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“Yeah, Heather’s packing up the kids now, and we leave in a few hours” Jack and Heather had two cute little ones, a girl and a boy, twenty-one months apart

“Nice Say hello to everyone for me” Darryl read what he’d already typed: PENELOPE CARTER has agreed to ten hours of community service for the inconvenience of the public intoxication

“So, give oing to ask all about this reunion with Penelope”

Even to Darryl, the situation with Natalie could, at tie But the truth was, Darryl knew Natalie felt guilty that she had nant with her new boyfriend’s baby, and Darryl was alone

He was good with alone

Well, ht The type of alone that didn’t include the greatest sex of his life The thought of going back to life that didn’t include sex wasn’t particularly appealing

He knew Jack wouldn’t quit unless he gave hi, so he turned to his best childhood friend “Unless you want to tell Nat that last night and this , I had e, and that the sex was hot as shit, you should tell her there’s nothing going on with me and Penelope”

Jack barked a laugh “Poor Penelope Surprised she didn’t get sick of you after the first ti there anymore?”

Jack had been the only one Darryl had told Penelope After Nat had left and it beca to leave hi a better ot away’ He knew that Darryl risked kissing Penelope, andhis job, all because he couldn’t help himself He knew that when Penelope left, Darryl bla he scared her away And Jack had been the guy that Darryl had talked to when he wondered what she was doing in her life “All that is happening is all that can She leaves the day after Christmas”

“You can’t convince her to stay?”

“Doubt it would be a good idea” Darryl pulled the report out of the typewriter, giving it a look over, then added, “She’s a handful”

“And that’s a bad thing?” Jack laughed

“When you’re up for a pro at you, yeah, that’s a bad thing” Darryl spun his chair to face Jack fully “It is what it is, then it will end If you gotta tell Nat anything, tell her I

am fine” He wasn’t sure how manyhi I am happy, but he was never a liar

“It’s a pity Penelope’s not staying longer,” Jack said and then rose, tucking the chair back under the table “Probably for the best, though Don’t think she could handle how much you stink in the summer”