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Chapter One

"You, , sparkly balls"

Ca, satisfied s of beer as he stared at the finger pointing straight at his face He was seated at a four-top near the frontof The Fix on Sixth, a popular Austin bar where he worked as a bartender when he wasn't at the University or, like today, enjoying a day off

The finger in question belonged to Nolan Wood, a local radio personality and frequent customer at The Fix

Darryl Silver sat in the only other occupied chair Cam's best friend since before puberty, Darryl had just arrived back in town after graduating fro my buddy's cojones?" Darryl asked

"Duh," Cae "Because they are worthy of some serious praise, didn't you know?"

Darryl snorted, then turned to look at Nolan "How about you tellin the way of my edification"

"There he goes again, talking like a baby lawyer," Caer

Nolan ignored the jibes, his attention on Darryl "Because even though Cam didn't win the contest for Mr February, he and his cojones definitely made a splash"

Carabbed a Loaded Hush Puppy out of a paper-lined plastic basket and popped it in his ht be Cam's day off, but The Fix was as much a home as his room near campus or the tiny South Austin house where he and his sister had grown up, and he'd co out, have lunch, and enjoy life in front of the bar

A few tables over, Tiffany, one of the waitresses caught his eye He lifted his beer to signal for another, and she gave hiers Even though the croere the biggest at night, The Fix had a steady lunchtime clientele

Ca Nolan's relaxed posture "You know," he said, "I don't think I made a splash More like a statement"

"Ha!" Nolan practically barked the word "That's the truth Co a happy otta love it"

"Maybe you do," Darryl said, putting down his ru about Comic relief? Mr February? What does--Oh, wait" He turned to Ca to do with that Calendar Guy contest, doesn't it? Mina told me a little about that"

At the htening in his gut, as well as parts further south He'd had a crush on Mina Silver for half his life, and he'd known her longer than that She was his best friend's twin sister, after all, so she'd been a constant presence The girl they teased, the pest they shooed away

Or she had been, until Caun to notice her sweet smile, her quirky sense of humor Until he realized that half the ti sualimpse of Mina

And then one day, he'd seen her at the h school quarterback whose picture was all over the local paper