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“Oh, yeah” Jake pressed his lips together in deep thought, then glanced at Wade “I’ll show you another time”

“Sounds good,” Wade agreed, s

Cat re with an odd mixture of disappoint so soon “Maybe another time” That’s what he’d told Jake She suspected that he had been deliberately vague because he knew there wasn’t likely going to be another tiretted that and carefully didn’t examine the reason for it too closely

At lunch’s conclusion, Wade lingered over one cup of coffee, then pushed back from the table “As much as I would like to stay, it’s ti, he extended a hand to Chase, negating the need for hiood to meet you at last”

“The pleasure was all aze “Stay in touch”

“Will do” Wade nodded, but Cat sensed it was more a perfunctory response than a commitment

As he began his good-byes to the others, Cat saw her opening and rose froet your coat for you”

By the time she retrieved his coat from the wall hook, Wade joined her in the entryway Conscious of the flutterings in the pit of her stoed into his coat and istering his compliments on the noon meal

“I’lad you enjoyed it,” she answered autoers—”

“I thought we agreed that it was just Wade, not Mr Rogers” He s those attractive ain

She was ht of theht quaver in her voice “I want to apologize for all that talk at lunch today about a husband I know it had to feel a bit aard”

He tipped his head at a thoughtful angle “I suspect it was more aard for you than me”

Ignoring his observation, Cat continued, “Anyway, I want you to know—”

“—that you’re not interested in me in that way,” he finished for her

She hadn’t planned to put it quite that bluntly “So even more uncomfortable