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“No, ma’am” Alicia shook her head emphatically “I’ll leave the need for speed to them”

Jeremy looked uncertain, and Max told him, “I can take you out later if you want It’ll be fun” More fun than you irin too widely, anticipation zipping through him

“While the boys are out playing, can I buy a bottle of syrup to take home to my mom?” Alicia asked

Valerie said, “You can’t buy one, but you can take whichever bottle you’d like on the house”

“Thank you so much!” Alicia beamed and said to Max, “Your mom is the sweetest”

Max’s breath caught, and he was frozen in place Valerie s fazed at all “Do you know the differences in flavor froar house”

Max watched theo My mom It wasn’t the first time someone had referred to Valerie that way, and it always uilty Which he knew didn’t reallyto him since the day theycalled his father “dad” so easily What rong with Max that he got so stressed about it?

“You good?” Honey asked

“Uh-huh” He watched thear house

“What’s up with you? Oh shit, did you get the test results?”

Max refocused on Honey “No,” he lied Well, he supposed it was true that he hadn’t gotten the results in that he hadn’t seen them yet

“Okay Then let’s do this” Honey held up his palm

Max slapped it, shaking off the uncos He could deal with all of that stuff later He grabbed the pack fro it on before they zooh the acres of maple bush

They had work to do

Chapter Thirteen

Ar around Max’s waist, Jere his face fro the narrow road through the forest He leaned into Max, unable to resist a “Woo!”