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“Deal” She took the plates with scones on the me to the e”

I sat down and looked up at her in surprise “My new friends?”

“Dexter Matthews and his girls”

The butterflies returned “Oh”

“They cahed as she set down the plates “The girls were looking for you They thought you ht work here”

I smiled “They’re so funny”

“They are And Dexter seems nice”

“Yes”

“And very handsome I’d never met him before”

I shrugged, trying to play it cool “I guess”

“His ex-wife Naomi does my hair”

“Oh really? I didn’t know that”

She sighed, twisting her fingers together “I’ve heard her side of things—she definitely isn’t shy about discussing her personal life at work But her side isn’t the only one”

“What does she say about him?”

“The usual stuff any ex-ould say She doesn’t think he tried hard enough to one a lot when they were first ed “She’s called him some names”

“He’s a good dad,” I said, feeling the need to defend hiirls adore him”

“I could tell when they were in here And she never says he’s a bad father, just a shitty husband” She shrugged “But like I said, there are two sides to every relationship story”

I knew she was thinking about s were for s Carla used to say to my sisters and et terrible stos in front of the girls”

“I don’t think she does,” my mom said “She’s said before that she doesn’t believe in one parent bad the other in front of the kids I think it’s ht for a ize and say soood person, but he just turned out to be wrong for h school sweethearts”

Out of nowhere, a sharp bolt of jealousy zapped ut “When did they split up?”