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"What do you mean not exactly?"

"I just an rounding the table to sit on the opposite side of Parker froht my aro on one date with the guy so you would realize what you wereto actually start between the two of you And neither of you told ed "There’s not much to tell yet"

"Really? Parker knows him and there’s not an," I hissed, and faced him "You want me to date, but you don’t You want Parker to have a dad, but you don’t like that Coen met him accidentally when Parker and I were at the park and Coen was running the trail that goes through there"

"Okay, you two," Mo at you, and, Keegan, your friend can only keep Parker entertained for so long before Parker realizes that you and his ht I don’t want to start the first night of you being out of the aran released my arm and pulled out a chair for Erica, and I walked past Coen and Parker to sit down Coen gavehis conversation with Parker, and I tried to ignore the stares of h this was supposed to be a dinner for Keegan, it quickly turned into an interrogation dinner Even though Keegan and Coen were best friends, it was like Keegan was seeing Coen in a whole new light now that he orried ere dating, and kept staring at hiure out a ridiculously hardconfused, she couldn’t keep her eyes off Coen and Parker as they joked and drew on Parker’sat her lips the entire time My dad had sat there with his aran’s talks of their ti in his own stories of his time in the navy And Momdear God, I wanted to die for Coen, with the horrified look she was giving hi back and forth between the ses in his ears and his arms covered in tattoos; each time they’d make a new trip, she looked like she wasabout his photography business, she was sucked in too

"Parker, keep eating," I requested softly when he ate only two bites and pushed his plate back to continue coloring

" ’Kay," he muttered distractedly, but never ain

"Par--­"

"That all you gonna eat, bud?" Coen rested his head on his folded ared Parker with his shoulder Before Parker could respond, Coen nodded in the direction of Keegan "Don’t you want to grow up all big and strong like your uncle?"

Parker stopped coloring and looked at Keegan before looking at Coen "Are you not strong?"

"Me?" Coen’s eyebrows raised and he shook his head "Nah, I’hed "It’s because I didn’t eatup," he whispered loudly

"No, you’re not!" Parker laughed and pushed on his arm, and Coen dramatically moved away

"I am, look" He placed his elbow on the table with his hand up for Parker to grab "See if you can beat h as he set hio easy on you because you’re only six"