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Luke chuckled “Me and you both, brother”

Rex grunted and slid away froive this a try? Mrs Carpenter threatened to quit, you know She clai whenever she enters the kitchen”

“I ain’t worried about her She’s been sayin’ she was leavin’ since ere teenagers Trustanywhere now that Lucy’s back She’s been dyin’ to see this thing play out since ere boys”

Rex snorted at that, rose to a seated position, and dropped his hands between parted legs “Me, too” A beat later he added, “So how does she look?”

“Good enough to eat,” Luke replied, waggling his brows

“Did you go over and say hello or just tighten the strings on your bib?”

Luke shrugged “Thought I’d give her a ain Besides, I don’t need to remind ya of what happened the last timeLucy, do I?”

Rex shook his head “I can’t hold your hand and walk down Meraduated from diapers to briefs, so if you wanna think about the past, you go right ahead You’re a big boy”

“And you’re a smart-ass”

“I try”

“Don’t put forth the effort I hate to see ya struggle”

Rex s rings

“Think she ever forgave us?” Luke asked, probing for reassurance while thinking Rex still hadn’t gotten over the heartache of losing Lucy once What if they couldn’t win her hand again? What if Lucy refused them a second chance?

“Doubt it You know Lucy She always held a grudge”

“I don’t know many wo as that sweet Lucy did,” Mrs Carpenter said, entering the kitchen with her ars “Poor child chased you around this place from the time she was able to walk and what’d you do? I’ll tell you The two of you brought some cheap wo-man in here and made her thin