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"I’ll be back in an hour," he yelled over his shoulder as he left the office

"Don’t hurry back," Nevada h for hione inside and called her on it, but not today Not when he was still having trouble wrapping his ht before

He had a son, he thought, getting in his truck and starting the engine A child For eleven years and he’d never once known or iuessed All because Liz Sutton had kept the truth froh hiht He forced hi, to pay attention to little things like stop signs and other traffic, as he steered the truck through town

Rather than go to his place, he went back to the house where he’d grown up If anyone could talk him down, it was histhe loss of her husband, Ralph, nearly a decade ago She was the heart of the family, the one everyone turned to when there was a probleive hiht now all he wanted was to take his son and bolt

Not a sh the fahborhood, then turned into the driveway

He checked the clock on the dashboard of his truck With all six kids out of the house, his mother had a lot more free time these days Time she filled with classes and her friends If he reyht have lined up

He crossed to the front door, but it opened before he could knock

"I saw you drive up," hisfit in a T-shirt and flared cropped pants Her feet were bare, her toes painted pink Although she’d alorn her hair long, a few years ago, she’d cut it off and every time he saw her, it was shorter still Now it barely careeted, bending down and kissing her cheek "You going to get your head shaved next?"

"If that’s what I want," she declared, stepping back so he could enter "I’a class I seeene I swear, the positions soet in defythat at soe, you know Shrinking and brittle"

"Hardly"

Denise was in her early fifties and could easily pass for ten years younger Despite the years she’d been alone, she’d never dated Intellectually he kneould be nice for her to find so as the oldest son and the one responsible for her, it wasn’t anything he wanted to deal with Beating up so ood time

"Sweet of you to say so" She studied hi ?"

"Maybe I ca, midweek? I don’t think so Besides, I can tell What is it?"

She moved to the kitchen as she spoke and he followed auto was discussed in the kitchen All revelations, celebrations, announcements

She poured theainst the counter

Her gaze atchful, her expression neutral She would wait as long as it took As a teenager, he hated her patience It had made him squirm and writhe until he eventually confessed to whatever it was he’d done wrong Today he was grateful she didn’t try to distract him with small talk

"I have a son His name is Tyler and he’s eleven"

Hisof coffee She quickly put it on the counter Color drained from her face She inhaled a deep breath, then another

"Liz Sutton is back in town," he continued "I noticed her during the race yesterday I went to see her and she told me" He shoved both hands into his jeans "I haven’t seen hiht"

"Liz Sutton? You slept with Liz Sutton?"