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“I won’t be like hter’s best interest That’s why I’ to Florida tomorrow Grace deserves better than me, and if I’m around she’ll love me anyway That’s what kids do: they love loser parents, and it breaks their hearts ”

“You’re not a loser And what’s wrong with her loving you?”

“Don’t ”

Scot pursed his lips Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a set of keys and extracted one “This is the key to my office There’s a sofa bed in the conference room and a bike by the front door The combination is 1321 We closed up early today, so the place is all yours ”

She took the key and pocketed it “Thank you, Scot ”

“No problem I believe in you, Lexi ”

She should have walked away then, said nothing more That hat sheup at hiet married?”

“No He’s still in school, I think No wife He lived with his parents for a few years and then moved into that cabin on the cove ”

“Oh ”

“He never wrote?”

“A few times I sent all the letters back unopened ”

“Oh, Lexi,” Scot said, sighing “Why?”

She crossed her ar not to reht of thery then, so wounded She’d acted out in all kinds of terrible ways By the tier, it was too late He never wrote again, and she hadn’t had the courage to write to him

“I should have taken your advice,” Lexi finally said, unable to look at Scot as she said it

“Yes ”