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Everyone laughed, including Billy “Well, heck, I love you, too!”

A nized as Keith Calloway, Fatback Bubba’s e fro in Billy’s ear, then made a quick exit

“I’et ood folks of Pensacola to shout out to this little lady down here” He pointed to Mie of this shindig Frohty fine job, too I’ll tell you what, they don’t make mayors as pretty as that where I come from”

There were a few catcalls fro his hand over his holstered gun “Hey, that’sat!”

The audience laughed again, then began crying out for an encore They chanted Billy-Billy over and over until he relented and began to play again He finished the song and ran off the stage, waving to the audience, ent crazy, sto Mio on after this?

She glanced at her watch It was nine-thirty The festival was officially over in thirty host town That’s when the hard work of cleaning up and in

Zeke led her off the dance floor, guiding her toward the ticket booth “We should go check up on Rusty andis secured Then you need to eat”

Suddenly his entire body went frozen, causing her to collide against his hard back

“What’s wrong?” she asked “Why’d we stop?”

She followed his cold gaze all the way to an olderjust a few feet away He was tall, alenerous helping of gray His eyes were blue but, other than that, it was liking seeing a glirasp on her husband’s hand

“Hello, son” The man looked nervous As well he should be

~~

It had been eighteen years since Zeke last laid eyes on this ed, of course, but he’d know Sam Grant anywhere

“What are you doing here?” Zeke demanded His voice came out more neutral than he’d expect under the circumstances

“I didn’t aze skittered wildly between Zeke and Mimi, like he wasn’t sure what to do