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Jason couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually made a new friend His coworkers at the cookie factory were nice and all, but he never saw theie

He cleared his throat “Hey You’re going on this trip too?” It was dumb to think of Ben as a friend He was older and probably just being nice Just doing his job as a ranger

“I’uide here since I was a teenager Still do it on my days off once in a blue moon”

“Cool! Can we be in your boat?” Maggie grinned ear to ear, and Jason found he was doing the same

Ben winked at Maggie “I think I s”

Giddiness bubbled through Jason, his worries about safety evaporating Ben wouldn’t let anything happen to theo to any trouble or anything”

“Nah, it’s no trouble” Ben s “I’ll see you down by the first raft there” He indicated with his chin

Jason paid the cashier, who directed hi a Metallica T-shirt and what appeared to be a perpetual frown sized them up and provided life jackets and helmets

Through the open shed doors, Jason watched Ben by the river’s edge, bent over exa on the raft, his white tank top stretched across tan skin and firh him

The last ti time with a friend ith Edward Martin at equestrian cah school Amy had teased him mercilessly about his “bromance,” and he’d brushed it off

“Dad, are you okay?” Maggie asked, hands on her hips “You don’t have to be afraid, I promise”

“I know, baby Thank you” He dropped a kiss on her forehead and stood still while the teenager plonked a helhtened the strap

Ben waited by the large inflatable raft as people trickled down froie’s life jacket “You always have to ie nodded, listening carefully She was like a sponge, always eager to learn, and Jason watched with pride as Ben went on “You have to pull theht Here, you try”