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“Probably” Avoiding her eyes, I stood up, slipped lass on her desk “Thanks for the drink”

“Anytime Drive carefully”

The next h Farirls toin the stables and had always loved horses

The girls proentle, chestnut-brown Quarter Horse, and quietly listened as Whitney showed theet her ready to ride

It was another beautiful day, warh of a breeze to make the heat bearable Dex and I stood off to the side near the split-rail fence as Whitney patiently let each girl have a turn in the saddle, carefully leading Buttercup around the paddock They begged to do it again and again

“This is so nice of you and your cousin,” Dex said “I really appreciate it”

“Of course Whitney said she was thrilled to do it, and she doesn’t have to be at work until one”

“She’s Chip’s cousin too?”

“Right Whitney is e—or close to it, maybe around thirty—and works for her stepdad, estured back toward the winery “But Whitneyrooms in Hadley Harbor and Traverse City, so she’s not here every day”

Dex was quiet a irls will have a stepdad”

I looked over at hied When is she getting married?”

“In October”

I s to us frouy?”

Dex shrugged “He’s okay”

“Are youupset about her re?”

“Fuck no,” he scoffed, as if I’d offended him

I glanced at hilasses, so I couldn’t see his eyes, but I had a feeling they were stony So about the situation clearly bothered hi to force hiain

“Sorry I didn’tbut softer “I don’t have a proble I just don’t like the idea of so he can be their dad”

Aha “That’s understandable”

“They’re going to live in his house, take rides on his sailboat, go on his vacations He’s got s I can’t That—that sticks in my craw”