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I licked hts in order, then shook my head to try to clear it “Ummm” I hesitated “I’m ready when you are”

He nodded once, then caught otten for o”

We fell into step together, and as we passed the large air-conditioned kennels he had on the side of the cabin, I watched Al through the side s as we moved

I was so intent on watching the dog that I didn’t notice that Laric had shifted slightly until I’d all but ran into his body

“Sorry,” I said, starting to pushat Al”

He hu a lot lately—and guided me the rest of the way down the path toward his father’s place

“You do this a lot?” I asked curiously

He shrugged “When I want I don’t know if that’s a lot or not I swio to the lake and do that If the lake is too cold to swi that far of a hike to get there, I just do it in Lynn’s pool”

“So tellyour dad? Are you upset with hiot the impression at dinner that you were more or less a little bit ambivalent with him”

He sighed “It’s a sore subject, I guess I mean, he could’ve told me at any time Why didn’t he? Then I think about how inal parents How if they’d just been there for ht have made a lot different life decisions You know? Then I think, well I can’t blaAnd fro okay I could’ve told anyone at any tiotten me out of there He had thatfor o, and s when I was a kid He had a line on my library card Knehen I went and checked out books Returned them He knehat I liked and disliked He watchedmy first bike forfor the bike to ht it hih that I could afford it That’s not so a father that didn’t care about his kid would do”

He smiled at my next words

“It sounds like he loved you It sounds like he did everything he could to ensure you had a good life, and he didn’t want to interrupt what he thought was a good one,” I replied softly