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“And you plan to help her do that by getting in between them as fast as you can?”

“That’s wrong,” Hank drawled, leaving his seat and heading away from the pool area

“No,” Duke said, stopping hi isn’t right She’s been through a lot of trauma She needs to come to us when she’s ready”

“Did you fail to notice who straddled who?”

Duke frowned “I think it’s too soon”

“You wouldn’t have thought so if you’d been lying under her That’s for das over

Duke trailed him “Hank, wait a blasted minute, will ya?”

Hank stopped abruptly He didn’t turn around “I’ve loved her for over half my life I’m thirty years old, and I don’t kno to love anyone else She was er, and now that I knohat it feels like to lose her—and believe one—I’ll never let her go again”

“You don’t have her yet,” Duke reminded him

“Says you!” Hank yelled, believing after Julie responded to hi to stand in their way now She obviously still found him attractive, maybe even irresistible, and that cheer now than in years past

“Hank, you’re pushing too hard, too fast”

“That’s what it takes You oughta know that If you want to ”

“So this is about racing,” Duke said, obviously put off by that possibility

“Hell no This here is about love If the racing follows, and I suppose it will, then that’s all right But if Julie gets back in a car again, that will be her decision When she finds her place in ain will be up to her, too, but I intend to persuade her every chance I get”

“Then I guess if I can’t beat ya, Ihis jaw