I reply with a bit of pep in ht now”

Like how Blue is doing I’m worried about her and that’s definitely a new sensation Being worried about a woets off We were supposed to go out last night but it didn’t happen She returned froht to the Cresson as Billy was sick with the flu He ell taken care of by the nursing staff, but he was miserable and wanted Blue, so she went She’s been there all day today and this evening as well, and I wonder if she’s even taken time for herself to eat It’s late and I hesitate to call since she could be sleeping

“Maybe that will make you feel better,” Tacker says and for a minute I’m not sure what he means He nods toward the barricades and I turn to look at the throng of fans

Standing in thewith a concrete bottom stands Blue Her hair is in a ponytail and she has noshoes and I think she’s the most beautiful woht she was stunning and gorgeous, but the way she’s looking at me noith a smile just forthat could ever top it

I walk straight to her, ignoring the fans that call outpads of paper and n When I reach the barricade, she opens her ht under the arh, hands to s, sheher over and set her on the asphalt before ning autographs, and the crowd starts inching his way It’s clear my attention is diverted elsewhere