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She stood “Thanks for stopping by”

“Wait,” he said, co to his feet “Please”

She stared at hi to dust? I wouldn’t have thought it was possible”

He felt her anger and understood it, but what bothered hi underneath The profound sense that she was completely alone in the world

“I’m sorry,” he said “Please stay for a few more minutes”

She reluctantly sank back into the chair He settled across from her

“I’ to walk away fro not to listen or try to understand You were a kid, and I turned my back on you”

“So did Mom”

He nodded “So did Mom”

He’d always thought about his sister in ter consumed her He’d never considered what itup an obvious afterthought, the result of a single night spent with a stranger He and his brothers had been born to a couple very eline had talked about But she was a constant reminder of the pain they’d felt after their father had died Odd man out

May had been unco The woman who loved her children unrepentantly had kept her only daughter at a distance Rafe had been too busy being the irl It had fallen on Shane and Clay to parent her, and they’d only been kids themselves

“It was your birthday a feeeks ago,” he said “I thought of you then”

“Did you? You thought ofsoyou took the trouble to think of me I don’t kno to thank you”

“Dammit, Evie”

She stood again “Go to hell I don’t want you around, and I sure don’t need you Maybe I did once But you weren’t there Not you or Moaze “Whatever you want, you’re too late I’m not interested”

“I don’t want anything”

“Then why are you here?”

“Because I rong before Because I want us to be a faain”

“We were never a family”

“Then let’s be one now”

She turned to leave

He stood “I need you”

She stopped, but didn’t look at him

He circled around the small table and stepped in front of her “I need you,” he repeated “I was such a jerk I never asked why you left school I never asked ent so wrong I never bothered to find out where you went or what you did Hell, I didn’t even teach you to ride a bike”

“Shane did,” she whispered

“I’et to know you Just give me your phone number and take mine We’ll talk every couple of weeks I’ll coo to dinner We’ll start slow”

“I don’t trust you,” she admitted

“Fair enough I wouldn’t trust me, either”

She stared at hiaze seemed to see inside of hienerous in her assessment, because he doubted he would earn many points based on merit

She turned back to the table and sat down “I’ll take your number You can’t have mine”

He chuckled “Okay”

“You can’t date Opal”

“Who’s Opal?”

“My roommate”

He thought about the busty blonde and held up both hands as he sat across from his sister “Not a problem I have no interest in Opal”

“Also, no questions I’ll tell you what I want you to know You don’t get to dig around in ments”

“Forget it,” he told her, picking up his latte “I’ll ask all the questions I want”

One corner of her mouth turned up, even as she was careful to look bored “I won’t answer them”

“Fine You alere stubborn”

“You don’t know enough about me to say what I was”

He ignored that “So, Evangeline, what are you doing these days?”

“I’hter jets and solve crimes”

“Auy in your life?”

She rolled her eyes “No What about you, Rafe? Stillaround?”

“I’m not married”

Her distancing facade fell as she leaned toward hi?”

He saw the htly bored mask slipped back in place

He took advantage of her interest and told her the truth “We got divorced years ago But now there’s this wo me crazy”

“I like her already”

“You would like her She raises goats and makes cheese, and when she smiles, it’s like the sun has come out”

His sister stared at him “You’re in serious trouble”

“I’ure that out”

HEIDI RETURNED TO THE MUDROOM with the freshfor her Heidi had done her best to avoid the other wo some of theup and she had cheese to make, so she’d braved the house, only to come face-to-face with Rafe’s mother