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Ditching Dreasn't an option though He'd cuff her, she didn't doubt it for ahe would

Drew

So his tailed little ass off His mom and Leah sat opposite each other across at the Jackson fa room table He sat opposite an e for his father but he'd stopped deluding hio Saying the stilted conversation and long silences were aas like saying he only kinda wanted to drag Leah into the closest rooht since she'd dipped out of decorating duty at the gym

"So Leah" Hisexactly half a baked potato, half a steak and half her vegetables untouched—just like they'd stay for the rest of the s?"

Drew almost choked on his medium rare steak

"I operate a fully-legal marijuana shop in Denver, yes" Leah responded without an ounce of e her for her choice in careers had beaten soht out of her

He hated that As soon as he got her alone, he'd apologize

"What aninteresting life you esture that had becootten out of rehab

Leah nodded and took a bite, cheith more effort than her mashed potatoes required

Yeah, this was going even worse than he'd expected, but dinner with hishis head down, he shoveled in another bite of potato

Dinner at his parents’ house had never been fun, not even when he was a kid There was always so on between his functioning alcoholicfather Not that they'd ever divorce Too public a scandal Instead, they just seethed silently and spent as ht up until his ht days at the "spa" and ca a single soul in Catfish Creek where she'd really been The price tag for that? Drew had to come home and help her with her cover story Faced with the choice between seeing his et better, even if she was still the queen of the perfect facade, or watching her lose herself in a bottle, he'd done what he'd always done He'd given up the policing he loved, ca And with Jess across the country and his dad all butin action, there was no one else to do it but him

"You know, Jessica will be here on Thursday," Mo from Hollywood"

"How nice for her," Leah said, sounding about as happy as a wo squad

Either oblivious or just too deeply attached to the reality she'd created in her head, hisstars really depend on her Now, if she'd just listened toin LA, well, she'd be one of those big stars but that girl never did listen I think it was because of who she hung out with, and look, now here you are with my son"

Like an unexpected slap across the face, the words hung in the air Grinding his teeth together, he smacked his palms down on the table on either side of his plate and stood