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Rick appeared sober for once, and Toled since co back from the Middle East No one was allowed to hail hiroup or individual who tried to portray him as one He had a prosthetic where his left hand used to be

But Rick only needed his right hand to lift a bottle, trying to drown out the demons who chased him Tom had more patience than et pulled under when despair took over That didn’t extend toexcuses for him all the time

Rick ca this time?”

“An entertainh”

“The Foster placeyou busy” Rick picked up a piece of bird’s-eye ain

“Pretty busy, yeah But I still like doing this in my downtime It … calms my brain”

Rick’s gazeflowed between the two of them

“Thanks for the drive a feeeks ago,” Rick offered, putting his right hand in his pocket

“I didn’tHe knew if he did, Rick would turn around and walk out

“We go way back, don’t we, Tom?”

There was so in Rick’s voice that made Torow a little after leaving the Marines, losing that jarhead look, and he didn’t have the big build of the Arseneault men Just a shade under six feet, he fit into the “lean and tough” category Since co home, he’d lost some of that wiry physicality, but the hard lines in his face ree

“Way back to first grade” To on it “When Ji his Spider-Man lunch box and you punched him and told him to leave me alone”

Rick grinned “Jiet over himself Still does”

Tohed “Pull up a pew, Rick, and tell me what’s on your mind”

Rick grabbed a second sawhorse and perched on the seat “Couple of things First of all, is it going to be a proble for Saturday night? She said no, but I knew you’d tell ht”